Christian Living Magazine January February 2019

SKIP Hall

Former BSU coach Skip Hall with his wife Virginia

Volume 7, Number 1

Publisher Sandy Jones

boisechristianliving@gmail.com

Editor Gaye Bunderson

Submit story ideas, article submissions & press releases editorgaye@gmail.com

Sales & Marketing Kimberly McMullen kim.bcliving@gmail.com 208-713-6357

• Scott McMurtrey scott.bcliving@gmail.com 208-841-4583

• Sandy Jones

boisechristianliving@gmail.com 208-703-7860

Cover Photo

Steve Jones

Graphic Design Denice King www.greentreedkdesign.com

Contributors

Daniel Bobinski, Jim Day, Dan Dougherty, Joan Endicott, Terry Frisk, Janet Lund, Rosie Main and Bethany Riehl

Website Design SEO Idaho

Distribution D&S Distribution

Christian Living is committed to encouraging and instructing individuals in their daily lives by presenting stories of people in the Treasure Valley who are living on a foundation of faith in Jesus Christ and who serve as uplifting examples to others. Views expressed in Christian Living do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. Every effort has been made by Christian Living to insure accuracy of the publication contents. However, we do not guarantee the accuracy of all information nor the absence of errors and omissions; hence, no responsibility can be or is assumed. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2019 by Christian Living Ministries Inc.

Christian Living is published every other month and is available in over 600 locations throughout the Treasure Valley, including most grocery stores, convenience stores, medical waiting areas, and churches. If your church would like additional copies please email us today at boisechristianliving@gmail.com

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There is a time for everything

By Sandy Jones

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

~Lamentations 3:22-23

A New Year often brings fresh new beginnings, or at least we feel like it does. Then with the passing of time we discover that we brought last year’s bad habits right along with us. This can lead to disappointment and a feeling of failure; therefore, as I’ve stated in past columns, I don’t do New Year’s Resolutions.

Sandy Jones

Scripture tells us God’s mercies are new every morning, so instead of yearly resolutions it’s my goal to take a cue from this and start each day new. Not to compete with anyone but myself, and to be a better version of me today than I was yesterday. Continual growth. Continual improvement. AND continual grace for my past mistakes, regardless of what the enemy wants to whisper in my ear. I know God loves and forgives me! I know this because He sent us Jesus. Simply put: He loves each of us SO much!

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ~

John 3:16 -17 NIV

I recently attended a pastors’ prayer meeting and a favorite old one-liner was brought up I thought I’d share, perhaps someone needs to be reminded: “God don’t make no junk!” If you’re feeling a bit lost, or even a lot lost — remember you are a child of the King of Kings, therefore you are somebody — God’s precious son or daughter!

May 2019 be a year of growing and walking closer to the Lord for each of us!

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. ~Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV

As we go into this New Year I’m extremely excited to share a bit of news here at Christian Living Ministries. It’s certainly not out with the old — no way — we’re hanging onto the old. We like who we are, confident of the ministry God’s entrusted to us; but as we move into 2019 and start expanding the reach of our ministry, it’s time to share some of our bigger, bolder, even broader vision. Since our early days our tagline has been “Uplift, Entertain, and Enlighten,” and while we still do that, we’ve gotten feedback from readers, just like you, and we feel that today an even more accurate tagline is “Hope, Inspiration & a New Perspective.”

It would be our vision, our goal if you will, to Unite Believers and Transform Lives. We hope to show that we’re all more alike than different — it all boils down to Jesus, the One and Only Son of God, and following what He Himself commanded us to do:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment great than these.’ ~ Mark 12:30-31 NIV

We love sharing with you what your friends and neighbors are doing acting as the Hands and Feet of Christ, and look forward to sharing even more great stories of their faithfulness.

When we set out on this journey nearly 6 years ago we forecast that at this point we would reach 20,000 readers in this region. Today through God’s guidance and blessings we’re humbled to find that we actually reach over 55,000 people in the Treasure Valley, and online we reach even more throughout the U.S., Canada and 57 countries around the world! In the coming months we hope to expand our reach both in print and online by expanding our physical distribution into Sun Valley and the Magic Valley, and by adding new features on our website.

We love hearing from you, and covet your prayers over this ministry!

Until next time…

God Bless!

Healthful hot cocoa for a cold winter

By Rosie Main

Memories of my childhood always include my mom making some Abuelita’s Hot Chocolate or Grandma’s Mexican Hot Chocolate, and during this season I crave this amazing drink. I have found that by adding all the superfood spices and subtracting the evaporated milk and sugar, this drink can be healing and continue to bring the flavorful memories. Enjoy!

Superfood benefits:

Coconut and coconut milk are made up of pretty impressive Medium Chain Fatty Acids (MCFA’s). The digestion of MCFA’s by the liver creates ketones which are a readily accessible energy for the brain. Ketones supply energy to the brain without the need of insulin to process glucose into energy.

Recent research has shown that the brain actually creates its own insulin to process glucose and power brain cells. As the brain of an Alzheimer’s patient has lost the ability to create its own insulin, the ketones from coconut oil create an alternate source of energy to help repair brain function.

Turmeric is a profoundly important spice with wide-ranging antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties too numerous to discuss here. It’s also well-known for fighting cancer. Black pepper increases the effectiveness of turmeric by as much as 2,000 percent.

Cinnamon slows blood sugar spike and reduces blood glucose concentration, which can help assist with weight loss and help manage diabetes. Cinnamaldehyde, an active compound found in cinnamon, is also believed to suppress colon cancer cells and may be effective against human liver cancer cells.

According to a major study published in “Diabetics Care,” the authors concluded that consuming only 6 grams of cinnamon per day (that’s equivalent to 3 capsules) “reduces serum glucose, triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes,” and that “the inclusion of cinnamon in the diet of people with type 2 diabetes will reduce risk factors associated with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.”

Cayenne pepper fights inflammation, boosts metabolism and prevents complications from diabetes by enhancing circulation in critical areas.

Maca is commonly used to treat chronic fatigue and anemia. It boosts memory, stamina, athletic performance, energy, and fertility. Women can use maca for female hormone imbalance, menstrual problems, and to lessen symptoms of menopause.

Cocoa’s antioxidant properties offer neuron protection and enhance cognition and positive mood. Cocoa also lessens allergic responses and fights bacterial overgrowth in the intestines. n

Recipe on page 19

Rosie Main

YOUR best year Are you focusing on the rights things?

By Bethany Riehl

January 1, 2018, I read a post by a comedian that said something along the lines of, “Shout out to everyone that read Genesis 1, started Whole30, and went to the gym today.”

I got a good chuckle out of that. How many of us spend the week between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day rehashing the last few months of over-indulgence and making lists of ways to be better in the new year? My list is already long — wake up earlier, eat more vegetables, watch less TV, leave my phone off for chunks of the day, etc. I hesitate to make a list at all because I rarely last beyond January 5. The two resolutions I have ever had stick? Reading through my Bible for the last few years, and in 2016 I joined a challenge to walk one mile each day for 45 days. I actually made it to June.

Because that one resolution was bite-sized and easy to keep, I decided to host a year-long resolution page for my readers last year. I sent out invites, set it up, wrote an opening post about having a new resolution theme each month to keep our momentum going. Those that joined me were told we would spend 2018 carving out new habits and accomplishing goals.

I don’t think I posted after February. So much for that year of resolutions. My poor readers.

So here we are. Another year. Another Christmas season behind us. I think most of us can’t help but come out of that season of reflection and joyful gluttony wondering how we can be better and feeling eager to get started right away with our plans. Especially so we can once again button our pants. But will we last past this week? This month? If our goal is to read through the Bible this year, will we make it to Exodus? What is it about January that we start out with such high ideals and aspirations only to sink back to our old ways by Valentine’s Day? Could it be that we are reaching for the wrong things?

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Last January, I was sharing tea with a friend in her cozy living room. We were talking about our separate holiday experiences and she told me something her uncle, a man I greatly admire, had said to her. He said, “I think 2018 is going to be a great year.”

She and I drank in those words together. Talked them through, mulled them over. We held out our hearts to that proclamation, warming them in the hope they sparked. She, a widow with two young children, looking at another year without her partner in life, lonely and over-burdened. Me, a woman whose husband has a disease that is consistently weakening him and changing our life.

We talked about the possible significance of her uncle’s words. What could they mean for us? Maybe my friend would meet someone or in some magnificent way her burdens would be eased. Maybe the Lord would show my husband and I a path to better financial security or bring healing to his body. Maybe her aunt and uncle would sell their business and retire in comfort. Our dreams were big and our hopes shone brighter than the twinkle lights we had recently packed away.

Eleven months later, on November 26, 2018, her uncle closed his eyes to this world and opened them in his forever home. He said good-bye to his wife, kids, grandkids, loved ones, and at long last embraced his Savior.

November 27 my friend texted me, “Remember when he said that 2018 was going to be great?”

I did. I hadn’t stopped thinking about it since I heard that cancer had invaded his bones.

“He was right,” she texted.

I agreed with her and, my soul trembling with wonder, I looked back over the year.

It was a difficult one.

My husband was not healed. He is worse.

My friend is still burdened and lonely. Possibly more so than before.

Bethany Riehl

Her aunt and uncle did sell their business… but he’s not here to dance into those retirement years as they’d dreamed. And truly, if you knew this man, you know why it’s so empty here without him. He was a legend.

The incredible thing is that, regardless of the grief and jarring shock of his death, he was right: 2018 was a great year. The absolute best in his life. Because November 26, 2018, he went home. At long last, the sinner was able to embrace his Savior. It is the best moment of all for anyone who believes.

I’ve been mulling it over. The things he said. The dreams my friend and I shared because of them a year ago. The hopes that to many eyes were left to shatter. Oh, but how much higher are the Lord’s thoughts than our own. How much more He has in store for us than our little ideas and plans. He might not have eased our worldly troubles, but He was faithful to draw us closer to Him. This year has great potential, as all do. If we remember Who to focus on, Who we belong to, Who holds it all in His hands… then our hopes will never be wasted.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) He speaks to us in shadows at times, words that won’t be evident until He shines His perfect light our way and in His timing. Instead of gym goals or social media fasts or extreme diets that fade away, maybe our eyes should be on Jesus. Just on Him. Let’s ask Him what He wants for us and pursue that with abandon.

How? Read Genesis 1… and keep going. Over and over and over again until that day when at last we are in His arms. Home. That will certainly be the best year ever. n

Bethany Riehl loves to write stories and articles that explore the complexities of relationships and encourage readers in their relationship with Jesus. She joyfully serves in the children’s ministry at her church, teaches at a homeschool co-op, and drinks more coffee than necessary to keep up with her only-slightly-crazy life. She is the author of four Christian fiction novels and lives in Kuna with her spunky kids and very handsome hubby.

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OUTDOORS with Dougherty

On family, fishing, and getting spanked

By Dan Dougherty

A new year is now upon us: 2019. How could it be here already? Where have all the years gone? It seems like I was just a young, smooth-faced lad out hunting with my father, but now I’m a “mature,” gray-bearded man hunting with his grandkids.

This year, we spent Thanksgiving out at my son James’s ranch near Hidden Springs. We had an abundance of food and a great time with the kids and grandkids. Jessica, my daughter-in-law, made a wonderful turkey on their Traeger grill. Taking a picture of it reminded me of one family photo I had just recently seen of my grandma’s brother, Joe, and sister, Clara, smiling over a Thanksgiving turkey years ago.

When I was growing up, we did not have very many holiday dinners with relatives. We did not usually have relatives living in the town where Dad was a pastor. When we lived in Pendleton, we would occasionally go to my Grandma and Grandpa Johnson’s house in Portland. Our holidays mostly consisted of immediate family and a couple of church members my parents thought would enjoy a family meal. They were often elderly with no family nearby.

Moving to Caldwell, we came to an area where my mom had many relatives. We had meals in many of their homes throughout the Caldwell, Deer Flat, and Greenleaf areas. They were all an elderly part of the Root connection, but they were lively and fun. I loved hearing their stories about family and faith. I learned about family “Roots” that, previously, I had never known much about.

My grandma had two sisters and five brothers. Her father, Rev. Myron M. Root, had been a Free Methodist minister. All of his sons except my great uncle, Joe, were ministers or missionaries. Uncle Joe was a farmer just outside of Caldwell and was very active in the Deer Flat Free Methodist Church. He had carved his farm out of the sagebrush years earlier. I have a picture of Uncle Joe and Grandpa Johnson ridding the area of jackrabbits. I have my grandpa’s gun, an 1890 octagonbarreled Remington Pump that shoots .22 longs.

Uncle Joe introduced me to some good fishing spots. I fished with him from junior high up through my college years. On trips into Oregon, I would buy my Oregon day license; Joe always had a yearly one. My first trip in to fish Owyhee Reservoir was through Leslie Gulch. The rock formations and view were beautiful. It was my first experience of seeing bighorn sheep. After a very successful day of catching crappie, we headed home a different way. While traveling on the Three Fingers Loop road, we saw a herd of wild horses and many deer. Later, we stopped and checked out an old mine in the area. A wonderful trip.

We also fished Antelope Reservoir near Jordan Valley. On my first trip in with Joe and his neighbor, we were headed to a spot on the reservoir called Caldwell Point, a section of good fishing water that many Idaho residents frequented. I asked Joe if he ever saw any antelope. He just smiled and pointed. Almost as if on cue, an antelope was running about 20 yards off the driver’s side of the pickup. It increased its speed and crossed the road directly in front of us. All I could say was, “Cool!” Joe and his neighbor both laughed. We caught some very nice 14to 18-inch trout that day.

I fished Antelope for many years after that. During my early years of college, fishing with school friends, we used to see F4 Phantom jets on training runs from Mountain Home streaking low across the sky. Later they were replaced with the impressive F111. My friends and I always caught a bunch of nice fish on those trips. Years ago, during a drought year, Antelope almost became dry, and the fishing was ruined. That has now been quite a while back, and maybe I should check it out again.

In returning home after a day of fishing, my uncle once asked with a smile and a twinkle in his eye if I was spanked much growing up. With a twinkle in my eye, I responded I never needed one; I was a perfect child. We laughed — we both knew the truth. I then answered, “Only when I needed it!” I explained that the worst punishment for me was when Dad would take me over to the altar at church. We would kneel, and he would lovingly put his arm around me, and we would discuss my errant behavior. Then we both would pray — him first and then me. With tears in his eyes and mine, he would hug me. Seeing the tear in my uncle’s eye as I told the story, I knew he came from a similar background.

I worked in California on my Grandpa Dougherty’s fruit ranch with my older brothers during the summers I was 12 to 15. One day during the summer I was 13, I was helping pick fruit to take to the local pastor. Grandpa knew I would not mind going with him so I could see the pastor’s daughter. While working, I asked Grandpa if he spanked my dad. He responded that he did, and that Dad was one stubborn boy. He then asked me if I got spanked. After my affirmative response,

he asked, “Why does your dad do it?” I answered, “Because he wants me to be good?” Grandpa said, “Yes, but why?” Being somewhat intuitive and knowing my father, I answered, “Because he loves me.”

Grandpa then went into a speech about the value of love, God, and expectations. The part that stuck in my mind was the relationship he was making between love and correction. He quoted a verse from the Bible that has stuck with me through all these years. “For whom the Lord loves He chastens...” — Hebrews 12:6 (NKJV)

The other day I asked my 9-year-old grandson, Cash, if he got spanked. He responded that he did not get spanked much but instead got thumped on the head. He added that he didn’t get thumped so much anymore; now it just took a warning look from his dad to get him to behave. I had to laugh. I told him that growing up, I always referred to a knock on the head as a PAT. It stood for a “Pay Attention Thump.” It only came occasionally when I was little. Later, all my father had to do was give me a warning look like the one my grandson gets from his dad.

I continued by asking Cash why he got thumped, and he said it was because he was doing something wrong. I asked, “Why does your dad care?” He answered, “Because he wants me to be good.” I asked why. He said, “Because he likes me (pause)... He loves me!”

With love as the key value, in this era we still need intergenerational contact and sharing. It is important we share the wisdom of our life experience with the younger ones to help guide them in a positive way on their life journey. This connection helps to give us purpose and keeps us active and relevant.

As I reflect on bygone years, I have to thank the Lord for allowing me to be born into a loving, God-centered family. I was fortunate to have family, friends and relatives to help guide my life. Sadly, that is something many people need, but don’t have. Our commission as Christians is to look for the opportunity to help those people and to support each other. May that become part of your New Year’s resolutions this year. n

Just barely making ends meet

By Terry Frisk

“How can I give and save when I can barely make ends meet?”

That is a really good question! One that I have struggled with at times during my faith journey. My wife and I started attending church later in life, so the concept of giving was new to us and we found it difficult to part with our hard-earned money. We had a family to support, bills to pay, a mortgage and an auto loan. There was simply no room in the budget to give more than a few dollars to the church and have any left to save. We just could not make enough money to have enough to spare for giving and saving. But, the more I read the Bible, the more I knew that this was not how God intended us to live. In Ecclesiastes 5:10, we learn:

“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.”

That is when we realized we had to change the way we viewed our finances. The problem was not how much we earned, but how we managed the income we received. Everything we have or receive is a gift from God. Giving back a portion shows our gratitude for His gifts. Saving is a way to be

prepared for either anticipated or unanticipated financial needs. Giving and saving need to be the first priority in managing how you allocate your income.

How much of your income should you give and save? My father always told me you should give 10 percent and save 10 percent of your income. Giving 10 percent is referred to in the Old Testament as tithing. It was one of the commands that God gave Moses for the Israelites (Leviticus 27:30-32). Some may argue that this rule was relaxed in the New Testament, quoting 2 Corinthians 9:7:

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

It is up to you to determine your level of giving through prayer and reflection. Personally, I have found that the more I give, the greater the rewards both monetarily and spiritually. Being generous with your money makes you more generous in other areas of your life. As you become more generous, others are moved to return the generosity. When this occurs in your work life, rewards will come through increased income. Even though you are giving more, you are also receiving more. With respect to saving, Proverbs 21:20 states:

Terry Frisk

“The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down.” While there is no biblical guideline for how much to save, I think saving should not exceed the amount one gives. For me, equal amounts of saving and giving provide a good balance for honoring God and building a reserve for emergencies and major purchases. How do you get started? Here are the steps we took toward increasing our savings and giving, reaching for the 10 percent goal on each:

1. Be thankful for all the gifts God has given you. Remember everything you have is from Him. Doing this over time will change the way you view your financial position. If you are truly thankful for the blessings you currently have, then you will not be tempted to spend money on a bigger house, new car or other material items that you really don’t need.

2. Start keeping track of how you spend your money. There are several applications that you can download to your smartphone to track your spending that are free and simple to use. Or, you can use an old-fashioned journal. The point is to see how you are currently spending your money. You may be surprised by how much you spend on things with little value.

3. Use the spending information gathered above to develop a spending plan. Determine the margin between your income and spending and allocate it equally between giving and saving. You will not likely be able to reach a full 10 percent for giving and 10 percent for saving starting out. The object is to establish a starting point.

4. Submit a formal pledge to your church or other ministry you are giving to. This is a promise you make to

God, one that brings great satisfaction to you when you keep it.

5. Use electronic funds transfer to automatically deduct your giving and saving amounts from your bank account. This helps make giving and saving a priority, avoiding the temptation to dip into these amounts.

6. Repeat this process periodically, looking for opportunities to increase your giving and saving. Whenever you get a raise, obtain a higher-paying job or some other financial gain, remember this is a gift from God and show your gratitude by giving back. Update your spending plan at least once each year, adjusting your allocation until you reach a full 10 percent in giving plus 10 percent in saving.

It took us several years to reach this goal, but it has been a rewarding experience. God has blessed us for each step we have taken in the process. Just as we have faced financial setbacks, we have been blessed with opportunities to more than compensate for the setback, permitting us to give and save more.

Quoting 2 Corinthians 9:6:

“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”

Your giving supports God’s work to bountifully bless your church, community and the world. You will certainly be blessed in reurn. n

Terry Frisk is a partner in the firm B2B CFO, providing financial advisory services to small businesses. He also counsels individuals on personal financial matters through the Cathedral of the Rockies Budget Counseling ministry. He may be contacted through e-mail at terry_frisk@msn.com.

“For

Psalms 100:5

Skip Hall

Winning was great... but not everything

By Gaye Bunderson

Former winning Boise State University head football coach Skip Hall was born February 18, 1944 in Minnesota. He was not born in a Christian home, he said; in fact, it would be another 35 years after his birth before he’d give his life to God. In the meantime, he found his fulfillment in athletics.

“My parents divorced when I was 4,” he said. He remained with his mother and younger brother, moving to Seattle at one point and then, later, back to Minnesota, where his grandfather lived. Skip attended high school and college in Minnesota and discovered the saving grace of sports.

“Sports was my anchor all those years; it kept me on the right side of the tracks,” he said.

“Coaches were my fathers.” He still stays in touch with the man who coached him in both high school and college in football, basketball and baseball — Charlie Basch, now 92.

At Minnesota’s Concordia College (now Concordia University), Skip majored in physical education and biology and also earned a teaching certificate. After graduating, he got a job as a teacher and football and basketball coach at a high school in Henning, Minnesota. Over the next three years, he would experience great success with his teams, coaching them on to championship seasons.

He got an itch to coach at the college level, so he headed off to the University of Colorado at Boulder to get his master’s degree in education and administration. He kept his hand in coaching while there and said, “I got hooked on college coaching.” The thrill of watching Colorado beat Alabama was a special high for him.

His exemplary skills led other coaches to seek him out. When Don James got the head coaching job at Kent State in Ohio in the early 1970s, he asked Skip to be his assistant coach. It was a 5-year position that would lead to four championships for Kent State. “One of our players was Nick Saban, now the head coach at the University of Alabama,” Skip said.

In 1975, when Don moved on to the University of Washington, he once again asked Skip to be his assistant coach and, once again, it was a football success story. The Huskies went to 10 bowls, including three times to the Rose Bowl and one time to the Orange Bowl.

By then, Skip had married his wife Virginia, and of those gridiron glory years, he said, “We call those our Camelot years.”

It was around this time that Skip, now 35 and a family man as well as a successful coach, began to think about things beyond sports, including spiritual things. He became a Christian and attributes it to what he calls “The 3 P’s.” Those include:

1. A pastor, Chuck Swindoll (author, radio personality, and leader of Insight for Living Ministries)

2. A player, Mike Rohrbach (who went on to launch Run to Win Outreach)

3. And a partner: his wife Virginia

Skip said he would listen to Chuck Swindoll’s radio show while at the University of Washington and liked it so much he called Pastor Swindoll and offered him tickets to the Rose Bowl. Though the pastor said he would not be able to make the game, he reciprocated by inviting the Halls to his church in Fullerton, California. It was the beginning of a long friendship that included travels with Swindoll and his wife to the Greek Isles, Germany, Switzerland, and Israel.

Skip said he and Virginia especially enjoyed the 1982 trip to Israel: “The sight and sounds there brought the Bible to life.”

Skip’s faith was transformational for him.

“Becoming a Christian made me a better coach and a better husband and father; I learned the importance of reaching out to others,” he said. “Previously I was so focused and driven to win.”

He actually possesses a box that has all the things in it he used to value most. He calls it “god in a box” because it holds all his former idols, such as football championship rings. Now, his priority isn’t a football playbook but Scripture; he quotes Matthew 6:33: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

“My priorities changed. I still got to the top, but God and I were doing the things together now,” he said.

In 1987, he was asked to interview at Boise State for the head coach position. He was at BSU from 1987 to 1992, compiling a Bronco winning record of 42-28. Like so many football coaches at BSU, he was highly regarded by the fans. “In Idaho, the BSU coach is right up there with the governor. Football means a lot to Idahoans.”

Still, he said, “You know when it’s time to go into a place, and you know when it’s time to leave.” From 1993 to 1997, he coached at the University of Missouri. Following that, he retired from football, and he and Virginia moved to Phoenix, Arizona. “Virginia and I are a team, and we made the decision together.”

Throughout his career, Virginia was as much a part of football as her husband; at one point, she served as president of the National Association of Football Wives. “I used to tell people, ‘I live with a big shot,’” said Skip.

After coaching for 30 years, he went to work with Aflac as the regional manager and recruiting coordinator focused on team building. That’s what he had done for so many years: recruit, coach and build teams. In 2006, after eight years in Arizona, he was offered the same position in Idaho, where his children and grandchildren live. Virginia, wanting to be near family, told her husband, “We’re leaving.”

Skip’s business career continued in the Gem State, and in 2008, he became the managing director for Principal Financial Group in Boise. Later, in 2012, he and his son Chris opened Hall & Associates in Boise.

Skip now also hosts his own radio program called Game Plan for Life on 94.1 The Voice. He interviews coaches, players, and business and ministry leaders. The show airs each Saturday morning at 10 a.m. “I draw the stories out of the people I interview — I let them tell the story,” he said.

His guests have included Chris Peterson and Bryan Harsin, past and present BSU football coaches. He continues to pay close attention to both the University of Washington and Boise State football. “They’re both excellent programs; they’re doing the right things,” he said.

Skip believes the best way to coach is through positive reinforcement, or what he calls a “Coach ‘Em Up” style. As a Christian coach, he emphasized two things:

1. Encouragement: “Encouragement is the fuel that propels people.”

2. Hope: “Hope is the anchor of our soul.”

“The true measure of a coach is not wins or losses but the men and women our players become,” he said. n

Skip Hall is shown on the blue turf at Boise State. He lead the Broncos to winning seasons from 1987 to 1992.

(Courtesy photo)

A miracle for the Hall family

By Gaye Bunderson

Skip Hall’s best partner in life is his wife of 54 years, Virginia. She followed him throughout his coaching career and was as dedicated to the sport of football as he was. She was also pivotal in leading him to the Lord. But on January 24, 2018, as the couple was packing to go to Arizona, Virginia said her arm was hurting and she was having difficulty speaking.

She suffered a “bleed stroke,” or cerebral hemorrhage, as it is commonly known. This type of stroke is frequently fatal, and Virginia’s prognosis was grim.

“God intervened,” Skip said. “Modern medicine is great, but God is greater.”

The couple got a second opinion and was able to get a plan started for Virginia’s treatment and recovery. She came through and spent some time in Aspen Transitional Rehab, a subacute facility in Meridian.

According to Skip, her second physician intervened, called the facility, and told staff there he thought Virginia had a good chance of getting better. After recommending her for treatment, she was accepted. After several weeks, she improved and then spent time at St. Luke’s Elks Rehab Hospital, receiving physical, occupational, and speech therapy.

By later in the year, she was at home and walking with a cane.

“She smiles and laughs,” Skip said during an interview in late 2018. “She’s come a long way but has a ways to go. A joyful spirit is evidence of a grateful heart, and that’s how she’s been since the stroke.”

The couple received lots of prayer support through Facebook, as well as CaringBridge.org, a website that is a personal health journal that their daughter Suzie helped them connect with. Virginia got 12,000 “hits” off the website from people she knew who wanted to know of her progress and help support her.

Over the years, Skip and Virginia have become acquainted with many people through football, business connections, and ministry work they’ve done. “At each step, each place we’ve been, we’ve led a couple’s Bible study at our home or hosted men’s and women’s studies and fellowships or small groups,” Skip said.

Skip is a businessman and public speaker, hosts a radio program, and remains active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Search-Boise, a group for businesspeople.

“I think God designed us for teamwork,” he said. “Jesus didn’t do anything alone; He always took people with Him.” n

Tom Landry, left, renowned Dallas Cowboys head coach, is shown here with Virginia and Skip Hall. (Courtesy photo)

FAMILY resolution recipe

Cook up something beautiful in 2019

By Janet Lund

At the beginning of each new year, resolutions are a popular topic of conversation. It’s exciting and empowering to “turn over a new leaf” and start chasing down a goal. But as the weeks go by, enthusiasm can fade. The daunting reality of achieving that goal can set in and make you feel overwhelmed. Especially when you are doing it alone.

So, don’t do it alone! Make goal-chasing a family affair. A great way for both you and your kids to grow as individuals is to do it together. Here is a goal-chasing recipe that will help you get focused, explore new things, and cheer each other on.

Janet Lund is a relationship coach who specializes in nurturing the bond between moms and their teen/pre-teen daughters. She leads moms through coaching, speaking, and songwriting. Janet has spoken and performed in Canada, the United States, and Norway. Follow her on facebook.com/momkeepcalm and visit her website momkeepcalm.com for parenting tools and words of support to be a calm mom.

Janet Lund

Main Dish: Family ala Board

Ingredients:

1. Schedule a day during the weekend for this family project.

2. Gather up items needed: scratch paper and poster board for each family member, pens, scissors, old magazines, glue, three-ring binder, and copies of Our Family Victories pages (see step 11 for details).

3. Prepare tasty snacks.

4. Pick out fun music to play in the background for ambiance.

Recipe:

1. Turn on the tunes, pull out the snacks, and talk about your family project.

2. Give everyone a scratch piece of paper to write a list of things you want to achieve.

3. Choose the number one goal you want to accomplish.

4. Hand out a poster board to everyone, pull out the pens, scissors, glue, and old magazines.

5. Have each member put a picture of their goal in the center of their poster board. Do this by cutting out a picture from a magazine or drawing it with pens.

6. Draw emoji faces around the picture to show how you will feel when you reach your goal.

7. Write words of exclamation throughout the poster board. (“Hooray!” “I’m King of the World!”)

8. On the back of your scratch paper, have each member break down their big goal into smaller bites = mini-goals. (Your kids may need some help with this.) Breaking it down makes it more manageable.

9. Put these mini-goals on a family calendar to help you all to stay on track.

10. Put up the poster boards and calendar in a location where everyone can see them daily.

11. Next, create a family victories page that you can replicate. Title the page Family Victories. Underneath the main title, label 3 columns: date, name, and accomplishments. Print out several sheets and put them into a 3-ring binder to create your Family Victories Journal.

12. Schedule a weekly family huddle.

13. Each week pull out the Family Victories Journal. Write down the accomplishments each person has made toward their big goal. Share how you are each feeling about your journey so far. Keeping track of what you’ve accomplished each week helps you stay energized and focused. It is also a great opportunity to cheer each other on.

14. Take advantage of this weekly time together. Talk about highs and lows of the past week. Add your highs of the week to your Family Victory Journal. Celebrating all accomplishments is important and keeps you energized.

15. Take time to pray together about the lows and any stresses you anticipate in the upcoming week. That way you can stay informed and support each other with affirming words and prayer.

Families that listen and share together love and care together. Now that’s a recipe for something beautiful! Listen. Love. Share. Care.

Wisdom comes from many counselors

By Daniel Bobinski

Recently I posted an open question on Facebook: “What would you do if you won the lottery?” As you might guess, responses ran the gamut. “Tithe.” “Get out of debt.” “Set up a college fund for the kids.” I chose a different route. I said I would find two accountants who didn’t like each other and hire them both. The result? I’d never have any accounting errors, there’d never be any embezzlement, and each would do a wonderful job of identifying any flaws in the other’s recommendations.

It’s a similar concept to what Abraham Lincoln did after he was elected President. As described in the book, “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln,” Lincoln brought together some rather resentful and disharmonious individuals and assembled one of the most unusual cabinets in Presidential history. Although they rarely got along, they gave Lincoln their raw and straightforward opinions, which he could then sift and sort and make the decisions he needed to navigate one of our country’s most turbulent times.

Had Lincoln surrounded himself with nothing but yes-men, I doubt he would have received enough information to make wise choices.

By the way, in no way am I claiming to be on par with Lincoln. I just think it’s wise to do what wise people have done. After all, there’s that little verse in the Scriptures that says, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisors they succeed.”

Years ago I used to sit on the board of directors for a non-profit organization. There were about 14 people on this board, and we met once a month or so. In short order I noticed one individual was always negative. No matter what was being discussed, this guy was a total naysayer. “That will never work. Here’s what’s wrong with that idea... That won’t work either, here’s why...” Every time the guy talked, he was negative.

After several months of observing this I went to the executive director of the non-profit and said, “Why do you have this guy on the board? He is nothing but negative about anything that gets discussed.” The executive’s response was classic: “That’s exactly why I keep him around. He points out everything I need to do so that our plans can succeed.” Twenty years later I still remember that man’s response, and I value his wisdom. After all, plans fail for lack of

counsel, but with many advisors they succeed.

Think about it. Companies hire consultants and have boards of directors. Athletes, actors, and singers have coaches. And so do successful business people, too. Even in 1624, the English author John Donne penned the now-famous line, “No man is an island” as he highlighted the interconnectedness of humanity.

What about you?

If you are a born-again follower of Jesus, you are a child of the Living God, who is the Creator of all heaven and earth. Aren’t you deserving of counselors? The answer is a resounding yes. After all, Barnabas mentored Paul, and then Paul mentored Timothy while having Silas as a ministry partner. No man is an island. As the writer of Hebrews tells us, “… let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

I was abundantly blessed to have a mentor in my life nearly 30 years ago. The late Alex Goodman spoke much wisdom into my life, both by word and example. So much so that I decided to make a career out of coaching and training others in the principles that Alex taught. And, over the years, I’ve tried to practice what I preach by asking other people to speak into my life. When I maintain that practice, things tend to go well. When I let it slip, my life tends to show it!

This past year I spent much time in prayer about this and God responded abundantly. Now I have four people that I meet with at varying levels of frequency and in varying capacities. I’m pretty sure these folks have been sent by God to partner with me in specific areas, and if I told you why I believe that, you’d be nodding your heads, too.

Christ’s last command was for us to make disciples. That’s a mentoring process, but I have to say, I think the modern church does a horrible job of it. Show up on Sunday morning. Shake hands. Sing worship songs. Listen to a sermon. Shake hands some more and talk with acquaintances. Maybe do a Sunday school class or have a meal together. This is not making disciples. I’m not saying don’t do this. I’m saying wisdom comes from many counselors. Wiser decisions are possible when people who know you well are able to ask you pressing, pertinent, challenging questions about your life, and do so in more

Daniel Bobinski

private, confidential settings.

What if you added (or occasionally substituted) things like the writer of Hebrews suggested? Meeting in smaller groups of three or four families, spurring one another on toward love and good deeds? Or encouraging one another in the areas that God has gifted you?

Or what if you identified one or two key people and met for coffee once a week, either as a group or one-on-one? Or every other week? It doesn’t even have to be face-to-face, it can be over the phone.

Want some motivation? I won’t ask what you would do if you won the lottery. I’ll ask you the same question the Holy Spirit asked me: What would you do if you weren’t afraid? Remember that one little verse. Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisors they succeed. n

Daniel Bobinski, M.Ed. teaches teams and individuals how to use Emotional Intelligence, and he blogs regularly on that topic at www.eqfactor.net. He’s also a homeschooling dad, a home fellowship leader, a best-selling author, and a popular speaker at conferences and retreats. Reach him at daniel@eqfactor.net or 208-375-7606.

Superfood Mexican Hot Cocoa Recipe

Continued from page 5

Ingredients:

• 2 cups hot (not boiling) water OR coconut milk, almond milk, rice milk, or organic whole milk or cream

• 1 heaping Tbsp. unrefined coconut oil

• 1 Tbsp. unsweetened raw cacao powder (rounded to heaping, depending on how chocolatey you like it)

• ½ to ¾ rounded tsp. turmeric powder

• A pinch black pepper (needed for proper absorption of turmeric)

• A pinch of cayenne pepper or to taste

• 1 tsp. maca powder OR chocolate protein powder OR 1 Tbsp. gelatin powder

• 1-2 tsp. of maple syrup or honey to taste OR stevia drops to taste

• ½ tsp. cinnamon powder

• ½ tsp. ginger powder, optional

• 1/8 teaspoon of Himalayan or sea salt

Directions:

Add the ingredients to the hot water and stir. This fabulous recipe serves 2 cups of creamy goodness.

GOD Dots God in the big and little things of life

By Jim Day

We sometimes think that if God does it, it has to be big. But when we examine our lives, we see that God is in the smallest of details. Some God Dots seem to be little things at the time and almost go unnoticed, like pennies in a parking lot.

A lady at church told me that one of her grandchildren, a little boy named Taylor, died when he was very young. The family was griefstricken, absolutely devastated. But Taylor’s little sister, although she missed him terribly, just knew that he was in a better place.

The family grieved and started trying to get back into their day-to-day routine.

On a trip to the grocery store, Taylor’s little sister found a penny on the ground. She picked it up and exclaimed, “Taylor is okay! He’s with Jesus and he left this penny for me!”

Her mother smiled and thought it was cute, but soon the little sister found another penny, and then another. She put them all in a jar and placed them on the windowsill to remind her of her brother.

Everywhere she went, the little sister searched for pennies. Soon, her enthusiasm took hold of the whole family, and they all started looking for and picking up pennies, always giving

credit for the pennies to God and Taylor and keeping them in the jar.

Now, reading this, you might be saying to yourself, “How is that a God Dot?” Well, the family’s grief turned to joy because of those pennies. That is a miracle and that makes it a God Dot!

God Dots are everywhere and you don’t have to be a believer to experience them. Psalm 139 is from King David and it shows how, before we ever pursued God, God was pursuing us. I have hundreds of God Dots in my life, and more than half of them were from before I chose to believe.

But, I want to hear about your God Dots. You all have them, and sharing them helps others to identify their own God Dots. That leads to an attitude of gratitude and that leads to appreciating Jesus even more. We all need more Jesus, and sharing your testimony makes Him all the more real and relevant in our lives.

Sometimes God does the miraculous. The big God Dot that changes everything. These are often wonderful, pleasant encounters, but sometimes these come with pain or heartache. Take Betty, for instance.

Her father and mother split up when she was young. She stayed with her father and his mother. When Betty was just

Jim Day

17, they went to a farmers market. They bought a few things and piled into the car to go home. As her dad pulled out of the parking lot, a car came out of nowhere and smashed into their car. Her father and grandmother were killed, but Betty was thrown out of the back window.

The back window?

If your car is hit in the front, how can you possibly be thrown out the back? Every bit of force and energy should have been driving her forward, but somehow she flew out the back. Betty was injured and taken to the hospital. One of the interesting things here is that the following Monday, the teachers went out on strike and were on strike throughout Betty’s recovery, so in the end, she never missed a day of school.

She lost her father and grandmother, but she knew they were with Jesus. After that, Betty never had any doubt that God had a plan for her life and she lives her life in a way that demonstrates the grace of God.

She told me that although it was a difficult and painful time, she always saw this event as a God Dot in her life. God had literally and miraculously spared her life.

If you knew Betty, you would know that she is definitely a glass-half-full person, always looking at the positive and rejecting the negative. She never dwelt on the things that she lost, only on that which she has — a life worth living. She has shared many wonderful God Dots with me and I look forward to sharing more of them with you.

God tells us in His Word that the trials and troubles that we experience are in order that we might be a help or comfort to someone that is going through a similar trial. With God, pain is never wasted, but always has a purpose. There are many stories in the Bible that demonstrate this point. Hosea loves and marries a prostitute who doesn’t return his love and is unfaithful. King David suffers the loss of a son because of his sin. Samson is betrayed by the woman he loves.

Whatever you are going through, God has a plan. You might be too close to whatever it is to see it right now, but be strong and you will.

Final thought on this line comes from the Bible in the Book of James. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” — James 1:2-4

It is my goal and wish for this column to be an avenue to share your God Dots. Tell others about the things that God has done for you. Contact me at jcday@cableone.net or call or text 208-409-0063. Somebody needs to hear your story. Be blessed! n

to Truth “I Get To!”® Own My Worth

By Joan Endicott

If you’ve ever felt insecure, unloved, unwanted, rejected, insignificant, inadequate, not enough or like you didn’t measure up, I pray this article serves you in some way.

First of all, very transparently, thinking about these events and writing about them has been a bit of a battle. I’m choosing vulnerability and courage over comfort, confident this will help you or someone you care about in the journey of owning your worth. As I revisited various life events, I found myself immediately transported back to my 5-year-old self. Isn’t it amazing how traumas imprint on our soul like a handprint in wet cement? The ability to share any of this is a direct result of immeasurable gratitude to God for His grace in providing the power to forgive. It’s the salve that brings hope and healing from the wounds of this world. Indeed, we are set FREE through forgiveness.

Experiencing neglect, rejection and abuse from a young age caused me to believe the lie that I had no real worth. For much of my life, I’ve struggled with seeking approval (which is why I often refer to myself as a “recovering approval addict”). I’ve wasted so much time worrying about what others thought, said or did. My little girl heart just ached to be loved and to belong.

My first recollection of such a trauma was when I was 5 years old. I was excited that I was getting to stay at my grandparents’ home all by myself. The safe feeling I’d had in their home changed the day my aunt’s uninvited visitor stopped by. It was a warm, sunny day and my Aunt D had the doors open while she was mopping the kitchen floor. I was sitting on a kitchen chair watching her when we were both startled by a man who suddenly appeared in the side doorway. (The “man” was probably late teens like my aunt, but to my 5-year-old eyes he was a grown man.)

After greeting him, my aunt said she needed to finish mopping but that he could sit in the living room and they could talk while she finished. The man asked if I would come sit with him in the living room. My aunt encouraged it. The kitchen/dining area and the living room were an L-shape –– close enough to have a conversation, but out of line-of-sight. Once we were on the couch, my Aunt D kept conversing with the man.

He had me sit right next to him. At first he patted my hand, then held my hand, and then he forced my hand into his pants… It wasn’t

until I was an adult that I knew it was called “child sexual assault” and that it not only harmed me dramatically, it was a crime.

This all happened while he acted as if he was listening to my Aunt D. I had no idea what he was doing or why, I just knew I immediately wanted to cry. I was scared, in shock. I just sat there.

Even after he left, I... just.. sat... there.

I knew I should tell my aunt what happened. After all, she was babysitting me. When I tried to tell her what that man had done, my body was trembling and I wanted to burst into tears. I started with, “That man...,” and then my aunt’s girlfriend came in and sat down. My aunt coaxed me to continue so I began again: “That man made me...”

Her mouth dropped open and the look of shock on her face confirmed to my scared little soul I’d done the right thing in telling her. Her automatic response validated my belief that he’d done a very bad thing!

Then just moments after my aunt’s response, her girlfriend burst out laughing and asked, “How did it feel?”

“What?” I thought. I was so confused –– I didn’t understand. Her response was the opposite of my aunt’s. At first I had felt proud of myself for telling, especially seeing my aunt’s immediate response. Then after her friend’s reaction… that’s the first time I recall feeling an immediate flood of embarrassment wash over me and my face flushed with shame.

Then almost as if she was excited about it, my aunt’s friend said, “I’m telling ‘D’ (my uncle),” and my Aunt D said, “No, don’t tell D –– he’ll kill him.” I remember in my little 5-year-old hurting, confused heart, I wanted to scream, “PLEASE, PLEASE TELL D!” I knew they didn’t mean he’d literally kill him. I knew it just meant that what “that man” did was a REALLY, REALLY BAD thing and someone should do SOMETHING.

But instead, nobody did anything... ever.

That set an unfortunate precedent for me because of the embarrassment and shame I felt that day, along with the fact that absolutely nothing was done, my grandparents and parents were never told, and no good came from it. When I was subsequently abused by others –– which was typically accompanied with harmful, every-reason-tobelieve threats –– I learned to never-ever tell.

Then, starting the summer before my sixth-grade year, God began bringing role-models into my life who loved me and began speaking words of life that God said about me, such as, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made...,” from Psalm 139. Things slowly started to shift. At first, I couldn’t believe those encouraging words from the Bible could be talking about me because if I had that kind of worth, why would I have been treated the way I was? I was confused, yet my soul was hungry to hear more of the truth that would eventually set me free.

Truths that Helped Transform My Thinking in Owning My Worth:

1. Hurt people hurt people.

2. What happened to you was not a result of your brokenness, but theirs.

3. Looking through God’s lens of love has allowed me to respond to those who hurt me with empathy and prayer –– knowing that in order to do what they did, they had hurts and heartaches as well. When seeing them, like myself, as a child with a hurting heart, compassion overcame judgment.

4. When surrendered to God, He uses every hurt and heartache to bring me closer to Him and help others in the process. God takes our mess and gives us a message.

5. The ONLY place I can find my worth is when I look into the face of the One who created me and believe the truth of what He says about me.

6. If I am dependent on anything else (people, places, positions, possessions, etc.) to fill me up or find my worth –– other than the One who loved me and gave Himself for me –– I will always be deeply disappointed. Nothing or no one else is equipped to fill a God-shaped void.

7. My worth was woven into me by my Creator. It’s not there because of who I am, but Whose I am. God loved me so much that He sent Jesus Christ to be my Savior. (John 3:16)

Though I’m now a “big girl” –– Wife, Momma & GiGi (grandmother) –– I still have that little girl heart inside that aches to be loved and belong. The difference? Now I know I am loved, and I do belong. No matter who else (past, present or future) did or didn’t love and care about me, I was designed, planned and loved by the God of the Universe. The truth is, no other opinion matters. Even if I continue to fight the battle of caring too much about what others think until I see Jesus face-to-face, I get to own my worth because I am loved by Him and I belong to Him.

Dear friend, please hear me on this: No matter what battle you’re facing that has caused feelings of insignificance, insecurity, or inadequacies, I want you to know that with God’s Truth as your most powerful weapon, you can overcome it and be set free, too.

If this has blessed you in any way, I’d love to hear from you. Please email me at WeCare@JoanEndicott.com. n

Joan Endicott is a an award-winning keynote speaker, author of “I Get To!”®, founder of GIANT-Slayer Coaching and “WOW!” - Women Owning Their Worth. Her coaching reaches over 25 countries across six continents. Meet her and get free videos and two free chapters of her “I Get To!” ® book at www.JoanEndicott.com.

Joan Endicott