Austin Faith & Family- April 2011 by Abby Pound

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Faith&Family AUSTIN

April 2011

Divorced Dads

Be-Attitudes of Hope

MOMENTS OF OBEDIENCE

What a Simple "Thank You" Can Do

BODY LIFE

That "R" Word

Dr. Domonique Randall

The Shape of Behavior Helping Children Reach Their Full Potential S T R E N G T H F O R T H E F A M I LY , H O P E F O R T H E C I T Y

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Domonique Randall & Lily from the Shape of Behavior Clinic

The Significance of What You Think

9 30

Is Easter Still a Christian Holiday?

Adjusting to Autism

contents

Faith

Give Yourself an Energy Boost, Naturally

46 Head to Heart:

Overcoming Shame, Part 2

Fa mily

18 Helpful Hints: Easter 19 Practical Parenting: Spring Cleaning for Two: 20 Journey Are You Filing Jointly... 22 A Few Good Men:

Consider a D.A.D. Meeting or Two

24 Mom's Tips & Tricks

44 Health Matters: Do You Move Enough? 45 Diet & Nutrition:

12 Along the Way: Pursuing a Simple Life 48 The Real Stuff: Tired of Doing It Your Way? 13 Out There: In a Tough Spot? Serve. 49 The Real Me: You Are My Passion

While Living Disjointed?

Divorce Damage Control

You

8 National Day of Prayer 9 Body Life: What Are You Thinking? 10 Spiritual Coffee of Obedience: 11 Moments A Senior Moment

Life

15 25 27 30 32 38

Top 10: 34 Ladies Planting Tips for the Rookie & About: 35 Out A Sweet Spring Adventure

36 Erin's Cooking: 37 Rave Reviews

Double Portion

Money

Do You Move Enough? www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

40 Wealth & Wisdom:

Should You Pay Off Your Home Before You Retire?

41 Dave Says 42 Spend Life Well:

Special This Month Gifts of the Spirit

Studio Kitchen: Improving Our Environment Grace Academy Cover Story: The Passion for Autism Adjusting to Autism--Help is Here Divorced Dads-Remember Your Children

Monthly Favorites

14 The Source Directory Words: 16 20 When Light Meets Darkness in the Classroom

17 Kate's Musings: Pieces...of the Puzzle Einstein: 26 Young Staying Connected to the Vine 28 Austin Community Calendar 50 City Scene

Financial Contentment

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Publisher 1633 Ministries 501 (c) (3) Info@1633ministries.com 512.584.6888 Editor Marcy Lytle Marcy@AustinFaithandFamily.com Art Director Abby Pound Abby@AustinFaithandFamily.com Advertising Sales Susan Stern| 512.584.6888 Susan@AustinFaithandFamily.com Miranda Bradley | 512.924.3911 Miranda@AustinFaithandFamily.com Contributing Writers Lee Eddins, Marcy Lytle, Al Jones, Cathy Endebrock, Jack Hammans, Trent Peng, Kie Bowman, Ginny Hurley, Mark Trice, Dave Ramsey, Richard Landry, Lauren Lacy, Joe Elliott, Maria Arreola, Scottie Moore, John Pound, Erin Osborn, Georganne Schuch, David & Lynn Cherry, Vicki Lancaster, Amy Dillon, Gary Sinclair, Barry Tripp, Michele Zink Harris, Bo Clearman, Ashley Brinkoeter, Kate Mullaney, Laura Bezden, Dan Davis, and Deborah Begley COVER PHOTO Taylor Made Portrait Studio www.taylormadeportraitstudio.com CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Taylor Made Portrait Studio Austin Faith and Family is committed to encouraging individuals in their daily lives by presenting the faith stories of others and providing information that will point every person, at every stage of life, to a deeper, authentic, personal and life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ. Views expressed in Austin Faith & Family do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. Every effort has been made by the Austin Faith & Family staff to ensure accuracy of the publication contents. However, we do not guarantee the accuracy of all information, nor the absences of errors and omissions; hence, no responsibility can be, or is assumed. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2010 by 1633 Ministries 501 (c) (3). Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of International Bible Society. Austin Faith & Family PO Box 2696 Round Rock, TX 78680 512.584.6888 (P) 512.501.6760 (F) Austin Faith & Family is published monthly and is available at high traffic locations throughout the metropolitan area. Copies are also available by subscription, $35 for one year. Single issues available for $3 an issue.

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Editor's Note Life! It's Yours!

aster comes late this year – the end of this month! Whether or not we celebrate by decorating eggs, hiding them, and filling pretty baskets; or by attending a sunrise service on Easter morning, we can all agree that Easter represents a time to celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord! I say that any way we can celebrate it – let’s do it! After all, He came to give us life – abundant life! We hope this issue brings life to you and yours as you read, even if your present circumstances bring you hard challenges. April is Autism Awareness Month, and we bring to you information that will encourage those of you who experience life with an autistic child. Be sure to read “Divorced Dads – Remember Your Children” for strength and hope for yourselves, or for those dads you know whose lives have been affected by divorce. Do you know a young adult who is struggling to find the meaning of life? Hand them “The Real Me,” one young lady’s story of finding her true passion. Our “Moments of Obedience” is written by a high school senior whose life was invaded by the mercy and provision of God, just when she decided to simply show kindness to a store clerk. Is your own life full of repeated feelings of shame, from things in your past? Our Head to Heart column brings you “Overcoming Shame –Part II.” There is hope! We can all emerge from the ashes, without a scent of smoke lingering on our body! Jesus died for our sins. But he did more than that. He overcame the power of death. There is no reason to live defeated lives, with a downcast countenance, sending us to the depths of despair. Words are powerful. His Word is life-changing. And we hope that the words on the pages of Austin Faith & Family this month will change your life and bring back a spring in your step, an abundant awareness of the goodness of God in your life, and hope for tomorrow! Enjoy...

Letters

Marcy Lytle Editor, Austin Faith & Family

AFF, I want to start by saying that I enjoy your publication. I pick it up every month. I just read an article "The Harmful Drugging of Children"; however, that concerns me greatly…I am truly concerned about the effects of administering drugs to children as well; however, there are times when drug therapy is the right alternative. You should not rush into the decision of administering medication for a disorder but each case can vary. MANY loving and caring parents have had to make this difficult decision. Touchy subject indeed! I wonder if the person writing this article has ever had to deal with a child with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, etc? My heart goes out to parents who cope with such challenges every day! -Anonymous Marcy, I just wanted to tell you THANK YOU!!! Our ad and articles look WONDERFUL in the March magazine! We are so very excited and proud! Amanda M. Hi Marcy. I picked up your publication for the first time tonight at my church. I am so impressed with the content of the magazine. I really liked the stories on the drugging of our children and on the farmers markets in the Austin area. Thank you so much for having this magazine for many to enjoy. Amy A.

AFF, Especially loved the article in Diet & Nutrition about cholesterol and cardiovascular health on page 41 of the March 2011 issue. I've had one heart attack, have a stent in my heart and am on cholesterol medicine. I do take vitamins including B and C. Keep up the great magazine. Bob H.

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How the Greatest Nation Started On Its Knees...

...and why it needs to stay there.

ur Founding Fathers did not think prayer made a difference; they knew prayer made the difference. Throughout our nation’s history, both government and military leaders have called for the people of this nation to pray. And prayer has indeed made the difference. In times of insurmountable challenges, monumental outcomes have been cited as answers to prayer. In times of bleak military battles, prayer has been marked as the change towards incredible victories. In 1775, after disagreement and discord in attempting to construct our Nation’s Constitution, the Continental Congress paused and asked the colonies to join in fasting and prayer, seeking wisdom and favor as they faced the responsibility and opportunity of building a new nation. The prayers of the colonies rose to the heavens and God answered with a mighty hand of blessing: the U.S. Constitution was formed and agreed upon unanimously. Reflecting on this achievement, John Adams wrote on October 13, 1789, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” In further reflection in a letter to Thomas Jefferson in 1813, Adams wrote, “The general principles, on which the Fathers achieved independence, were . . . the general principles of Christianity." As our young country was being torn apart by the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of fasting and prayer. Across the lines, the great American General Robert E. Lee addressed his troops calling them to prayer and saying, “God is our only refuge and our strength. Let us humble ourselves before Him…” Even during these times when our nation was divided, fighting brother against brother, disagreeing on principal issues, both sides remained committed to the core belief that God is with us and our only hope for a bright future.

brought clear skies after almost four months of rain, enabling the aide of American and British air forces and ultimately crushing the German advance. Patton wrote, "Urge all of your men to pray, not alone in church, but everywhere. Pray when driving. Pray when fighting. Pray alone. Pray with others. Pray by night and pray by day. Pray for the cessation of immoderate rains, for good weather for Battle. Pray for victory. Pray for our Army, and Pray for Peace … With prayer, we cannot fail.” These essential times of national prayer were made official in 1952, with the signing of a joint resolution of the U.S. Congress by President Harry Truman, establishing a National Day of Prayer. This resolution was amended and signed by President Ronald Reagan, permanently setting the annual date for the National Day of Prayer to the first Thursday in May. We've always needed God from the very beginning of this nation, but today we need Him especially. This year marks the 60 year anniversary of the National Day of Prayer and 235 years of prayer for our country. On Thursday, May 5th, Americans will gather all over our nation knowing that with God, there is always hope - hope for the present - and hope for the future. God has repeatedly told us in His Word that we are to repent of our sins and return to Him, and He will bless us in a new way – both individually and as a nation. Join together with fellow Americans on this significant day and attend the prayer gathering in your area. If you have not experienced the power of prayer, come see for yourself what has been the very foundation of our great country. Cathy Endebrock Georgetown City Coordinator, National Day of Prayer For a list of citation references please contact cathy@letspraytoday.com.

National Day of Prayer Body Life Spiritual Coffee Moments of Obedience Along the Way Out There

8 9 10 11 12 13

National Day of Prayer

Events May 2 – Ladies Luncheon at Austin Baptist Church – Speaker Patsy Clairmont – Special music by Janet Gregory – 11:30am meet & greet – 12:00noon lunch is served. Reservations required. www.ndpaustin.org. May 3 Texas State Prayer Breakfast with Governor Rick Perry and featured speaker Patsy Clairmont - Doubletree Hotel north 6:30am. Reservations required. Early registration ends April 24. www.ndpaustin.org May 5 – State Capitol Event – free. 11:30 - Pastoral Prayer at open mike with Hispanic Pastors and Other Pastors praying Psalm 91. This is in cooperation of Cinco de Mayo Day. 12:00 - Official State Event. This will start with a Concert of Praise and special rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. Proclamations from President Obama and Texas State Governor Perry. Following this will be the Concert of Prayer which will be led by legislators and individuals at the Capitol. Urging all pastors to come and bring their church people. To check out more events and up-to-date info, visit http://www.ndpaustin.org/events.htm.

In WWII, prayer for good weather among 250,000 soldiers under General Patton’s command 8

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Body Life

Faith

What are You Thinking?

t all starts in your brain. Thoughts, beliefs, imaginations, speculations, decisions, determinations, planning - isn’t that where the course of our day, our week, our LIFE is set? God knows it and we know it. Psalm 139 says He “knows our thoughts from afar” and knows what we will say even before the word is on our tongue. Jesus spoke to this issue right away. The first recorded act of His public ministry, as given to us in Matthew 4:17, was that He came preaching, saying, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Are you already a little uncomfortable? The “R” word does it every time. I always seem to conjure up an old preacher, red-faced, screaming that word at a group of terrified sinners. It makes me cringe a little. We do sin, and we need to repent, but there is more to this word. In the language of the original New Testament, it means “to change one’s mind.” To repent means to change the way you think, so that it will change the way you live. So repentance can be a really good thing!

destructive thoughts require the same. And changing the way we think and live requires faith. Actually, all of us live by faith. It is just a matter of what our faith is in. Lies - whispered into our heads by the enemy? Or God’s truth which will set us free? The Apostle Paul said it this way, “Do not be conformed to this world (don’t be squeezed into its mold), but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2) Learn to think right thoughts about God and yourself – truthful thoughts - and then plan your days accordingly. Most of us make terribly wrong assumptions about God and ourselves, and it results in wrong decisions. But God has a better way.

is the domain of God, and it is not far, far away, but is as near as, well, your hand. God is closer than you can imagine and is waiting to help you be renewed in your thinking. I know it takes faith, but if you sincerely ask Him, He will bend heaven and earth to help you. Reading the Bible and finding good, biblically based teaching is also extremely helpful. Need a change? It all starts in that little brain of yours. What are you thinking? Set out on the journey of discovering God’s truth and you’ll be surprised how easy it can be to…repent.

John Pound

Pastor, New Hope Community Church

The other half of Jesus’ statement shows us how. He said, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” The Kingdom of Heaven

For example: If you believe that no one really loves you, or cares what is happening to you, or that you have to depend solely on yourself if anything good is going to happen to you… you need to repent - because that’s not the truth. If you have been mistreated or abused and think that no one sees and no one cares, that you have to fight back for your own revenge or justice…repent. You have someone in your corner, an Advocate who sees and knows and is perfectly just. If you believe that you have made too many bad mistakes and ruined your life, and that as a result you deserve everything bad that comes to you…repent. Change the way you are thinking. God’s first gift to the world is hope – glad tidings of great joy. And His forgiveness is sufficient to wipe away anything from your past. He is the God of restoration. You can repent or change the way you are thinking about these things because they simply are not true. I know it’s easier said than done. Old habits and thought processes die hard. My garden exploded this week with a whole tapestry of weeds. I told my garden to repent… to no effect. Most of those weeds just have to be pulled out by the root, and most of our www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

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april

Need a morning boost? How about a drink from the Word that's full of powerful energy for your day? Take a daily sip with these short devotionals that you can read and swallow, as quick as you drink your morning coffee.

matter how things look, God is with us - 12 Rules for the day...follow them - Colossian 21 God will lead you - Psalm 32:8 "I will instruct 1 No Genesis 28:15 "Behold, I am with you and 3:12 "As holy people whom God has chosen you and teach you in the way you should go, I will keep you wherever you go... I will not leave you."

someone today...it makes God smile 2 Encourage - Hebrews 10:24 "And let us consider how we

may spur one another on toward love and good deeds."

all need someone who will tell us when we 3 We are wrong...and right - Proverbs 27:6 "Faithful are the wounds of a friend."

close to God...He is our refuge - Proverbs 4 Stay 18:10 "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe."

and loved, be sympathetic, kind, humble, gentle and patient."

will counsel you and watch over you."

on God's power...nothing better - 22 Confess - 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He 13 Rely Ephesians 6:10-11 "Finally, be strong in the is faithful & just to forgive us our sins and to Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God..."

and let it show - John 7:38 "Whoever 14 Believe believes in me, as the Scripture has said, Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."

cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

up God's word as protection - Psalm 23 Store 119:11 "Thy word have I laid up in my heart, that I might not sin against thee."

God never stops loving us - Romans 8:35a Be satisfied in Jesus - Philippians 4:11 "Not 24 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" 15 that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content."

your brother & sister - Romans 15:1 25 Help "Now we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves."

yourself...speak slow and soft - Proverbs 5 Pace 17:27 "A man of knowledge uses words with

restraint, & a man of understanding is eventempered."

are the Lord's...relax - Romans 14:8 "For 26 We whether we live, we live unto the Lord; or whether we die, we die unto the Lord..."

God - Isaiah 55:9 "As the heavens are 6 Trust higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways & my thoughts than your thoughts."

the high road - Romans 12:17 "Render 27 Take to no man evil for evil. Take thought for things

God be God...honor Him - Isaiah 55:8 7 Let "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither

the gift you want...Grace - Ephesians 2:8 28 Give "for by grace have you been saved through faith;

are your ways my ways, declares the Lord."

and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God"

forget to pause and seek God...He never 16 Let the Holy Spirit guide you -Acts 16:7 "After Chase after love and run from evil - Romans 8 Don't leaves us - Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into 29 12:9 "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that I am God."

Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them."

which is evil; cleave to that which is good."

let our country forget God - Psalm Fill your mind with Godly thoughts - Proverbs Let God be God...relax - John 16:33 "... 9 Don't 33:12 "Blessed is the nation whose God is the 17 23:7 "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he, or 30 In the world ye have tribulation: but be of good Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!"

Relate, don't debate...show God's love - 1 10 Corinthians 9:22b "I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some."

God have it all - Philippians 4:7 "The peace 11 Let of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts & your minds in Christ Jesus."

she"

is good - Romans 8:18 "...the sufferings of 18 Life this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

Serve others for Christ - Philippians 2:3 "Do 19 nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves."

God be your only Master - James 4:7 20 Let "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

cheer; I have overcome the world."

NOTES:___________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________

10 Faith&Family AUSTIN

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Moments of Obedience

chool is winding down and, for many restaurants and grocery stores, that means the “Now Hiring” signs are getting pulled off the windows as fast as they get put up. I knew God was urging me to get a job this summer, so I decided to start looking as soon as possible. I had a few jobs in mind that I thought would be good for me, but after I filled out my application, I was always too nervous to bring it in to the store. I kept thinking of scenarios where I would say something dumb or forget my resume. I was beginning to think I was too much of a “scaredy cat” to ever get a job. How can I survive in this world if I can’t even look an 18-year-old Cinemark manager in the eye with out tearing up a little bit? I was beginning to get weary, so I took a break from my job searching for a few days. One weekend, I sat myself down and listened to “Moving in Supernatural Joy” by Graham Cooke where at the end of his sermon, he just thanked God. It was quite amusing listening to his English accent while he shouted “Thank you Lord! Hey, Lord! Thanks!” I didn’t get much out of it. To tell you the truth, it rubbed me the wrong way. I was feeling convicted of a life without gratitude, and it

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Faith

stung. After the sermon was over, I went with my mom to HEB to get groceries for the week; and needless to say, I was still feeling sorry for myself. As I was running around the store like a bitter, victimized chicken with my head cut off, my mom was lazily lollygagging, looking at the sale items, trying the samples, and having a jolly time. At some point, we had gotten separated and when I gave up trying to find her, I decided to wait in the frozen foods section and cool off. It was after a few moments of bitter, victimized silence that I felt God gripping my heart. I should have thanked God during the worship time of that sermon instead of focusing on Graham Cooke’s English accent. Finally she arrived toting a bag of toilet paper and we were off to the checkout. As I was waiting in contemplative silence (I had a lot on my mind to thank - I mean think about), I had a sudden and strong urge to thank my bagger, Nancy. I don’t normally strike up conversations with strangers, but I felt like I owed it to the Big Man Upstairs, so I did it willingly.

She was clearly moved. She asked me if I worked, and I said no, but I was looking. As it turns out, Nancy was the manager, and five minutes later I had an interview! I resisted the urge to cry, I remembered my resume, and a week later, I had a job. Only after the fact did I realize that I was not trusting God to provide for my needs, but trying to provide for myself. Because I got out of my head and into God’s heart and chose to obey him, that little act of obedience opened up the floodgates of grace. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." -Philippians 4:6

“I don’t know if you get this often,” I said, “but I just want to say thank you for doing an amazing job.”

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Faith

Along the Way

Pursuing a Simple Life

he post-modern author and selfdescribed "non-conformist," Jess C. Scott, has summarized life today through the eyes of one of her fictional characters, "The more technologically advanced the human species got, the more isolated they seemed to become, at the same time." Her observation speaks to two almost universally accepted truths of our experience today -- life has become more complex, but not necessarily more fulfilling. No one would deny the complexities of our problems. The Middle Eastern world is exploding with thousands of angry demonstrators marching in cities from Cairo to Tripoli and from Tehran to Tunisia, and in less likely places like Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. The economy is sluggish in the U.S. with millions of Americans out of work; and gas prices are soaring at the pumps. Global Terrorism still threatens peace everywhere and, on top of all of that, the weather is terrible! Earthquakes, tornados, floods, and wild fires make life for some people almost unbearable. Life today is complex. These are not simple times. Yet, sometimes a person with a simple life emerges in contrast to our complex environment. A. W. Tozer was a Chicago pastor whose ministry was most prominent during, and a little after, the first half of the 20th century. While life is certainly more complex today, it was nevertheless growing more complicated when Tozer ministered in the hectic and politically charged atmosphere of Chicago. The Cold War was raging hot, he lived in the Nuclear Age; and technology, with the rise of television and instant communication, had already changed the U.S. and the way people saw themselves. The seeds of social change were already present as Martin Luther King, Jr. and The Southern Christian Leadership Conference were active with The Montgomery Bus Boycott as early as 1955, American Troops were in Vietnam, and The Berlin Wall had been constructed. Chicago in the mid-20th century already ranked as one of America's largest cities with a diverse population and all of the challenges of modern urban life. It was in that challenging world that a man committed to a simple life thrived and became one of America's most well known ministers.

Most evangelicals looking back on the ministry of A. W. Tozer refer to him as a “modern prophet.” He was not a wild, counter culture doomsday prophet; however, instead he was a prophet in the sense that he never seemed to breathe the "spirit of the age." He took maximum advantage of media, but never could be characterized as a "televangelist." His books were instant Christian Classics. He wrote Pursuing God almost overnight on a train, but it has been translated into15 languages and has sold almost two million copies, in spite of the fact that it has been free on the internet for several years! In many ways, Tozer was an anomaly. He never finished high school nor attended college, but his Chicago Church was filled with university professors and students. He authored nine books that sold millions, but he gave away the financial proceeds and lived a meager lifestyle. He wrote regular magazine articles for a national Christian publication, enjoyed wide success as a radio preacher, and traveled to speak at Bible conferences around the world; yet he refused to buy a car, choosing instead to ride around the city of Chicago on public buses! On his grave monument is a simple epitaph: "A W Tozer Man of God", and he seemed as simple as that, even though his popularity was so great that another 30 books were written posthumously by his family, gleaned from his sermons, articles and notes. A. W. Tozer was a simple man. His life was surrounded by the growing complexities of modernity and the demands of a large city church and a national ministry, but his life was simple for a reason -- he focused on one thing. He seemed to live by the old adage, "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing!" For him, the main thing was his personal relationship with God. Tozer once said, "God reveals Himself to 'babes' and hides Himself in thick darkness from the wise and prudent. We must simplify our approach to Him." Tozer's life was typified by prayer and the simple approach of the heart toward God, yet there was nothing simplistic about Tozer's pursuit of God. His depth of insight into spiritual things has caused most current observers to label Tozer as a " Christian mystic" while his biographer, James Snyder,

A.W. Tozer

has written, "Tozer's sermons were never shallow...The flippant did not like Tozer; the serious, who wanted to know what God was saying to them loved him." What about this successful, internationally known minister was "simple?" One writer said of him, "Everything Tozer taught and preached came out of the time he spent in prayer. It was there that he shut out the world and its confusion, focusing instead only on God. He realized early in his ministry that God was calling him to a different type of devotion, one that required an emptying of self and a hunger to be filled to overflowing with God's Spirit. It was also a devotion that consumed him throughout his life." Therein is the simplicity of A. W. Tozer and the lesson of his life to us. When we focus our hearts upon the pursuit of knowing God, the very fact that He is all consuming in Himself makes the rest of the world's choices seem like a distant second in importance. For A. W. Tozer the one focus of his life was not preaching, ministry, or writing. His focus was God and Him alone. He once commented, "What I think about God is the most important thing about me." A. W. Tozer was born 114 years ago this month. He had “the look of another world in his eye” because he focused on the things that this world never understands or pursues. Yet, we can see another man like Tozer, when any of us chooses the simple life of pursuing God. As Tozer himself reminds us, "Anything God ever did He can do again. Anything He ever did anywhere He can do here, and anything God ever did with anybody He can do with you." It’s that simple.

Dr. Kie Bowman

Pastor, Hyde Park Baptist Church

Meet AFF's SALES REP! Susan Stern 12 Faith&Family AUSTIN

Susan is Austin Faith & Family's advertising guru. Her expertise runs deep, with a degree in advertising from UT and 13 years of experience working at ad agencies and radio and TV stations in Dallas and Austin. In her current role at AFF, Susan feels blessed to be able to use her advertising experience

to help faith and family friendly businesses reach a quality audience while supporting the Christ-centered mission of the magazine. She lives in East Austin with her husband Todd, daughter Salem, their yellow lab Bentley, and big orange cat Monty.

If you'd like to find out more about advertising your business in AFF, send Susan an email and she'll be glad to help you!

susan@austinfaithandfamily.com

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Out There

roy Hellmann and his wife Jennifer spent five years as missionaries in Spain. They owned a café called Café Terranova in Santiago de Compostela, where they built relationships with the locals through “normal” everyday life, and then held church services right in the café on Sunday mornings. Four kids later, Troy and Jennifer are back in the United States, serving God on another mission field – right here in their own community of Georgetown. And this time, Troy is not preaching in a local church, but rather he’s running for Georgetown City Council District II, in order to “stand up and take a leadership role” to make a difference where he and his family live.

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Having grown up an Eagle Scout, Troy learned about civic duty and what it means to give back. His own uncle was a County Judge in Washington County, and Troy states that serving in the community “is not that different from mission work.” He shared that one who leads also serves, helps, and does good things for the people who surround him. Troy is currently a co-owner of two Century 21 locations, with offices in Georgetown and Austin. He was approached by community leaders who believe in his integrity, his reputation, and his willingness to help others; and Troy was then given the opportunity to run for office. His goal is to “preserve our town’s unique character, promote economic

Faith

development for our future growth, and protect our current environment of low taxes, low crime, and low unemployment.” Where are the tough spots we have yet to invade? These are the places Troy states “more good people” need to show up and serve. Troy is excited for this opportunity in Georgetown, and states his message has been well-received so far. After serving many years in another country, Troy and his wife could have “retired” from mission work. However, their serving is continuing, and their passion is still present, as evident in Troy’s words, “Let’s go do it!”

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Marcy Lytle

Faith&Family 13 AUSTIN

the SOURCE

connecting you to what God is doing in Your City E

-Addiction/Recovery

512.758.7686 www.CforR.org

Pornography Addiction?

If you are addicted to pornography Austin Faith & Family can help. We will sponsor you with Internet Filtering Software and be your accountability partner. Please visit our website or call 512-689-2717 for details. Complete anonymity guaranteed.

-Adoption Services Caring Family Network

877.719.3222 www.cfntexas.org Connecting children, families & communities

Family Link Kids 512.512.233.6464 www.FamilyLinkKids.com

Get involved & make a difference

-Community Services Capital Area Food Bank of Texas www.AustinFoodBank.org Hunger is Unacceptable

churches

F A neighbor's independence depends on YOU! Round Rock................................................512.310.1060 Pflugerville.............................................512.538.1152 West Austin................................................512.472.6339 South Austin...............................................512.445.5552 NW/Cedar Park/Leander...................512.250.5021

-Baptist

-Non-Denominational

Main Street Baptist Church 1001 South Main Street Georgetown, TX 78626 512.869-7854 www.msbchurch.com

Women's Studies: LoveWalk Young Women's Bible Study New Hope Community Church Fridays, 7pm lauren_cloud@yahoo.com

Hyde Park Baptist Church 3901 Speedway, 78751 www.hpbc.org

Lioness Arising Study by Lisa Bevere Thursdays, 7-8:30 p.m. 3/10 – 5/25 Childcare and workbooks available Alex Shimanek @ 512-699-8138

Solid Rock Baptist Church

F 608 Ralph Ablanedo Dr., 78748 512.410.7458 pastorsrbc@gmail.com

A Church for the Deaf and Hearing

bible studies

New Hope Community Church 2330 Dry Creek Dr. Round Rock, TX 78681 512.255.0064 www.newhope-roundrock.org

Men's Studies: First Baptist Church Round RockThursdays, 6am in the Fellowship Hall Call 512- 255-3454 Troy George Main Street Baptist GeorgetownThursdays, 6:30am in the Fellowship Hall Call 512- 869-7854 Einstein Brothers BaglesWednesdays, 6am at Braker & 183 Consumed Bible Study Tuesday 7-9 p.m. Come be a part of a Band of Brothers that are Building Men for Generations! Shoreline North Campus Children’s Bldg mr.asandoval@gmail.com

14 Faith&Family AUSTIN

General: The Alpha Course- Georgetown Sundays @ 6pm March 27-May 29 Main Street Baptist Fellowship Hall 512.869.7854 The Alpha Course- Leander Sundays @ 5:30pm March 27-May 29 606 Millcreek Dr., 78741 512.255.0064 The Alpha Course- Hutto Tuesdays @ 6pm March 27-May 29 1306 Creek Bend Cove, 78634 512.255.0064 The Alpha Course- Round Rock Wednesdays @ 6:30 March 27-May 29 2396 Clearwater Trail, 78664 512.255.0064

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Hope Street 512.236.1718

Transforming our city one life at a time...

Round Rock Area Serving Center 512.244.2431 www.ServingCenter.org

-Counseling Head to Heart Restoration Ministry 512.496.8938 www.HeadtoHeart.org Hope In Life Counseling 512.925.5110 in Georgetown www.HopeInLifeCounseling.com

-Safety/Awareness

Colin's Hope 512.524.6737 www.ColinsHope.org

-School

Grace Academy 512.864.9500 www.GraceAcademy-GT.org

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Gifts of the Spirit

Catching Fireflies

by Dan Davis

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, Proclaim words of a prophet, Know all mysteries and knowledge, Have faith for the impossible and give all my possessions, I still come up empty. He gives His gifts to bless. He channels His gifts through us And lets us have the thrill of blessing others. Yet, I have not adequately embraced His generosity, Not embracing the possibility that He might give me gifts to bless me. Somehow I resisted embracing His irrational goodness That daily blindsides me with His love. Half a century plus I have stood toe-to-toe with the companion Of my choosing, one whom I sought to shape and refine. She responded in kind and in the midst of intimacy, tenderness, and joy, We engaged each other with the tools we had learned to employ. Some of mine were gifts the Spirit had given me ... affirmation, tenderness, and unrelenting love. Others were not gifts but selfish weapons developed by pain and ill, Teasing to demean, sarcasm to embarrass, insensitivity to her needs.

by Marcy Lytle Tasting eggs and making popcorn - creating objects out of lint - playing with a deck of cards - gathering shoes from the closets. These are examples of the weekly activities found in this devotional book that will make your family time come alive, as you learn together the truths from God's word in a practical, fun way.

Now available at and www.MarcyLytle.com

Much of my life were investments of loving others, Sacrificial offerings, offerings of prophetic words Speaking holy mysteries and knowledge, Words of faith offered with generosity of time and means. In the face of what I was able to give, I was unable to receive the gift of limits, The gifts of personal discipline to care for the temple of my body Needed for restoration and renewal. My mornings were the time of creativity and productivity with no time for the limits needed to tone and strengthen my frame. Too busy doing good to enjoy His gifts for me. Then came the gift of a dog, graced to me by my wife whose love for me grew larger as I aged and grew weaker. Competition curtailed as my submission to her love expanded her capacity to give me gifts of the Spirit that before were obstructed by my strength and blindness to see. The dog was a gift of the Holy Spirit to me, a gift of greater life. On awakening, I have no time for myself, but first must free him From his nightly prison of sleep and restoration. I have the frigid post of duty standing on the porch till he pees. Back quickly in the house he insistently reminds me of his need to break his fast. I hope for a few moments to engage my waiting work, but soon He is at my knee pawing my leg, reminding that he must walk and poop. Slowly I dress for my appointment with his demanding need. Before, I willing paid the monthly fee for a gym I never entered Because I was oblivious to the demanding need of my own body's Ordeal for building strength and endurance. My dog's overriding need dictate that I must serve my own need. The gift of his needs is the gift of limits and discipline that I could never muster on my own. But this gift is not my unrelenting master. Much of the rest of my day He is entertaining himself with toys and harmless mischief with intervals Of deep doggy sleep, interrupted again by visits to my knee to reassure me Of my need to scratch his ears, rub his back and belly, receiving his encouraging Licks of friendly gratitude. This gift of the Holy Spirit has changed my love for my wife by becoming more patient, kind, not jealous, not arrogant (who can be arrogant in the face of a dog), rarely selfish, not carrying grudges, bearing most things, believing most things, hoping for most things, enduring most things ... “all” is yet to be. www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

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Faith&Family 15 AUSTIN

20 Words:

When Light Meets Darkness in the Classroom

think we have all been there, haven’t we? Quietly seated in that back corner of the room with a wide angle view of all the diversity that gives spunk to the classroom, we find our thoughts often drift toward matters of eternity. As if it were only a quick glimpse into the mind of Christ, we can’t help but see our fellow classmates seated in one of two categories: Lost or Found. If Jesus were to blow the trumpet horn before we were dismissed, how many students in the room would be left behind? I bet several people would claim they are Christians and probably grew up in church, but do they really understand what it means to follow God? Are they really saved? What about all the others in the room who are dealing with the pain, disappointment, and hardships we encounter in this life? Where is their hope? Will they ever find healing, purpose, and identity in Jesus?

because it requires us to make the first move. Yikes! So I start where I am most comfortable by talking to someone around me about something related to homework or the material. Phew! I broke the silence, but now I have to move into more personal questions to get to know my classmate better. Simple stuff like, complimenting what they are wearing can lead to a discussion on where they like to shop or what they like to do – all

Offer a competing viewpoint. Is there a subject on earth that God does not have a viewpoint on? Throughout the course of the semester you will see windows of opportunities to swing the lecture toward the spiritual, preferably during class so that all can take part; but at minimum, after class between you and the professor. Politics was God’s idea. Science has God’s fingerprint all over it. History is the study of how kings and presidents led nations based on their understanding of God. The opportunities are endless, so be creative, be ready and courageously speak up when God leads you.

I think ultimately we feel as though we should do something but often become too paralyzed by fear to do anything. Even when we muster up enough courage to maybe take some action, we find ourselves clueless on where to begin and so retreat back to apathy while occasionally muttering a short prayer of intercession in our hearts. I hate that. I feel so defeated when God is speaking to my heart and conscience only to have my frail supply of bravery run out. The good news is that, after years of practice through failure, I have pushed through and spoken up in enough settings like this to know that my words almost always land on a receptive heart who is in desperate need of what God is leading me to say.

of which can seem very superficial - but it’s really not. You are leading them somewhere, you are taking an interest in who they are, and people enjoy it when someone takes notice of them. You are building what we call relationship equity so that at some point very soon, you will be able to use your connection to bring up spiritual matters. There is no need to spend months on small talk. A few short conversations with someone gives you enough leverage to ask something like: “So John, are you from Austin?” (They answer, then you swing the convo to the spiritual) “Cool, so So what does this look like? If the definition of did you grow up going to church?” Their answer courage is being scared but doing it anyway, will often reveal a great deal about what they then what should we do when our compassion to believe which now gives you the runway to also shine our light in the classroom springs up within? share what you believe and, more importantly, Here are three highly effective ways to pierce why you believe it. the darkness in class. Make a connection. If you are more introverted like me, this is definitely a milestone to achieve

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Everyone in class needs to study do they not? How about hosting a study group with free food? I’m sure your professor would even let you announce that and pass out flyers. Or let’s say you hear a student in class voice a need. This is your cue to jump in and offer to fill it whatever it is and however inconvenient it may be for you to do. At minimum, you can offer to help find them a solution, which again builds that relationship equity you will use to bring up “God stuff.”

Serve the class. Servant style evangelism is nothing more than meeting a need and sharing your motivation for meeting it, which is Jesus.

Finally, expect things to get ugly and rejoice when they don’t. If you were dead asleep in a dark room and I revived you with a flood light smacking you in the eyeballs, my guess is you would not be happy. Well, more than just the Gospel, the subject of God in general is just as intrusive in today’s liberal classrooms. Evangelism is messy. No one comes to Christ without a struggle. Your mission field is your classroom and everything you need to be effective is already within you, so go for it! I promise the only regret you’ll have is doing nothing at all.

Joe Elliot Youth & Young Adult Minister Northwest Fellowship 20 Words has a dual meaning--it speaks to an audience in their 20s while highlighting 20 words that send a message.

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Kate's Musings:

So you step back and you cry….usually a lot. Once again, you can do one of two things: You can keep crying, or you can go to the Maker of the puzzle who, if you recall, is The One who should have been working the puzzle the whole time. He’ll step in, if you let him, and He’ll fix the puzzle. It may look a little different, with maybe a few wrinkles and a few torn pieces, but that’s okay- because it’s a REMINDER.

think our lives are like puzzles- and GOD is the Maker of the puzzle, as well as the Image of the puzzle. Because He made it and He knows what it looks like, He should be the one to put it together. Unfortunately we have this problem: we are grabby. Selfishly independent. So sometimes, most of the time, we grab pieces away and try to work the puzzle ourselves. We tend to shove pieces in places that they just don't belong. For example, sometimes we will decide we want a certain guy- and we'll shove his puzzle piece into the spot where the Guy is supposed to be. I mean the REAL Guy, not just this temporary stand-in: the one that God designed you to be with. You’ll know him when you find him because he’s the perfect puzzle piece. And he’ll just…fit. So then, what happens when you put the wrong puzzle piece into the puzzle of your life? Obviously the Image is no longer clear, and sometimes the piece even gets stuck. At this point, you do one of two things: You let it stay there and life gets messy, or you yank it out and cause a big mess. Either way, things are messy.

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And we learn some more, and we grow up a little more. Of course, the missing piece for the Guy is still there - and one day, you'll find him. And he'll just...fit.

Kate Mullaney Let’s suppose that you manage to yank it out. This actually disturbs many other pieces of the puzzle - it affects every area of your life. And you hurt. The job pieces, the school pieces, the family pieces, the emotion pieces-they all kind of get rumpled a little bit…usually a lot.

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Faith&Family 17 AUSTIN

Fa mily

Helpful Hints Practical Parenting Journey for Two A Few Good Men Tips & Tricks

18 19 20 22 24

Easter Helpful Hints:

Combining the Sacred & the Sec ular

pringtime commonly brings out the debates over to what degree Christians should celebrate the secular aspects of Easter. This Easter, set aside the debate and find ways to combine the sacred with the secular.

The origins of Easter are debated by historians. Many believe “Easter” was taken from Eastre. She was the goddess worshiped by the people of Northern Europe. They celebrated the spring season and believed that the festival ensured fertility. Others trace Easter to the Latin term hebdomade alba, or white week, a reference to the white clothing worn by people who were being baptized. There are some fun ways you can use the secular aspects of Easter as teachable moments for your children. The Easter egg is full of symbolic imagery. The egg can represent birth, creation, and rebirth. It can also represent the resurrection of Jesus. As the children break open the egg shell, you can share how Jesus broke out of the tomb.

18 Faith&Family AUSTIN

Eggs that are easy to find can lead to discussions on how we can easily find and receive the love of God. Eggs that are harder to find represent how some aspects of life take effort and perseverance. For older children you can talk about how decorating the outside does not change what is inside of a person. Integrity is based on internal, and not external, images. You may also want to purchase a set of Resurrection Eggs. These are one dozen plastic eggs, each containing a symbolic object telling the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus. http://www.amazon.com/Resurrection-EggsFamilylife/dp/1572297220 The Easter bunny can be a more difficult symbol to relate to the sacred meaning of Easter. The tradition of the Easter bunny came from German folklore. Using some of the characteristics of a bunny rabbit, connect those to positive character traits. For example, bunny rabbits can be trained as trusting pets, including walking on a leash. Teach children about trusting God and walking in obedience to him. The Easter bunny can also be a symbol of giving to others.

White lilies are traditional symbols of Easter. An ancient tradition says that in the Garden of Gethsemane white lilies sprang up where Jesus’ sweat had fallen. You can combine the sacred with the secular with your family and friends. Use the secular symbols of Easter to share the power of the resurrection of Jesus with others. Oh, and while you are at it, eat a chocolate marshmallow egg or a handful of jellybeans and celebrate Jesus!

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Al Jones, Ph.D.

Head to Heart Ministries www.headtoheart.org

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Spring Cleaning Bags, Boxes & Buttons

t is spring, and I feel a good cleaning coming on. I’m not sure where the phrase ”spring cleaning” came from, but there is something about throwing open the windows and airing out the house that is best done in the spring. Unless you have Austin allergies, then you might regret all that fresh air in between sneezes. My main spring cleaning project involves closets and seasonal clothes. We have way more clothes than we have space to put them. That’s the price we pay for five girls. And it’s Central Texas where we often wear shorts at Christmas. So, we can’t ever put away all the tank tops and flip flops. But then there’s that mid-February blizzard that comes along every decade or two, and parkas have to get jammed in the closet next to the swimsuit cover-ups. It pays to be prepared. All that to say, rotating seasonal clothes is a very delicate procedure. First, I weed out the outgrown clothes. That’s not as easy as it sounds. I sort the outgrown clothes by size, season, and keep/give away. There are only so many stained, ripped, and faded play-clothes a child needs. The giveaways are bagged and taken to local charities. The keepers go in boxes marked with the size and season. My husband thought this would be an easier way to identify

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and pull the correct boxes. Little did he know that I need all the boxes every time we rotate clothes because there is always some orphaned bloomer that didn’t get put away last season. There is another sort pile for clothes that need to be mended, like those with missing buttons or loose hems. That pile goes on my sewing table. There is a sewing machine under there somewhere. About once a year, I get around to mending all those clothes…just in time to put them up next season. Clothes taken from the boxes are sorted by color to be washed. I know I washed them before I put them up, but they get dusty sitting in the attic sealed in a box, never seeing the light of day. No, really! You won’t believe the stains I find on clothes that were absolutely not there when I put them in the box. Otherwise, they would have been bagged as giveaways or put in the mending pile, which also includes stained clothes that need to be treated before washing. I should probably just skip this step. I treat the stains about as often as I sew on missing buttons. Next, clothes left in the closets and dressers are arranged uniformly by type (dresses, pants, shorts, etc.). To this arrangement, I add new (as in hand-me-downs from the boxes), correctly

Practical Parenting

Fa mily

sized clothes. Everything is neatly folded or straightly hung, and organized by color. It’s a work of art which lasts approximately 2.3 hours. Shoe space is another conundrum. I mean, you have to have your white shoes ready for Easter (but not after Labor Day, of course). Girls develop a strong emotional attachment to shoes. One of my daughters crammed her feet in a pair of Dora the Explorer shoes that were two sizes too small for a month, before I realized what she was doing. Another daughter tried to staple a sandal strap in place rather than throw the heavily beaded slipper away. Just for the record, I hear boys do the same with Superman underwear. So, now I make them try on all their shoes. If their toes hang over the edge or their ankles turn purple from blood constriction, I pry the shoes out of their clenched fists and put them in “the box.” The box holds all out of season shoes that don’t currently fit anyone. I bag the good shoes to protect them from the stinky, play shoes, and I’m merciless with what we throw away. Shoes aren’t cheap, but after two or three rounds, they deserve retirement. I’m a little picky about only keeping the more gently worn ones. I have a fetish for shoes. I’m a girl, after all. My dream house has a big room with enough space to hang all our clothes and a whole wall of shoe racks. I like the idea of a rotating hanging rack like the dry cleaners. And have you seen those motorized revolving shoe shelves? That's what I'm talking about. But until I hit the jackpot, I’ll make do with my biennial clothes swap. On the bright side, it’s almost like getting a new wardrobe twice a year, even if it is a sister’s hand-me-down from last season.

Georganne Schuch

www.blog.coffeedogz.net

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Faith&Family 19 AUSTIN

Fa mily

Journey for Two

Are You Filing Jointly… While Living Disjointedly?

t’s April, and you know what that means. Time to file your taxes! For many couples this is the ONLY thing they do jointly when it comes to their finances.

It has taken us years to figure out the money thing. We found ourselves on the verge of bankruptcy about a decade ago. It seemed like the only way out of the mess we created over years of mismanagement. Creditors were calling all hours of the day and we were anxious. Thankfully, our church offered Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. We made a commitment to get a grip on our financial world. (We highly recommend Dave’s strategies, and you can read his column right here in the Money section of Austin Faith and Family!)

taken the time to disclose. It’s important to listen to the dreams that lie behind our incongruent views. Ask questions. Listen to each other. Money will be a source of conflict until you agree to work together toward shared goals.

Create a Plan

The most important step for us was creating a spending plan. We never say the “b” word. Spending plan is much friendlier. It can be intimidating to take an honest look at where your money is going and then create a plan for telling it Learn to Compromise where to go. There is no getting around this step! David is the Spender in our family, which also It doesn’t have to take hours of itemizing. We use a makes him the visionary. I wouldn’t dream of simple excel spreadsheet. Find the tool that works doing the things he dreams of! When we were for you and build a plan together. busy paying down debt, pinching pennies made me happy. Warm summer days rolled around and Work the Plan David started dreaming about family vacations. Lots of couples trip up on money issues. If you are The plan doesn’t work unless you work it! How could he even consider that? We still disjointed, we want to inspire you to join together. Proverbs 28:19 says, “Work your garden—you'll had debt to pay! I had to slow down the debt end up with plenty of food; play and party—you'll snowballing and listen. It was important to David end up with an empty plate.” (The Message) Early Join Together that vacations be a part of our family’s culture. Our Typically in every marriage you’ll find a Spender on we scheduled weekly meetings to look over boys were growing up fast and he didn’t want to and a Saver. It can be hard for these two to get our spending plan and checkbook together. We miss this precious time with them. We reached a along! Savers like to judge Spenders. Spenders evaluated each allocation and made adjustments. compromise with an off-season getaway to Port often resent Savers. We walk down the aisle with Now that we’ve gotten good at working the plan, Aransas. It took us a little longer to get out of debt, different perspectives on money that we haven’t we meet less frequently. but the memories we share with those little boys are priceless. I know our family would miss out if these decisions were all up to me.

Rework the Plan

Life happens. We get busy and it’s easy to get out of joint again. We relapse into our old habits and separate ways. If you mess up and things get disjointed, simply start over. Rework the plan. Don’t give up! A relapse is only a failure if you refuse to get back up again. We did it! We were able to avoid bankruptcy and pay off our debt. It built a great sense of accomplishment in our ability to work together. When a new crisis came into our world, we faced it with confidence. According to IRS there are benefits to a “married filing jointly” status. We know the benefits of joining together reach well beyond our tax return.

Try This: Search for a Financial Peace University class near you at www.daveramsey.com/fpu Grab hold of that word “jointly.” Sit down together to create a spending plan this month. For a sample spending davidandlynncherry@gmail.com

plan

David & Lynn Cherry

Staff, Shoreline Church

20 Faith&Family AUSTIN

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Faith&Family 21 AUSTIN

Fa mily

A Few Good Men

Consider a

D.A.D. Meeting or Two

hen our son Tim was in his teens, I was convicted that I needed to be a bit more intentional about prepping him for life outside our home. Yes, we’d done some spiritual training with our kids as parents and planned some pretty unique son and dad trips over the years. However, I also felt like I needed to keep training him spiritually and preparing him practically for some of the situations he would face as an adult male. So I came up with what I called D.A.D. (Discussion and Discipleship) meetings.

Illinois. I get to listen to him regularly, and one morning he shared with his audience that he still has that notebook and cherishes the things he learned in those meetings.

We met every Monday night for an hour or so and I had two objectives. First, I wanted to teach him something important from the Bible. And second, I desired to share some practical insight about life in general. So sometime during the week, I prepared a two-sided simple handout to use for my presentation and discussion. Side one would be a basic overview of an important passage of Scripture I wanted to make sure he learned about – the Lord’s Prayer, a key psalm, the love chapter, etc. On the back side I would have some very practical advice about a life issue. I remember one was called, “How to Love Your Wife.” When he saw this, he of course said, “Dad, I’m not even married!” I replied, “I know, but you probably will be, so I’m going to tell you ahead of time how to do that as well as possible. It never hurts to be prepared.”

So let me give you a few hints and suggestions that will help make your D.A.D. meetings effective if you decide to give this a try. First, make your gatherings discussions not lectures. That hour or so will get really long if all you do is talk. Make them think and offer their thoughts or even doubts about the topics. During your Bible study let them share insights that they see.

I also found a three-ring notebook and put each week’s page inside so we wouldn’t lose it and, more importantly, so he could keep it for future reference. Tim is now a co-host of a morning radio show on a sizeable Christian station in

Third, be real and practical. Talk honestly about your own struggles, challenges, temptations, and doubts. There will be a tendency to spend most of your time in broad, general concepts, and those have their place. But your child

Now did my plan and system work perfectly? No. We had to miss some weeks. We didn’t have the D.A.D. meetings for all of his teen years, but we did it for a long time - long enough to make a notebook, at least. And I didn’t always have as much time to prepare as possible, but we did it anyway.

Second, don’t get too complex. Keep it relatively simple. Of course your child’s knowledge and maturity make a difference in how detailed you get. But transformation is more important than information. Don’t cover too many topics or passages at once. Take one Scripture section and dig deeper into that one rather than cover too much ground.

will become more open to talk honestly if you’re willing to accept hard realities and stay authentic in your approach to life. Fourth, ask them for ideas to use in future meetings. You may think you know what’s on their minds but they’re really the expert on that. See if they’ll share with you some Scriptural passages that they’ve never understood or future responsibilities in life that make them nervous. Use questions like, “What’s one of the things you fear the most about growing up and living on your own?” Fifth, spend time praying out loud for them. There are few things that will touch a soul more than praying for someone. Ask them what you can pray about for them and then be sure to do it. See if they would be willing to pray for you, too. Here’s another opportunity to admit you don’t have it all together. Some of you may be wondering, “So where do I get my ideas and resources for this? I’m not a great teacher or pastor.” Start with your own devotional times. What is God saying to you? Or use something you heard in church or a Bible study. Just pass it along to them. And for the practical part, go back and think about your own life journey. What did you struggle with most? What have been life’s greatest lessons? Try a D.A.D meeting sometime. You’ll enjoy it and your kids will likely never forget it.

Gary Sinclair

Director of Pastoral Care Austin Christian Fellowship

22 Faith&Family AUSTIN

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Faith&Family 23 AUSTIN

Fa mily

Mom's Tips & Tricks

Mom's

Tips & Tricks

Eating Out, or Takeout There’s a new restaurant in town on the north side at Parmer and I-35 called Zeds. It sits back off the highway and at first glance, you don’t see the great experience to be had at this new establishment. Check out the back patio, the view of the water and a lovely bridge, with a walking trail for an after dinner activity. And coming soon will be shows on the hill behind the restaurant, as well. Great date place! American food.

Weekend Fun

There’s a game just introduced to our family, using the letter tiles from the Scrabble game, sans the board. Everyone draws seven tiles and tries to make their own “crossword,” then yells “Draw!” when they’ve done so. Everyone then draws from the unused tiles, and each one continues adding to their crossword until all tiles are drawn and someone has used their entire pile. Be sure to have a dictionary handy to check the winner’s words!

At the Store

Now’s a good time to spruce up your front porch for spring! Check out the cute metal décor and hangers to nail to your wall beside your front door, which you can often find 50% off at Hobby Lobby. Or get a few decorative stakes for your garden. They’re cute, relatively inexpensive, and quite attractive!

in Rhyme

Eating In, Under $10 Why not try a tube steak buffet? That’s a fancy name for hot dogs and lots of toppings. Use wheat buns, grill the dogs, and set out at least 5-6 different toppings to enhance your meal experience. Cucumbers, tomatoes, fries, pinto beans, bacon, etc. or any other “leftovers” can be reheated and placed atop a plain dog, and instantly you have a meal! Kids like designing their own dog.

On the Run

It’s April – time for rain showers – we hope! After many soccer games and other outdoor activities, we learned that it pays to keep the plastic bags that the newspaper is delivered in, and store these in the back of the car for muddy shoes after games or outings. Sure beats cleaning mud out of the carpet and off the seats!

...and Even More!

If you’ve never made these Easter Story Cookies with your family, then take the time to do so this month. The entire story of Christ’s death and resurrection comes to life as you prepare, stir, bake, and wait… Check it out at: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe-Tools/Print/Recipe.aspx?RecipeID=1131 7&origin=detail&&Servings=24 Marcy Lytle

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Improving Our Environment Improving how we look

We don’t always think of ourselves as part of the environment; but the fact is, we do form a part of what other people look at. So improving the way one looks and getting others to do so too, would definitively form a part of improving the environment! (Yes, go ahead and use that the next time you explain to your husband that you need to do some shopping…) My husband, at the tender age of 23, became General Manager of two, privately owned, threestar hotels in a country town in South Africa. He had moved from “the city” after doing his internship at two of the country’s best five-star hotels. He was used to very high standards and, in particular, he was used to wearing a suit. When he arrived, the owners offloaded a long list of complaints about the current state of things. In particular, they had a big problem with the dress code maintained by the evening manager. This was a hard position to fill, as not many people wanted to work evenings, so they tolerated her sloppy appearance. All of their suggestions that she improve how she dressed never made any difference. Nor was she interested in a uniform. So my husband, smart man that he is, decided to take a new approach. Every time she wore something remotely better than normal, he complimented her on how beautiful she looked. Very soon her appearance improved. Then the bookkeeper started dressing better, and before long, all the management staff looked beautiful and the environment and morale was much improved.

Improving our own environment

In Texas, we find that we are often impressed with how beautiful our neighborhoods look. We may consider this normal; but the fact is, we don’t see the same kind of curb appeal the world over. So yes, anything we do to improve our community really does improve our environment, doesn’t it?

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On the job, we must keep in mind that keeping a clean desk, and a well organized office, not only makes a huge difference in how we feel when we sit down to work, but others notice it too.

Improving the planet

In this area, the wrong thing to do - is nothing. It’s easy to think “What can I do, that will make a difference?” So doing anything is better than doing nothing. It really does add up. Encourage others to do the same. Here are just a few ideas. * Do not litter; and teach your kids to not litter, as well. * Volunteer at a local non-profit of your choice. * Donate to Goodwill or another appropriate organization. * Earth Day is always celebrated on April 22nd. Get involved. * Bring your own canvas bags instead of using a paper or plastic bag to shop. * Recycle, plant trees, turn lights off, and save on air-conditioning whenever possible. You get the idea? You can make a difference.

Eat Better. Feel Better.

Let’s face it. Taking the dog for a walk, getting some exercise, or spending time with our kids are all good things to do. And when we do the right thing, we feel better. That’s our purpose at The Studio Kitchen – to help us all Eat Better and Feel Better – inside and out! Learn more at www. thestudiokitchen.com.

Laura Bezden The Studio Kitchen

For the Heart and Mind of Your

April Student of the Month Noah Flenniken

Noah Flenniken is four years old and attends Hillside KDO/Preschool in Round Rock, Texas, a school that’s growing, due to fantastic staff and excellent curriculum. He loves learning Spanish, and states “Jesus helps me to read.” What else does Noah like? As most typical four year olds, he likes going outside, but he also states, “I like making pizza in my pajamas.” One other answer Noah provided was, “I like playing in the ice with toy animals.” In order to get all of his energy out, Noah plays on a soccer team. And when he grows up? Noah wants to be “a big boy!” We asked Noah who his hero is, and he answered, “Larry Boy. He likes people.” Noah likes people too, especially his three sisters, and his pet cat named Molly. He also loves chocolate, and on the weekends enjoys movies, with his favorite being Swiss Family Robinson. The Bible man Noah “found favor in the eyes of the Lord,” and we’re willing to bet that this young guy Noah is also the “apple” of his Father’s eye. Marcy Lytle

Young Einstein

Staying Connected to the Vine

ittle Albert was hanging out over at Max’s What was he missing? Little Albert went back to his house when Max’s dad came home with a research. “Aha, I ‘m missing the mineral rich soil,” he beautiful potted plant. It had huge, white, said confidently. Little Albert went out to his daddy’s garden house and found a bag of mineral rich soil and fragrant flowers. a nice pot. He placed the stalk deeply into the soil and “Who is that wonderful plant for?” asked Little Albert. gently patted until it was secure. Then he added some “This is a lily for Max’s mommy. Easter is next Sunday,” clean water and placed the flower in his perfect sunny Max’s dad reminded. “That’s nice,” answered Little but cool spot. “There, now you have everything you Albert. “Could I please have just one of those perfect need. See you on Sunday.” flowers for my mom on Easter?” “Sure, but be certain to put it in some water,” Max’s dad instructed as he cut Easter Sunday had arrived, and Little Albert was one of the sturdy stalks from the plant and handed it excited to present his special gift. He bounced out to to Little Albert. On top of the stalk sat an enormous retrieve the flower. He exclaimed, “Oh no!” “What is it Little Albert?” quizzed Mom. bloom. “Thank you!” “Your special flower is dead,” he sobbed. “Oh Albert, Little Albert rushed home, secretly slipped the lily this flower has been cut from its vine. Nothing can live into a cup of water, and hid it in his closet. The next very long once it is detached from the vine.” morning Little Albert noticed the flower didn’t look as fresh as the day before. He decided to research what That night Little Albert and his mommy spent some time in God’s word. “I have a special message from plants need to stay healthy. Jesus for you on this day of Easter hope,” said Mommy. Little Albert learned that a plant stays healthy and “John 15:4 begins, ‘Remain in me, and I will remain in grows through a process called photosynthesis. He you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain learned plants require clean water, sunlight, carbon in the vine... Now remain in my love.’” dioxide, and mineral rich soil to thrive. His flower had clean water, so maybe it required some sun and fresh “You see, it is not the things from the outside, but our air. Little Albert found a nice sunny spot outside where roots in the love of Jesus that keep us alive and healthy. his flower would have the things it needs, but where his Sweet dreams, Little Albert.” mommy would not discover his special gift. Little Albert’s flower seemed happy, but on Thursday he noticed the flower was beginning to droop and the crisp white petals were curling on the edges. “Oh no!” gasped Little Albert. “What is it you need now to stay healthy?”

Michele Zink Harris www.nextgenerationhearts.org

Do you have a prayer request? Austin Faith & Family wants to pray for you and yours! Maybe you have a desire to see God answer prayer for our city, your neighbor, or for a personal struggle, and you would like someone to join you in believing for the answer. Austin Faith & Family is committed to praying for you, and believes that prayer is an essential part of what it means to be family.

Email amanda@austinfaithandfamily.com to submit your request for prayer.

26 Faith&Family AUSTIN

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Josh Patch

Logan Turner

Two Seniors Become First National Merit Scholars at Grace Academy

ince 1955 the National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSP) has endeavored to identify and honor academically talented U.S. high school students. Since its founding, the NMSP has awarded over 350,000 scholarships totaling $1.4 billion. Through its commitment to maintaining the highest standards NMSP, has earned a reputation for quality and integrity.

In 2010, two Grace Academy seniors were recognized by the NMSP and one was selected as a Semi-Finalist for one of the coveted National Merit Scholarships. Logan Turner and Josh Patch became the first two students in Grace Academy history to receive NMSP recognition for their achievement on the PSAT test, the qualifying test for National Merit consideration. While only six points (2.5% of the total points available) separated the two classmates, only Logan received Semi-Finalist status and was eligible to compete to become a Finalist and ultimately win a $2,500 National Merit Scholarship. You might be thinking, ‘$2,500? I thought the NMSP scholarships were more than that.’ In fact, the NMSP awards $2,500 scholarships to roughly half of the Finalists each

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year based on a variety of factors. The major, multi-thousand dollar scholarships come from the participating universities who traditionally award full tuition scholarships for any Finalist listing that school as the student’s first choice with the NMSP. Logan Turner was one of only six Semi-Finalists in Georgetown in 2010. Two were Home School students and the other three were from Georgetown High School. In February, he was named a Finalist in this year’s competition and has been offered an $86,000, full tuition, National Merit scholarship to attend LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas. LeTourneau Universitiy is one of the most prestigious Christian universities in the country and Logan plans to pursue a degree in Engineering at LeTourneau’s well. Josh Patch will graduate this year as the Valedictorian of the Class of 2011. He is still seeking God’s plan for his continued academic career and is keeping his options, and his heart, open to wherever God leads him. Ashley Brinkoeter

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Faith&Family 27 AUSTIN

Submit calendar entries to Amanda@AustinFaithandFamily.com by the 15th of the preceding month.

April 1 Divine Healing Training – Abundant Faith Church from 9am – 5pm. Curry Blake is coming to Austin to teach Divine Healing.

April 2011

The Thorn – Shoreline Church starting at 7pm. A Incident at Vichy – Black Box Theatre at First production with drama, dance, music, acrobatics Baptist Church of Austin at various times. Arthur Miller’s compelling morality play about the and special effects. Holocaust. Directed by Cathy Jones, the large Stop Child Trafficking 5K Benefiting Love146all-male cast explores the rounding up of Jews in Old Settlers Park in Round Rock- Kids 1K at 8am, occupied France during World War II. Adult 5K at 8:30am, visit www.fighttrafficking.com FMI, or to register Incident at Vichy – Black Box Theatre at First Keeping Marriages Healthy – Twogetherintexas

April 2

April 9

Divine Healing Training – Abundant Faith Church from 9am – 5pm. Curry Blake is coming to Austin to teach Divine Healing.

Baptist Church of Austin at various times. Arthur Miller’s compelling morality play about the Holocaust. Directed by Cathy Jones, the large all-male cast explores the rounding up of Jews in occupied France during World War II.

– Trinity Building from 8:30am – 5pm. A state initiative for pre-married couples to get 8 hours of relationship training as well as $60 off of their marriage license fee!

April 10

April 17

Summit Christian Academy Jog-A-Fest Incident at Vichy – Black Box Theatre at First The Thorn – Shoreline Church starting at 7pm. A Community 5K, Family Fun Run & Festival Baptist Church of Austin at various times. Arthur production with drama, dance, music, acrobatics starting at 8:30am at Cedar Park High School. Miller’s compelling morality play about the and special effects. Festival at Summit Christian Academy. Holocaust. Directed by Cathy Jones, the large all-male cast explores the rounding up of Jews in occupied France during World War II.

April 3 4th Annual Bike Ride Fundraiser for the Autism Society of Greater Austin – Berry Springs Park in Georgetown starting at 9am.

Incident at Vichy – Black Box Theatre at First Baptist Church of Austin at various times. Arthur Miller’s compelling morality play about the Holocaust. Directed by Cathy Jones, the large Freedemption Weekend – T Bar M Resort and Good Friday Tenebrae Service – Lake Travis all-male cast explores the rounding up of Jews in Conference Center in New Braunfels, TX. A United Methodist Church starting at 7:30pm. This occupied France during World War II. weekend of Encounter, Freedom and Redemption. moving service will trace The Passion of Christ through scripture readings and related musical Incident at Vichy – Black Box Theatre at First selections telling the story of Jesus’ final days Baptist Church of Austin at various times. Arthur following the Passover meal with His disciples. Miller’s compelling morality play about the Shoreline Community Open House – Shoreline Holocaust. Directed by Cathy Jones, the large Christian School from 7pm – 8pm. all-male cast explores the rounding up of Jews in God, Family, Your Children. What could possibly occupied France during World War II. be more important? Each and every day as you interact with your children you teach them values. Come meet Shoreline Christian School.

April 15

April 22

April 5

Don't Miss:

April 16

April 8

Community Easter Celebration – King of Glory Church from 11am – 2pm. Come and Rejoice with King of Glory Church at our “Community Easter Incident at Vichy – Black Box Theatre at First Celebration!” Enjoy food, candy, games, prize Baptist Church of Austin at various times. Arthur giveaways and an Easter egg hunt for all children. Miller’s compelling morality play about the Holocaust. Directed by Cathy Jones, the large Easter Egg Hunt – Frontier Park from 10am – all-male cast explores the rounding up of Jews in 12pm. Come join us for a free community egg hunt occupied France during World War II. sponsored by New Hope Community Church in Moms Meeting Moms – Leander United Methodist Church from 9am – 11:30am. Need help in your role as a parent? We will have community building activities, learning opportunities, and some very nice prizes from local businesses at our Moms Meeting Moms event.

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Round Rock.

Freedemption Weekend – T Bar M Resort and Conference Center in New Branfels, TX. A weekend of Encounter, Freedom and Redemption.

Thursday, April 21 & Friday, April 22 7pm each evening at Main Street Baptist Church Georgetown

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The Passion for Autism And a Love for the Kids

spend time with him. Domonique states, “I remember I went into his bedroom with him, which had been turned into a therapy room. I was intrigued. He would cry at random times, he would laugh at random times. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry with him, I was in tears; and that was the moment, as a senior in college about to graduate, I knew the calling for my life utism is Dr. Domonique Randall’s - AUTISM.” calling in life. Domonique says that at the early age of 16 she knew that she After graduating college, Domonique returned would do something in child advocacy, to Houston and volunteered her time with when she bought a behavioral speech therapists. One therapist informed her psychology book at a yard sale. She has lived that there were many families who would “love” with autism, as her husband’s older sister (with to have her help as an ABA therapist. This is when severe autism) lived with Mark and Domonique Domonique found FEAT Houston (Families for before they had kids. They know what it means Effective Autism Treatment), and soon realized to be booted out of a movie theatre, because that the families she served needed more help of “happy” sounds made by an autistic family than she could give with a bachelor’s degree. member. Domonique understands living with An ABA consultant mentioned that Domonique self-injurious behaviors and the other stresses could seek out short term training options or that come along with autism. So, just what is she could attend graduate school, to become autism? And why is Domonique so passionate educated in behavior analysis, as “she was a natural.” about it?

According to the National Institute of Health, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a range of complex neurodevelopment disorders, characterized by social impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. Domonique volunteered to work with a child with autism while studying in college, where she observed a team of ABA therapists at work. The mother of the boy with autism noticed Domonique’s interest in her son and asked her to

based treatment approach understanding behavior in relation to the environment. The use of scientific behavioral principles such as positive reinforcement and shaping are used to increase desired skills and reduce or replace aberrant behavior. After initial skills assessments, The Shape blends adult directed and child initiated instruction, giving children with ASD much needed repeated opportunities to practice with an abundance of positive reinforcement. Their youngest patient is 20 months, and their oldest is in her 40’s. Domonique states that The Shape of Behavior now has clinics in Sugar Land, Spring, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio, Texas. Parents’ pleas for help have been instrumental in the expansion of the Shape.

With over 14 years of experience in working with children who have developmental disabilities, Domonique has been a leader in training schools, parents, staff, and children in the Houston and surrounding areas. She has served as adjunct faculty at the University of Houston-Clearlake (Sugarland Campus) Domonique states that her ABA therapy video teaching Learning and Behavior. Helping Hands clips were then shown at a conference, where of Houston was also founded by Domonique, Dr. Ivaar Lovaas was presenting, even though where providers are matched, trained, and as Domonique puts it, “I was as green as green recruited for families of special needs children. gets.” She was inspired, and it wasn’t long before She states she has a “passion for inclusion” and she was pursuing a Master’s degree in Behavior has helped many school districts and private Analysis from UNT, well on her way to fulfill schools with transitional services of children the call she so strongly felt on her life. While from intensive ABA to general education at UNT, Domonique learned how Behavior classes. Analysis was not autism specific and was a science applicable to many significant social Domonique shares her purpose: “I feel that I have issues. She was able to be a part of the North a connection with these kids. I Texas Autism Project under Dr. Shahla Alai’ can understand them Rosales, and states, “My experiences there were at times no one else invaluable and I could not have accomplished can. Many times I can any of what I have done today without this literally hear education behind me.” She recalls working with them saying a challenging caseload of children with autism s o m e t h i n g who shaped her as a professional. “I was a first that others year in the group, when the others were second overlook as year graduate students. I knew what to do but I just a mumble. couldn’t explain scientifically what I was doing.” I think the kids me and She used an extinction procedure on a young seek boy who was self-urinating and defecating my team for help to escape a task. Her professor compared her because we can help endurance to Helen Keller in the eight minute them. It’s a blessing to love your job. It’s a kitchen scene in The Miracle Worker. blessing that my children In 2000 The Shape of Behavior, Inc. (The Shape) can see me making was founded by Dr. Domonique Randall, a difference in a BCBA-D. The Shape specializes in Applied s p e c i a l Behavior Analysis. ABA Therapy is an evidence-

needs child’s life when I have to leave them for work. I hope to inspire my children to find and pursue their passions.” Domonique states, “The cause (of autism) is likely a combination of both genetic and environmental factors.” There is no medical cure. One in every 110 children is diagnosed with autism, which makes it more common than cancer, juvenile diabetes, and pediatric AIDS combined. Domonique states that our society is now more aware of autism and doctors are getting better at early identification and diagnosis with the help of parents who are in tune with their children. Sadly, parents are faced with a shortage of providers and a fight to get insurance coverage for ABA. Domonique states, “ABA has more scientific support for efficacy than any other treatment intervention for autism and can reduce and eliminate symptoms associated with autism.”

including the lack of funding for programs such as hers. She took her graduation money and signed a lease and paid her first month’s rent, when she originally returned to Houston, as there were at that time no private ABA clinics. “This was a leap of faith. I never signed up to run a business. Taking a private practice from serving six children to serving over 80 individuals with special needs in three different cities definitely has its challenges. It’s the love for the kids, that first word, that first breakthrough, seeing hope in families’ eyes again, inspiring young people to make a career out of this that keeps me going.” One teenage boy who was hurting his family is now successful, and his mom has hope again. After receiving treatment, many children are being educated in inclusive settings, and no longer needing the intensive therapy. Domonique states, “Some of the preschoolers I worked with have now graduated high school. Every child has a success big or small; they make meaningful gains that improve the quality of life.”

Domonique continues, “It is critical that the family is able to be consistent with the treatment at home, that they learn ABA principles to help improve the quality of life at home. If we empower the parents they can be the ones to make meaningful changes in their child’s life.” Domonique recalls one boy whose parents had been told at every school he attended that he would never talk. During a parent training session, Domonique shared with the parents how he was making approximations for language when motivation was in place. The boy said to his parents, “I (l)ove (y)ou!” “These were his first spoken words they ever understood. His mom cried, and so did I,” states Domonique. (For common misunderstandings of autism, visit http://www.brighttots.com/ We asked Domonique to offer an encouraging word or hope to parents who experience Myths.) behavior challenges in their children. She According to Domonique, parents need to be stated that “Autism isn’t as devastating as some in tune with their children’s development very think, and you can do something about it.” She early. “Everything we know about treatment says there are many illnesses where there is no supports EARLY intervention.” Although help available, but with early intervention, for at pediatricians are hesitant to diagnose a young least two years, some children with autism are child, there are studies that show the signs able to move on and “be indistinguishable from of autism from that first birthday video. The their typically developing peers.” MCHAT provides a list of simple questions to answer about your own child, and these To the general public, Dr. Dominique Randall answers determine whether or not he/she encourages everyone to learn about ABA. She should be referred to a specialist. The Shape states, “The U.S. Surgeon General has indicated of Behavior offers this screening, and parents that ABA is backed by over 30 years of research for early intervention for autism showing can ask their own pediatricians about it. positive outcomes.” She states that ABA The National Institute of Child Health and therapy is costly, but there are studies showing Human Development (NICHD) lists five how taxpayers can save money. For example, behaviors that signal further evaluation is Chasson, Harris, & Neely (2007) found that the state of Texas would save $208,500 per child warranted: across eighteen years of education with Early · Does not babble or coo by 12 months Intensive Behavioral Intervention (ABA). When · Does not gesture (point, wave, grasp) applied to the conservative estimate of 10,000 children with autism in Texas, the State would by 12 months · Does not say single words by 16 save a total of $2.09 billion with EIBI. months · Does not say two-word phrases on his Finally, Domonique shares that there is incredible stress in the lives of families who or her own by 24 months · Has any loss of any language or social experience autism. “Marriages are at increased risk. There is huge financial stress. Their faith skill at any age is challenged. Some parents feel denial, not to There have been many obstacles mention, guilt. Additionally, they feel ostracized Domonique has encountered, from places they should be most comfortable . . .

church.” Domonique states that one of her missions is to help churches learn about autism and effective strategies to help families be included. She offers her staff the opportunity to help or volunteer at churches so that teachers can learn how to include these children in their classes. This mom of four finds fulfillment in helping other moms, dad, siblings, and entire families who experience autism daily. This doctor loves her job and knows she’s called to bring hope to these special kids with special needs. And this one woman is passionate about autism awareness, and autism inclusion. The effect of this passion is evident in the lives of those who are helped by Dr. Domonique Randall’s efforts that reach across cities and homes in our area. Autism - do you know someone affected by this challenge? Get to know them better. Offer them help. And include them where you worship. Domonique Randall, Ph.D., BCBA-D, was born in San Angelo, but lived in Houston, Texas most of her life. She married her high school sweetheart, Mark, and they now have four young children. Their family lives a very full and blessed life. Domonique Randall earned her Ph.D. in educational psychology, and her master’s degree in behavior analysis. She practices as a board certified behavior analyst and has been an entrepreneur in the behavior analytic community starting a special needs clinic in multiple cities in Texas over the past decade.

Marcy Lytle

Adjusting to Autism Help is Here

eborah Risher is a single parent and has raised her son alone, with God by her side, and has a desire to share with other families her own experiences and strategies for adjusting to autism. Jacob is now 12 years old, but was diagnosed with autism at age 3. Deborah knew her son had some “development delays” and “frequent meltdowns” that did not seem normal, but she didn’t really know what autism was.

Deborah continues, “My faith in God is everything. I feel called into ministry to help other families with special needs kids because so many people feel hopeless; and especially in this economy, people need to understand how much God loves them and their children.”

Deborah also wants to raise the awareness that the rise in autism is occurring throughout the world, and caregivers of these special people desire to utilize businesses that will make small changes in their plans and accommodate the needs of these children.

Out of this call on Deborah’s life came Risher Ministries, a consulting ministry to families, churches and business who are adjusting to the needs of individuals with autism. The needs for these individuals are a daily challenge, although autism affects each child differently. Deborah’s son Jacob is overwhelmed by visual and auditory stimulation, so she has learned to keep her life uncluttered, “both literally and figuratively.” She states, “I make sure we all get lots of rest and then keep a pretty tight schedule of activities so he is comfortable in a routine. We do the things that other families do, school, work, play, errands - we just do the same ones at the same time every week.”

Here are a few facts about autism: 1 to 1.5 million Americans live with an autism spectrum disorder, and it is fastest-growing developmental disability; 1,148% growth rate. Also, the cost of autism over the lifespan is 3.2 million dollars per person. In order to bring attention to this growing need, April is National Autism Awareness Month. This has been celebrated since the 1970’s. This month is a “special opportunity” for the public to learn about autism and issues related to this disability.2

According to Autism Society of Greater Austin, autism is “a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a ‘spectrum disorder’ that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. There is no known single cause for autism. In December 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued their ADDM autism prevalence report. The report concluded that the prevalence of autism had risen to 1 in every 110 births in the United States and Many people misunderstand autism, in that they almost 1 in 70 boys.”1 often observe a child’s behavior and automatically Deborah states that in her own case, “Every day is assume the kid is a “brat,” not knowing that he is a challenge, but God has given me strategies that overwhelmed by the information that his five senses make those challenges manageable and even joyful, give his brain. So the message Deborah wants to once I realized that He was always there for me and give to parents of autistic children is that God loves we were in this together.” She begins her day with an them and their children, and “If you seek Him he will hour of prayer, “just me and God,” states Deborah. “I direct your paths with regard to your schedule, your then spend an hour listening to the Word preached priorities, and the way you raise your special needs while walking with my son. Getting started that child.” way helps me stay focused on the important things.”

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One particular age group of children with autism, which has specific needs, is the 12-18 year olds. After school daycare is not available for these kids, once they reach middle school and high school. Currently, there is hope that in the near future a facility in the Greater Austin area will welcome these kids for after school care, where they can thrive and learn, and this will all be paid for by the school district. Deborah is an advocate for parents of autistic children, and for more information about this program, email her at the address listed at the end of this article. Another transition period that is difficult for those with autism is that from high school to college. However, Liberty University has an online academy

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for such students http://www.libertyonlineacademy. com/. For parents who homeschool, at only $50 per week, there is online curriculum available up through grade 12, and the fees all transfer towards college tuition when the child is ready to enter the university academic arena. Liberty is also working with churches nationwide to facilitate autistic children while they work online. So how can we all get involved in helping parents/ children with autism? Deborah states it just takes the realization that: · These parents are just like you in that they want their kids to have friends, do well in school, and be able to participate in church. · They need someone to reach out to them. · They need an ear to listen, or a hand to meet a need. · They feel alone, misunderstood, and overwhelmed. · They need to know YOU care. Risher Ministries, Deborah states, is an outreach that seeks to do all of the above, and desires to let parents/kids know “that there is light at the end of the tunnel.” She states these children who are autistic, like her own son Jacob, can overcome many challenges that they face just with the many resources available in the community, and most of all – with the love of God. Risher Ministries - A Ministry to Families, Churches and Businesses who are Adjusting to the Needs of Individuals with Autism. P.O. Box 1070, Hutto, Texas 78634 email: risherministries@yahoo.com. For more information about the Autism Society of Greater Austin, go to www.austinautismsociety. org or call 512-479-4199. Marcy Lytle [1] www.austinautismsociety.org [2] www.austinautismsociety.org

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Life

Ladies Top 10 Out & About Erin's Cooking Rave Reviews

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Ladies Top 10:

Planting Tips for the Rookie BY MARCY LYTLE

D 1.

o you have a green thumb? Even if you do, Central Texas weather and/or pests can wreak havoc and distress on a garden! However, many of us plant by “trial and error,” hoping for the best. Here are my top ten pointers, that may seem obvious to the seasoned gardener, but I had to learn over time and with a bit of frustration…

Rotting roots – NOT! Maybe you’ve purchased a decorative pot for your porch, but it has no holes for drainage. One option is to place gravel in the bottom, so that when you water, the roots of your plant are allowed to breathe. This keeps the roots alive and well.

Start a garden journal – Write down the flowers/ plants you are planting, where you planted them, and their names. As the season progresses, and the heat rises, make a note of those that are easy to care for and look good!

Find a gardener – Yes, you can find flowers and plants of all kinds at the department store garden centers, and at your local hardware store, but my experience has been that when I have a question, the workers there can’t answer. Check out a local nursery and find an employee who knows our weather, our soil, and what grows well, and how to plant it. You’ll save money in the long run, because your plants will actually live!

Read the planting instructions – If you purchase a plant just because it’s “pretty” it just may not thrive. Pay attention to the sunlight and soil needed. Check out the heights, too. Plant accordingly.

Herbs save you money – Have you purchased fresh basil lately? What about cilantro? Herbs like these, along with parsley and other herbs often used in cooking, can easily be grown, even all in one big planter. And they make a fantastic array of greenery! Just snip and use!

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Pinch and trim – Some flowering plants will thicken and bloom profusely if they are treated properly. Pinching off old blooms, or cutting flowers (and putting them in a vase inside your home!) actually helps the plant to produce more beautiful flowers. Oh, and put the cuttings in a bag and throw them away. They can rot and attract pests!

Beware of pests – Cute pillbugs can destroy leaves. Mealy bugs like hibiscus leaves. And antbeds can appear overnight, right by a beautiful shrub, where you like to stand and water. Ouch! Ask your gardener for the proper treatment of each pest, and signs (cuts, holes in leaves) to help you determine which pest is “pestering” your garden.

9. 10.

Learn your terms – Perennials are plants that come back year after year. Annuals are ones that have to be planted “annually.” Ask what “partial shade” means – how many hours is that? What is compost? Be informed.

Put “watering” on your schedule – Plants require care. Once they’re in the ground, or in a pot, they have to be watered – especially here where we live. Place reminders on your calendar and get into a routine of watering your plants according to instructions, so that they don’t dry out. Drying out, wilting, and then being revived, all put unnecessary stress on those poor flowers and leaves.

Ask for help – Ask your friends what has grown well in their yards and pots. Peruse the web, or check out a book – but make sure what you read is written for our zone. One great website is http:// centraltexasgardening.net/flowers.htm. Are you thinking of planting vegetables, as well as a colorful garden of flowering plants, but you lack the space? Try a container vegetable garden, get a friend to do the same, and share the harvest!

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Out & About

A Sweet Spring Adventure S PRING is finally here! Personally, I LOVE spring and summer because of all the fun things to do in and around the Austin area when it is warm! When the air heats up and the sweaters come off, I am ready to head outdoors as soon as possible. The Hill Country beckons families to get in the car and find a spot to explore, so get your picnic basket, blanket, water bottles, etc. and come along to the Texas Hill Country and Marble Falls for a day long adventure. Start out early because the drive is beautiful and it is worth spending the day, exploring the area. This trip could be a long day trip or a two-day adventure, whatever fits your family or energy level! Marble Falls has a beautiful lake with restaurants alongside, and areas for picnics by the water or in one of the surrounding campgrounds. Depending on which direction you start out, Enchanted Rock is close by, so you could veer in that direction and spend the day hiking and picnicking and climbing the rock. Some paths are steeper than others, many trails are okay for younger children, and others for repelling only! There are campsites available if you are a camping enthusiast. There are also state parks in the area and hotels if you are making it a two-day trip!

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As for my family of grown children and young grandchildren, we will head to Sweetberry Farms early in the day to pick strawberries first and explore the four-acre maze, along with petting the goats and horses. Weekends are the best time to visit Sweetberry Farms because they cater to families and offer a variety of fun activities in addition to the sweetest strawberries ever, hand-picked by YOU! The strawberries last only until mid-May at the latest, so don’t wait too long! Often they sell strawberry ice cream and treats at their fruit

Life

stand. There is no parking or entrance fee to pick strawberries. However, the strawberries are $2.75 a pound and $0.50 for the basket, which you can take home and bring back the next time you come and pick berries. They also have blackberries in May and June, and a fall pumpkin festival in October! There is a Texasshaped Maze they create each year that spans four acres, and a game with Texas destinations in the maze. Loads of fun! The maze/game cost $7 per person for ages 6 and up, but kids under age 6 are free with a paying adult. Sweetberry Farms is an excellent family destination, and my daughter and her family have made it a tradition to go at least twice a year! Her kids can’t wait to pick strawberries in the spring and to attend the pumpkin festival in the fall. Food is available to purchase in the fall, but not in the spring. There are many shaded picnic tables but no grills available. Alcohol is not allowed. Check the website at www.sweetberryfarms. com! Maybe I will see you there!

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Vicki Lancaster

Faith&Family 35 AUSTIN

Life

Erin's Cooking

Double Portion

y first experience cooking with carrot juice came from being in culinary school in Denver, Colorado. In nutrition class, my group’s assignment for the day was to cook Quinoa in Carrot juice. Talk about a DOUBLE WHAMMY! I had never even heard of quinoa, let alone anything being cooked in carrot juice. What had I gotten myself into? Luckily, my friend and classmate Tammara was well-seasoned in the area of unique cooking methods and took lead of the project. Quinoa is actually a seed that has characteristics of a grain and is cooked much like rice. So, we substituted water for carrot juice and I decided that this was the best thing since sliced bread. Since that day in nutrition class, I had not found the opportunity to dabble in new ways to incorporate this extraordinary method into my own kitchen…until recently. I have a roommate from Northern California who finds comfort in her mom’s potato soup. In her first attempt to replicate the dish, I was a little skeptical. Her view of acceptable food texture is much different than mine. The potatoes she used were so starchy that she ended up with a product consistency much like that of Elmer’s school glue. Not really my style but I still love you, Misty! Needless to say, she inspired me to conjure up a recipe myself. This potato soup recipe I cooked up is so versatile. You can even add a special little garnish of bacon bits and/or shredded cheese to make it DOUBLY LOVELY! You’re probably wondering where this overwhelming theme of “double” is coming from. Well, I have recently learned a lot about giving and I am now seeing the blessing of a DOUBLE PORTION, returned back to me through my finances. Our church has just come out of a season of abundant giving to fund expansion of the church in the physical realm, leading to overall growth in The Kingdom. I have committed to giving DOUBLE the percentage of what I have always given; and in return have been blessed with a new job providing DOUBLE the income I had been earning since the beginning of the internship in which I am involved. Be encouraged that the Lord sees the heart of someone who is faithfully committed and He will return to you your time, effort, and sacrifice twofold! I’m assuming you’ve heard the expression “slaving away in the kitchen,” right? Whether it’s cooking dinner for your family or preparing for a dinner party with friends, just remember how much of a blessing you are to them, and I bet they’ll bless you some way in return, a DOUBLE PORTION!

Erin Osborn

Cooking Enthusiast

‘From Rags to Riches’ Lentils 2 c. Carrot Juice 1 ½ c. Water 1 c. Dried Lentils, Rinsed & Drained ½ c. White or Yellow Onion, chopped 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil 1 tsp. Minced Garlic Salt Pepper Directions: Cook lentils according to specifications on back of package using Carrot Juice and water. While lentils are boiling, sauté onion in oil until soft. Add Garlic and cook until desired doneness, seasoning with Salt and Pepper. Once Lentils are tender and the cooking liquid has mostly evaporated, add onion mixture. Serve on bed of buttered brown rice.

Mashed Potato Soup ½ c. White of Yellow Onion, chopped 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil 1 tsp. Garlic Salt Pepper 1 c. Carrots, boiled in water until soft 3 c. Chicken or Vegetable Stock 2 c. Mashed Potatoes, leftover from restaurant or homemade Directions: Sauté onion in oil until soft. Add garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook until somewhat caramelized. Using a blender or large food processor, puree carrots with ½ cup of stock. Add sautéed onion mixture and another ½ cup of stock into blender. Pour into large soup pot and set aside. Blend mashed potatoes together with remaining stock and pour into soup pot with carrot/onion puree. Stir together to incorporate mixtures. Top with bits of bacon or minced cucumber for a lighter finish. Chef’s note: I tested this recipe with “From Scratch Mashed Potatoes” from The Studio Kitchen in Round Rock. They are made with premium ingredients and are loaded with the good stuff!

36 Faith&Family AUSTIN

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Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver

Everyone would probably agree that we have too much to do, finding ourselves too busy with necessary things to pay attention to the most important things. I am behind on a project at work, tending my yard, nurturing my friendships, caring for my neighbors. I have family near and far that could use more of my time and less of my projects. If I was caught up on all the things I think need to do, it wouldn’t take a day or two before I would be behind again. More than anything, I desire to connect with God in the midst of all this busyness. Hence the choice of books to read this month, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, by Joanna Weaver. It is easy to read and full of practical wisdom, humor, and encouragement for “every woman who’s ever felt she isn’t godly enough, isn’t loving enough, isn’t doing enough.” Weaver’s description and prescription for a balanced life is being well grounded in scripture, and she challenges us to make communion with God our number one priority. In addition to sound practical wisdom through a well-written book, the author gives us a 12-week companion study guide. I didn’t use the guide when I read the book, but in the back of my mind I’m thinking what a wonderful study to share with the important people in my life. Before I jump into that project, I’ll sit at Jesus’ feet awhile and see what He says. Deborah Begley LifeWay Christian Store

Rush Hour

by Surprise Sithole Surprise “Supressa” Sithole is a man living in South Africa who has an electric, burning passion to see Jesus come alive and capture the hearts of people everywhere. He literally gives testimony of what is possible in the Kingdom, and what we have been missing. His testimonies give us the high bar in allowing Jesus to fully occupy every part of our lives. Here is a quote from Surprise’s preface: “I was in an intense vision where I saw a thick cloud and I heard the sound of trumpets, thunders, and lightning, and when the Ancient of Days spoke with the voice of man, it was like rushing water. He commissioned me to tell the harvesters to rush into the fields, that the fields are ripe. Then there was a response of Heavenly hosts and they said, ‘Now is the time.’” Full of scripture and exciting events, this book clearly consumes the reader with hope and good news. Surprise is currently the International Director of Pastors for IRIS Ministries, where he helps Heidi and Rolland Baker oversee the expanding revival in southern Africa. More than 7,000 new churches have been birthed since the year 2000. Reading Rush Hour is an adventure and great blessing. Ginny Hurley www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

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Faith&Family 37 AUSTIN

Divorced D Remember Your C D

ivorced, distressed, depressed, stressed! You’re a mess! I know. I have been there.

To numb the pain, maybe you stare at the TV endlessly or work excessively. Or worse maybe you fall to the temptations of lust, bitterness, alcohol, or drugs. You have sleepless nights and emotional breakdowns. You are not alone. The sad statistic is that 40% of first marriages, 60% of second marriages, and 70% of third marriages end in divorce. You are wounded emotionally and probably crippled financially. And if you have kids, the divorce becomes even more complicated and traumatic. Your empty nest syndrome comes early. Your house is empty of the laughter of young children at play. Furniture and possessions are gone. You are all alone.

Let me offer some “be-attitudes” that you can follow. Not a legalistic set of rules to follow but allowing God’s Spirit to fill you and have you become the father your kids need.

Be available. How can you be available when you only see your children every other weekend? Obviously, you can call them often but also get on facebook, twitter, instant messaging, or text messaging. Whatever technologies your kids are using, be available to let them communicate with you. And when your kids call you, drop everything to listen to them and be there for them.

Nurture that love for your offspring. Let it become a burning passion. Nothing is more important than your children. It is not about finding another relationship or climbing the corporate ladder. It is not about you; it is about laying down your life for your kids. Your kids are your ministry. Let God’s love fill your heart, and your love for your kids will flow naturally and without wavering. You are in a difficult situation. How can you limit the damage done to your children? What tactics or principles are necessary as you go through this adversity? 38 Faith&Family AUSTIN

Have fun with your children! From rollercoasters to water parks, to movies, to sports, to board games, find ways to play with your kids. Joke with them. Laugh with them. Enjoy every precious minute with them. Search out fun activities going on in your community each weekend you have them.

Be disciplined.

Be a role model.

If you’re a Dad, you may have lost custody of your kids and now only see them every other weekend. How can you raise sons and daughters this way? Is there any hope? What can you do?

Your fight with your ex spouse is over. The fight for your kids has just begun. They need a Dad to stand up for them, support them, and unconditionally love them. You need to let them know the divorce has nothing to do with them, and you need to love them now more than ever.

Be a kid.

You need to enjoy your children, but you are also their parent. You can’t just be their buddy. It is tough to discipline your kids during the short time you are with them, but they still need your direction.

Welcome to the dysfunctional family.

Get over it! Snap out of it! Your kids need you more than ever now. Give yourself time to heal through prayer and counseling and lean on your family for support. But don’t leave the children out of the picture while you try to self heal. Being with your kids is the most important part of the healing process. Value every minute you get to be with them.

them. But don’t ever turn the discussion into a one-sided assault against your ex spouse. No one is entirely innocent in any divorce.

Your children’s perspective of our Heavenly Father is being shaped by how you relate to them. It is a very sobering and heavy burden of responsibility. Will they see you as loving, forgiving, and gentle yet firm in discipline, or will they see you as a judgmental, harsh, angry father figure?

Be a spiritual leader. Be communicative. Get to know your children’s passions, interests, activities and friends. Get over your pride and bitterness toward your ex spouse and keep the lines of communication open with her. Your kids are more important than your past differences and hurtful feelings. You need to communicate about their health, who they are hanging out with, problems at school, or disciplinary problems at home. You will learn much more about your kids.

Be forgiving. You may have legitimate reasons to feel wronged by your ex spouse, but you have to forgive. Especially, you need that attitude around your children. It is not the time to bash your ex wife in front of your kids. Take the high road. They need both parents support and love. Don’t turn them against their Mom. If your ex spouse is doing this to you, don’t worry about it. The kids will figure it out. When they are older and ask questions, you can be honest with

The time to be with your kids is so compressed now, but you must still make church and spiritual guidance a top priority. Pray with them. Discuss the Bible with them. They are looking to you for leadership.

Be a rock of stability. Preserve traditions. Keep the children’s home and school environment the same, if possible. Show the kids that you have not changed and your relationship with them has not changed, as they transition into this divorced scenario.

Be there. Try to be at every school function, health appointment, and outside activity that you can. Find ways to bridge the gap between you and your children. Try to get them involved in sports or artistic endeavors that maybe require practices and events to attend. And when you are there, focus on the kids and them alone and give them your devoted support.

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Dads: Children Be healed. You will find that every minute you spend with your children is healing to your heart. You will long to be with your kids because you know the positive effect it will also have on you. As you focus on them and not on yourself, your sense of purpose and well being will be magnified.

Be faithful. “Fight the good fight of faith” for your kids. It is a marathon fight, not a sprint. It is a daily fight. Don’t lose hope. God has given you a measure of faith. Hold onto that faith unwavering. Remember your children, and they will remember you. They are your legacy.

Be faithful to them. God is good. God will get you through this adversity, this storm. He may not calm the storm, but he will be there with you all the way through it. Don’t get discouraged. God has a date circled on his calendar when you finally will get to look back and be grateful for the wonderful kids you had and the beautiful adults they have become. I know. I lived through it. And my two beautiful young adult ladies have surpassed my wildest dreams and hopes for them. By the grace of God, I pray your kids will flourish too as you “be the father” they so desperately need. God can turn your mess into a message of his redemptive power! Bo Clearman

www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

Money

Wealth & Wisdom 40 Dave Says 41 Spend Life Well 42

Wealth & Wisdom:

Before you make any extra mortgage payments, consider some factors...

hould you own your home free and clear before you retire? At first glance, the answer would seem to be “Absolutely, if at all possible.” Retiring with less debt……isn’t that a good thing? Why not make a few extra mortgage payments to get the job done? In reality, things are not so cut and dried. There is a fundamental opportunity cost to consider. If you decide to put more money toward your mortgage, what could that money potentially do for you if you were to direct it elsewhere? Remember Home Equity makes a 0% return. It only grows from appreciation. In a nutshell, the question is: Should you pay down low-interest debt, or should you invest the money into a tax-advantaged account that could potentially bring you a strong return? Relatively speaking, home loans are cheap debt. Compare the interest rate on your mortgage to the one on your credit card. Should you focus your attention on a debt with 6% interest or a debt with 15% interest? You can usually deduct mortgage interest, so if your home loan carries a 6% interest rate, your after tax borrowing rate could end up being 5% or lower. If history is any barometer, your home’s value may increase over time and inflation will effectively reduce the real amount of your mortgage over time.

A Chicago Fed study called mortgage prepayments “the wrong choice.” In 2006, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago presented a white paper from three of its economists titled “The Tradeoff between Mortgage Prepayments and Tax-Deferred Retirement Savings.” The study observed that 16% of American households with conventional 30-year home

40 Faith&Family AUSTIN

loans were making “discretionary prepayments” on their mortgages each year; that is, payments beyond their regular mortgage obligations. The authors concluded that almost 40% of these borrowers were “making the wrong choice.” The white paper argued that the same households could get a mean benefit of .11 - .17 cents more per dollar by reallocating the money used for those extra mortgage payments into a tax-deferred retirement account.1 Other possibilities for the money. Let’s talk taxes. You save taxes on each dollar you direct into IRAs, 401Ks and other tax-deferred investment vehicles. Those invested dollars have the chance for tax-free growth. If you are like a lot of people, you may enter a lower tax bracket in retirement, so your taxable income and federal tax rate could be lower when you withdraw the money out of that account. Another potential benefit of directing more funds toward your 401K: If the company you work for provides an employer match, then you may be able to collect more of what is often dubbed “free money.” Let’s turn from tax-deferred retirement investing altogether and consider insurance and college planning. Many families are underinsured and the money for extra mortgage payments could optionally be directed toward long-term care insurance or disability coverage. If you’ve only recently started to build a college fund, putting the assets into that fund may be preferable. Let’s also remember that money you keep outside the mortgage is money that is easier to access. What if you owe more than the house is worth? Prepaying an underwater mortgage

may seem like folly to you, or maybe you really love the house and are in it for the long run. Even so, you could reallocate money that could be used for the home loan toward an emergency fund, or insurance, or some account with the potential for tax-deferred growth. When all the factors are weighed, it might look like the better move. Think it over. It really comes down to what you believe. If you are bearish, then you may lean toward paying off your mortgage before you retire. There is no doubt about it. When you pay off debt you owe, you effectively get an instant return on your money for every dollar. If you are tantalizingly close to paying off your house, then you may just want to go ahead and do it because you love being free and clear. On the other hand, model scenarios may tell you another story. After the numbers are run, you may want to direct the money to other financial priorities and opportunities, especially if you tend to be bullish and think the market will perform along the lines of its long-term historical averages. No one path is right for everyone. If you’re unsure which direction may be most beneficial to you, speak with a qualified Financial Professional. To request a free copy of How the Affluent Manage Home Equity to Safely and Conservatively Build Wealth call or email me today. Barry A. Tripp Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc. (512) 258-1860 btripp@tfamail.com www.wealth-and-wisdom.net Investment Advisor Representative with securities and investment advisory services offered through Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC and a Registered Investment Advisor.

1. Chicagofed.org/digital_assets/publications/working_ papers/2006/wp2006_05.pdf {08/06}

Neither Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc. (TFA) nor its representatives provide legal, tax, nor accounting advice. Persons who provide such advice do so in a capacity other than as a registered representative of TFA.

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Dear Dave, I’m 24-years old, and just got married two months ago. We make $80,000 a year, have our emergency fund and no debt, plus we’ve saved up for a 15 percent down payment on a house. I know you suggest 20 percent, but is 15 percent okay? Tony

Dear Tony, I don’t have a lot of issues with 15 percent instead of 20 percent. You’ll probably end up having to pay private mortgage insurance, but it sounds like you guys are in good enough shape financially to handle things.

decision. That’s why I think it’s smart to wait and get to know each other even better before making a decision of this magnitude. Plus, you need to figure out just how close you want to However, I generally recommend that couples live to your mother-in-law! wait until they’ve been married at least a year before buying a home. Buying a house is huge Seriously, take your time and don’t rush things. There will still be great deals on the market in a year or so, and you’ll be able to save more money, too! —Dave

Dear Dave, I’m 58, my kids are all out on their own, and I rent a great little apartment. It’s a perfect setup for me, because I travel quite a bit. However, I’ve had several people tell me I should really look into buying a house. I’ve saved about $450,000, I make $90,000 a year, and my rent is $1,100 a month. So, I guess I’m looking for validation. Is it okay for me to continue being a renter? Alan Dear Alan, I think it depends a lot on the ratio of rent to wealth. By this, I mean if the rent isn’t much compared to the size of your income and nest egg, then I’d say keep the apartment. It’s not doing you any real financial damage, plus you still have the ability to invest in things other than a personal residence. Now, if you’re not doing any other investing because your income is being eaten up by rent, then apartment living starts to become a bad idea pretty fast. But the only real downside, long term, is that market rents will go up eventually. If they rise faster than your income, then you could lose control of that part of your life. Or what if the current owners sell the building, and the new management jacks up the rent? Then, you’d need to look into buying something so you could regain control of all that. Still, if I’m in your situation, with your lifestyle and having piles of cash saved up, I’d stay put. It sounds to me like you’ve got a pretty sweet situation, Alan. But if things get sassy instead of sweet, you’ll be forced to revisit this issue. —Dave www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

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Faith&Family 41 AUSTIN

Money

Financial Contentment Finding Peace with God's Money

Spend Life Well

• Are your concerns about money taking you away from time with your family?

His second best. But the truth is that God always gives us his best. After all, he did give us his Son and a small gift called Grace.

If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, you may have a control issue. As in, “Am I in Our attitude toward our finances can be one of o you worry about money? I am guilty of control, or is God in control?” Matthew 6:31-33 the strongest examples of our faith. You may have heard the saying that 10% is what happens this more often than not. Worrying about says: to us and 90% is our attitude toward it. If we think our finances can manifest itself in many “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What on that just a bit, we realize that yes, we can have forms. Ask yourself these questions: will we eat? What will we drink? What will we negative financial situations. And, more often • Do you worry about whether or not you have wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of than not, our attitude reflects our faith in God’s unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already ability to give us what we need. Granted, this may enough money to pay your bills each month? knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God be easier said than done, yet it is what God asks • Are you feeling overwhelmed by debt? above all else, and live righteously, and he will of us and ultimately what propels us into a better • Are you constantly checking your situation. give you everything need.” investments? • Do you spend time at work searching for a When we worry about money, we are saying that For example, if you lose your job you have a couple better paying job? God is not in control. As Christians, we have to of choices: One is to let your situation control your • Do you find yourself thinking about “getting trust God in every circumstance if we want to attitude and find yourself unmotivated to take ahead” or taking interest in “get rich quick” any positive steps toward finding another job. receive His full blessing. opportunities? The other option is to acknowledge the negative • Do you find yourself wishing that you made So why do Christians have so much trouble situation, yet trust that all things work to the glory more money? trusting God and His plan for our finances? of Him and begin with a positive attitude to move • Do you often worry about losing your Perhaps we are afraid that God might only give us forward, ultimately having a much greater impact money? on your job search.

For others, it is not that they find themselves in an unexpected financial situation, but rather a perpetual state of discontent about money. What is the answer then? God provides many verses that can provide direction. If this is the case, consider not only Matthew 6:31-33 mentioned above and whether or not you are worrying unnecessarily, but also 1Timothy 6:10: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” We have to be on guard that we are not letting our desire for more money rule our hearts and actions. As Paul says while in prison, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:12-13) So take heart and know that God does not want us to worry about money. He will give us everything we need. And the secret to contentment is to rely on His power and strength, not our own. Mark Trice

42 Faith&Family AUSTIN

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Faith&Family 43 AUSTIN

You

Health Matters Diet & Nutrition Head to Heart The Real Stuff The Real Me

44 45 46 48 49

Health Matters:

Do You Move Enough? I think we all try to incorporate exercise into our lives, or at least we fully intend to. A little bit of exercise is better than nothing at all......right? Let’s take a look at the guidelines, standards, benefits, and reality of workout standards.

The phrase “A body in motion stays in motion and a body at rest stays at rest” is true. Let’s break this down a little and find out if you really are considered “in motion” or not. The American College of Sports Medicine and The American Heart Association recommend that adults do some form of moderate cardiovascular activity 30 minutes a day (five days a week) as well as a strength-training program two times a week. You might be saying to yourself "I don't have enough time to commit to 3-4 hours of exercise per week." As we look at the importance of staying in motion, you will find that you really can't afford not to find the time. Especially with

the reality that exercising even 1-2 days per week still puts you in the category of being sedentary. So, how do you find the time? The good news is that the 30 minutes a day can be broken down into 10-minute mini sessions throughout the day. This could be a brisk walk with the dog for 10 minutes, 10 minutes running the stairs or walking around the parking lot at lunch, and 10 minutes with a family walk or bike ride after dinner. Strength training is most beneficial at the gym, but if a gym membership cannot be incorporated into your budget or lifestyle, then there are other options. There are many exercise videos out there that can give you a great workout in the privacy of your home. Also, pushups, tricep dips, squats, shoulder raises, calf raises, and ab exercises can all be done around the house.

Why is this important in my life? The more time you spend moving and getting your heart rate up, the better you will feel and you will see noticeable improvements in energy level, losing weight, and balance. Some areas of improvement you might not see right away include reducing cholesterol, disease prevention, and fall prevention. Getting your heart rate up and getting that increased oxygenated blood flow through your body and organs will do wonders. Staying in motion will also decrease the likelihood of falling, along with a quicker recovery time if you do fall. Cardio that includes agility (aerobics, stairs, boot camps, moving side to side) along with stronger muscles and bones from strength training is crucial to what happens to your body and how fast you recover when you fall. If you lead more of a sedentary lifestyle, then not only are you slower to move and catch yourself if you do miss a step or trip over something, but your injuries (as well as recovery time) will be even greater. We all know that exercise is important, but in this society of technology and convenience we need to make sure we are moving more than we are sitting. Just as you juggle your budget to make room for something that is important to you, I hope that you find the time in your schedule, and even your finances, to be sure and get in that cardio five days a week and strength training two days a week. You really can't afford not to!

Lauren Lacy

Fitness Coordinator Chasco Family YMCA

44 Faith&Family AUSTIN

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Diet & Nutrition

Y ou

Give Yourself an Energy Boost, Naturally

hat is the #1 health complaint you hear from your friends and co-workers? I most frequently hear patients say that they are stressed and tired. While it’s true that we all can be dragged down by the complexities of life, it does not mean we simply cannot live with more vitality and vigor. Relying on short-term solutions such as coffee is basically ignoring why we are tired. I am going to point out certain factors, other than our work or children that can cause fatigue, and suggest ways to cope. As a side note, this author opines that there is absolutely nothing wrong with drinking coffee; its only harm being a diuretic, which drains precious water and minerals out from your body. So be sure to drink two glasses of water for each cup of coffee. 1) Blood sugar issues – blood sugar, and insulin, has a significant relationship with the adrenal gland, a hormonal gland which controls stress adaptation and energy. What that means is when you don’t have a steady blood sugar level it will drag the adrenal gland function, and subsequently your energy level, downward. Remember the energy drink commercial, which talks about fatigue around 2:30 pm? That is a sure sign of blood sugar imbalance. And the solution is not donuts and coffee. The key is to not skip meals, and maintain a low carbohydrate diet full of good fats, such as olive oil and omega-3 rich fish oil.

in reducing this chronic drain of energy. Do you wake up with aches and pains? Maybe it is time to change your mattress or visit a Chiropractor/ massage therapist (physical stress). Don’t work in an environment that is too cold or too hot for a prolonged period of time (thermal stress). Reading a new book, exercise, and regular fellowship with God and church members (emotional stress) can all improve your energy level.

2) As mentioned above, the adrenal gland is responsible for handling stress as well as energy, secondarily. When people think about stress, they usually refer to emotional stress. However, stress can also be biochemical (i.e. blood sugar!), physical (body ailments), and even thermal (think of heat stroke). Therefore, minimizing stress in your life can be beneficial

3) Ginseng and Vitamin B complex: A lot of folks know that Vitamin B complex can help increase energy level, but don’t know the exact mechanism. Vitamin B complex is essential as the catalyst in the metabolic pathway of turning simple sugars (glucose) into ATPs, which are basic units of energy the human body uses. Therefore, it is no secret that Vitamin B complex

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can help produce the energy that you need, and excessive sugar intake can deplete your body’s own reserve of Vitamin B. Ginseng is simply wonderful. The components of ginseng support and balance the adrenal gland. When a person is overactive (wired), ginseng calms the body; when the adrenal gland is overused and fatigued (stressed and tired), ginseng strengthens it. Ginseng is also a good immune system booster, so with changing seasons it can be very protective. The use of ginseng is popular in Korean culture, and Koreans will often cook with ginseng, drink ginseng tea, and even chew on slices of ginseng during the day. Energy drinks often contain minute amounts of ginseng, but also loads of sugar (again, short-term solution but causing blood sugar fluctuations and long-term energy problems), so consumption of such beverages should be avoided. If you’d rather not chew on ginseng roots, pick ginseng pills from reputable herbal companies to ensure highest quality. Finally, people with high blood pressure should not take Asian or Korean ginseng without medical supervision. The above suggestions are just a few tips that can help restore your energy level, but the most important factor is still your diet and lifestyle. Do you have sufficient, quality sleep? Is exercise a regular part of your life? Does your dietary habit involve lots of sugary foods? Are your meals frequent and regular? Do you find ways to adapt to stressful situations? These factors need to be addressed to ensure longterm energy sufficiency.

Dr. Trent Peng

Chiropractor & Nutritionist

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Head to Heart

Overcoming Shame Part 2

n last month’s article I introduced the topic of shame. I devoted most of the article to a description of unhealthy or toxic shame, which is an inner torment of many Christians. The focus of this article is on healing from toxic shame. There is a cure for toxic shame, but there is no guarantee of a quick and painless recovery. Lewis Smedes writes that “the healing of shame begins best…with a spiritual experience— to be more specific, a spiritual experience of grace.” How does a shame-bound person enter into the shame-healing experience of God’s grace? The healing process begins when you come out of hiding by sharing your feelings of toxic shame. This can be done through talking about your story of shame to someone you trust. CAUTION: do not confide in any of your abusers, past or present; this would be counterproductive. Only confide in someone you trust implicitly, who loves you unconditionally, who accepts you and will not judge you. It is essential to also share your story of shame with God, in prayer, under the spiritual direction of a trusted Christian friend or counselor. The sharing of feelings of shame can also be done through writing. Christians who have difficulty orally expressed their shame story and feelings to God often find it very helpful to write a letter to God, perhaps in a prayer journal. It is essential to work through the painful emotional wounds of past shameful events. As Helen Keller said, “The way out is through.” The pain of internalized shame must be felt, talked about, understood, and shared with safe people who accept you. It is important to take your time with this. If you were repeatedly

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shamed as a child, don’t try to pull up at once all the hurtful memories of all the events. Ask for and expect the Spirit’s guidance to bring buried emotions to the surface as you are able to handle them. Invite Jesus’ presence into each shameful scene and ask him to speak to you about his view of it. Through this means, painful memories of shame can be “reframed” and healed. The lies that Satan spoke to you about yourself in the shaming events of your life must be identified. Those lies (“you’re bad,” “you’re dirty,” “you’re stupid,” “you’re worthless,” “you’re defective,” etc.) were the building blocks, cemented in the shameful emotional wounds of your heart, that Satan used to erect the stronghold of shame in your soul. Other people’s negative statements about us are demonically empowered to bind us in toxic shame, so that we are unable to accept what God has said about us and our value to him. It is crucially important to work through your feelings about those who shamed you. Smedes: “To be healed of shame we do not deserve, we must, sooner or later, come to terms with our feelings about the person or persons who shamed us.” The only effective remedy for our resentment toward those who shamed us is the hard remedy of forgiveness, which involves the decision to no longer hold their offenses against them and to no longer seek to “make them pay.”

I needed from you that you did not give.” After the person has spent time grieving over those things, they may place the letter in a box or a jar and bury it, as a symbolic act of releasing the past. It is essential to identify the strategies/defense mechanisms you have used to control your shame and also to acknowledge and seek deliverance from any addictive/compulsive behaviors that you have used to medicate the pain of your internalized shame. A Christian recovery program such as Celebrate Recovery is an excellent model to follow in the breaking of deeply in trenched self-coping and selfmedicating patterns. A crucial factor in the healing of shame is involvement in some kind of small group in which everyone is accepted as they are and are not only permitted but encouraged to “be real” with each other. You can’t thoroughly work on shame alone in your prayer closet. The shamehealing experience of grace is mediated through a non-shaming community. Andrew Comiskey wrote, “God’s love is perfect and the basis for emerging out of shame. Still, it is the witness of his non-shaming people that frees us to actually grasp at the human level that it is safe to be human—at once a child of God and an imperfect being who dares reveal his fears and flaws to others.”

A vital step in the process of being healed of toxic shame is to grieve the losses you experienced because of being shamed by others. I have sometimes counseled people to write a letter (not to be mailed) to their shaming parent with the heading, “The things

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Jack Hammans

Head to Heart Ministries www.headtoheart.org

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Faith&Family 47 AUSTIN

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The Real Stuff For Women:

Tired of Doing It Way?

YOUR

adies, this is the month I am thinking a great deal about the things the spirit of Christ set me free from so long ago. It also is a time I am acutely reminded of the power that is alive in me that ensures my freedom remains even many years later. Psalm 103 is being read quite frequently and just happens to be my life scripture. You see this month on April 15th and 16th women just like you will take a freedom journey! This special weekend is called Freedemption Weekend – A Weekend of Encounter, Freedom, and Redemption. Many will find freedom in Christ for the first time and will be redeemed from bondage and baggage. Women who have been walking with Christ for many years will also find a new reality for their calling. Freedemption Weekend is foundational to Souled Out Ministries. In fact, it is the catalyst God used to birth the dream of Souled Out in me so

long ago. After being held captive to sin and its death for so many years I finally arrived at the end of me. Around 6am on the morning of my 30th birthday as I headed out for my run, I made a deal with God. It went something like this “God, I have made a mess of my life up until now. I have done it my way. It is broken and not working. The past 10-plus years have finally brought me to this place of humiliation and degradation. God, you get the next ten years of my life. Take them and have your way. Whoever does the best job with their ten gets the rest of my life!” Now don’t you know God loved this deal! But he ran with it, and about three years into the deal he had me for the rest of my life. Through a series of people, places, and circumstances the Lord guided me into the day of a radical deliverance for him. You see, I had lived all those sin filled years as a so-called Christian. I said the sinner’s prayer as a little girl and received him into my heart but did not make him Lord of my life. That early morning on my 30th birthday I Souled Out! Souled Out to him, his purposes, and his will for my life. It has been an exhilarating journey, to say the least. Have you Souled Out? I mean have you made him Lord of your life? Are you living as a Christian woman but still oppressed by things unseen? Are you walking the walk, but it is not working for you? Then please accept my personal invitation to Freedemption Weekend. Come with great expectation for what God still wants to do with your life. He is not done with you, nor did he ever intend for you to live illegally oppressed by the enemy. Freedemption Weekend is a time to move to that next level of freedom and awareness in your spiritual journey. Join us April 15 & 16th or September 16th and 17th at T Bar M Resort and Conference Center in New Braunfels for this milestone event. In fact, many women state Freedemption Weekend indeed was a milestone weekend for them that altered the direction of their spiritual journey forever. Come encounter a living God whose passion for you is immense, regardless of where you have been. I leave you with this as you prayerfully consider taking that bold step from glory to glory. “It is for freedom that Christ has set you free. Stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1. For more information go to www.SouledOutMinistries.com look for the Events tab and click on Freedemption Weekend. You can not out receive God.

Listen to Amy Dillon L!ve on The Word 99.3/98.5 48 Faith&Family AUSTIN

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you are my passion For Students:

fire. I personally don’t like pain at all. Pain should not even exist. I also hate being weak. I would like to be Super Woman, being able to do all things at once, not needing help from anyone. I forget that “His strength is made perfect in my weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

"My strength in life is I am yours My soul delight, because I am yours"

ave you ever felt confused, not knowing what God’s plans for you are? Have you ever woken up wanting to stay in bed all day? Have you ever wanted to disappear from it all? Recently, I answered yes to all of those questions. I felt confused. I felt I had failed in what I thought was most important to me. I had no clue why God didn’t just send me a sign. I didn’t know why He didn’t clear up my doubts; why He didn’t answer my prayers. I was mad at Him for letting me make mistakes He could have prevented. Haven’t we all felt like this? We don’t like to go through the

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One of the things that I was unsure of was school, as I had set my mind on going to college. I wanted to prove to everyone that I was able to graduate and succeed in whatever I decided to study. My parents were not happy with my decision. They wanted me to graduate from high school and help out in the family business full time. I went to college and still helped out in the family business, but not as much as my parents wanted me to, because now I had more responsibilities with homework and projects. In the spring semester of my sophomore year, things changed. My parents wanted to expand the family business and I knew I had to make a choice: school or family. I prayed, but I felt as if God wasn’t listening. I asked for signs to show me the way to go. I felt confused because I didn’t know what my passion was. My heart was silent. I enjoyed working in the business, but I also enjoyed going to school and learning new things. I was very confused and wished to stay in bed all day for the rest of my life. I had no clue what to choose.

The Real Me

Y ou

help my family out right now, since the business is just starting. Am I sure I am making the right decision? I have learned there is nothing here on earth that you can be completely sure of. The only thing that I am completely sure of is that God never leaves me. He is always there, even when I don’t feel Him. I believe I will go back to school next semester, if God wants me there. He has His ways of making the things He wants to happen, happen. Whenever I feel tired, confused, or stressed, I put on music and start worshipping God. I know my strength comes from Him alone. Jesus is my passion. He is the One that makes me get up every morning and continue with my life. Even when I feel I can’t go on, He is always there cheering me on. He gives me motivation when I feel like everyone else is giving me stones to carry. If I hand over the stones, He carries them for me. He is a lot stronger than I am. So, hand over the stones. Wake up every morning for Him. Live for Him. Let Jesus be your passion. He is always there. "Jesus, I glorify; Jesus, my love is yours You are my heart’s desire; I live to know You more" -Justin Byrne

So, how does this story end? I am not sure, because I am living it day to day. My choice has been made for this semester. I withdrew from my classes to

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Maria Arreola

Faith&Family 49 AUSTIN

The Attic F ilm Festival TAFF's mission is to offer a venue for Independent Christian filmmakers to spread Christ's message through film. This year TAFF was held at the For the City Center, a multi-use facility that you may remember us telling you about on St. Johns Ave. made possible by Austin Stone Church.

cityscene

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