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PRISCILLA’S STORY Osteoporosis is a disease that causes bone to become weak and susceptible to fracture. Of the 10 million Americans with this disease, 80% are women, and having a mother with osteoporosis puts a daughter particularly at risk.

Priscilla Turner, 67, of Memphis, TN knows this risk all too well. Her 90-year-old mother, Jewell Fondren, suffers from osteoporosis (a disease that causes bone to become weak and susceptible to fracture). Over the past 30 years, Jewell has experienced a hip fracture, spinal fractures, and has a hunched back that may have been caused by multiple spinal fractures. Jewell, who lives with her daughter, has difficulty walking, cannot bend, and finds her clothes don’t fit well because of her hunched back.

Two years ago, Priscilla seemed to be heading toward the same fate as her mother when she suffered from back pain. Priscilla went to see her doctor and discovered she had a spinal fracture. She was also diagnosed with osteopenia or low bone mineral density that can lead to osteoporosis.

“I just thought I was getting older,” she said. “I didn’t know my bones were breaking, but when my doctor told me I had a spinal fracture, I was very surprised.”

Like Priscilla, the estimated 44 million Americans at risk for osteoporosis are often unaware that they have the disease until they break a bone, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), sponsors of National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month. However, today more information is known about the risk factors for osteoporosis and fractures.

If you have a low bone mineral density coupled with one or more other risk factors, you are at increased risk of having an osteoporosis-related fracture over the next 10 years, according to a recent publication by the World Health Organization (WHO). These risk factors include a previous fracture, a parent who has had a hip fracture, smoking, taking steroid medications, drinking three or more glasses of alcohol daily, and suffering from rheumatoid arthritis or from a disorder strongly associated with osteoporosis.

Less was known about osteoporosis years ago when Priscilla’s mother was prescribed pain pills and bed rest to manage her osteoporosis-related spinal fractures. Treatments are now available to help strengthen bones, and new procedures have been developed to repair spinal fractures.

When Priscilla experienced her spinal fracture, her primary care physician referred her to orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Edward Pratt* of the Memphis Spine Center, who treated her spinal fracture with balloon kyphoplasty.

Balloon kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that can reduce back pain and correct the deformity caused by a spinal fracture. Small balloons are inserted and inflated in the fractured area of the spine to restore it back to its normal shape. After the balloons are deflated and removed, the cavity that has been created is filled with special bone cement, creating an internal cast.

“Osteoporosis has kept Mama from being as mobile as I knew her years ago,” Priscilla said. “Her movements are restricted. She cannot bend nor do many activities around the house. Her walking is limited.”

When Priscilla experienced her second spinal fracture in 2007 and her activities became restricted due to the back pain, she decided to take action to avoid her mother’s fate. She again had her fracture repaired with balloon kyphoplasty and now exercises regularly and takes prescription drugs and calcium supplements to prevent more bone loss.

“Today I do everything,” she said. “We have a two-story home, and I am always going up and down the steps, and I couldn’t do that before the (balloon kyphoplasty) procedures because of my back pain. I am also gardening again.

I walk two miles a day and work out on weight machines. I am a very active person. I don’t sit.”

The National Osteoporosis Foundation estimates that one in two women and one in four men over age 50 will experience an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime. Dr. Pratt believes that efforts like National Osteoporosis Prevention and Awareness Month are helping to raise much needed awareness of the risks and treatments for osteoporosis and related fractures. “The world is beginning to gradually wake up and see that osteoporosis is a problem and that the best way to treat it is to stay ahead of it,” says Dr. Pratt. To learn more about osteoporosis, visit the National Osteoporosis Foundation at www. nof.org. For more information about spinal fractures, take the risk assessment, go to www.spinalfracture.com. *Paid consultant of Medtronic Although the complication rate with KYPHON® Balloon Kyphoplasty has been demonstrated to be low, as with most surgical procedures, there are risks associated with the procedure, including serious complications. This procedure is not for everyone. A prescription is required. Please consult your physician for a full discussion of risks and whether this procedure is right for you.

For more information please call Medtronic at 1-888-645-4444 and/or visit www.kyphon.com.

If you’re over 50 or have osteoporosis, it’s important that you don’t ignore your back pain. It may signal a spinal fracture. See your doctor right away if you think you may have one.

TAKE CHARGE Don’t turn your back on back pain.

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KYPHON® Balloon Kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive treatment for spinal fractures that can correct vertebral body deformity, reduce pain and improve patient quality of life.

before

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For more information on balloon kyphoplasty or to find a local physician performing the procedure, call 800-652-2221 or visit www.kyphon.com Although the complication rate with KYPHON® Balloon Kyphoplasty has been demonstrated to be low, as with most surgical procedures, there are risks associated with the procedure, including serious complications. This procedure is not for everyone. A prescription is required. Please consult your physician for a full discussion of risks and whether this procedure is right for you. © 2008 Medtronic Spine LLC. All Rights Reserved.

MEDTRONIC Spinal and Biologics Business 1221 Crossman Avenue Sunnyvale, CA 94089 USA Tel: (408) 548-6500 16003152_002 [01]

Priscilla is exceedingly close to her mother. They spend afternoons on their parlor couch, reminiscing about their years together or sitting quietly as Priscilla reads and her mother knits. However, she knows that she does not want to suffer the same fate as her mother. metrochristianliving.com ❘ JANUARY 2011 3

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January 2011

12/22/10

7:58 AM

Page 6

contents JANUARY 2011 columns 10 The Way I See It Pursuit of the good life

12 HomeWorks Christmas isn’t over

13 Single Still, Single Again If the shoe fits…or not

15 Modern Motherhood God in the details

17 Let’s Get Real Hot topic: bullying

20 Legal Advice Start today

features

26

21 Let’s Talk it Over Will 2011 be different?

Special Feature

32 In Black and White

Growing with God

28

Mission Mississippi’s Governor’s Prayer Luncheon

Judy Bryant A Soul Restored

departments 14 This is My Story

18

Cross-healed hearts

16 Our Daily Bread How do you keep the faith?

18 Education Connection You gotta move

22 Healthy Living

13

Winning big

24 Fresh Finds Fit from the inside out

25 Living My Call

33

Painting happy bellies

26

33 Food For Thought A winter mix

34 Welcome Home Healthy home

36 Rave Reviews Books, Movies, Music

in every issue What’s Coming Next Month?

➺

Chris & Sue Cherney Adopted Love

8 37 38 38

Editor’s Letter Event Calendar Quips & Quotes Ad Directory

®

Volume 5, Number 8 Publisher: MHS Publications, Inc., Member, M.I.P.A. Editor: Marilyn Tinnin marilyn@metrochristianliving.com Associate Editor: Christi B. Steckel christi@metrochristianliving.com Administrative Assistant: Carol Rodgers carol@metrochristianliving.com Sales & Editorial Assistant Ashley Cirilli Art Direction/Graphic Design Sandra K. Goff Sales Marilyn Tinnin, Christi B. Steckel, Ashley Cirilli Contributing Writers: Megan Bell, Lydia Bolen, Susan Deaver, Dan Hall, Cathy Haynie, Baxter Hogue, William Howell, Robin O’Bryant, Susan E. Richardson, Betsy Smith, Don Waller, Julie Whitehead, Martin E. Willoughby, Jr. Cover Photography Christi B. Steckel Distribution Assistants: Laura Blackledge, Kim Roberts, Carol Rodgers, Rachel Schulte, Jerri Strickland, Priscilla Sullivan, Bob Whatley

Metro Christian Living is committed to encouraging individuals in their daily lives by presenting the faith stories of others and by 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 Metro Christian Living do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. Every effort has been made by the Metro Christian Living staff to insure accuracy of the publication contents. However, we do not guarantee the accuracy of all information nor the absence of errors and omissions; hence, no responsibility can be or is assumed. All Rights Reserved.

Copyright 2008 by Metro Christian Living, Inc. Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of International Bible Society.

Metro Christian Living is published monthly and is available at high traffic locations throughout the metropolitan area. Copies are also available by subscription, $29 for one year.

Single issues available for $3 an issue.

POSTMASTER: Send change of address to Metro Christian Living, 573 Highway 51 North, Suite C, Ridgeland, MS 39157, phone number 601-790-9076.

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➺editor’s letter A Simple Strategy for the Future

I

Peace have ❝ Great those who love your law. Nothing can make them stumble.

❞

– Psalm 119:165

8 JANUARY 2011 ❘ Metro Christian Living

am not making any New Year’s resolutions this year. I can’t handle the

guilt that hovers over me, and also, my life seems to have taken so many detours recently past that I have come to realize as never before how few things I can control.

Life, for most of us, is replete with detours— everything from the stomach virus to the canceled flight one hour before departure, to the phone call delivering devastating news. None of us ever know what is just around the corner.

Actually, I have always believed the not knowing to be one of God’s kindest gifts to us. If we knew what was coming next in our life story, most of us would be paralyzed at living in the now for dread of the impending peril marked with a big red “X” on our calendars.

Ironically, our faith often deepens during those detours. Just wait until you read our cover story on Judy Bryant, and you’ll see what I mean.

This dear lady has been on more detours than anyone I have ever met. You’ll ask as I did, “How can you be so together when you have suffered so much?” Judy would be the first to say her journey has been longer and harder than most. However, she would add that despite her challenges, she has found God to be faithful, present and more than able to supply her needs. The very things that should have destroyed her have become the foundation of her strength in God’s amazing grace. She has found that through her own grief, God lead her to become a great encourager to others. There is a scripture, Genesis 50:20, that rings true here; “what was meant for evil, God turned to good.” It’s the old Romans 8:28 theme.

There is nothing, No-thing that God can’t transform for good.

I have heard it said often that “You’ll never know if Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.” As beautiful as the promises of scripture are, His promises to never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31, Hebrews 13) take on new meaning when we experience personally how very true they are.

I have a friend who is a single mother. She has not been able to find work in several months. She told me recently that when she starts to fear the

future, she grabs her Bible and reads those words that remind her He is there and that He has a plan. Nothing has shaken her faith in the One she trusts. Her experience affirms her faith.

I also have a friend who is incredibly depressed at the moment and has emphatically told me she does not want to hear platitudes and advice on trusting more and seeking God more fervently. How helpless do we sometimes feel when we’re sure we have the answers and yet we don’t because we know the heart we want to reach is so very hard? Sometimes less is more…fewer words and more just being there.

What does it really mean to meet someone where they are the way Jesus did?

I am not sure. But this I know, and it has become my one and only plan for the New Year: I want to care about the things Jesus cared about—I pursue Him, the other issues of life will fall into place. Sounds simple but then the world is very loud and as simple as it sounds, I am sure it is not simple at all.

Dr. Al Chestnut, biology chair at Belhaven University, taught our Sunday school class the last quarter. We were studying passages in Exodus when God called Moses, and Moses had a long list of questions and excuses as to why he did not want this particular assignment. As much as he cared about his friends, he’d just as soon not be called to do something as hard as lead them out of bondage. God, of course, had the words to speak to his every excuse. God’s reference to himself as the “I am” appears in the New Testament. The “I am” through Jesus our Savior (Emanuel) became the “I with you am.” The “I am” surrounding the “with you.” That is it. To really get it is to grasp the miracle that is knowing Him. How just like God to give us words, to wrap them in a picture and to invite us to really get what life is about. It’s about Him and the strangest thing is that when we finally realize that fact we begin to cherish every day as a new and wonderful opportunity to enjoy His company and introduce everyone we meet to Him (Psalm 139).

Happy New Year! May your every day abound with new opportunity to deepen your relationship with Him! Y

Marilyn H. Tinnin, Publisher and Editor marilyn@metrochristianliving.com

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➺the way i see it

by MARTIN E. WILLOUGHBY, JR.

I

Pursuit of the Good Life

Is there more to life than meets the eye? Are we just physical creatures, or is there something deeper? As Christians we know the answer is yes, but do we really believe this? Is there really a spiritual realm?

I like the slogan “mind, body and spirit” that various organizations use to describe the importance of these aspects of life. Probably the most well-known organization that emphasizes the development of all three of these areas is the YMCA. This organization was founded in 1844, by 12 men in London, England, with the goal of the “improvement of the spiritual condition of the young men engaged in houses of business, by the formation of Bible classes, family and social prayer meetings, mutual improvement societies, or any other spiritual agency.” After the Civil War, the New York YMCA adopted the mission: “The improvement of the spiritual, mental, social, and physical condition of young men,” and in 1891, Luther Gulick created the familiar YMCA triangular log with the phrase mind, body and spirit, which is still in use today.

There are over 29,000 gyms and fitness centers in the United States where you can develop your physique along with any number of “get fit quick” machines or programs you can buy on TV or the Internet. We have a massive educational system in this country to develop the mind including 27,000 high schools and 4,000 colleges and universities. Outside the realm of the church, we as a society don’t put much emphasis or value on the spiritual aspect of our being. Granted there are various new age movements that emphasize spirituality, but I am really talking about the development of our spiritual life in Christ. Ironically, so many of the institutions of “higher” learning like Harvard, where it is taught that we

Outside the realm of the church, we as a society don’t put much emphasis or value on the spiritual aspect of our being.

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are essentially only DNA driven machines, were founded as Christian institutions.

Although we have achieved great medical and technological advances, I believe we have actually reduced our ability to lead fulfilled lives. We need to better define and remember what theologian Dallas Willard calls the good life While our forefathers wanted to give us all the right to pursue “happiness,” this pursuit along with the pursuit of money and fame is ultimately chasing after the wind. What we can attain is a “good life” of peace, joy and contentment. However, this is only found in experiencing the grace and love of God and daily surrendering our lives to Him. My observation is that those who take a “Mary” approach to basking quietly in God’s presence seem to have a greater enjoyment of the “good life” versus those who scurry about as an overly busy “Martha.” In this New Year, perhaps we can spend more time at the feet of the Father.

Anyone who has watched a loved one decline physically and mentally, whether from age or disease, knows how hard it is to see someone robbed of their mind and body. The reality is that we are all on that path.

We can fight it, but it is the inevitable. However, the good news is that our life in Christ is forever. The path of discipleship is one in which we become more Christ-like each day. We don’t want to remain in kindergarten in our faith journey. We all are called to mature in our faith.

In this process, we are on the path to the real “good life.” Maybe this is the year to begin to truly care for our souls. Y Martin E. Willoughby Jr. is an attorney/business consultant with Willoughby Law Group, PLLC, located in Ridgeland. He and his wife Nicki have two children, Ally and Trey, and live in Madison.

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➺homeworks

by CATHY HAYNIE

Christmas Isn’t Over

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here is something special about putting away the Christmas decorations, sweeping up the last of the tree needles and packing it all away. I enjoy the Christmas season and its sparkle and

greenery, but the house just feels a bit cleaner and larger in January. It is a new start and a new beginning. But hold the tinsel, Christmas isn’t over yet.

Christmas is a special time of celebrating the birth of Christ for believers everywhere.

The Christmas story is really a three-part story: part one is the tender manger scene, followed by the cross in part two, and you got it, the empty tomb is the rest of the story.

Whether packing up your decorations leaves you a little sad or a little rejuvenated, the best is yet to come!

The three part story is hope for the believer and offers that fresh start, clean slate and forgiveness. I hope you will reflect on 2010 and look ahead to this New Year full of hope and renewal. I look forward to a year of finding ideas with you to make life a little less chaotic and a little more simple, less inward and more outreach focused and centered on what’s really important. I hope the unfolding Christmas story is very real to you in 2011.

Here’s a quick recipe to start off your New Year!

Pat’s Best Homemade Bread 2 Cups self-rising flour 2 Tablespoons sugar 1 Egg

1 Cup milk 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Sift flour and sugar. Combine remaining ingredients and stir into flour mixture just until moistened. Pour into metal loaf pan, treated with cooking spray. Bake 20-25 minutes at 425 degrees.

Cathy Haynie and her husband Jack have three children and live in Madison.

Cathy is the Headmaster of Christ Covenant School in Ridgeland. She occasionally speaks to groups on Honoring God in the Home, Managing the Busy Life, and Balancing Work and Home. Contact her at chaynie@christcovenantschool.net.

single still, single again

by BETSY SMITH

If the Shoe Fits…or Not

What to do when you find your shoes on the wrong feet

I

I have the luxury of wearing scrubs pretty much every day during the work week. Many of my friends say, “I wish

I could wear scrubs or pajamas to work.” Yeah, it isn’t such a bad thing until Friday comes and you go to put on a pair of jeans on and realize, A) Either someone washed and dried them without you knowing or B) The five days you ate lunch at Chick-fil-A wasn’t such a good idea. The drawstring pants are everyone’s friend and they never let you know if you need to push back from the table.

There was a day last week that I was not going to be in the operating room so I decided to spice up the ol’ scrubs a bit. I just landed a pair of sweater looking Uggs and haven’t been able to wear them so I went out on limb and paired them up with my scrubs. They were a different feeling, but I was pretty sure that’s because I’ve worn the same Mee Maw Danskos everyday for the last three years. During my first appointment my patient went on and on about how cute they were.

All day I had compliments and several of my nurses said, “I’m going to wear my Uggs tomorrow too. You’ve made a new fashion statement.”

Hey, I’m just trying to add some color in our world. Eight office stops and six patients later, as I was walking out to my car I thought to myself “These shoes are pretty cute. My only complaint is that they make my feet point

outwards and this long walk to my car is not very comfortable.” Long story short it dawned on me, my shoes were on the wrong feet! When I got to my car I switched shoes and waaahhlaaaahh my feet pointed straight!

On my drive back to Birmingham I laughed wondering how on earth I managed to put my shoes on the wrong feet and go all day without noticing. Well, my feet hurt a little, but I was so carried away with my cute shoes, I ignored that part. I must have looked pretty silly enjoying all those compliments with my feet so mismatched.

I then thought about how that relates to life.

I mean, I still got through the day. I got everything accomplished (my nurses and doctors probably think I lightened my hair one shade of blonde too much this last time if they noticed my feet pointing outwards.), but my point is some of us are going through life with our shoes on the wrong feet—functioning and getting through the day, but that’s all. You aren’t going to reach your full potential and you are probably going to have blisters and sore feet by the time it’s all over. I’ve been there many times and making excuses as I went such as, “Well, this probably isn’t right, but who cares.” or “This relationship probably isn’t right, but I’m not getting younger so I’ll just settle or change the person later.”

I’ve discovered that if I go through life with my shoes on the wrong feet I get in trouble. It

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doesn’t take much to get off the right path either and sometimes you feel almost comfortable for awhile, but then something or someone (the God who pursues) eventually wakes you up. So if you feel like your shoes have been on the wrong feet, stop and get it right. The Lord says in Proverbs 3; 6 that if we acknowledge him, he will instruct us and make sure we are on the right road and headed towards all that He desires for us. Ultimately, isn’t that what we all want? Y Betsy Smith lives in Birmingham, Alabama and is employed by Boston Scientific-Neuromodulation as a medical device representative.

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➺this is my story

by MEGAN BELL

Cross-Healed Hearts In the season of celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, we rejoice at the newness of life. This month, MCL reader, Megan Bell shares the story of complete surrender and answered prayers through the birth of her baby girl Avery.

I can remember the moment I found out I was pregnant so clearly. Even more vividly, I remember the day we found out the news.

My only real fear going into the room was that the baby wouldn’t be positioned correctly, and they wouldn’t be able to determine the sex.

Looking back on the moments as I watched her, while lying on the table, I can see now that something wasn’t right, and we just didn’t notice at the time.

I was in awe of my precious little one moving around in my belly on the screen as she sucked her thumb. When the doctor came in unexpectedly, I still didn’t let myself think anything could be wrong, until she sat down to

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tell us she had some concerns. I suddenly felt like the earth had moved from under my feet, and I was falling into a bottomless pit. Cystic Hygroma? May not survive? Specialist? I had just seen her moving around fancy free!

On the way to my appointment with the specialist the next day, I heard By Your Side by Tenth Avenue North on the radio. I knew it was no accident that I heard that particular song in that moment. God was telling me He loved me, and that I had to give this to Him. Knowing that the growth was a large one, and that there was little to hold on to, I still hoped things would be ok. I held on to that hope, and used the time to draw closer to God. The waiting was the worst part. From one appointment to the next, all I could do is wonder if we’d hear a heartbeat.

At the next appointment, I was relieved to hear her heart beating normally. The news from the amniocentesis, however, was disheartening.

We were told that our little girl had Turner’s Syndrome and that with the size of the hygroma along with the other defects, she would most likely develop Infant Hydrops and die by the time I was 24 weeks. Was God giving me this information so that I might begin coping with her death, or was He telling me to expect the impossible and have more faith in Him? I was unsure of His plans.

To our surprise at our next appointment, the Hygroma had gotten significantly smaller. I could tell the doctor and technician were surprised. I immediately thanked God for what he was doing with my little girl. We began to have the mindset that Avery, as we decided to name her, would arrive in June. As I waited, I began to think back about things such as prayers I’d prayed and things I’d asked for. I remembered that on several occasions, I’d asked God to draw me closer to Him, and for Him to show me how to listen to Him. I thought, “Maybe this is it, maybe He is drawing me closer to Him through this child.” I began to depend on Him because I was so hopeless depending on myself. I began to see what it really feels like to let Him have all my worries.

He took my yoke and gave me rest.

Avery Elizabeth Bell was born on June 9, 2009. One percent, yes, one percent of babies with her condition are likely to survive! She was immediately screened after birth, and before I even held her, I was told she would be transported to University Medical Center’s NICU to await heart surgery. Since that time, Avery has undergone two heart catheterizations at Blair E. Batson and another open heart surgery in New York City. God has been very active in healing her. She has hit all of her developmental milestones, and recently began to walk. She will have surgeries and procedures throughout her life, as well as monitoring by many physicians, but we are confident that she was created to accomplish great things. I could go on for days accounting all that God has done for us through this experience. Our hearts have been healed by the cross— what could be better than that? Y Megan Bell is a fifth grade teacher at Pearl Upper Elementary and a Vicksburg native. Her husband, Jake Bell, is the Assistant Baseball Coach at Mississippi College in Clinton and a Pearl native.

modern motherhood

by ROBIN O’BRYANT Illustration by MARY MARGARET MINK

God in the Details “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” Psalm 55:22 (NIV)

M

Most of our lives are made up of mundane moments: grocery shopping, sleeping, cooking and working. Sure there are a handful of events that are milestones, events so meaningful they shape the course of the rest of your life: marriage, divorce, the birth of children, losing a loved one. These events make us pause, take stock of our lives. They either break our spirits or they light a fire underneath us pushing us forward in pursuit of our passions, helping us to embrace life and the ones we love.

During a tumultuous 2010 of moving from South Carolina to Mississippi with three small children, five hospitalizations for my family and medical bills a mile high; life dropped one of those life changing events in my lap. Unfortunately, there was no blushing bride or bouncing baby involved. One of my dearest and oldest friends lost her mother to ovarian cancer. This news was so shocking and upsetting, my world temporarily stopped spinning and everything began moving in slow motion. I felt like I was sixteen-years-old again, learning for the first time how cruel this world can be.

I wish that life was fair, that people didn’t hurt or get sick and that death wasn’t an inevitable part of life. As I look back on 2010, my greatest regret is the time I spent worrying about money, my health, my children and my friend, worrying that somehow God might forget about us with everything else He has to deal with.

What I realize with the razor sharp vision that only hindsight affords, is that nothing happened the entire year that was a surprise to God. This life is a vapor. You blink your eyes and twenty years have passed while you were sleeping, driving, cooking, working...living. I’m fortunate to have few regrets in my own life. But the more I thought about the temporary nature of life, the more determined I have become to enjoy and embrace the monotony of my life.

I want to run in the sprinkler with my kids and listen to them laugh until they are squealing with delight. I want to rock my baby to sleep regardless of what the sleep experts say and kiss my children every day until my lips are chapped. I want to make pancakes for my family on Saturday mornings, and spend days, weeks and years in my pajamas playing with them on the floor.

I want to savor crawling into the bed with my husband every night and

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listening to his breathing becoming slow and even as he falls asleep with the lamp still on while I read. I want to sit in my backyard slapping at mosquitoes and holding his hand for the next fifty years.

I want to grab a hold of life with both hands and not let go until I’ve squeezed the very last drop It’s the only thing I can think to do to honor the people I’ve loved and lost, the people who have helped me to become who I am today, and the people who I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.

This year my resolution is simple. I want to live my life and let God worry about the details. Y Robin O’Bryant is a wife, stay-at-home-mother to three daughters, author, humor columnist and speaker. She thanks God for the days she is successfully able to multitask. Read her blog at www.robinschicks.com or contact her via email at robinschicks@gmail.com.

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➺our daily bread

by SUSAN DEAVER

How Do You Keep B E YOND Y OUR B EST.

the Faith?

“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

– Romans 12:10

T

his column is for sharing our faith with other readers. Sharing with and serving others changes us and reminds us that our time on earth is about much more than our own needs.

To share your story or favorite scripture, please e-mail us at info@metrochristianliving.com.

Isabel Cordua Isabel and Mel Cordua have been married for 35 year and live in Madison. They have one daughter Ashley, who is married to Matt Stafford and lives in Atlanta. The Corduas have been members of Christ United Methodist Church for almost 33 years.

“God is My Co-Pilot”—Many years ago, this was a frequently seen bumper sticker and a widely used phrase. It is easy to fall victim to this mantra, feeling most comfortable with the idea that God wants and needs us to be the pilot of our lives, navigating our own course. As copilot, his role is to take control, if things go off course.

Ridiculous thought isn’t it? However, this has been an ongoing struggle for me. For me, it has been important to approach life with “Plan A,” and contingents “Plan B” and “Plan C.” Wasted hours have been spent developing these well-designed plans that were never implemented or failed because they were not God’s plan for me.

As my relationship with God has matured, I have learned to surrender. Faith is trusting in the Lord in all things. It is relinquishing our control and submitting to God’s plan for our lives. Life takes on new meaning when we are able to do this.

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Patty and Danny Mitchell of Brandon have been married 39 years and have three grown children, two daughters and a son, who live in other states. They are members of Christ United Methodist Church in Jackson.

Patty My daddy used to say, “This, too, shall pass.”

When something is really worrying me, I think about these words and then turn to God to take my burdens. Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Then I write my concerns for other people in my prayer journal and let God handle it. My Holy Bible app on my iPhone is the other tool I use to get me through the day, and it reassures me that my Bible is always with me.

Danny Strangely, I too have always been an advocate of “This, too, shall pass.” When you are a Christian, you tend to have faith that God will pull you close to him through turmoil and

challenges. I was taught to pray every night before I went to bed. Now, I tend to pray several times a day, sometimes conversation-style with my eyes wide open. This usually happens between more formal prayer/worship/praise in the morning and evening. I don’t use a Bluetooth, so if you see me talking while driving, yep, it’s a conversation with the Almighty. Y Susan Deaver is a freelance writer. She and her husband Mac live in Madison and are members of Christ United Methodist Church in Jackson. Contact Susan at sldeaver@comcast.net

let’s get real

by BAXTER HOGUE

Hot Topic:

BULLYING

It means nothing to most people until it directly affects them or someone they love. It is generally shrugged off as “no big deal.” Unfortunately, it has the potential to be a very big deal and its consequences are volatile.

Bullying as a behavior has always existed in one form or another. It is generally the strong giving the not-so-strong a hard time and inflicting emotional or physical harm on a repeated basis.

Of course what the word strong means changes from situation to situation. Where ever there is an imbalance of power be that social, economic or physical, there is potential for bullying. I would suggest all human beings at one time or another have been subjected to some form of bullying and probably inflicted it as well. Bullying can be obvious or harder to detect. Most bullying occurs during childhood and typically peaks during the early teenage years and declines as we work our way through high school and college.

And hopefully it ceases to exist during the adults years, but unfortunately that is not always the case.

In recent years we have developed a new form of bullying: cyber-bullying. The days of having to look someone in the eyes before inflicting harm are far behind us. Technology has provided our young people with means to harm one another at a distance. Cyber-bullying is that which “involves the use of information and communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior by an individual or group, that is intended to harm

others.” There have been numerous studies conducted to measure the prevalence and the numbers range from 40 - 60 percent of all preteen and teenage children have experienced some form of cyber-bullying. This includes things such as posting things on Facebook and Myspace that are harmful to sending text messages, e-mails and tweets. The harm caused by cyber-bullying is hard to measure, but studies

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W

hen I began to write this article on bullying, I have to admit I approached the topic with caution. Bullying is an overlooked and underestimated ongoing evil in our society.

The days of having to look someone in the eyes before inflicting harm are far behind us.

show the effects include: lower self-esteem, increased suicidal ideation and a variety of emotional responses, cyber-bullying back, being scared, frustrated, angry and depressed. There have recently been two teen suicides in the national news that are being tied to cyberbullying.

You may be thinking, “Oh well, my children are in church and hang out with good kids,I don’t need to worry about this.” My answer to that

sentiment is an emphatic “wrong.” Unfortunately kids of all stripes are involved in this behavior.

And the whole “my children know better” cliché is at times simply wishful thinking.

It is imperative for us as parents to set appropriate boundaries regarding technology.

First, it is our responsibility as parents to educate our children regarding what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior regarding texting, tweeting, e-mailing and social networking. The same rules that apply for face-to-face contact apply to distance communication. It is important that we model appropriate behavior through our use of technology as well. I see more and more parents using texts to communicate with their children, especially teens. I warn against emotionally texting and fighting it out over the phone. I encourage parents to say what they need to say and to use text for informational purposes not emotional conversations. I also warn against spending excessive amounts of time on social networking sites.

I think many teens would spend every waking hour on a social site and/or texting. I believe there should be preset limitations. Electronic communication does not replace face-to-face communication and if it does, there is a tendency to distort reality. So it is important to set time limitations and to model appropriate time usage by setting limitations for ourselves as well.

What if you suspect your child is a victim of cyber-bullying or perhaps the perpetrator of cyber-bullying? Either way do not shy away or ignore it. Do not underestimate the effect it may be having. Bring it out into the open and confront the behavior. It may be an indication of a more serious problem that needs to be addressed. It may not, but either way it is an opportunity for you as a parent to model conflict resolution and to discuss the greatest of all commandments, “Love one another.” I encourage all parents to be aware of their children’s technology behavior.

The younger they are the more aware you need to be. Watch for obsessive behavior regarding social network sites and texting. Take the time to talk to them about it and if you detect something serious consult a professional, minister, etc.

There are numerous resources available on the Internet, and I encourage youto stay informed.

Take a few minutes to do a little research of your own. Y Baxter Hogue and his wife, Courtney, have two children and live in Clinton. Baxter is the Clinical Director of Imagine Behavioral Health, an outpatient counseling facility for adolescents, young adults and adults located on Lakeland in The Quarter. Contact him at baxterh@imagineiop.com metrochristianliving.com ❘ JANUARY 2011 17

➺education connection

by MARILYN TINNIN photos by CHRISTI B. STECKEL

ACTION BASED

P

LEARNING

Psalm 139:14 says, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” As technology makes it possible for scientists to continually discover new information pertaining to the intricate design of the human body, the more those ancient words should ring in our ears and hearts. The relationship among the many complex body systems mirrors another principle: unity and connectedness in the body of believers. There is inter-dependence among parts of the physical body, too; we are body, mind, and spirit.

This fascinating truth was brought home to me a few weeks ago when Dr. Nancy Boyll invited me to attend a seminar at New Summit School.

Sponsored by the Department of Education’s office of Healthy Schools and Mississippi Community Education Center in Jackson, classroom teachers came to hear Jean Blaydes Madigan, the founder of Action Based Learning. She is a renowned educational consultant, speaker, author and

18 JANUARY 2011 ❘ Metro Christian Living

veteran physical education classroom teacher who calls herself a “brain junkie.” She began studying neuroscience in 1996. “The brain is only as healthy as the body that supports it,” she says.

She is passionate about keeping the brain healthy at every age and stage of life. Exercise builds brain cells. Movement promotes brain cognition.

Scientific research shows that there is a direct correlation between students’ physical fitness, school attendance, better test scores and behavior.

Madigan’s energetic presentation had every one of us in the room on our feet performing simple exercises such as clapping, raising our arms, alternating standing and sitting rapidly and even singing songs at the same time. She calls such activities “brain breaks,” but based on an understanding of how the brain learns, the activities are quite purpose driven.

obesity, there is a definite academic bonus to introducing such a program into the classroom.

Christ Covenant School in Ridgeland has incorporated the Action Based Learning concept with their kindergarteners and first-graders this year. Parke Fowler, teacher at Christ Covenant, leads the trial program and is pleased with the progress she has seen.

Fowler explained that there was concern among several faculty members because many children lacked the level of physical coordination required for age appropriate tasks. In today’s culture children don’t jump rope, play on the merry-go-round at recess or climb monkey bars like they did 40 years ago. All of those recess activities actually helped develop eye-hand coordination, brain-eye synchronization and many other skills that translated to greater success in academics.

Incorporating this program into the students’ day is a win for everyone. Find more information at www.abllab.com and www.healthyschoolsms.org/ohs. Y

The human brain’s learning style is different at various periods of life. For example, according to Madigan, children learn best standing rather than sitting. They are also, for the most part, kinesthetic learners. Facts stick better when there is movement attached to the learning process.

Such a concept makes sense when you consider that blood flow to the brain is increased when the body is standing. For every two minutes of exercise, a student’s attention span is renewed for up to twenty minutes. Sadly, much of our classroom practices in the recent past take none of this into account. But things are changing.

The Misssissippi Office of Healthy Schools and the Mississippi Community Education Center make a free interactive fitness DVD complete with teacher guide available to any school. You’ve Gotta Move is an activity-based tool filled with dance, simple motions, and catchy tunes that will have you singing along. Everything can be accomplished within the classroom.

Though much of You’ve Gotta Move came about to help combat childhood

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➺legal advice

by WILLIAM B. HOWELL

Start Today

O

Don’t wait to start your estate planning

Only a few people actually plan for what will happen when they or their spouse (or both) actually pass away. An even smaller number will do any planning for what would happen if they or their spouse became incapacitated.

The wise person expends some effort to get the documents that will make it easy for the family to operate, particularly for the spouse to continue to live and conduct business and be secure, even if the other spouse should become incapacitated.

Sadly, some people have been said that this is selfish planning. Actually, it is just the opposite. To make it so that your spouse (or children) can pay bills, borrow money, enter into contracts on your behalf or whatever may be needed in the future will make their lives simpler and make taking care of you easier. We know they are going to take care of you; the question is will it be done the easy way or the hard way. That is entirely up to you.

At least three items are needed at a minimum to provide for lifetime care for a loved one. First

would be an Advance Health-Care Directive, giving the authority to make decisions on what kind of medical decisions one desires to be made, particularly end-of-life decisions and whether you do or do not want to have your life artificially prolonged. That was the situation with Mrs. Shiavo in Florida a few years ago. She had no such document.

The Health-Care Directive mentioned above does very little good if the person who has the authority to make health care decisions for you does not have the authority to access medical information. The HIPAA regulations have sealed your medical information and guaranteed your privacy to such an extent that even your loved ones may not be able to get information regarding your condition so that they could make good decisions for you unless you put in place a HIPAA Authorization as part of your minimal documentation. This is a complex document using law that is yet untested, and you will need an attorney.

Next is a good Durable Power of Attorney.

Also, many of the Powers of Attorney that we look at have one person named to have the authority, with no backup person named. What if something happens to that person you named as the Power of Attorney holder? Something could happen to them just like something could happen to you.

Of course you have read in this column before that some Powers of Attorney for a business are not honored. That is true. Some people elect to bypass this untoward result by having a Living Trust so that their successor trustee has the authority to conduct business on their behalf without having to rely upon the General Durable Power of Attorney. That is what many caring people elect to do, and it also avoids probate at the same time. The choice is yours. The options are there for you. The family you are caring for is yours. Do it sooner, rather than later. Y William B. Howell is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and practices law in Ridgeland.

You have worked hard for it.

WHY THROW IT AWAY? We are all living longer. But we are not all going to be in good health, or aware of our families, or both. Then what happens? Someone has to take over. The question is: Will this be someone you chose? And will it be outside of court or in court? The same with the distribution of your assets after you pass away: In court or out of court? The choice is yours. What about protecting your assets from lawsuits, or a child’s inheritance from a divorce? And will most of your hard-earned savings go to the nursing home? Or have you planned? Here are a few ideas for you to consider:

Living Trust – Allows the person you choose to take over for you in the event of your incapacity, without any court involvement. At your death the person you have chosen makes the distribution of your assets the way you have instructed in your Living Trust, and to do so promptly, inexpensively and privately, without going through probate in the court.

Asset Protection – Lawsuits are filed every day. If you get sued, are your assets protected? They can be, and probably should be.

Also, the divorce rate has never been higher than it is today. Will your child’s divorce cause them to lose half of what you leave them after you are gone? Not if you plan now. The level of protection (or not) is up to you.

Nursing Home Planning – Don’t qualify for long term care insurance, or can’t fit it in your budget? You don’t have to spend everything that you have in order to become eligible for nursing home benefits. There are legal and ethical ways for you to save well over half of your assets in most cases, even if you are already in the nursing home.

Hear Mr. Howell on the radio

Tuesdays 8:35 am WJNT NewsTalk 1180 20 JANUARY 2011 ❘ Metro Christian Living

THE LAW FIRM OF

WILLIAM B. HOWELL, LTD. 406 Orchard Park • Ridgeland, Mississippi (601) 978-1700 or (800) 839-7857

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let’s talk it over

by DON WALLER

Will 2011 Be Different?

Starting the New Year right—spirit, mind and body

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May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5: 23-24 As I begin a new year, I ask myself, how will this year be different?

How can God sanctify me through and through?

First, let’s unpack “sanctify,” which means to be “set apart” or “different”—different from the world and its ways. Consider your computer, you download software to protect it from viruses that can cause your computer to slow down or even crash. It would not be wise to access the Internet unprotected, and in the same way, I need protection from the influence of the world. Sans, I need to filter information from entering my mind.

Using the words in this verse “spirit, mind and body” brings a sense of totality. Our body was given to us with the gifts of sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing. Our soul represents our mind, will and emotions.

This is the means we use to think, feel and behave. Our spirit is how we receive communication from God. Information enters through the mind

2011 Mid-South Men’s Rally First Presbyterian Church, Jackson 1390 North State Street 601.353.8316 Friday, January 28, 2011

into the soul and will manifest in our behavior. Because of this, I need to be very vigilant about what I allow to enter my mind. To use an old computer phrase, “garbage in, garbage out” or “worldly influences in worldly behavior out.”

So how can I be different? It will be through reading God’s word, praying and asking God for His direction, purpose and power (see Romans 12: 2). Think of downloading the Holy Spirit each day to protect and empower us to live set-apart lives. The question is, whether or not I submit to the control of the Holy Spirit in my life because there is a wonderful promise if I do.

The one who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.

Let us commit to living “set apart” lives in 2011, so to be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Y Don Waller lives in Jackson and is married with three children. He is a marriage & family therapist at Summit Counseling.

Credentials: MS, NCC, LPC

Shaping visions of places worth calling HOME.

Dr. Russell D. Moore Senior Vice President for Academic Administration Dean of the School of Theology Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Louisville, Kentucky Russell D. Moore is the grandson of a Mississippi Baptist preacher. Dr. Moore is also a preaching pastor at Highview Baptist Church in Louisville, where he ministers weekly.

Dr. Moore writes and speaks frequently on topics ranging from the Kingdom of God, to the mission of adoption, to a theology of country music. He is a senior editor of Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity and also blogs regularly at Moore to the Point, russellmoore. com. Dr. Moore’s latest book is Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches, and he is working on the forthcoming, Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ. Prior to entering the ministry, he was an aide to U.S. Congressman Gene Taylor. He and his wife, Maria, have four sons: Benjamin, Timothy, Samuel, and Jonah.

5:15 – 6:30 pm 6:30 – 7:30 pm 7:30 – 8:00 pm 8:00 – 9:00 pm

Schedule

Dinner served in Miller Hall, bookstore open Session I Break, refreshments in Miller Hall, bookstore open Session II

No advance registration is necessary, and there is no charge for the rally or the dinner.

A freewill offering will be taken during the service.

VICTOR SMITH, JR. Post Office Box 3875 Jackson, MS 39207

601.941.7470

W W W. A N T H E M I O N C O N S T R U C T I O N . C O M metrochristianliving.com ❘ JANUARY 2011 21

➺healthy living

by CHRISTI B. STECKEL AND ASHLEY CIRILLI

Winning BIG Mississippi native Patrick House wins “The Biggest Loser” God makes all things new and for Mississippian Patrick House that means from the inside out. Once an unemployed father living in Vicksburg with his wife and two young boys, Patrick knew he had to make a change. He entered NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” competition weighing 400 pounds. After months of tumultuous life-changing workouts, Patrick won the competition, losing 181 pounds (45 percent of his body weight) and winning $250,000. But as the Biggest Loser, Patrick has gained even more than the title and the money with a new job and new outlook on life. MCL caught up with Patrick to learn more about his weight-loss journey.

PATRICK’S STATS Age: 28 Height: 6’2 Weight: 219 Hometown: Brandon, MS Church: Yokena Presbyterian Church Family: Wife Bradley, Colton, 4, and Caden, 2 College: Delta State University, played football, offensive line

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MCL: Why did you decide to go on “The Biggest Loser”?

PH: I wanted to get my life back. At 400 pounds, I wasn’t going to be able to have as active a role in my boys’ childhood as I would like.

Doing the show has given me that opportunity to have more time with them. I want to be the dad who coaches their little league teams, not the dad who was too fat to get involved.

MCL: How has your faith been a factor throughout the competition?

PH: It’s been a huge factor. I often called on God to help get me through certain parts of the show. I called on God to give me strength to make it through and to keep fighting. I know I couldn’t have done this without Him.

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MCL: How did “The Biggest Loser” change you or challenge you emotionally and mentally?

PH: “The Biggest Loser” is a huge challenge emotionally and mentally. I had to dig down deep inside of me to try to find what was emotionally driving me to gain the weight. There was a problem there, and I had to find it in order to correct the problem. Mentally I had to prepare myself for what was coming with “The Biggest Loser.” I knew that it was going to be very tough, and it was going to push me to my physical and mental limits. I wanted it so bad though that I persevered and fought through it.

22 JANUARY 2011 ❘ Metro Christian Living

MCL: What is the most important thing you will walk away with from the show?

PH: Just the sense of accomplishment of knowing what I have done. I’ve completely changed my life and the life of my family. I now know that I can accomplish anything that I put my mind to.

MCL: What was it like working with Jillian and Bob? PH: They are amazing people. I have the utmost respect for them and what they do. They are world renowned trainers. Throughout the history of “The Biggest Loser,” they are the two variables that have never changed and the show continues to produce record weight loss.

Obviously they are doing something right, and I’m honored to have been a part of this journey with them.

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MCL: What are some realistic weightloss plans that you’ve been able to bring home with you?

PH: The Biggest Loser Meal Plan— I understand now how important portion control is to weight loss. By having the meal plan delivered to my house, I get fresh food that tastes great and is premeasured out for me, so I know exactly how much calories and fat grams I’m putting into my body. It takes the stress out of measuring portions. All I have to do is just get out the dinner, heat it up in the microwave and enjoy.

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MCL: Being from the state with the highest obesity in the nation, how do you hope your experience will encourage other Mississippians to take a weight-loss challenge?

PH: I hope that I can take this entire experience that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had and pass along all of the information that I learned to the people of Mississippi. I want to take everything that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned and try to help as many people as I can.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been really fortunate to have had this opportunity and to have changed my life.

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MCL: What role do families play in the goal of staying healthy?

PH: Families are very important in the goal of staying healthy. I was very fortunate that when I came home, my wife Bradley had already made all of the changes and adjustments at our house, so my transition home was extremely smooth.

Also, while I was on the ranch, my wife lost over 50 pounds. She went from a size 14 to a size 4. I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be more proud of her. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so much easier to stick to your diet and continue to exercise when you have someone else that is going through it with you. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m very fortunate to have had her love and support throughout this entire process.

Q

MCL: Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re definitely a fan favorite!

What has the local and national support been like for you and your family?

PH: Amazingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; I get tons of e-mails from fans telling me their success stories and also asking me for advice on how to start their weightloss journey. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m so happy to get all these messages and hear from all these people. It helps to keep me motivated to continue to stay on my journey.

MCL: Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next for Patrick House?

PH: My life is about to take a huge turn. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m accepting a position at Mindstream Academy in Bluffton, South Carolina that specializes in helping overweight teens. I really feel like I can be a huge part of their healing process because Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve walked their same paths. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been overweight and won the battle against obesity. I feel extremely fortunate to be able to be in the position to help the kids of America in the fight of childhood obesity. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m proud to say that through The Patrick House Foundation, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m offering a $5,000 scholarship to any child that enrolls in Mindstream Academy in the month of January. Also, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to host a contest for kids to write letters to me at the school explaining why they want and need to go to Mindstream.

We will pick one winner and award that student a full scholarship. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great program, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to change the world one child at a time.

To learn more about Patrick House visit www.biggestloserpatrick.com, and to learn more about the Mindstream Academy visit www.mindstreamacademy.net. Y

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metrochristianliving.com â?&#x2DC; JANUARY 2011 23

➺fresh finds

by CHRISTI B. STECKEL

Get equipped with all you need to get fit from head-to-toe. Find what you need at Stinky Feet in Flowood.

Locally-owned and operated, the friendly staff will help you make this a “FIT-tastic” New Year! Call (601) 992-1439 for more information.

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Fit from the

INSIDE OUT

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K-Swiss Men’s Blade Lite Run $90(bottom shoe), Newton Women’s Momentum $139(middle shoe), K-Swiss Men’s Kona $100 (top shoe)

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Stinky Feet T-Shirt $14.99 and Fuel Belt Helium 4 Bottle Belt $45.95

This year start fresh with a new daily devotional book. Hit the restart button and renew yourself from the inside out. Here are a few suggestions from MCL to get you started.

Ashley’s Picks

Marilyn’s Picks

Christi’s Picks

My Utmost for His Highest New Day, New You

by Oswald Chambers

by Joyce Meyer

Nearer to Jesus

by Sarah Young

Grace on the Go

by Barbara Bartocci

24 JANUARY 2011 ❘ Metro Christian Living

Lord Heal My Hurts

by Kay Arthur

The One Year Love Language Minute

by Gary Chapman

living my call

by MARILYN TINNIN

PAINTING

Happy Bellies

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Karen Smith is an unorthodox painter who has never had a painting lesson. She also doesn’t paint on canvas. She is a nurse by profession, but a passionate defender of the unborn by calling. She paints bellies.

January is traditionally “Sanctity of Life” month, and Choose Life Mississippi has a new and upbeat way to celebrate the miracle of moms and babies. Maybe you would like to help the cause. I guarantee you will smile at the Happy Bellies 2011 calendar, and all proceeds go to Choose Life.

Karen, who came up with this project, was a young 21-year-old college student when she became pregnant. She was frightened and alone with no maternity coverage but determined that she could manage on her own.

She was grateful for the caring volunteer who greeted her at a pregnancy resource center and told her about support that was readily available to help her and her baby. There were classes available, car seats and clothing for herself and the baby. The volunteer listened intently to Karen, asking thoughtful questions. Her non-judgmental way of meeting with Karen

right where she was made a lasting impression on her.

She wanted to do something to give back to an organization that gives hope to young women who are facing so many perplexing questions and feeling very alone.

“I wrote down my Happy Bellies calendar idea two years before I embarked on the adventure. I told myself I just needed an artist. When I realized explaining my idea to a stranger then asking them to paint a pregnant woman’s belly for free seemed a little unrealistic. I decided to give it a try myself,” she says.

She bravely walked up to a co-worker who was nine months pregnant at the time and asked her if she would wear a baseball uniform and allow Karen to paint her belly. She laughed and thought it sounded like fun. Her husband loved the idea. They made the jersey to pay homage to her husband’s alma mater. Karen credits that co-worker, Shannon, with giving her the confidence to pursue the idea.

Calendars can be ordered online at Choose Life Mississippi or by sending $12 to Choose Life MS, 953 Hwy. 51, Suite 2E, Madison, MS 39110 along with your shipping address. Y

metrochristianliving.com ❘ JANUARY 2011 25

Growing with GOD MCL readers share their new outlooks on growing closer to the Lord each day.

Stop Questioning, Start Trusting

By Cheryl Lasseter

My Time with God

By Kathy McDill ’ve always known that I needed a quiet time. I have attended Bible Studies, Christian seminars, read books written by Christian authors who would talk about how much their quiet time with God each day changed their life. I read my Bible and prayed, but I wanted to feel what they were feeling. My quiet time was more like a routine; part of my schedule on my daily to-do list.

This summer I attended a Bible study, and the leader talked about how she spoke with God about everyday decisions and how God was her friend. My relationship with the Lord began to change. He was not only my God, my savior, but He became my very best friend. He became the center of my world. In Matthew 6:33 it says, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you.” I know now that by seeking God first in my life and getting to know Him better through my quiet time, he will give me the strength and guidance to make it through whatever comes my way.

Now, every morning after I drop my son off at school, I can’t wait to get back home for my quiet time with the Lord. The closer I get to home the more excited I get to know that He, my very best friend, is waiting there to spend that special time with me To be able to spend time with someone who cares about every detail of my life is amazing.

Some days my quiet time is five minutes and other days it might be over an hour. The most important thing is to communicate with Him on a daily basis. Spend time alone with Him every day and share your heart with Him. If you seek God, you will receive the reward. I promise you it will satisfy like nothing else can.

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26 JANUARY 2011 ❘ Metro Christian Living

year ago a college football player changed my perspective on a heavy subject. An injury forced then Texas Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy to sit on the sidelines for the majority of the BCS Championship Game against Alabama. McCoy was interviewed after the game about not being able to play, and he said this, “I always give God the glory. I never question why things happen the way they do. God is in control of my life, and I know if nothing else I’m standing on the rock.”

Here we have a 23-year-old star athlete, whom we expect to be selfabsorbed, spewing out regret. Instead, he gives God the glory. Do we do that in our most frustrating moments?

Throughout the day we have expectations regarding others and ourselves. It’s likely that most of those expectations are met. However, some will fall short, and we might end up stewing all day long. In those moments it’s easy to throw a pity party in our cubicles at work, when we greet our spouses and children at home or vent on the Internet Now my eyes and ears are open to nuggets of wisdom that will strengthen my will and my faith and improve my attitude when I’m feeling sorry for myself. Young Colt McCoy reminded me that we should not question why things happen the way they do. God is in control, and He deserves the glory. I’m trying to thank the Lord every day for all He has given me, the good and the bad.

I’m also trying to stop the fruitless search for a reason when the best laid plans go wrong. Psalm 119:50 says, “My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.” God asks us to have faith in Him, to see us through all hardships, large and small. We are but mortal men, and we will never know the meaning of it all until we get to God’s heavenly gates.

So perhaps today we should stop seeking all the answers, and simply thank the Lord for the hardships that through faith and prayer will ultimately make us stronger. Note: I say I’m trying. I’m not there either. But I invite you to try along with me.

A

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Fighting my Missional Philosophy

By Blake Larson

ission trips shouldn’t be about helping people. Now that I have your attention, let me unpack what I mean. Mission trips should be about the glory of God. Obviously, helping people is a good thing, but it’s not enough to go into the darkest, poorest places on Earth with blankets, hammers and water and neglect the greatest need all humanity shares. People need living water, one that is loving and sanctifying. For it to be truly missional, the message of Jesus Christ is needed. Without Jesus, it’s just a Pitt/ Jolie form of social justice: good, but not great.

Currently, God has me living in the middle of suburban America. I’m not on a mission trip. I’m not in Africa or China suffering for the sake of the gospel. My focus is right here in Brandon, Mississippi, and God is using this time in my life to help me redefine my missional philosophy.

My old missional philosophy was this: live life in a way that makes people see the ‘difference’ in you, and then hopefully they will ask

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Try something

NEW

questions about your faith.

Nice and safe. But let’s be honest, how many times does someone ask you about your faith because you don’t curse, or because you smile a lot, or because you have a Christian bumper sticker on your SUV? I’m just now discovering how ineffective that style of living is.

Without sharing the gospel, we’re just another nice person. But when we share the gospel, we’re impacting the kingdom and the glory of God. This is how I’m being stretched and where I need the courage only He can provide.

The quote, “preach the gospel always, and when necessary use words,” is such an easy cop-out to sharing our faith. That quote is the essence of my old missional philosophy. My new missional philosophy (with God’s grace and strength) is: pray for God to send lost and hurting people into your life so that you can tell them about the beauty of Christ.

2011

Advertise with

Metro Christian Living

Why?

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· Only Christian lifestyle magazine in the Metro area · Distributed at over 800 locations in 10 counties across Central Mississippi · Over 55,000 readers · Printed 12 months per year · 21,000 copies in circulation · 98% pick up rate

metrochristianliving.com ❘ JANUARY 2011 27

Judy Bryant

A Soul Restored

by MARILYN TINNIN

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he random murder of her husband and the death of her 29-year-old son were devastating losses. They were also opportunities for God to show Judy Bryant just how far He was willing to go to restore her soul.

Dressed in her professional attire (her gym clothes), she eases around the floor at one of the metro Fitness Lady locations. Judy is at work. She calls the regulars by name, stops to visit and introduces herself to any firsttimers. She’s not a greeter, or a trainer, and she’s not the fitness police. Judy is beginning her fourth year as chaplain at Fitness Lady.

A credentialed and licensed minister, Judy is a natural born caregiver who says she applies the LLAP (Love, Listen, Accept and Pray) concept to her ministry. Her tiny office, filled with favorite books, a comfy chair and soothing praise music, is a welcome retreat for the many women who come in to talk confidentially or ask for prayer. It seems Judy has her life together, and the obvious question is “How in the world after all you’ve been through can have it together?” She has repeatedly experienced the truth of Jeremiah 29:11 that God’s plans are for good and not for evil, for a future and a hope.

Who but God could have taken all the broken pieces and put her back together in a way that blesses so many? Ephesians 3:20 tells us of a God “who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to His power that is at work within us.” And Judy will testify to that fact every day of her life.

Her “First” Life Judy Crawley Bryant grew up in Gulfport. Her family attended a small Baptist church, and Judy says she doesn’t remember a time that her heart wasn’t sensitive to the Holy Spirit. More than once she walked the aisle to commit her life to Christ, wondering if God would call her to the mission field. Instead, she married her college sweetheart and dreamed of becoming a mother.

Judy and Giles Bryant married after their sophomore year. Giles completed his undergraduate degree at University of Southern Mississippi and in the fall of 1969, they headed for Ole Miss where Giles began law school.

As school began, Judy was in need of a full-time job to help support them, and she got one soon—Judy discovered she was pregnant with twins. Actually, the couple had three babies in 17 months.

“Money was tight,” laughs Judy, recalling school loans and making ends meet. But they considered 28 JANUARY 2011 ❘ Metro Christian Living

January 2011

12/22/10

8:06 AM

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I’ve learned that the very things we walk through are the places where He can use us most effectively.

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themselves blessed and “best friends always.”

Giles had been practicing law in Hattiesburg eighteen months when he was appointed as Mississippi’s Assistant Attorney General, an attractive job to the young couple.

Giles would have great benefits and be able to spend more time with his Judy and Giles were married May 22, family. They relocated to Jackson 1966 at the Gulfport First Baptist with their three-year-olds, Trey and Church.

Christy, and two-year-old Troy.

The Bryant’s were much like a typical family in 1980s and 90s. Years passed and Judy took a job with the Metro Jackson Chamber of Commerce. Both working downtown, the couple rode to and from work together daily, sharing devotions or prayer en route.

During this time, their youngest son Troy was just 13 when he was in a serious motorcycle accident. For several days he hovered between life and death and throughout the next 16 years, he faced 57 surgeries—a struggle for the whole family.

The End of Normal It was a beautiful Saturday in May 1994. Giles and Judy rose early and spent the afternoon in the yard. While Judy planted impatiens, Giles was busy manicuring every square inch of the yard. The children were all home that weekend, and Judy remembers feeling conscious of how blessed life was at that moment.

Fast forward a few hours. After dinner, Troy asked his dad to drive him to a late night AA meeting located off North State Street. Judy was ironing

and setting things in order so the family would be ready to attend church together on Sunday.

Troy called an hour and a half later, his voice filled with panic. His dependable dad had not showed up to pick him up when the meeting ended. Judy told Troy to get a ride home and tried to reason away her own panic. About the time Troy walked in the door, the phone rang.

“Mrs. Bryant, please come to University Medical Center immediately.

Your husband has been shot.”

With those words, Judy’s life was altered forever.

“This is a bad dream, and I’m going to wake up,” she thought. It was hard to accept that the husband who had loved life with her a few hours earlier would never enter their home again, would never drive her to work or run Saturday errands, sit beside her in church or comfort their children or just be there ever again.

When the sheriff came to see Judy the next afternoon and told her that four teenagers had been arrested in connection with Giles’ death, she could barely believe what she heard. The four had been on a crime spree that weekend, and their ages were 17, 14, 13 and 13. “They are babies,” she said. From the start she knew that somewhere inside her brokenness, she had to ask God for the grace to forgive and that it would be a process. “For if you forgive men, when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14, 15). Judy knew forgiveness was a command not an option.

In the first days, Judy didn’t think even God could heal her grief. She is quick to say that there was an outpouring of love and support from friends, family and their church family at Colonial Heights Baptist. As much as life seemed to blur, the family knew from the start that they were not walking through a valley alone. Still, the dark days were so dark. metrochristianliving.com ❘ JANUARY 2011 29

Judy’s Support Groups include a weight loss support group that meets at noon on the first Tuesday of each month, a cancer support group that meets at 3 p.m. on the second Sunday of each month and a holiday grief support group throughout the Christmas holidays.

Moving Forward As days turned into months, Judy found that she could not get over her grief. No matter what she knew in her heart, she could not seem to let go of the pain. A Christian, she knew on one level that she was not alone, but she found herself staring into space for hours at a time, unable to concentrate or function. Under a doctor’s care, she was grateful for the instructions that made moving forward something she could measure.

Her doctor told her that in order to recover, she must do three things: eat, sleep and exercise.

Judy joined Fitness Lady in January 1995, and going there daily created some structure even though she might go in the morning and stay all day.

There was something soothing about the staff members, who reached out and embraced Judy.

When a friend invited her to attend a revival at Canton Christian Center, a very small church in Canton, she was willing to go, thinking she might find answers or comfort to hasten her journey to “the new normal.”

She found what she describes as “an intensive care hospital/church.”

While attending the nightly services for 12 weeks, she began to experience God’s healing power.

She counts this time as her turning point in dealing with the grief and realizing that her life could indeed go on. She had no idea what that life was going to be, but she had confidence that God had a plan and things would be okay.

Judy did everything prescribed to move forward. She began to sense

that God was calling her to attend a Bible school, but she was not sure what she would do with the degree. She just knew God was calling her to it and planned to explore the idea as soon as possible.

One difficult obstacle to healing was the trial for her husband’s killer.

The wheels of justice moved slowly. It was impossible to have a sense of closure while the trial still loomed in the future. She was trying to move forward but was held back by this burden that she had no control over.

There was a feeling of release when finally in 1997, the man with the gun was sentenced to life in prison.

In August 1998, Judy enrolled at the Brownsville Revival School of Ministry in Pensacola, Florida.

Loss Again The Bryants were healing, but no one was prepared for the devastating call on Dec. 6, 2001, that Troy had suddenly died of cardiac arrest.

There were days when Judy thought, “This is too much. I can’t go on,” yet she did.

In her heart she knew God was there even when it felt like He wasn’t. As in the past, Judy continually turned to scripture for comfort. Isaiah 57:1 became “her” verse.

“The good men perish; the godly die before their time and no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to realize that God is taking them away from evil days ahead.” Judy’s eventual peace came in realizing that her son was safe in the arms of Jesus.

Judy graduated from the Brownsville Revival School of Ministry in 2003 and was licensed through the Assemblies of God.

What Next Judy completed her studies at Brownsville and graduated with an Associate Arts in Practical Ministry degree. This qualified her to work in pastoral care, something she felt called to. When a friend put an application for a chaplain pastoral education training course on her desk, she looked it over and was very interested.

Part of the training program required on-the-spot hands-on work in the hospital emergency room. She found herself prepared by God to comfort families dealing with sudden death, illness or accidents.

St. Richard Catholic School a unique learning environment centered in the teachings of Jesus Christ

Learning through Faith

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100 Holly Drive, Jackson www.strichardschool.org

601-366-1157 30 JANUARY 2011 ❘ Metro Christian Living

2001 Airport Road N, Suite 304 Flowood, MS 39232 Polly Stokes-Barnes, Bereavement Counselor

www.odsyhealth.com

“I’ve learned that the very things we walk through are the places where He can use us most effectively,” she says.

In 2004, Hurricane Ivan blew across the panhandle bringing devastation to Pensacola. Her home was virtually destroyed. A strong and seasoned student of pain, Judy had to completely relinquish any tendency to be in control. Stunned from the loss of her home, she started the slow process of rebuilding. Somehow, she managed to praise God and wonder what He had in mind for her next.

In 2006, a friend called her to Stages of Grief tell her that Marilyn Tyler, the 1. We are in a state of shock. owner of Fitness Lady, was 2. We express the emotion we thinking about hiring a chaplain. feel.

Judy was interested and called 3. We feel depressed and Marilyn, who asked Judy where lonely. she was and told her she had been thinking about her. Marilyn had 4. We may feel physical been a part of a support team for symptoms.

Judy after Giles’ death.

5. We may become panicky.

Marilyn told Judy that she and 6. We feel a sense of guilt her staff had become acutely about the loss. aware of women who walked 7. We are filled with anger and through the doors at Fitness Lady resentment. on a daily basis dealing with every 8. We resist returning, hard to sort of crisis in their personal get to new normal. lives. From the beginning, 9. Hope comes gradually.

Marilyn’s mission for a fitness There is no set time frame club had involved health in body, for when this stage begins mind and spirit. Marilyn and Judy or ends. each prayed, and God answered.

10. We struggle to affirm On Sept. 1, 2007, Judy reality. Depending on our became Fitness Lady’s chaplain. response to the loss, we are There were no books to read, no either stronger or weaker job description to study, just a people than before. mutual calling for Marilyn Tyler to find a chaplain and for Judy Bryant to fill the bill.

Protecting futures.

One generation at a time.

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Mascagni Wealth Management is an independent, financial planning firm that is large enough to help you manage all types of investment and financial planning, yet small enough to know our clients personally. We get to know each client’s personal goals and concerns in order to provide individually-tailored, holistic financial planning.

And God is There…Again Judy speaks vivaciously of her calling and her place at this particular moment in time. Her eyes frequently fill with tears as she recounts her journey, which thankfully she does not gloss over as easy. “My life is different than I expected it to be,” she says. But she admits, too, that had she not been through the painful detours, she would definitely not be here at this moment doing what she does. “I stand in awe of the big picture and the plans of God,” she says.

She also confesses a reticence in those first days that she took the job and ventured out with nothing in mind except to comfort and forge relationships with the women of Fitness Lady.

My thoughts go back to the little girl who frequently recommitted her life to Christ at the altar of the little Baptist Church in Gulfport. Thoughts that God would one day call her to missions were definitely not in her imagination.

Judy gazes about the floor, smiles and says, “At the beginning, I did this afraid so often, but I’m not doing it afraid anymore. I could never in a million years have orchestrated any of this, but I tell God every day, ‘thank you for letting me do this.’” Y

To discuss your needs and set up an appointment for a free consultation, please call 601-925-8099 or visit www.mascagniwealth.com.

205 E. Main Street t Clinton, MS SECURITIES BY LICENSED INDIVIDUALS OFFERED THROUGH INVESTACORP, INC. Ê, -/ , Ê ," , ,ÊUÊ ,Ê , ]Ê- *

metrochristianliving.com ❘ JANUARY 2011 31

➺in black & white

by DAN HALL

MISSION MISSISSIPPI

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Governor’s Prayer Luncheon

One of the most exciting events Mission Mississippi hosts is the annual Governor’s Prayer Luncheon.

The luncheon brings persons together from all over the state, across racial lines, to pray for our Governor, our state leaders, and our state. With dynamic speakers, engaging personal testimonies and challenges to grow personally in racial relationships, the Governor’s Prayer Luncheon has been helping Mississippians establish relationships that increase each person’s understanding of race and culture while also validating one’s own journey.

This year, the keynote speaker is Tommy Spaulding, president of the Spaulding Companies LLC (www.SpauldingCompanies.com), a national leadership development, consulting, coaching, training and speaking organization. Spaulding rose to become the youngest president and CEO of the world-renowned leadership organization, Up with People (2005-2008). In 2000, Spaulding founded Leader’s Challenge, which grew to become the largest high school civic and leadership program in the state of Colorado. He is also the founder & president of the Spaulding Leadership Institute (www.SpauldingLeadershipInstitute.org), a non-profit leadership development organization which runs the National Leadership Academy, a national high school summer leadership academy, as well as Kid’s Challenge, Global Challenge and Colorado Close-Up. His new book, It’s Not Just Who You Know (Transform Your Life and Your Organization by Turning Colleagues and Contacts into Lasting, Genuine Relationships) is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today national bestseller.

Mission Mississippi invites you to join us for this exciting event, Tuesday, February 1, 11:30-1:00 at the Jackson Convention Complex. There are group tickets available for business, schools, churches or other organizations. Individual tickets are $45. Please contact the Mission Mississippi office at 601.353.6477 or otilia@missionmississippi.org. Y Note: This is not a political or fundraising event.

Tommy Spaulding, president of the Spaulding Companies LLC .

LFR Summer Camps

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13 interdenominational evangelical summer camps for children (age 7-11) and teens (age 12-18) fun summer camps for church groups and individuals with a strong one-on-one ministry emphasis

* 32 JANUARY 2011 ❘ Metro Christian Living

Mention this ad for a special discount for Junior Camp H (ages 7-11) – Aug. 3-7, 2011

food for thought

by LYDIA BOLEN

A Winter Mix

I

have been anticipating cold weather for several months now. These chilly days bring to mind

fond memories of enjoying my favorite soups, chili and one-dish meals. For a typical winter meal, I love making my own hummus and even going a step further and bake pita wedges drizzled with delicious herb butter. Red beans and rice is a staple dish for January. It can be healthy as well as economical. Top off your winter meal with a quick and easy fresh apple tart. Fresh honey crisp apples make this one an easy and impressive dessert.

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work.” – John 4:34

RED BEANS AND RICE 2 5 1 6 5 2 1

pounds dried small red beans bacon slices, chopped pound smoked sausage, cut into _ inch-thick slices garlic cloves, minced celery ribs, sliced green peppers, chopped large onion, chopped

2 (32-ounce) containers low sodium chicken broth 2 cups water 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground red pepper 1 teaspoon black pepper Hot cooked rice

Place red beans in a Dutch oven. Cover with water two inches above the beans, and let soak eight hours. Drain beans, rinse thoroughly and drain again. Sauté bacon in Dutch oven over medium high heat for five minutes. Add smoked sausage. Sauté sausage until golden brown.

Add garlic and next 3 ingredients; sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in beans, broth, water and next 3 ingredients; bring to a boil. Boil 15 minutes; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for 3 hours or until beans are tender. Serve over rice. Makes 2 quarts.

EASY APPLE TART 1 4 1 1/4

whole sheet ready-made puffed pastry, thawed, cut in half whole honey crisp apples; cored, halved, and sliced very thin (do not peel the apples) cup brown sugar teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 415 degrees. Place puffed pastry rectangles onto a nonstick baking sheet. Add sugar and salt to the apples slices. Stir to combine. Allow to sit for a few minutes. Arrange apple slices on the pastry rectangles in a straight line, overlapping as you go. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden brown. Remove from pan immediately and place on a serving platter. Serve with a drizzle of warmed caramel sauce, a scoop of ice cream or just sprinkle with powdered sugar. Note: If 415 degrees is too hot in your oven, adjust to 375 degrees. Just make sure the pastry “puffs.”

HOMEMADE HUMMUS 1 2 to 3 2 2 1/2 1/4 1 2 1/3 1/2

large onion, minced cloves garlic tablespoons olive oil cups chickpeas (garbanzos beans) drained and rinsed cup fresh lemon juice tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce or Worcestershire tablespoons sesame oil cup sesame seeds, toasted and ground teaspoon fresh ground black pepper Sprig of mint to taste (optional) Lawry’s season salt to taste Fresh parsley for presentation

Sauté onion and garlic in oil until vegetables are soft. Set aside. In blender or food processor puree the chickpeas with the onion, garlic, lemon juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, pepper and salt.

Serve hummus with pita wedges, fresh or toasted.

Pita Wedges Cut pocket pita bread into small wedges.

Place on large baking sheet; drizzle Greek herb butter over and bake to desired hardness (about 15 minutes at 375 degrees).

Greek Herb Butter 1 1/3 1 1/2 1/2

stick unsalted butter cup olive oil teaspoon Cavenders Greek seasoning teaspoon dill teaspoon tarragon Italian seasoning to taste 1 bay leaf

Microwave for 4 times, 30 seconds each time.

Let stand, skim off the top and drizzle clarified liquid over the pita wedges. Any extra herb butter is placed in the hummus! Top hummus with fresh parsley.

Remember to make memories through the kitchen…”the heartbeat of the home.” Go to my blog for more recipes at www.lydiasapron.blogspot.com, or e-mail me at lbbolen@gmail.com Enjoy making memories with delicious winter meals! Y metrochristianliving.com ❘ JANUARY 2011 33

Venable

â&#x17E;şwelcome home

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by CHRISTI B. STECKEL

GLASS SERVICES

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Healthy Home Give your â&#x20AC;&#x153;be healthyâ&#x20AC;? resolution a boost with these tips to promote a healthy lifestyle in your home.

Use potted plants or herbs in your kitchen to bring life into the room and add natural flavor to your cooking.

Use natural cleaning products.

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Have You Fixed Your Dirt Crawl Space Yet?

Encourage healthy eating by keeping fruits, veggies and nuts out in the open for easy pick-up.

Hand wash pots and pans, and let them air dry to save money on water and energy.

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Make recycling easy with organized bins within tossing distance.

The earth in your dirt crawl space is the major source of moisture in your home! This moisture is carried up into your house from [OL UH[\YHS \W^HYK HPY Ă&#x2026;V^ JYLH[LK MYVT YPZPUN OLH[ The CleanSpaceÂŽ Crawl Space Encapsulation System is the answer!

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KITCHEN

BEDROOM

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Have proper lighting for nighttime reading.

Keep the temperature at a comfortable level (65 F is the norm, even in winter) for a good night’s rest.

Clean up the clutter in your room so your mind can be at ease.

Unplug! Keep electronics (computer, cell phone and TV) off and out of arms reach.

OFFICE While working in the office, open the windows and turn on music to create a pleasant environment.

Keep crafts, photos or stationery organized with easy and fun storage solutions.

Have an “inbox” to throw documents into for filing later.

Place invitations, photos, creative inspiration or souvenirs on a creative corkboard.

metrochristianliving.com ❘ JANUARY 2011 35

➺rave reviews BOOKS

Susan’s Picks for 2011 Reviewed by Susan E. Richardson For the New Year consider two older titles you may have missed the first time around but are well worth your time. For devotional use, try The Tender Words of God by Ann Spangler. For a fresh look at understanding Scripture, pick up a copy of Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus by Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg.

The Tender Words of God offers a 90day devotional focused on uplifting Scriptures. Each weekly section begins with word study, which sets the stage for daily morning and evening Scripture readings and prayers. Sections end with “I Will Remember This,” a last look at the week’s Scripture and concluding comments.

Most of the book is Scripture with commentary forming the setting for the true jewel to shine. If you’re struggling with painful circumstances, let God’s word

O! Gift How Cute Market Handbags Children’s Apparel Apparel Jewelry Home Accessories Pottery Gourmet Food Pearl

601-939-5082 Downtown Brandon

601-825-5080 36 JANUARY 2011 ❘ Metro Christian Living

familiar Scripture passages. Understanding rabbinic teaching methods helps a modern reader see new richness in Jesus’ teaching and the ways He used the Old Testament Scriptures.

The culture and traditions of first century Jewish life also shed light on things Jesus said or did. The authors separate more recent Jewish traditions from those present during Jesus’ earthly ministry. Other chapters show how the Old Testament feasts fit into Jesus’ life. Either book makes an excellent choice to begin a new year of growing deeper in faith. Y

reassure you of His unfailing mercy and love for you.

Read Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus, and you’ll quickly find depths you never suspected in

Susan E. Richardson is a writer, critique reader, and former Christian retailer with a passion for meeting people’s needs through the written word. You can reach her through her website www.nextlevelcritiques.com.

DVDS

The Narnia Code Reviewed by Julie Whitehead Emmy award-winning director Norman Stone’s documentary The Narnia Code explores Dr. Micheal Ward’s theory that the underlying organizing literary principle for the order and emphasis for C.S. Lewis’ Narnia Chronicles was the medieval view of the cosmos, consisting of Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus, the sun, and the moon all orbiting the Earth. Each book took its imagery and theme from the literary conventions of the medieval era assigned to each planet, according to Ward.

The documentary itself is well done—interviews with Lewis scholars on both side of the Atlantic speak to Lewis’ youth and adulthood, his spiritual path and his outsized reputation in Britain even before the publication of the Narnia Chronicles. The film takes you with Ward back through his path of discovery of what Lewis was up to in the Narnia Chronicles, from Ward’s dorm room at St. Andrew’s to his pilgrimage to Wheaton College in Illinois to a final stop at The Kilns, Lewis’ adult home in Oxford. The publication path of Ward’s book, Planet Narnia, is also chronicled in the documentary, from Ward’s initial meeting with Oxford University Press to the book’s final publication in America.

Deft narration, beautiful visuals and Ward’s disarming humility in describing his achievement make for an understated defense of the premise, but one that is lucid and persuasive all the same. Lewis scholars and lovers of the Narina books can watch and enjoy the repartee between the academics as they continue to ponder Lewis’ achievement in his beloved series, The Chronicles of Narnia. Y Julie Whitehead of Brandon has been a mother since 1996 and a freelance writer since 2000. She was given a Mississippi Press Association award for her work in 2006.

events calendar January 7-8 Riverdance, the highly entertaining show of Irish step-dancing, is coming to Jackson at Thalia Mara Hall. This family event is sure to make your toes tap as you enjoy the music and sights of the country of Ireland. For ticket information, visit ticketmaster.com

cheer for the runners as they wind throughout the Fondern District and Downtown Jackson.

January 28

January 21-February 26 The Dixie National Rodeo, located at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds, is coming to town, boasting the largest livestock show east of the Mississippi River. The three-week event host a horse and Junior Livestock show, a Western Festival, parade and much more.

For more information, call 601-961-4000.

January 25-February 6 January 9 Mississippi Blues Marathon and Half Marathon, a USA Track and Field certified event, is coming to Jackson welcoming runners throughout the region. Put your running shoes on or

Mystery, intrigue, comedy and thrills make up Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps presented by our very own New Stage Theatre. For ticket information and show times, call 601-948-3533.

First Presbyterian Church, Jackson will host The 2011 Mid-South Men’s Rally featuring Dr. Russell D. Moore, preaching pastor of Highview Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Dr. Moore speaks on topics from the Kingdom of God to the mission of adoption. Dinner will be served at 5:15 p.m. with the first session beginning at 6:30 p.m. No advance registration is necessary. A freewill offering will be taken during the service.

February 1, 2011 Mission Mississippi’s 11th Annual Governor’s Prayer Luncheon will be at the Jackson Convention Complex from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. featuring motivational speaker Tommy Spaulding. For ticket information call 601-353-6477. Y

Mission Mississippi’s 11th Annual Governor’s Prayer Luncheon February 1, 2011 from 11:30am-1:00pm at the Jackson Convention Complex

This event is designed to bring the Christian community together to pray for our state leadership.

Keynote Speaker: Tommy Spaulding Motivational Speaker, Best-Selling Author, and Authority on Leadership and Relationships Event Sponsorships: Platinum $2000 Gold $1000 Silver $500 Individual Tickets: $45

Contact our office for more information: 601.353.6477 jennifer@missionmississippi.org otilia@missionmississippi.org

To encourage and demonstrate unity in the Body of Christ across racial and denominational lines so that communities throughout Mississippi can better understand the Gospel message.

* This is not a political or fundraising event.

metrochristianliving.com ❘ JANUARY 2011 37

JANUARY 2011

JACKSON

➺quips & quotes

ADVERTISING INDEX

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

✂

“By perseverance the snail reached the arc.”

– Charles Spurgeon

The Lord is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.

– Psalm 46:1-2

“My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there.”

“You are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream.”

– C.S. Lewis

- Charles F. Kettering

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.

Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

– Matthew 5:14-16

A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.

– Anonymous

Lay any burden on me, Lord, only sustain me.

Sever any tie, but the tie that binds me to Thyself.

– David Livingstone

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38 JANUARY 2011 ❘ Metro Christian Living

Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new.

– 2 Corinthians 5:17

Youth is when you’re allowed to stay up late on New Year’s Eve. Middle age is when you’re forced to.

– Bill Vaughan

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Stay tuned.

Stay happy.

New Artists. New Sound.

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Outdoor plans.

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