Austin Faith & Family- November 2010 by Abby Pound

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november

THINK OUTSIDE THE PEW

Out and About An Autumn Photo Safari!

2010

Who's Joining You for Thanksgiving? Wealth & Wisdom What Legacy Are YOU Leaving?

Dear Dads Have You Jumped Rope Lately?

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Publisher: H.O.T. Publishing, LLC Info@AustinFaithandFamily.com 512.584.6888 Editor: Marcy Lytle Marcy@AustinFaithandFamily.com Contributing Writers: Lee Eddins, Marcy Lytle, Susan Stern, Al Jones, Trent Peng, Kie Bowmann, Debby Stevens, Pieper Stewart, Ginny Hurley, Mark Trice, Dave Ramsey, Richard Landry, Lauren Lacy, Joe Elliott, Patricia Jacobson, John Pound, Amy Dillon, Don Spann, Joshua Myers, Maria Arreola, Steve Armstrong, Barry Tripp, Vicki Lancaster, Joanna Auger, Laura Wall, Karen Moore, Scottie Moore, and Lynn Cherry Art Director: Abby Pound Abby@AustinFaithandFamily.com Cover Photo: Taylor Made Photography Advertising Sales: Susan Stern | 512.773.3240 Susan@AustinFaithandFamily.com Austin Faith and Family is committed to encouraging individuals in their daily lives by presenting the faith stories of others and providing information that will point every person, at every stage of life, to a deeper, authentic, personal and life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ. Views expressed in Austin Faith & Family do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. Every effort has been made by the Austin Faith & Family staff to ensure accuracy of the publication contents. However, we do not guarantee the accuracy of all information, nor the absences of errors and omissions; hence, no responsibility can be, or is assumed. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2010 by H.O.T. Publishing, LLC. Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of International Bible Society.

Editor's Note Tradition?

I like tradition, as it seems to bring a bit of security to a family when there are activities that the family counts on from season to season. However, I don’t care for tradition when it becomes forceful and not tasteful. We hope the articles in this month’s issue give you a sweet taste and even scents of the season, as you read and enjoy. We have a new article listing fun things to do in and around Austin, called “Out and About.” Maybe you can establish a tradition of making time for fun! We also welcome a new writer in our money section where “Wealth & Wisdom” will bring you monthly nuggets of gold for your financial taste. Our staff of writers shared their Thanksgiving stories and recipes, including an idea for a giving tradition you and your family just might want to begin! Be sure and read from cover to cover. And now that I mentioned the cover… Are you having a traditional Thanksgiving at your house, with turkey & dressing, lots of side dishes, football games, and family interaction? I hope you noticed that our November cover is anything but traditional, although it does evoke some serious thought. Who are your unseen guests at your table this year? Is HE welcome at your table? Instead of featuring a “famous” Austinite on the cover, we opted for a photo of a typical family seated at the table, with supernatural visitors hovering around, making themselves comfortable at the family gathering. Just as with the breaking of any tradition, there was much discussion among the staff about the cover – Will it offend? Will it be tasteful? Is it too funny and not serious enough? We hope it’s all of that, and more! Thanksgiving is about giving thanks, traditionally. But it’s so much more. It’s about spreading a table, inviting His presence, and welcoming those outside…to come in and have a seat. That’s a tradition that we only want to keep, and pass down from generation, to generation… Merry Thanksgiving! (in the most non-traditional way…)

Austin Faith & Family is published monthly and is available at high traffic locations throughout the metropolitan area. Copies are also available by subscription, $25 for one year. Single issues available for $3 an issue.

Marcy Lytle Editor, Austin Faith & Family

Volume 2, Issue 6

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november 2010

14 18

?? 20

Faith

7 Special: Seeds of Transformation 8 Spiritual Coffee There: 9 Out Earnest Jones, a Same-Sider 10 Church & Helping Hands Directory the Way: 11 Along The Worldwide Prayer Movement, Pt. 2 of Obedience: 12 Moments Just Enough Time

22 26 www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

39 Head to Heart: Healing Father Wounds 40 Health Matters: Trimming the...Excess & Nutrition: 41 Diet Preparing for the Allergy Season 42 The Real Stuff 43 The Real Me: Your Life

Special This Month

14 Elgin Christmas Tree Farm 19 Why Study Latin? Family 15 Helpful Hints: Thanksgiving Family Fun 20 Who Is Joining You for Thanksgiving? 16 Dear Dads: Take Time to Be a Dad Today! 22 Thanksgiving: This Is How We Do It the Light: 26 Bryan Courtney Wilson: Back on Track 17 Catching Giving With a Grin 33 Presents With a Purpose to Mom: 18 Mom The Milk Wagon, Just Around the Corner! 44 Collide ACC Retreat

Life 27 CityScene 28 Cooking: Simple & Good 29 Out & About: Photo Safari 30 Travel: Travel Packing Solutions

Money

You

contents

35 Wealth & Wisdom: Generation of Favor 36 Dave Says 37 Moms' Tips & Tricks 38 Spend Life Well

Extras 24 Austin Community Calendar 31 Rave Reviews 32 Ladies' Top 10: Christmas Shopping 45 20 Words: Jesus Spotted on 6th Street 46 The Back Pew

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Letters 7

Faith

Neighbor 9 An Unlikely 20 Words 10 Coffee Spiritualto Heart 11 12 Head Directory 13 Church Obed ience of Moments

Neighbo

Marcy, I recently read your interview with the atheist and it brought me to tears because of the grace and love you showed him. I felt the love of Jesus shining through and it overwhelmed me to the point I had to put it down and read it later because I was at work and didn't want to mess up my make-up! It was informative, respectful and sweet. Thank you for this illuminating article. I hope many Christians take the time to read it! Kathleen S.

or not re: whether sly about some point, ht seriou d. At months I-35 thougactually existe bed ion. I spent next to God went up “Don’t I began to quest and was disturLater, billboard ative words 28th, a g the Bible, I found there. a copy sign was On June lle with the provoc up of what club.” TheReason, or readin by much book sale, I pickedI am Not a in PflugerviGod? Join the ion of groups pretty six local inkers at a used nd Russell’s Why Believe in of the Austin Coalit y Lytle d me effort of Freeth of Bertra which nudge the work a cooperative Editor Marc religions tics and with AFF edge. Christian AustinCoR, t atheists, agnos with all the nd over Rhoades unhappy that you fi much quickly which accep not so s as Don ones generally ers. organize Are you there various as memb path was being helped ’s e? personal supernatural tion the group Rhoades My or are as offensiv realiza us of Don ger ng serves ion devoid a reject more of a growi rs to be called particularly some religio Last year, and currently old Project Mana years , here are Insistence that AustinCor, Don is a 58 year his wife of 26 of the such, but universe appeaproperly be tant, to you asked up: Well, since get me fired ; Oppositiontion; coordinator.in Oak Hill withter. A graduate Navy that the ing that could fine, even impor natural, that educa ian nation who lives year old daugh , Don is a 4-year nted of anyth l. While it’sing the super me) ideas ca is a Christ ate science separating 20 involv and his school at UT Austinas a Court Appoi er supernatura are (forSo, not Ameri and legitim on of it’s really claims e traditi memb ations ss test to that active busine currently serves explan natural ones. o, sciencsition to our to gay ) and is an Insistence naturalistic above super but ghosts, voodo vet who ate (CASAAbuse. heap Oppo and state; that we be mean disagree prioritized onal religion, thrown into the likely church Special Advoc God going to . st Child to are Again we tant got , traditi very impor claims of Bikers in only raft, ESP, etc all opinion, were and, of course natural my andment people; truth of super one fact. st comm your witchc which, in through azov about the the greateyour God with all That of thingsno basis in actual y who know yevsk e us lf. have Dosto ers Karam Most of – Love the Lord met anyon or as yourse when to things changed I rarely great writer in The Broth the Bible love your neighb ” for some, my life, This profoundly exist, all cters icle The that doesn’t most of ief. the Chronwas of his chara does not agree with heart…and gets a bit “sticky an ad in is one who Eddins For my disbel part “If God Do you second bor beside us However, Lee Lytle shared after I answered sion group” which Austin said. permitted.” Marcy in 1996 are st discus unity of the neighthe God we love. zine), andDon Rhoades, about an “athei Atheist Comm ged to serve as characterization? religious believe in of this maga a person, they e the with e in privile group’s god or not,moral agent if (Publisherrecently sat down doesn’t believthat to becom ing year. I was years of the board a there’s a justice, who ones the followfor the first two a member, Whether ise, can act as (i.e., fairness, , etc) (Editor), bor in Austin, bors, even than y been air ples utility neigh otherw neigh st co-ch or have princi that our . e differentl believe er moral t others pain, greate e openly existence and cer ever since. God. We talk, and even believ a considy, honesty, least ons that impac or offi communicat of the weight in live in member, privac act, look, er, still need to , Don was part like to g of decisi have more , but the ian you makin in the ples mightes than others person one anoth As stated aboveamong the Christour , would the erent princi you could ts? and fairly. caused a stir ion raised above ons or culturst this with cue! Diff that If of atheis cause realized ally country and barbe ne some situatisame. Contra God. This can wants group that with the quest Don, we Tex-Mex imagi is the gener community visiting with had great , and I can’t it would idea only wants to obeyne believes God kids. tics, and are h Austin someo Only if they who city. After atheists, agnos e like we do” or kill their e are ed by Seriously, I love ry of atheists, thoug rous here. ms when believ elves up peopl ’t us criticiz proble nume thems many times ians, religio blow more a count ience), who “doesn avoided. living in we were a bit ) them to trying to say that not my exper lead anyone down on” by Christ frankly – if nly not does be nice on that… “looked people, and quite are I ammoral (that is certai ng can and probe (We’re working that us to thinki not religio religious ries todayparticularly opportunity ps many just that . any count you d us theions that perha unity of tic that – but don’t. Are there people astray Don allowe with quest atheists As you read officially atheis are a "comm his mind want to ask say you mean? rs. think of give some admire? When you ry I can do you Christians his candid answe to your question, but that n," what we use atheist count Below are r to the last means to “love d to words officially like to visit is Cuba, beaches, reaso it of the from the faith The only the answe ht to what look aroun really music, food, stance n” is one say that lf” and thento you… that I would to do with government more thoug r “Reaso ate ourselves trying to that we as yourse next official much more erenti of a secula are not , or neighbormight be sitting life? has cigars than the I like the idea nment. The diff unity. We can’t use reason word, but comm people see who of the Also, all of your(Many and gover us atheist atheist e of reason religion. nt? pretty much in any sense been an al mome that on opposed to an separation” is resulted in religiohave faith ourselves as peopl as of don’t of has Have you there a pivotsingular event us “wall think and so-called can invention and thriving religio we like to people of faith. If not, was speak of a in God.) an Ameri rather than believe freedom win-win idea… 7 Christians Austin them to church both religious a FAMILY d & of ed FAITH Kind cause attend l. The unities. dist, and area a Metho high schoo when comm r Austin I was raisedthough junior moment” came did Greate she al ns in the regularly t locatio to a “pivotl friends told me really l Marke closest thing 8/24/10 lls, & Centra high schoo then, I hadn’t HEB, Randa one of my e in God. Until le at all Availab not believ

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11:04 AM

AFF, We love the October issue of AFF! I suspected that Melissa Gale was a believer, just by her glow! What a great article. Danna Marcy, Thanks so much for sending us so many (copies of the magazine). I’m going to give them out to everyone. It looks really good and the magazine is so full of great information. Thank you for being faithful to get the news out of what God is doing in Austin. Tanya D.

Marcy, I truly enjoyed your magazine from cover to cover and will be discussing a subscription with my wife. Keep up the good work and have a blessed day. Allan L. Hello Lee and Marcy, Just wanted you to know I have been plugging the magazine and article on the air each morning. We have also listed it on our site in our blog - it looks great so check it out!!

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Blessings and love! Amy D.

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Special: Seeds of Transformation 7 Spiritual Coffee 8 Out There 9 Church Directory 10 Along the Way 11 Moment of Obedience 12

Faith A

few years ago a nursing home sat on the property. The people there were more focused on death than on life. The land then deteriorated from disrepair and became a breeding ground for that which lends itself to hopelessness. But that was then; this is now. The For the City Center, at 500 East St. Johns Avenue – across from Webb Middle School - has brought life where death reigned, and is sowing the seeds of transformation in east Austin. At the ribbon-cutting for the new facility, Justin Lopez, Executive Director of the For the City Network, told the crowd how the center had

been birthed in the hearts of the leadership of the Austin Stone Community Church as they struggled with what it means to truly advocate for a city. Questions like, “What does it mean to really love your neighbors?” “Who are your neighbors?” were stirring at the same time that Austin Stone, which meets in Stephen F. Austin High School, was looking for a permanent facility. They decided, “If we are really going to love our neighbors, we have to do it with our time, our resources, our people, and our sweat and tears.” So instead of building a church on this plot of land, the decision was made to build a nonprofit center – a place that would meet the practical needs of their neighbors. While they do have an auditorium for the church to gather, church services are not the primary

focus. The facility currently houses five nonprofit organizations and will have room for several more, when the second floor is renovated. Along with the offices for the For the City Center, the building houses four other groups. The Capital Area Food Bank serves 21 counties in central Texas. The first day they opened, with no advertising, the line for food started at 5:00 am and was wrapped well around the building by the time the doors opened at 9:00 am. The lady in the distribution center said the neighborhood had been so in tune with what was going on in the building that they knew, with no promotion. The building also houses Austin Life Guard, which provides sex education for high school and junior high students, and the Caring Family Network, which connects children to families and communities through foster care and adoption. The fifth nonprofit is Communities in Schools, which according to past Chairman of the Board, Jo Kallison, is the top dropout prevention organization program in the nation. They currently have over 70 families in their ESL, GED, early childhood, and parenting programs. The classroom space they have at the For the City Center allows them to meet needs they didn’t have the facilities for before. The For the City Network works with, promotes, and connects many other nonprofit organizations as well. As these groups pull together, and as believers sow their talents and resources into these efforts, the seeds of transformation are bearing fruit. You can be part of the transformation. Check out the For the City website, especially the nonprofit page at http://forthecity.org/action. It lists 45 ways to serve in the area – something to fit everyone. As we all look for ways, even small ways, to sow life into our community, the seeds of life will produce the fruit of transformation. Thana Rolph Writer- ABBA Ministries

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Need a morning boost? How about a drink from the Word that's full of powerful energy for your day? Take a daily sip with these short devotionals that you can read and swallow, as quick as you drink your morning coffee. faith...never give up & never Come, see the place where He was lying." Honor 1 Have lose hope - Psalm 34:18 "The Lord 18 Think of others first - Luke 14:11 25 19:14 is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

to God for everything...He knows all 2 Look - 2 Chronicles 20:12 "...We do not know 19 Christ what to do, but our eyes are upon you." 15:14 others 3 Put yourselves

first - 1 Peter 5:5 "...clothe with humility toward one another...God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

forever 4 Live 7:10 "Godly

with God- 2 Corinthians sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation & leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death."

then and

rose...have faith - 1 Corinthians "And if Christ is not risen, our preaching is empty your faith is also empty."

20 Heaven written:

- 1 Corinthians 2:9 "...it is No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"

Stay alert for God - 1 Peter 5:8 "Be sober spirit, be on the alert... the devil, prowls around like a lion, seeking someone to devour."

5 of

Rest in Jesus...no better place Matthew 11:28 "Jesus said: Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest."

on God for direction...He will disappoint - Proverbs 14:12 "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."

created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared for us to do."

God's lead - Psalm 143:10 27 Follow "You are my GOD. Show me what You

want me to do, and let Your gentle spirit lead me in the right path."

plan for all - Ecclesiastes 12:13 "... 28 One here is the conclusion of the matter:

Fear God & keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man."

on God - 2 Corinthians 4:18 29 Focus "So we fix our eyes not on what is

your 30 Watch 7:1 "Do not

own way judge, or you be judged. For in the same judge others, you will be

the 7 Accept 2:8 "For by

free gift - Ephesians grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;"

Matthew too will way you judged..."

Rich Landry

Notes: __________________________

8 Spread Heaven

the word and send joy to - Luke 15:10 "there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents"

each have a purpose - Ephesians 26 We 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship,

seen...For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

6 Lean not

God made you for a purpose - Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart..."

God with everything - Psalm "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight...my Redeemer."

___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ can count on God 22 We Psalm12:6 "The words

& His Word of the LORD are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified 7 times."

___________________________________

Give Christ your thought life... less to worry with - 2 Corinthians 10:5 "...we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ"

___________________________________

to God's will - Matt 26:39 "...My 24 12 Submit Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken

Obeying God brings joy - Psalm 19:8 "The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant..."

___________________________________

it 10 Take James

all to God...He is listening 5:16 "The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."

Show the 11 are wise

World - James 3:13 "If you & understand God's ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with humility..."

from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________

a God tool...do it all right - Romans 13 Be 6:13 "Use your body as a tool to do

what is right for the glory of God."

belong to God...honor Him - 1 14 You Corinthians 6:19-20 "You are no longer

your own. God paid a great price for you. So use your body to honor God."

15 Save safer

in the eternal bank...much - Matthew 6:20 "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys."

Lord 16 What - Matthew

cares like this...only Jesus 9:36 "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them..."

He is risen...tell the world - Matthew 28:6 17 "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said.

10 8

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Ernest Jones: A Same-Sider

rnest Jones accepted C h r i s t in Children’s Church, as a young boy. He is now Senior Pastor in a church “fully intent on glorifying God, building up believers, and reaching the lost,” Main Street Baptist Church in Georgetown, Texas. Pastor Jones felt “the call” to ministry when he was in 7th grade, but completely surrendered when he was a freshman at Baylor University. He says that when people ask him, “Why did you decide to be a pastor?” he tells them, “That was not really my decision. I’m a pastor because I know God will not allow me to do anything else with my life.” “I absolutely love the people of Georgetown,” states Jones. He says the best way he knows how to help people is to direct them to a living relationship with Jesus Christ. “When people do move beyond the entrapments of religion, beyond the mere keeping up of appearances common in contemporary evangelical circles, their lives really do change for the better.” He states that the walls of the church are an illusion, because when the body of Christ is really “the church,” there are no walls. “The church is wherever the people of Christ happen to be. I would like to think that where I pastor we see ourselves not as basically different from

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anyone else, as if we’re insiders and those other people are outsiders. No, we’re same-siders.” Main Street Baptist is involved with The Restore Project, where many churches in Georgetown spend a week completely redoing the exterior of homes that are in desperate need of repair. “We do it in the name of Christ, and it does seem to sincerely move people. The work is hard, but the payoff is high, because when the people we serve and others who are watching us see that we really do love indiscriminately, they are touched.” Jones states that a gentleman in their church commented, “Serving is always more rewarding than being served, but it is surprising how we can be surprised by this so many times!” Main Street Baptist is “just getting started,” even though the church is definitely growing. Jones and his associate pastor, Darrell Hudson, recently realized that about 85% of the people in their congregation are decidedly involved in one or more servant ministries of the church. “We’ve got an unusually high number of sacrificial servants at Main Street. We’re definitely a high-participation church. I’ve never been a part of anything like it, and I’m humbled by the people.”

Out There

Faith

about his kingdom, he talked about it in terms of a mustard seed bursting forth into a huge tree. He talked about yeast working its way through the dough causing the bread to rise. He talked about light going forth, shining for all to see; driving out the darkness in every nook and cranny. You don’t find retreat in Christ’s kingdom. You find his kingdom advancing, always moving forward, changing everything it touches, breaking down the gates of Hell … but never retreating into four walls, or trying to bring people from the outside into a the holy huddle that meets within the safety of the four walls.” Pastor Jones encourages us, “Just do something, on your own, in the name of Christ. Don’t wait for an organized event or ministry team, as if your act of service is somehow only valid if it makes the papers or reaches a thousand people. Doing your act of love for one person is enough, because that one person is of infinite value. Treat everyone as your neighbor for they are, and when that Good Samaritan disposition becomes your disposition, the illusion of the walls between us (the walls that Jesus has in fact demolished at the cross) will come down.” Marcy Lytle

Sometimes Ernest Jones is reluctant to tell people he’s a pastor, because they automatically think he’s looking at them like a project. “I hate that feeling,” states Jones. “When Jesus talked

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CHURCH DIRECTORY

-Addiction/Recovery

512.758.7686 www.CforR.org

-Adoption Services

Caring Family Network

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

Family Link Kids 512.947.7306 www.FamilyLinkKids.org

Get involved & make a difference

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

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

Hope Street 512.236.1718

Transforming our city one life at a time...

Round Rock Area Serving Center 512.244.2431 www.ServingCenter.org

-Counseling Head to Heart Restoration Ministry 512.236.1718 www.HeadtoHeart.org

-Safety/Awareness

-School -Fellowship

-Lutheran

Our Savior Lutheran 1513 E. Yager Lane, 78753 512.836.9600

King of Kings Lutheran 17000 Smyers Lane, 78681 512.255.0829

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

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

A Church for the Deaf and Hearing

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

-Methodist C

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Colin's Hope 512.524.6737 www.ColinsHope.org

Grace Academy 512.864.9500 www.GraceAcademy-GT.org

To have your non-profit listed for pennies a day, please call 512.584.6888

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The Worldwide Prayer Movement

Along the Way

Faith

Part II

Cymbala as they hoped to keep their ministry in Brooklyn from folding under the pressure of their surroundings. As the pastor was considering resigning the church and leaving the ministry, he sensed the Lord instructing him to lead the people to pray and leave the results to God. Starting with a handful of members on a Tuesday night, Pastor Cymbala led the first prayer meeting with unexceptional results, but they continued to pray each week. As they prayed, the attendance at the prayer meeting grew and the ministry effectiveness of the The Amazon River is big. It is fed by rivers in church did too. Columbia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, and Brazil. The origin, however, of this massive Today, Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York City still body of fresh water is a tiny trickle dripping gathers on Tuesday nights for intentional prayer, from a melting snowcap peak in the Andes but attendance has grown from 12 people to Mountains in Peru. Imagine it: the biggest well over 3,500 people. The prayer meetings freshwater river in the world begins as a few begin formally at 7:00pm but the 4,000 seat drops of melting snow! Even big things have to worship center is almost always full by a little after 6:00pm, as people pray in preparation for start somewhere. the prayer meeting! On Sundays, attendance Prayer is like that. To some, prayer may appear has grown from less than 50 people to over to be small or even insignificant at first, but like 10,000 every week. In addition, the music melting drops of snow, it can become a river! ministry of the church, led by the pastor’s wife, is The worldwide prayer movement – regardless one of the most celebrated in the nation today, of where it actually originated or even if its with multiple albums and Grammy awards. The place of origin can actually be pinpointed - is Cymbalas have steadfastly maintained that all a flood flowing through the world today and it of the visible success of the church is a direct result of the Tuesday night prayer meeting and shows no signs of slowing down. the culture of prayer that permeates the church. Examples of the worldwide prayer movement are not isolated. In fact, they are growing Meanwhile, in the middle of the country, a more common. The results vary, but the church made a strange decision back in 1999. passionate commitment to ceaseless prayer is They decided to pray 24 hours a day, seven days a common thread in the tapestry of the prayer a week. As a result, the International House of movement. In the little town of Jefferson, Prayer in Kansas City has not stopped praying Oregon, for instance, a church of 25 people and ever since. They have prayed continuously a disillusioned pastor made a commitment to around the clock for more than a decade. Today, prayer as the main business of their church. The they are a hub for teaching on prayer, attracting pastor led the way, spending about two hours a people from around the world who want to day in prayer everyday, and he frequently taught experience the 24 hour, 7 days a week ministry. on prayer. Today, just a few years later, the The Kansas City Church’s stated reason for this little Jefferson Baptist Church now welcomes radical commitment to prayer is their belief that 1400 people a week in worship services, in a they are called to participate in the worldwide town of only 2,000 people! The church motto prayer movement. is: “Much prayer, much blessing; little prayer, little blessing; no prayer, no blessing.” Prayer Perhaps the most surprising manifestation of the worldwide prayer movement is the one drawing changed the church. college students around the world to all night On the other side of the nation, the mid 1970’s prayer meetings. For over a decade, a quiet witnessed the struggles of Jim and Carol revolution, which began in a stunning vision ne of the undeniable facts of life is the Amazon River. It is the largest river in the world. In fact, it is larger than the next ten largest rivers combined. It accounts for one-fifth of the world’s total river flow and its drainage basin covers 40% of South America. This one river accounts for 20% of the fresh water entering all the world’s oceans and can be measured as far as 250 miles out to sea. It alters the color and saltiness of the ocean for one million square miles!

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on the Cliffs at St. Vincent at the Southwestern tip of Europe, has spread around the world. The vision given to a young pastor while camping by the cliffs included an army of youth rising for Christ in post-Christian Europe. The 24/7 prayer movement led by the unassuming Pete Greig, nicknamed “The Punk Monk” because of his non-traditional ministry to the street kids of England, has continued in prayer rooms around the world. His vision at the cliffs of an army of young people for Christ across Europe is being fulfilled through the prayer rooms. Imagine, for more than 10 years, an interdenominational, international non-stop prayer meeting has continued unbroken through more than 100 nations. It is nothing short of a global phenomenon with no buildings, very little cost, no central headquarters, and no end in sight! It is growing like fire spreads through dry grass – it is combustible and “self-perpetuating.” The examples of a worldwide prayer movement are everywhere when we start to look. Where is it headed? Perhaps only God can fully answer that, but the common denominator seems to be a passion in the hearts of people around the world to pray for God’s will to be done on earth. There is a common desire for spiritual awakening in the Body of Christ and a burning passion to see the nations evangelized. In other words, prayer is not an end in itself. It is pointing, and leading the church, toward something else. Jesus himself said, “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Is the worldwide prayer movement the spiritual rallying cry of one last great harvest of the nations before the return of Christ? It seems possible. Throughout Scripture, during desperate times, prophets have called God’s people to pray. The prophets of today are issuing the ancient call – “You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give Him no rest….” -Isaiah 62:6-7 Dr. Kie Bowman Pastor, Hyde Park Baptist Church

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Faith

Moments of Obedience

moment of obedience gave me the privilege of being a part of God’s plan, which caused me to be compelled to pray for a little girl and her family. Allow me to explain. My name is Steve Armstrong. I used to be the General Manager of five radio stations. I was in route to Philadelphia, where the corporate headquarters were located, when during a lay-over in Charlotte my flight was delayed for an hour and I encountered a special family. Since the gate was completely full of people, with nowhere to possibly sit other than the floor, I decided to walk down the concourse a few gates to find an empty seat. I looked over to my right and saw a whole row of empty seats and decided to sit down. Right after I sat down, I noticed a family sitting directly in front of me. I especially was aware of the gorgeous little girl, as I also have two small girls. She sort of stared at me and I winked at her. Within a couple of minutes, her dad got up and repositioned her jacket under her head as she was resting it on the arm of the seat. When he did this, I then noticed the Make-A-Wish button she was wearing. Instantly, my heart ached because I just knew she was on her Make-A-Wish trip, which meant that she must have been very ill. Almost as plainly as hearing a person speak to me audibly, the Holy Spirit instructed me to pray for this little girl in front of me. In the 30 years since I have been a Christian, an instruction from the Holy Spirit this clear only happened to me a couple of times. I began to silently pray for the little girl. I then asked God to reveal her name to me so that I could remember to pray for her by name. Literally, within seconds of praying, the mom came over with her other daughter and sat down. Her first

words were, “Brooke, look what mommy got for you.” She had purchased some coloring books and a book to read to them on the plane. I then knew this precious little girl’s name was Brooke. I then asked God for her last name, as well. Within seconds of my prayer, the mom reached down and pulled a folder from a bag which read, “Brooke Arnold and Family.” At that point, I literally had to turn away for a moment as tears welled up in my eyes. God had given me her first and last name without me ever saying a word. I thought about and prayed as to whether or not I should say something to the family at that time. I felt very strongly that I was not to say anything. After all, this was time for this family to enjoy together, without some stranger approaching them in an airport. I could tell that the parents were a bit stressed, and understandably so. I overheard that Brooke’s medicine bag had been left on the previous flight. I can only imagine how panicked I would have been under the same circumstances, yet they all remained calm. Moments later, my flight was called early; the delay had been reduced to just a few minutes instead of an hour. Just enough time for God to put me in front of this precious family. During my flight on to Philadelphia, I prayed for the Arnold family. I prayed that they would have the best possible time on their trip without further complications. I prayed for nice weather, for physical strength (Disney World can be extremely tiring), and for patience. I also prayed that this time of vacation would be a time of love and caring that would build memories for the rest of their lives. I believed God was answering those prayers even as I began writing a letter to the family. I returned home late on Monday evening. Tuesday I decided to do an internet search for Brooke Arnold. I thought chances were slim, but I sure wanted to know more details. Within moments, I had a story and a picture on my screen about the little girl. God is so good! He had given me the opportunity to cross paths with her. Then he gave me Brooke’s first and last name. Now he had given me a great deal of the rest of the story. Needless to say, this big ole 6 foot, 8 inch tall guy wept. I wanted to write a letter to the family for two reasons. First, I wanted them to know that I was praying for a complete healing of the leukemia. Many times our faith for God to move a mountain is not immediately materialized. However, her healing had already occurred in the Spirit world. It might take a while for it to manifest itself in the natural world (the one we live in), or God could decide to heal her immediately. Either way, I stood firm believing that she was healed, indeed! Secondly, I wanted to ask permission to announce the little girl’s name and a bit about her story on the airwaves. One of the five stations I managed was a Christian station. My morning show hosts (DJ’s) open each hour with a Scripture verse and a prayer request. Our audience then had the opportunity to pray for those requests. I believed we could mobilize thousands to pray for these parents’ daughter. I didn’t know when they would return from their trip so I decided to call some Arnolds until I found them. Would you believe that the first person I talked to, a Ms. Linda Arnold, knew of this family? As a matter of fact, she said her husband knew Brooke’s grandfather and that he would speak with him that day. Just a few moments later, Linda called me back and told me that the conversation did take place. She informed me that the leukemia was in remission; however, Brooke was having surgery soon, to remove a brain tumor. I wanted the family to know that whether or not we broadcasted a prayer request for Brooke that I, and many others that I had shared this story with, was praying for her. We were praying for healing, for the doctors’ skill and wisdom, and for that “peace that passes all understanding” (Philippians 4, verse 7).

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I then completed my letter with my contact and radio station information. The Arnold family was gone for a week to Disney World which gave enough time for my letter to reach them before they returned. On the following Sunday afternoon, I received a phone call. On the other end was a lady that was crying. Here is that conversation: "Mr. Armstrong?" "Yes" "This is Ms. Arnold, Brookeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mother." "Yes, ma'am. How are you?" "Mr. Armstrong, I received your letter. There is more to the story than you know. You see, Brooke has a brain tumor and the doctors are leaving the decision up to me as to whether or not to operate on her. The tumor is deep in her brain, they don't know if it has spread, and there is a high risk that she might not make it through the surgery. If she does, she might never be the same. I have been praying this week that I could receive some sort of sign from God that He has heard my prayers and that everything is going to be ok." "Ms. Arnold, I want you to consider this your flashing neon sign from God that He has heard your prayers. I believe with all my heart that Brooke is going to be okay and that she will be completely healed." A few weeks later, Brooke had the surgery. The tumor was completely encapsulated (shelled on all sides) and was removed without any complications. She was talking the same day and completely recovered with no complications from the surgery. This story happened back in 2006. Brooke is now a healthy, beautiful 9-year old little girl. It has been amazing how God has used this story, over and over again, to bless people. I am just thankful he chose to put me in the middle of it. Steve Armstrong Do you have a story or are you still looking? Please share your moment of obedience with us. Include events that led up to your moment, what happened in that moment, and the outcome of the moment. If you have not found your story yet, keep reading and maybe there will be something right there in these pages that will help you find it. Please submit articles to Marcy@AustinFaithandFamily.com (by submitting an article you are authorizing Austin Faith & Family to use your article in future publications.

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Elgin Christmas Tree Farm

hen you make the drive out to Elgin, you soon realize why Texans love Texas so much. Among all the beautiful landscape and that big Texas sky, you'll find nestled right off Highway 290 the Elgin Christmas Tree Farm. My first thought was that we'd drive out to a field and cut a tree down and strap it on the top of the mini van and be on our way. I soon learned that it just does not work that way; and for a city boy like me, I was in for an experience. The first thing we did was hop on a trailer pulled by a tractor, while we were sitting on bales of hay. We rode the tractor out past rows and rows of Christmas trees until we found the perfect spot to unload the kids in search of the perfect tree. One thing I did not anticipate was how hard it was to find the perfect tree with a fiveyear-old, a three-year-old, and one-year-old. In fact, I am somewhat surprised we made it out of there with all three! The other thing I did

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not anticipate was how we would all find the prefect tree, and once we walked away from that perfect tree, we'd never be able to find it again. I felt like I should have left a breadcrumb trail like Hansel and Gretel that would have led us back to that perfect tree! After all was said and done, we did eventually find the one perfect tree of the many beautiful trees we had found.

those tents on the side of the road or in front of a grocery store any ole day! The prices at the Elgin Christmas Tree Farm for the trees are very reasonable. And the memories? Well, they're priceless. Lee Eddins

Now to cut it down! The Elgin Christmas Tree farm provided me with a new saw that sliced right through the trunk like a knife through butter. Of course Asher and Izzy had to take their turns, but we made it through without incident, and now we have a really great experience to add to the memory bank and the photo album, thanks to the Elgin Christmas Tree Farm. The fun experience of sitting on a hay bale, riding on a trailer being pulled by a tractor, and the kids getting to play in the Haze Maze and getting to see the live animals they have out there, sure beats buying a tree under one of

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Family Helpful Hints:

Thanksgiving Family Fun

Helpful Hints Dear Dads Catching the Light Mom to Mom

15 16 17 18

Gratitude Box. Prior to Thanksgiving, have each family member write things for which they are thankful on note cards or paper and put them in a decorated box. On Thanksgiving Day, have one family member take all of the cards out of the Gratitude Box and read them to each other.

plates of goodies and have the children create Thanksgiving cards. As a family, take the goodies and cards to local firefighters, police officers, or soldiers. Share your thanks and gratitude for others that help out in the community.

Take a Walk Down Memory Lane. If your Thanksgiving holiday includes relatives that you do not have the opportunity to see very often, take time to share stories about past holidays, events, and traditions. This is a great Symbols of Thanksgiving. Several days opportunity for the younger children to learn before Thanksgiving, encourage everyone to more about their family. You might want to find two or three objects that represent things record the stories for later years. for which they are thankful. On Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Wreath. Prior to Thanksgiving Day have each person show their objects and Thanksgiving is an American holiday full of tradition, family, and relationships. Regardless Day, cut hand shapes out of fall colored give thanks. of how your family celebrates this special day, construction paper. On Thanksgiving Day, each person writes one or two things for which they Connect with Others. During the day, make sure to spend time thanking God for his are thankful on several of the cut-outs and tapes use some of those extra cell phone minutes abundance, love, and grace. them on to a circle form, making a Thanksgiving to connect with far away friends and family wreath. During the meal, each person can share members to let them know that you are thankful Al H. Jones, Ph.D. what part they added to the wreath. for their relationship over the years. It is a great way to re-connect. Celebrate Unsung Heroes. After the Thanksgiving meal, put together several special

elp your family celebrate Thanksgiving by establishing new traditions or adding some life back in to traditions that may have lost some of their excitement. Some families begin the Thanksgiving meal by having each person give thanks. For a change, you might want to select one of these activities as an alternative to this time-honored tradition.

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Family

Dear Dads

take Y time to be a dad today!

ou’ve seen the ads… A father shows up at his home exhausted, his only desire is to unwind after a long day at work, and he sees his children jumping rope outside. His first inclination is to continue up the stairs, kiss his wife, and sit down in front of the television. But instead, he puts his briefcase down and jumps in with the kids. How about the father who is having a tea party with his daughter? The footage starts off panning an arm riddled with tattoos and grime. The camera continues up his arm and to his fingers where they are being painted red by the tiniest of hands. The shot pulls back to unfold the image of a father, sitting with his princess-like child giving him a manicure while they dine with a tea set. Both of these ads conclude with the simple and somewhat poignant statement that we started this article with: Take time to be a Dad. You have to ask yourself, “Why would the United States government spend time, energy and money to encourage American dads to interact with their children?” Interestingly enough, the answer to this question, just like the governmental mandate at the end of each ad, is simple, yet highly profound. Research shows that 34% of American children live without their biological fathers.[1] Did you catch that? I’ll state it again, but this time with a dramatic pause… a little over one third of our children live without one out of only two people that gave them life. The effects of an absentee father can translate into hurdles for the rest of adolescence and beyond. For instance, studies have proven that children raised in fatherless homes are five times more likely to be poor.[2] Studies also suggest that “father closeness” serves as a protective factor against the use and abuse of alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana and hard drugs. It doesn’t take long to realize that fathers play a preeminent role in raising their kids, and this role can and should be one that provides meaning for children. You know, all of this “fathers must be present in the lives of their children” talk sounds familiar. In fact, I think I read it in a book once - one that was written thousands of years ago. Ephesians 6:4 states, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”[3] In this passage, Paul is instructing the Ephesians with God’s truth that fathers should parent in a way that doesn’t create resentment in their children.[4] Sadly, as a therapist, I can tell you that child and teen resentment is something that I see multiple times a day. Bitterness stems from physical abuse, emotional abuse and neglect, or from parents simply not following God’s call to love their kids as they love themselves (Mk 12:31).[5] If bitterness festers, it can become pervasive and bleed over into every aspect of a child’s life. Fathers, how are you doing in this area? How are you bringing up your kids? If there is a young person in your life that calls you Dad, and you believe you could adjust the way you are instructing and raising them without resentment, you have the ability to right this wrong. You. Not your wife, not your pastor, not your child’s youth pastor, not their teacher or coach. You have the ability to steer this proverbial parenting ship in the right direction. The onus is on you, fathers! If you find yourself as a father that is present in the home and taking an active role in your child’s life, please keep doing what you’re doing. But know that you cannot remain static as a father; you should always strive to grow, learn and better yourself as a parent. Know that it is never too late and there is always hope. You can begin to take God-honoring steps in the direction of change. There are pastors, counselors, and godly peers that can assist you in these efforts. Being a father can be scary, intimidating and confusing. But put one foot in front of the other and just take time to be a dad today! Joshua Myers, M.A., LPC [1] http://www.fatherhood.gov/dads/being-a-dad/importance-of-being-a-father [2] http://www.fatherhood.gov/dads/being-a-dad/importance-of-being-a-father [3] NIV Quest Study Bible, Revised (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003), 1681. [4] NIV Quest Study Bible, Revised (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003), 1681. [5] NIV Quest Study Bible, Revised (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003), 1457.

Pool and spa safety covers are an excellent way to keep young children from accidentally falling into the water. • •

Covers should be able to be removed quickly and easily in case of an emergency. Covers should be able to hold the weight of at least two adults and a child if a rescue is necessary.

Photo by Everest Road Photography

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Catching the Light

Family

Giving With a Grin Families that pray together stay together, and grow together. Below is a small sample of the type of family devotions you will find in Catching Fireflies, written by Marcy Lytle. Take one evening, gather the family together, and catch the light from God's Word as you have fun doing it! www.marcylytle.com

after you’ve enjoyed a “meal” or teaching from a leader, it’s such a blessing to respond to what you’ve been served. Write down a teacher’s name, and remember to give thanks next time you see them. Smile when you do it!

cluttering is a necessity if we don’t want to sit on a pile of trash! Write down a way you can declutter your day (watching less TV, resting, etc.) Smile once again.

Was it hard to smile each time? Were your tasks Folding towels – This task is one that is done hard to perform? Share the answers to these ype out the following on separate pieces of over and over, as it seems there are always questions. Keep your notepad so you can look paper, print out, and hand to each member towels to fold! Open your eyes to repeated tasks over it often. And remember… Grin! of the family, a couple days before the study: around the home and always offer to lend a hand, Read Proverbs 15: 13, 15, 30; Proverbs 17:22; Make the bed for someone else, take out the trash without being asked. Write down a way you could and II Corinthians 9:6-8, 11. without being asked, clean the dishes after dinner, help more with repeated tasks. Smile! fold towels and put them away, sweep the front This is the month of Thanksgiving. porch, and clean out the car. Make sure the task Sweeping the porch – Why? Because this makes the entry point of your home welcome We can all be told to give, threatened to give, or isn’t something that person ordinarily performs. and inviting to guests. Debris and leaves can begged to give. When you sit down for the lesson, provide a be tracked in, if left un-swept. Write down ways Or…we can offer our gifts with thanks and with a smile on our face. notepad for each person, to answer the questions. we make God unwelcome in our hearts (anger, unbelief, gossip, etc) and pray for God to sweep Making the bed – This task requires taking this away. Share what you wrote, and smile as Practice giving with a grin and see if your heart begins to skip with joy! messy sheets and covers and straightening you share. them out. Do you know a friend who has a Marcy Lytle “messy” life? Write down their name, and pray Cleaning out the car – People who ride in a Author, Catching Fireflies together for their lives to be pulled together and car leave Kleenexes, water bottles, receipts, blessed. Practice smiling when you’re through napkins, etc. and it gets cluttered quickly! Depraying.

Taking out trash – This task requires going from room to room disposing of junk, so the house can be clean. Sometimes we need to clean up the rooms in our minds by praying for purity. Write down a wrong attitude or thought, and then cross it out. Smile as you do this. Cleaning the dishes – After a meal, someone has to get up, clean up, and put the dishes away, and then give thanks for the meal. Many times

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Family

Mom to Mom

The Milk Wagon

Just Around the Corner!

uying milk today really seems like it couldn’t be more convenient; you simply pick it up at the grocery store with the rest of the items on your weekly grocery list, right? Well, there used to be a time when it was even more convenient and the milkman would deliver a fresh and icy cold jar of milk right to your doorstep. It was the freshest milk, next to bottling it yourself from your very own cow!

milk bottles and remembering to put them out to be traded for milk. You never left an empty bottle without washing it out - it smelled horrible - and the milkman really frowned on that practice. The milkman left however many bottles that you set out, unless you left him a note. You were then left a bill once a month, so you didn't have to bother with paying each time.”

One of my grandmothers remembers when she was 12, how there was no need for the milkman. Instead, they owned a dairy cow and would simply step outside to retrieve a jar full of fresh milk. Albeit, there was still work involved, like “manually” milking the cow, but you couldn’t get much fresher milk than straight from the source. She admits that she never liked milk, thinking that the warmth of it, coming straight from the cow, turned her off. Later in her life, after she was married, she took advantage of a milkman delivery service and said, “It was so convenient; no more quick trips to the store just because I was out of milk, as the milkman left enough until he came again. The only troublesome thing was washing the

This service slowly became obsolete due to several factors. With pasteurization, improved refrigeration, and increased availability in the local supermarket, home delivery demand dropped. Your 1950’s housewife had access to the family vehicle and it became more convenient to run to the store to fetch your own milk, as a part of your weekly grocery shopping. Not to mention, dairy farms were able to expand; thus increasing distribution, lowering prices, and ultimately cutting into the milkman’s profits. With today’s increased demand for fresh, whole foods, having an old-fashioned milkman service seems to be one that is making a

comeback to the 21st century American family. Santa Ana, California has a modern day milkman who delivers fresh milk, cheese, butter, bread, and eggs to over 4800 homes in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. He delivers no more than 48 hours after the milk is taken from the cow. And then there is Manhattan Milk, a New York City based company, offering weekly milk delivery service, complete with the old-fashioned uniforms, and milk straight from grass-fed cows in the Amish Country of Pennsylvania, delivered to the shipping warehouse the day before it is delivered to a doorstep. Although Austin doesn’t have a milkman delivery service as of yet, hopefully it is just over the horizon! Fast-paced food production has taken away vital nutrients that overprocessing can do to our foods. Foods that are meant to be eaten in their freshest forms are slowly becoming so over-processed, one would argue if they should even be eaten at all, milk included. Not only would a delivery service support smaller dairy farms, but it would offer a convenience to very busy families! There would be peace of mind knowing your milk is coming straight from the source with very little processing taking place. You would also be supporting a small business, and you’d be giving the very best milk available to your family. So come on, Austin! Jump on the “milkwagon” and let’s turn back time to a milk home delivery service! Pieper Stewart

Betty and Faye are my two grandmothers, ages 85 and 75. As a mother myself, I've had an especially strong yearning to learn all I can baout their experiences raising children. This column compares and contrasts what I've learned and hold dear, mom to mom, from these precious two women I admire and love.

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Why Study Latin? Not long ago, Latin was considered a necessity for a good education. In fact, most universities required entering freshmen to read the work of Vergil and Cicero with considerable fluency. Recent generations; however, decided to put aside the study of classical language for more seemingly practical studies. With a resurgence of classical education, parents are beginning to ask, “Why Latin?” Briefly, here are five benefits your student could experience by incorporating Latin into their studies. The first benefit is a better understanding of the English language. English derives approximately 60% of its words from Latin. Lest you think derivatives like animal, honor and toga were adopted centuries ago, please remember computer (computo) and facsimile (fac + similis). In coining new words, the technological age turned to antiquity. Vocabulary and grammar improve as one studies Latin. English grammar is complex in all its variances and exceptions. Many students find it easier to learn complex grammatical concepts in Latin, a more systematic language, and then apply them to English. Secondly, since Latin helps students’ understanding of English, classified as a Germanic language, it stands to reason that it would be of even greater help to those languages directly derived from Latin. Five modern languages call Latin their parent language; these Romance languages are Spanish, French, Italian, Romanian and Portuguese. These languages derive more than 80% of their words from Latin! Can we truly call Latin a dead language when her words have spread globally in her descendants? Next, Latin lives on as the language of the sciences. Ask any doctor, botanist, zoologist, et cetera how well a grasp of Latin serves them. Scientists have long classified all flora, fauna, and other matter according to a nomenclature system using Latin. The reason for this choice? As these sciences developed long ago, Latin was the common tongue of every educated man. It was the one language in which all could communicate. Fourth, Latin significantly increases verbal scores on tests such as the SAT and GRE exams. In a recent study comparing 2009 SAT scores among students who studied languages for four years, Latin students produced the top scores in reading and the second highest in writing! More surprising may be the fact that analytical and problem solving scores, often associated with math skills, also increase significantly among Latin students. The reading of advanced Latin literature, such as the poetry of Vergil and the prose of Cicero, is a mental exercise that might be compared to training for a triathlon. Students must carefully consider grammar, word arrangement, and vocabulary in order to see the pictures painted by these literary artists. When they do, the treasures of classical history and philosophy are there just waiting to be discovered. The demonstrated correlation between the study of Latin and significantly increased SAT scores is worth considering when selecting a language for study. Last, but certainly not least, is the fact that the foundation of western civilization can be found in ancient Rome. You can find inspiration from the classical ages in architecture, rhetoric, art and engineering. Latin has left its mark on our universities, government, seals, and even our coinage. A study in Latin is more than a language course; it is a course in world knowledge. Karen Moore Latin Chair at Grace Academy of Georgetown Author of Latin Alive! and Libellus de Historia

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Who's JoiningYou for Thanksgiving? by John Pound

ant to have a special guest over for Thanksgiving? Have you considered giving God such an invitation? With a little reading you can discover what makes Him feel at home; what He would appreciate. God already has a home and we can learn what makes Him comfortable by looking at what surrounds Him all the time. If you want Him to come to your place, you may need to create an atmosphere that is more like His place. In the Book of Revelation, chapters 4 and 5, (don’t panic here, I’ll keep it simple) we can see what the Apostle John saw in God’s home. It is full of colors and sounds that make Hollywood pale in comparison. There is the sound of thunder and flashes of lightning, and angels and creatures speaking with loud voices, making proclamations and singing songs of praise. Heaven is far from sedate. There are twenty-four elders with harps (symbolizing worship) and bowls of incense (symbolizing prayers) in their hands, and they are constantly worshipping God before His throne.

If you want Him to come to your place, you may need to create an atmosphere that is more like His place. One thing we learn is that God loves worship and prayer. Jesus told the woman at the well (John 4) that the Father is seeking worshippers who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. We also see in the Bible (Ez. 22:30; Is. 59:16) that He seeks those who will pray, called intercessors. Hmm…harps (worship) and bowls of incense (intercession). He is not only seeking them, but they fill His house. But how should we praise Him, so that He feels at home with us? Revelation 4:9 gives us a clue here. It says that whenever the living creatures (created to surround God’s throne with constant praise and watchfulness) give “glory and honor and thanks to Him who is seated 20

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on the throne,” the twenty-four elders fall down Finally, we give “Thanks”. (You knew I’d get there.) We thank Him for all that He has done, before Him and worship. is doing, and will do! He is the source of every These three words are very helpful for us in good thing that comes into our lives, and even those things that don’t look so good at the time. creating the atmosphere God loves: Thanksgiving opens the door for God to take We give God “Glory” for who He is, for all of His everything and eventually make it work out for attributes. Just begin to describe God, or as I our good. And what father doesn’t appreciate a tell our people, “Tell Him what you appreciate sincere “thank you” for the things he’s done for about Him.” Give Him glory for being the his children? awesome God that He is. You can sing it, shout it, or whisper it, but praise is not silent, and He Of course the Lord always enjoys “alone time” with His children, but you can do this as a group loves the atmosphere of praise. or family, as well. Take turns giving Him glory. Tell Him what We give God “Honor” for His position of • you love most about Him and describe authority. He is God over all. One day, every Him to the others in the group. This is what knee will bow to Him as God, but we have the it means to “magnify” the Lord. “Enlarge” privilege of doing it now. And as we humble Him by using your words to describe Him ourselves before Him, He honors us with His to others. presence and begins to lift our lives out of Give God honor by yielding to Him various insignificance into an eternal purpose. He • aspects of your life in front of the other shares His honor with His children. witnesses. Make Him Lord of your time, job, relationships, finances, home, etc. www.AustinFaithandFamily.com www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

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Finally, don’t forget to bring thanks. What is it that He has done for you or your group this last year that you are most thankful for?

Most conversations are not merely one-sided, at least not the enjoyable ones! After you have brought glory, honor, and thanks to your Guest, take some time to listen. He loves to speak to those who will give him the chance. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice.” Wait for Him to speak to you or your group. He can speak through your voices. We are His body and we can bring His good news to others. So I give you the challenge: set some time aside, put on some worship music, and invite God in! Give Him glory, honor, and thanks. He says in Revelation 3:20, “Behold! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone will open the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” It could be a Thanksgiving feast that you will never forget!

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Thanksgiving This Is How We Do It My Daughter's Favorite Sweet Potatoes 2 cans of yams w/juice 3/4 cup butter 1 cup evaporated milk 1/2 tsp vanilla 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp cinnamon Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Here are a few ideas from our staff of writers to make your holiday experience this Thanksgiving season a time of giving, relaxation, lots of fun, and good food!

Lauren's Stuffing

Beat above ingredients together and pour into a 13 x 9" casserole dish. Bake for 20 minutes.

My favorite recipe/tradition that has been handed down from my grandmother is stuffing the turkey with cream of wheat instead of regular dressing. Simply make the cream of wheat with just water, no milk (extra thick) and place it in the turkey before baking. The end result is a creamy sweet dish with the juices of the turkey. My kids love it and look forward to it every year! -Lauren Lacy

Topping 1 cup Crushed Cracklin Oat Bran cereal 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup chopped pecans 3/4 stick butter (melted) Mix topping ingredients into melted butter and spread over yam mixture after it has baked for 20 minutes. Bake an additional 15 minutes at 400 degrees. -JoAnn Armstrong

What's for Breakfast? If you're in the holiday mood but not wanting to take on Thanksgiving dinner, try contributing a good breakfast food for the holidays! Here's my favorite, pumpkin bread, passed down from...a Betty Crocker cookbook. 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin 1 2/3 cups sugar 2/3 cup vegetable oil 2 teaspoons vanilla 4 eggs 3 cups flour 1/2 cup nuts (optional) 1/2 cup raisins (optional) 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2 inches, or 1 loaf pan 9x5x3 inches, with shortening. Stir together pumpkin, sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into pans. Bake 8-inch loaves 50 minutes, 9-inch loaf 1 hour 10 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove loaves from pans and place top side up on wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days. -Abby Pound

Leftovers? Al's Favorite! Put the entire leftover carcass of the turkey (skin & bones, no liver) in a large stock pot of water, around 1 gallon. Add one whole carrot, celery rib and onion along with Tbsp. salt & 5 to 6 whole peppercorns. Simmer on very low for at least 8 hours, overnight is best.

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In the morning, raise heat to reduce amount to about 2 quarts of liquid. Cool, strain, & skim off fat (if desired). Use 4 cups of broth to cook 2 cups of white rice with more chopped onions for 20 minutes until done. Take remaining 4 cups broth and make a thin gravy using flour to thicken to right consistency. Add 3 Tbsp of butter for flavor if you skimmed off the fat.

After gravy is ready, add 2-3 cups of chopped turkey meat into the gravy & heat on low until warmed through. Mix with the rice or serve separately. The long simmering time makes the broth taste absolutely wonderful!

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-Al Jones www.AustinFaithandFamily.com www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

A Healthy Family Tradition

Last Thanksgiving three of my siblings and I did something extraordinary. We woke up early and went to run the ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot in downtown Austin! Well, actually I should say, I ran, and they walked. Those five miles were a piece of cake for me, but they finished an hour after I did. But being there was an experience we will never forget. At first, my siblings weren’t really excited about running five miles. When they crossed the finish line, they clearly told me they weren’t doing that ever again. They also told me I was crazy for talking them into doing it. When we got home, they were starving and there was plenty of food to eat. I quietly knew they were glad to have run in the morning, because now they would not feel guilty for eating as much as they did. The funny thing is my siblings are looking forward to running this year. They have already started training. I guess they really enjoyed being a part of something awesome. But I bet the most important reason why they are doing it again is because of the fact that they can eat as much as they want when the race is over. Run five miles first, eat five pieces of pie later. Lose five pounds in the morning and gain them back in the afternoon. Life can’t get any better than that. J This Thanksgiving Day is the 20th annual ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot. It benefits the helpful organization of Caritas in Austin. The trot consists of a five mile run, one mile walk, and a Kids K. If you want to start a healthy tradition this Thanksgiving day, run the Turkey Trot! http://www.thundercloud.com/index.php/trot-home -Maria Arreola

Ginny's Memory One really special Thanksgiving was when we all dressed up like either pilgrims or Indians. We had really overdone Christmas the year before, so we gave thank-you gifts on Thanksgiving... little special things about how thankful we were for each one. Then we didn't really give Christmas gifts as usual, although of course we celebrated and did a little bit of gift giving. This particular Thanksgiving will be remembered as a favorite by all. -Ginny Hurley

Surviving Black Friday

Shopping on Black Friday? Here are Marcy’s tips on how to survive!

Shoes for walking! – Your feet will thank you when the day is done. Use coupons – Scour the newspaper for the best deals before you set out. Rise early – Some places offer treats to those who arrive first! Visit department stores first – Popular items go quick, so get in line. If it’s gone – laugh! No gift is worth pushing and shoving over. Verify your receipts – Make sure you received the advertised discount! Eat dinner out – After shopping all day, don’t even think about cooking at home!

-Marcy Lytle

Give the Love of Christ in a Shoebox!

Operation Christmas Child

reaches millions of children around the world each year with the good news of Christ, giving them a shoebox Christmas gift and inviting them to The Greatest Journey discipleship program. Since 1993, over 77 million gifts have been delivered to children in over 130 countries--children growing up amidst poverty, disease, war, and natural disaster. Operation Christmas Child, with the help of donations from volunteers across the US, plans on giving a record-breaking number of shoebox gifts to the children of Haiti in the 2010 Christmas season.

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To Donate:

Step 1: Decide if your gift will be for a boy or girl, cut out the appropriate tag from page 46 of this magazine, and check the appropriate age range, and tape it to the top of a shoebox. Step 2: Fill the shoebox with small goodies that would make any child happy on Christmas, including small toys and games, school and art supplies, and hygeine products. Wrap the box and its lid in a rubberband. Step 3: Drop off your shoebox donation to one of the Austin drop-off locations between November 15th and November 22nd.

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For more information, and for a list of Austin drop-off locations, visit samaritanspurse.org/occ Aust in FAITH t in & FAMILY Aus FAITH & FAMILY

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

November Student of the Month Do you know a student who deserves the spotlight for a month? If you know of a student in the Austin area that excels in academics, sportsmanship, sharing with others, or any reason to note their character or achievements; please submit their name, why you think they would be a good candidate, and contact info to marcy@austinfaithandfamily. com. We would love to highlight children of all ages for their accomplishments of all kinds!

Monday, Nov 1 Dr. Tony Campolo: “Beyond Acts of Kindness” – Concordia University Texas Fieldhouse at 7pm. His keynote speech will focus on service to others as empowering and reciprocal, and he will look beyond some of the common ways Christians approach service and point toward ways to truly serve well. This is a free event.

Tuesday, Nov 2 Grace Academy Open House – Grace Academy at 7pm. As a Classical, Christian school, Grace Academy is committed to educating the children of believers who desire a challenging academic environment which also aims to include a Biblical worldview through our Christ-centered curriculum. Open House is a chance to hear about classical education, meet our faculty members, ask questions about our admission process, and hear about God’s faithfulness through the years. Shrek the Musical – Bass Concert Hall at various times. Based on the OscarWinning DreamWorks film that started it all, this musical brings the hilarious story of everyone’s favorite ogre to life on stage – featuring a terrific score of 19 all-new songs, big laughs, great dancing, and breathtaking scenery.

Wednesday, Nov 3 Judgment House – Unexpected - First Baptist Church Elgin at various times. Judgment House is a walk-through drama that takes place in a series of up to nine rooms. This year’s production centers around a family that seems to have it all until one night a group of teenagers, who are texting while driving, impact an entire community.

The production is not suitable for children under age 8. Shrek the Musical – Bass Concert Hall at various times. Based on the OscarWinning DreamWorks film that started it all, this musical brings the hilarious story of everyone’s favorite ogre to life on stage featuring a terrific score of 19 all-new songs, big laughs, great dancing, and breathtaking scenery.

Thursday, Nov 4 Judgment House – Unexpected – First Baptist Church Elgin at various times. Judgment House is a walk-through drama that takes place in a series of up to nine rooms. This year’s production centers around a family that seems to have it all until one night a group of teenagers, who are texting while driving, impact an entire community. The production is not suitable for children under age 8. SHINE Conference – Shoreline Church at 7pm. Don’t forget to bring the girls in your world to the conference. For SHINE details, check out website at www.shinewomen. com. Shrek the Musical – Bass Concert Hall at various times. Based on the OscarWinning DreamWorks film that started it all, this musical brings the hilarious story of everyone’s favorite ogre to life on stage featuring a terrific score of 19 all-new songs, big laughs, great dancing, and breathtaking scenery. 6-8pm, Life Bridge (a ministry of Christian Women's Job Corps) is hosting their graduation celebration at Great Hills Baptist Church in the Great Hall. Come be inspired and help celebrate women completing an 8-week course in Bible study, life skills, job skills, and ESL. Dinner is included. RSVP to Linda at 512-343-7763 ext. 602.

Friday, Nov 5 Judgment House – Unexpected – First Baptist Church Elgin at various times. Judgment House is a walk-through drama that takes place in a series of up to nine rooms. This year’s production centers around a family that seems to have it all until one night a group of teenagers, who are texting while driving, impact an entire community. The production is not suitable for children under age 8. SHINE Conference – Shoreline Church at 7pm. Don’t forget to bring the girls in your world to the conference. For SHINE details, check out website at www.shinewomen.com Shrek the Musical – Bass Concert Hall at various times. Based on the OscarWinning DreamWorks film that started it all, this musical brings the hilarious story of everyone’s favorite ogre to life on stage featuring a terrific score of 19 all-new songs, big laughs, great dancing, and breathtaking scenery.

Saturday, Nov 6 Austin Lyric Opera – La Traviata – The Long Center - various times. “Opera at its soulstirring, spirit-lifting, heartbreaking best.” GWCA/CAN International Adoption Workshop – Milwood Austin Public Library starting at 12:30pm. If you are considering international adoption for your family, join us for a free international adoption workshop, hosted by Great Wall/Children of All Nations Staff.

Helping the Homeless – Covenant Presbyterian Church from 9:30am -11:00am. Register online at www.streetyouthministry. com Judgment House – Unexpected – First Baptist Church Elgin at various times. Judgment House is a walk-through drama that takes place in a series of up to nine rooms. This year’s production centers around a family that seems to have it all until one night a group of teenagers, who are texting while driving, impact can entire community. The production is not suitable for children under age 8.

World of Hope Bazaar – Hope Presbyterian Church at various times. Do your holiday shopping and support fair trade businesses. Purchase high quality goods created by artisans from around the world.

Wednesday, Nov 8 Austin Lyric Opera – La Traviata – The Long Center - “Opera at its soul-stirring, spiritlifting, heartbreaking best.”

Thursday, Nov 9

Palm Valley’s 4th Annual Fall Fair – Palm Valley Lutheran Church at 10am. Bring canned food donations for the Round Rock Food Bank and play kids games for FREE!

Greater Impact – Austin Stone’s For the City Center from 8:30am – 2pm. Mobilizing the church community, planning Phase 2.

SHINE Conference – Shoreline Church at 7pm. Don’t forget to bring the girls in your world to the conference. For SHINE details, check out website at www.shinewomen.com

Austin Lyric Opera – La Traviata – The Long Center - “Opera at its soul-stirring, spiritlifting, heartbreaking best”

Shrek the Musical – Bass Concert Hall at various times. Based on the OscarWinner DreamWorks film that started it all, this musical brings the hilarious story of everyone’s favorite ogre to life on stage featuring a terrific score of 19 all-new songs, big laughs, great dancing, and breathtaking scenery. World Of Hope Bazaar – Hope Presbyterian Church at various times. Do your holiday shopping and support fair trade businesses. Purchase high quality goods created by artisans from around the world.

Friday, Nov 10 Saturday, Nov 11 Fall Fun Fest – Future Home of the Bridge Community Church - starting at 10am. Bring your family. Leave your wallet at home! We would like to treat your whole family to a fun day out. Come enjoy free food, games for kids of all ages, prizes, candy, hayrides, inflatables and giveaways throughout the day. Surviving the Holidays – Austin Christian Fellowship Church from 6:45pm – 8:45pm. Surviving the Holidays seminar for those grieving the loss of a loved one.

Tuesday, Nov 12 Austin Lyric Opera – La Traviata – The Long Center - “Opera at its soul-stirring, spiritlifting, heartbreaking best”

Most Powerful Voices

Wednesday, Nov 20 Free Healthy Pre-Marriage Workshop – New Hope Church starting at 9am. Couple must pre-register to attend. The curriculum is Prepare Enrich, and the workshop is part of the Twogether in Texas healthy marriage program that waives $60 off a couple’s marriage license fee, for those who attend an 8-hour workshop.

Thursday, Nov 21 Sunday, Nov 7 22nd Annual Lone Star Vegetarian Chili Cook Off – Old Settlers Park from 11:30am – 5pm. Chili teams from all over Texas will delight you with an amazing array of delicious, healthy meatless chili as they compete for best chili and best booth. $8 for ages 13 and up and $4 ages 6-12. Fall Festival – Holy Family Catholic School starting at 10:30am. Come enjoy a family fun filled day with kids, games, bingo, chili cookoff, tractor ride, Texas Hold em’ tournament, petting zoo, auction, BBQ dinner and dancing. Shrek the Musical – Bass Concert Hall at various times. Based on the Oscarwinning DreamWorks film that started it all, this musical brings the hilarious story of everyone’s favorite ogre to life on stage featuring a terrific score of 19 all-new songs, big laughs, great dancing, and breathtaking scenery.

DON'T MISS! Annual Lake Travis Crisis Ministries Thanksgiving Concert Sunday, November 21, 2pm at The Lakeway Church

Benefitting the Lake Travis Crisis Ministries, which helps individuals and families in the Lake Travis Community with their basic needs of food, clothing, shelter and health-care. Join us in giving our thanks to God! Austin Civic Orchestra and Austin Symphonic Band Live at the Long Center –starting at 3pm. Austin’s two premier community music organizations are joining forces to present a performance of great

Meet AFF's SALES REP! series of mission trips to Central America, Africa, the In her current role at AFF, Susan feels blessed to be

Susan is Austin Faith & Family's advertising sales guru. Her expertise runs deep, with a degree in advertising from UT Austin and 13 years of experience working at ad agencies, and radio and TV stations in Dallas and Austin. In 2007 Susan took a break from the ad biz, and, in faith, downsized her lifestyle and went on a

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Middle East, and India. God opened her eyes to the needs of the poor around the world, and upon her return to the U.S. she spent two years working in inner city ministry in East Austin. She met her husband, Todd, while they were both serving at Mission Possible. They were married in January and are expecting their first baby in December!

able to use her advertising experience to help faithand family-friendly businesses and non-profits grow. If you'd like to find out more about how your organization can benefit from advertising in AFF, shoot Susan an email and she'll be glad to help you!

Susan@AustinFaithandFamily.com

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November 2010 classical music. The concert marks the first time wither group has performed in the Long Center, the first time that a woman has conducted at the Long Center, and one of the very few times that community groups have had the opportunity to play in Dell Hall.

Saturday, Nov 23 A Tuna Christmas – The Paramount Theatre at various times. The Paramount holiday tradition is back – Master comedians Sears and Williams, with their deft comedic timing, trademark characterizations and split second costume changes, portray all 24 citizens of Tuna, the third smallest town in Texas where the Lion’s Club is too liberal and Patsy Cline never dies.

Sunday, Nov 24 A Tuna Christmas – The Paramount Theatre at various times. The Paramount holiday tradition is back – Master comedians Sears and Williams, with their deft comedic timing, trademark characterizations and split second costume changes, portray all 24 citizens of Tuna, the third smallest town in Texas where the Lion’s Club is too liberal and Patsy Cline never dies.

Monday, Nov 25 A Tuna Christmas – The Paramount Theatre at various times. The Paramount holiday tradition is back – Master comedians Sears and Williams, with their deft comedic timing, trademark characterizations and split second costume changes, portray all 24 citizens of Tuna, the third smallest town in Texas where

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the Lion’s Club is too liberal and Patsy Cline never dies.

elf knows a thing or two about faking the Yuletide spirit.

Tuesday, Nov 26

Thursday, Nov 28

A Tuna Christmas – The Paramount Theatre at various times. The Paramount holiday tradition is back – Master comedians Sears and Williams, with their deft comedic timing, trademark characterizations and split second costume changes, portray all 24 citizens of Tuna, the third smallest town in Texas where the Lion’s Club is too liberal and Patsy Cline never dies.

The Santaland Diaries – The ZACH Theater at various times. Martin Burke and Meredith McCall are reunited again at this year’s The Santaland Diaries – where our little Macy’s elf knows a thing or two about faking the Yuletide spirit.

Wednesday, Nov 27 A Tuna Christmas – The Paramount Theatre at various times. The Paramount holiday tradition is back – Master comedians Sears and Williams, with their deft comedic timing, trademark characterizations and split second costume changes, portray all 24 citizens of Tuna, the third smallest town in Texas where the Lion’s Club is too liberal and Patsy Cline never dies. The Santaland Diaries – The ZACH Theater at various times. Martin Burke and Meredith McCall are reunited again at this year’s The Santaland Diaries - where our little Macy’s

The Santaland Diaries – The ZACH Theater at various times. Martin Burke and Meredith McCall are reunited again at this year’s The Santaland Diaries - where our little Macy’s elf knows a thing or two about faking the Yuletide spirit.

Friday, Nov 29 The Santaland Diaries – The ZACH Theater at various times. Martin Burke and Meredith McCall are reunited again at this year’s The Santaland Diaries - where our little Macy’s elf knows a thing or two about faking the Yuletide spirit.

Saturday, Nov 30 The Santaland Diaries – The ZACH Theater at various times. Martin Burke and Meredith McCall are reunited again at this year’s The Santaland Diaries - where our little Macy’s elf knows a thing or two about faking the Yuletide spirit.

Susan Hart Bio

The need to create has always been important to me, through oil painting, teaching esthetics, or implementing business strategies. Being an artist has given me a unique perspective on business in the beauty industry. I started my journey 25 years ago as a model, but quickly realized my true love for enhancing beauty as a make-up artist. I dropped my contract with Elite Modeling Agency to start a family, but maintained my passion for the beauty industry. While raising three children, I continued my education and obtained an Esthetician's license. I flew around the country to wherever the latest techniques and products were being developed, to expand my knowledge of the industry. One of the highlights of my career was working for a cosmetics company based out of Beverly Hills called Visage Beaute. I learned how to launch and manage a new company from the ground up. Shortly after, I designed and developed Medical Day Spas along the West Coast. I moved to Round Rock in 2005 and immediately fell in love with the historic downtown. Here I combined my passion and experience to create a business that combines the luxuries of Austin with the local charm of Round Rock.

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Brian Courtney Wilson Back on Track

ustin will no doubt be blessed this month when gospel charttoppers Brian Courtney Wilson and Dr. Marvin Sapp perform at the Heart Association’s Most Powerful Voices Gospel Tour, sponsored locally by the Seton Family of Hospitals and Austin Faith & Family magazine. Local choirs and independent artists have been competing since Septtember to win a chance to open for Wilson and Sapp at the stroke-awareness gospel concert on November 6th at PromiseLand Church. AFF interviewed contemporary gospel newcomer and break-through artist Brian Courtney Wilson who was in New York City at the time. “What we’ve been doing today is walking down Times Square with a sign and a picture of me, and the words “Just Love” written in huge letters. I’m seeing a burden lifted - love lifts burdens,” said Wilson. Just Love is the title of his first CD, which debuted nationally on the Music World Gospel label, whose founder and CEO is Matthew Knowles (Beyonce’s father). The CD entered at #2 on the Billboard Top Gospel Album chart and #6 on Billboard’s Top Christian Album chart, and since its release in June 2009 has held steady in the Top 15 on the Billboard Top Gospel Album chart for over 62 weeks. The CD was birthed out of the artist’s own life experience and relationship with God. Describing the message of his first single, “All I Need” Wilson says, “The world will make you feel disqualified from the love of God

for the mistakes you’ve made, but you don’t have to look to people to qualify you and make you worthy of God’s calling - all you need is His touch. He’s present in your life, you don’t have to conjure him up or go through religious rigmarole to make him want to be with you.” He then quotes John 3:16 and continues with passionate conviction, “After Christ died he sent a comforter for us, so lose the guilt and shame and just love and expect to be loved.” The Chicago native is no stranger to feeling unworthy of God’s calling. Memories of his own prodigal journey anchor his compassion for others who are in need of God’s grace. “I led like a sheltered childhood. My parents kept a tight reign on what I did, so when I went off to college I sowed my wild oats, so to speak. I certainly wasn’t thinking about God having a plan for me to be a minister of the gospel.” After college came success in the corporate business world and lots of partying. “It’s okay to let go of the past and the mistakes we make. There are certainly going to be consequences, but you can move on and get back on track.” Despite the rapid success of his first CD, Wilson remains humble, giving glory to God and giving back to the community that raised him up. He joined the Heart Association’s Most Powerful Voices Gospel Tour to lend the power of his voice to their national “Power to End Stroke” campaign. The Heart Association approached him about joining the tour because of what he was doing with his own lifestyle by exercising and eating healthy. “I try to play basketball at least 2-3 times a week and make healthy choices about what I eat. But I have to confess my weakness is chicken wings from the Wingstop, so it’s not like I’m preaching, it’s more like we’re into this together!” Together with tour headliner Dr. Marvin Sapp, Wilson uses his talent and creativity to get potentially life-saving information to African-Americans, who are three times more likely to die from a stroke than any other race. For Wilson, the task is personal - his own grandfather suffered a stroke before passing away. Wilson quotes several risk factors that put African-Americans at a greater risk for stroke and heart attack, “Too many people in our community are making lifestyle choices that exacerbate their risk: eating too many fried foods, high cholesterol, lack of exercise, uncontrolled diabetes, smoking, and being overweight.” Thankfully, a stroke is largely preventable. Anyone can pay attention to the risk factors and make a commitment to help loved ones and friends reduce their risk. They can also make a declaration to take control of their health and “take the pledge” by visiting www.powertoendstroke.org. The biggest thing a person can do is to be disciplined day-in and dayout, making the small choices that reduce risks the most. Wilson shares one of his secrets, “One thing my wife and I do often is make greens. We used to boil all the nutrients right out of them, but now we sauté them lightly in a little bit of olive oil or vinegar. We also use smoked turkey instead of pork, which is way lower in fat.” Wilson’s parting words for AFF readers were those of inspiration and challenge. “We’ve been talking about God’s love a lot. Wouldn’t it be great if everybody walked in that love all the time - I don’t know too many people who do - maybe just Mother Theresa. Try to take the little bit of love you have and don’t be afraid to share it. You are worthy enough to try.” Susan Stern

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Life

City Scene Cooking Out & About Travel

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CityScene:

_________, Lori DeVillez, Susan Stern Nash Horne, Preston Moore

APRC Fall Extravaganza

Annette Becerra-Director, Suzy PoeOwner, Meagan Powell-Asst. Director

Curious George Live! at the Frank Erwin Center

Kids R Kids Ribbon Cutting

Susan Stern, Pam Tebow, Todd Stern

For the City Ribbon Cutting

Julie and Allen Weeks

Make a Difference Tour with Toby Mac, Michael W. Smith, Third Day & Max Lucado

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Caring Family Network Patty Grose, Sarah Mercado, Chrissi McMullen, Scott Engelke

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Reagan High School marching band

Dick Rolph, Jon Dorris, Barbara Bucklin, Laura Thompson, Mike Macari, Donna McNeill, Mark Henderson

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Life

Cooking

Simple & Good T

hanksgiving means my mom’s pecan pie, and my macaroni and cheese. My mom is famous for her pie, and I became “famous” because I would have at least one dish on the table that my picky son would eat at Thanksgiving. Yes, I taught him to eat all the right things, but he still prefers mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and turkey – that’s it – for his Thanksgiving dinner.

My mom is an amazing woman of 83 years. She still works full time, runs her own magazine subscription agency, she never seems to tire, and she makes Rosalee Clearman- 1946 the best pecan pie around – so everyone says. It might have something to do with the pecans. My dad, 85 years young, has pruned, loved on, and shot squirrels out of, his huge stately pecan tree that graces the front yard of his house. It's so large, he has poles propping up the limbs when they’re heavy with pecans. Every year, he gathers pecans from his tree, and other trees around town, and starts “picking them out” by hand, to give away as gifts. Of course, they return back to him in homemade goodies, which is perhaps the reason he gives! My macaroni recipe, if it can even be called a recipe, was born out of memories of my grandmother’s mac-n-cheese when I was a young girl. She used extremely large noodles (where did she find them?) and creamy, buttery cheese. So after years of trying, I came up with my own way of copying it, and my kids always request it. Below are our two recipes. Mine is about as simple as you can get, but it’s really tasty. Mom’s recipe is tried and true, and will be the hit at your dessert table this year. She says it’s so good because, “It’s not as sweet, and it’s a little different from others.” She got the recipe out of a cookbook she received as a wedding gift in 1946 entitled Mary Lyles Wilson’s New Cookbook!

Mom’s Pecan Pie • • • • • • • •

1/2 cup sugar 2 tbsp butter 3 eggs 1 tbsp flour ¼ tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup white Karo syrup 1 cup pecans

Cream butter, sugar, flour and salt – add beaten eggs, extract and syrup. Beat well. Add pecans and beat again. Pour into piecrust. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes, or until filling is firm.

As far as Thanksgiving goes, Mom says, “Thanksgiving is a time to pause and give thanks for blessings we tend to take for granted. A time to think about family and friends and how blessed we are to be loved by them, a time to forgive some we may have been hurt by. We are blessed to have a forgiving Savior who will forgive us and clean our slate to put things behind us. It’s a time to love more - maybe the people that are unlovable. Family is everything to me for which I am so THANKFUL – the Joy of living!” Marcy Lytle

To read more of Mary Lyles Wilson’s recipes, visit: http://www.onread.com/book/Mrs-Wilson-s-Cook-Book-a-Complete-Collection-of-OriginalRecipes-And-1034833

Macaroni and Cheese (diet unfriendly) • • • •

One large package of large elbow macaroni Kraft Deli Deluxe American Cheese slices Lots of butter Salt

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and pour in the macaroni, making sure to stir occasionally, so it doesn’t stick to the bottom. Let it cook until completely done – none of that al dente stuff – and pour half of the noodles into a 13X9 dish. Place pats of butter (lots) atop the macaroni, and then a layer of cheese slices. Pour in the rest of the macaroni and repeat the process. Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese and butter melt, and then stir. It’s creamy, yummy, goodness. 28

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Out and About

ny time is a great time to get out and about and explore our wonderful city and Central Texas area! We are blessed to live in this part of Texas where we have wonderful weather most of the year. In the coming months we will explore many fun things to do in and around the Austin/Central Texas area. Generally they will be low budget ideas, but I am sure you can tweak them to fit your family’s unique personality. Autumn is a fun time to take pictures while exploring the Austin area. My first suggestion is to take a day and go on a Photo Safari. You might end up with a great photo or two to frame for Christmas presents, or just make an album of your family in some of the unique Austin photo spots! Start out the day and find the HI, HOW ARE YOU wall at 21st and Guadalupe. It is a cute mural on the side of a building, around the UT campus. On the campus, there is a giant statue of Bevo behind the Co-Op on San Antonio Street that is fun for pictures (if you’re a Longhorn fan) and, of course, the UT Tower or the Littlefield Fountain. This area is usually pretty busy during the week in the fall, but weekends are a bit slower, unless there is a home football game! That might call for an early morning outing since the students do not usually get out and about before 11 a.m.! There is much to explore on the UT campus in addition to these obvious suggestions. There is a turtle pond behind the UT tower, outside of the biology building. Kids love to watch the turtles and sometimes they stack themselves up on the rocks, which is fun to see. Many of the old buildings have pretty, unique doors that make cool pictures. My daughter had her wedding portraits made around the tower and the Architecture Building.

rotating statue of a bat, created in honor of our large bat population! Around the corner on Auditorium Shores is a statue of Stevie Ray Vaughn, a tremendous blues musician, and Lady Bird Johnson’s gazebo on Lady Bird Lake! While you are in this area, take the kids across Riverside Drive to the Long Center where there is a knoll built with a concrete trail winding up the hill. It is fun to climb, and the view is great when you get to the top. Also, if the weather is still warm, there is an area where water squirts up randomly and children are allowed to play. This is a nice area with benches and great opportunities for pictures and people watching!

Life

Just a Goo

continue, but at this point I personally would venture south on Congress Avenue to my favorite candy/soda place, the Big Top Candy Shop! Mom and Dad, and even grandparents, will enjoy the variety of unique candy, many I have not seen in stores for a very long time. They also have ice cream and a real, authentic soda fountain! We took some great pictures of our family in this store and we hope to use them for our Christmas cards this year! Enjoy your photo safari, and look for more fun ideas in next month’s issue…

Of course your photo safari could take you many more places in Austin if you wanted to

Vicki Lancaster

Your photo safari could include packing a picnic lunch or picking up something to eat in a park, such as Harris Park, which is off of 26th Street north of campus. The UT/downtown area does have some homeless people, and sharing your lunch with them might give you a great opportunity to illustrate to your children the love of Jesus. If you want to adventure further on your safari, you could visit the Capitol of Texas grounds for many photo opportunities with statues and squirrels (you might want to share some leftover lunch with them; they are always hungry!). Down Congress Avenue and across the Congress Avenue Bridge is a www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

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Life

Travel

Travel Packing Solutions

ith most airlines charging for luggage, many travelers are struggling for ways to be creative in their packing. If your plans are a weekend get-away, a carry-on is great. But if you are planning a one week, two week, or even more extensive vacation, you must pay the price. When you are looking at the cost of an airline ticket, know the “cheap-o” online price may come with $100+ in baggage fees. Make sure you check all those details before you purchase. In this article, I hope to give you a few tips in packing that may be new to you, so that the next time you travel you will know you have done the best you can to lessen those extra costs. For the Men: When it comes to a wardrobe, men are lucky they can get away with a basic “uniform,” built around a few button-down shirts, jeans or khakis, and a sweater or blazer. It’s important to pack neutral colors that can mix and match. Here are some packing suggestions: 1. Wrinkle-free fabrics - many companies offer these. 2. Blazer- a sports jacket in a dark color works in nearly every situation. 3. Pullover sweater - pair it with a collared shirt and tie at night and a t-shirt by day. 4. 2-3 pair of pants - jeans, khakis and black slacks - launder as you go. 5. Shoes - look for comfortable walking shoes that are sharp enough to wear at night.

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For the Ladies: For most women, traveling light is a challenge. A general rule to follow: every piece must be able to multitask. Limit your color palette, opting for solids or simple prints, and choose items that can be layered. Also, look for wrinklefree fabrics. I hope these tips will never have you checking a second bag again: 1. The Basic Dress - one solid colored dress that can transition from day to night and coordinate with others items in your wardrobe – this is key. 2. 2-3 pair of pants - jeans to dress up or down, and black pants - a must. Maybe one skirt. 3. T-shirts - bring a few. They are great basics which can be accessorized to wear alone or layered under almost anything. One white, one black, and get creative with others. 4. Tops - a nice blouse or two will look chic alone or under a cardigan. 5. Shoes - limit yourself to three pair: flats, sensible heels and athletic shoes. How to Pack in 5 Easy Steps: 1. Distribute weight intelligently: put heavier items on the bottom of the suitcase. This includes shoes (in plastic bags), rolled jeans, and blazers/sweaters/jackets. 2. Use bags to organize: Ziplocs are great for small accessories and toiletries. Placing undergarments in a lingerie bag will protect them from damage.

3. Roll your casual clothes: this will minimize creasing and maximize space. Works best for light-weight pieces - shirts, khakis, cottons, etc. Use them to fill in spaces. 4. Fold sweaters/bulky items: these can be folded and placed in compression sacks, which can be purchased at most discount stores. Takes out all of the air for compact packing. 5. Delicate Items: Use tissue paper or dry cleaner bags to separate them. Remember, just about anywhere you are, you can do laundry, and the cost is far less than an extra $100+ per bag round-trip. Bring a laundry sack or an extra-large Ziploc bag and stuff it with a few dryer sheets to keep everything smelling fresh. Lastly, if you decide you have forgotten something, do not fret. You are on vacation! Buy yourself a little something special. Debby Stevens Owner/Travel Specialist Debby@3Dcruiseandtravel.com

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Safely Home by Randy Alcorn

The artwork of Ron DiCianni’s Safely Home inspired the author Randy Alcorn to write this book. Looking into the compassionate face of Jesus when he holds His beloved saint, is overwhelming and compellingly hopeful. Randy Alcorn is the founder of Eternal Perspective Ministries, a nonprofit organization, which is devoted to sharing an eternal perspective by helping the persecuted, unborn, and poor of our world. He has dedicated all of the proceeds from Safely Home to the persecuted church, encouraging me, the reader, to buy several copies as gifts. Safely Home encompasses the most beautiful love affair between a man and his Savior. Taking place in a fictional city in China, two unlikely friends come together at Harvard with seemingly similar destinies. One brilliant young man from China, Li Quan, who was given help and aid from a relief worker who took an interest in him, and one Ben Fielding, a bold self-promoting American. These two become close friends but lose touch after school, believing each other to have reached success and fulfilled dreams. When they reunite, the reader thinks there will never be common ground again. Nightly rescues, danger, and hope lie at every corner and the reader is catapulted into the love and security of God, our True Home. I love this book. It is one of my all time favorites. Heaven’s perspective is where I want to live. Ginny Hurley

God's Spirit in the Heart of Every Child

by Michele Zink Harris

This vividly illustrated book is a valuable tool to teach young, searching minds what it means to have a relationship with God. Incorporating the Two Great Commandments in each story, the author makes God's truth relevant and accessible for spiritual growth in children and also speaks powerfully to all on a spiritual journey. In the story, “I'm Looking for God - I Couldn't Find Him in my Dictionary,” a young boy discovers God is in his heart and this changes his perspective of everything around him. The story “God, What Should I Be When I Grow Up?” presents many beautiful ideas about the Holy Spirit. Trusting this inspiration guides us in our future and brings us joy and purpose as we use our unique gifts. The last story, “What Makes God Smile Makes Us Strong - Allowing God to Work Through Us,” is a poignant lesson for all ages in relinquishing anything that separates us from God. Throughout the stories, the author emphasizes the joy gained in the process of learning about God's will for us. Each story focuses on concepts I pray my child grows up believing and knowing to be true. This priceless book, full of wonderful scripture, gives children and parents the opportunity to practice together the wisdom of God's two great Spiritual Laws of Love. Joanna Auger

Painted Red by JJ Heller

JJ Heller’s voice in the acoustic version of “Your Hands” drew me in. Her words gently urged me to seek my Maker especially during tough circumstances. As it was personally a challenging time, I instantly connected with her music. In her Painted Red album, Heller speaks directly with God, sharing her thoughtful prayers with soulful longing. She reminds me of a cool camp counselor with her guitar and plainspoken words. Like a beautiful portrait in a frame, the inspirational lyrics are supported and surrounded by the melody. The song “Save Me” is a playful yet reverent little girl speaking tenderly to her Father. “All I Need” is a contemplative meditation. Narrating God’s wish for our well-being in “Keep You Safe,” the song feels like a lullaby wrapped in a warm blanket. The non-traditional worship music in Painted Red reminds me that being with God is as close as a prayer. www.jjheller.com Laura Wall www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

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Ladies TOP 10:

Shopping Strategies

If you wait until December to start shopping for Christmas, it can be stressful! Somehow the last few weeks before Christmas are the fastest days to go by on the calendar, and before you know it – Christmas is here, and you’ve not enjoyed the season at all! Why not begin your shopping in November and have it all done, so you can enjoy your family and all holiday festivities in December? Sounds like a great plan, to me! I’m an avid shopper, and I enjoy shopping with my mom for a large number of family members. Here are my best tips to make Christmas shopping fun, affordable, and quick! Start now - and you’ll be finished by December 1!

Weekend #1 1. Gather lists.

Send out an email to those for whom you buy and give them categories (electronics, books, jewelry, tools, etc.) and ask for these lists to be returned to you in one week. Offer a “bonus” stocking gift for the first person to turn in their list. Why a list? It saves you from spending money on useless things YOU think they will like, and you’re able to purchase something THEY like. Make sure they include stocking ideas, too!

2. Make a Budget

Figure out how many people you’re giving gifts to, and how much money you can affordably spend on each. List their names and the amounts. If there are too many people, or it’s too much money – see tip #9.

Weekend #3

6. Go Shopping

Go shopping with your list of items left to buy, ones you did not purchase on line. Stick to your list and mark off each item as it’s purchased.

7. Find a Hiding Place

Prepare a closet or box under the bed to receive gifts as they arrive, or as you purchase them. You could even use large sacks. Sort them by families, groups, or events. Wait to wrap until you’ve completed your gift buying, so you can visually see how your pile of gifts looks, and take stock of what you’ve purchased.

10. Wrap Your Gifts

Build a fire (hopefully the weather will be cold by now!) and have an evening of gift wrapping. Make this easy by using newspaper and a red marker for names, or solid paper and “initial” stickers for labels.

Weekend #2

3. Make a Chart

Make a table or spreadsheet with names and columns to write what you’re buying, the estimated price, and the actual price. Place this in a folder with pockets, where you’ll store all your receipts.

4. Review the Lists...

Spend one evening going over everyone’s list of gift ideas. Scan the internet (it’s really fun) for possible prices of the items and write them down on your list. This way you can then go back and decide what and how many gifts you can reasonably buy from their list.

5. Order Items Online

Online shopping is safe (if you used trusted sites) and easy. Place a bowl of mixed nuts by your laptop, sip on a warm drink of apple cider, and begin ordering. Keep a running list of what you’ve ordered, when it was ordered, and notice how long it takes for shipping. Oh, and by the way, look for free shipping! Many companies offer this during the holiday season. Place your order receipts in your folder.

Weekend #4 8. Stocking Stuffers

Spend one evening shopping for stocking gifts. Place all of these in individual paper lunch sacks, one for each stocking you are filling. Purchase tissue paper for wrapping stocking gifts (if you wrap them).

9. DO NOT Overspend

If you cannot afford gifts for those you love and desire to bless, pray and ask for creativity in giving. One year we cut out pictures from magazines that went with each person (maybe their favorite candy, a photo of a dog if they’re a dog lover, a computer if they work with one, etc.) and we glued them on large construction paper and had them laminated. We gave them to families, so they now have a set of personalized placemats! Possibilities are endless.

It’s now the first part of December and you’re finished! If you have a few stragglers, items you couldn’t find, you can enjoy your family and finish up the few items over the next several weeks. Hopefully, you will have purchased useful items, spent what you could afford, and will have time to volunteer, host a party, or attend an event with the people you love! Marcy Lytle 32

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s t n e s e r P WITH

e s o p r u P

he empty road stretched for miles ahead as we made the trip home from Tulsa to Austin. I felt that emptiness inside, which was ironic, because our lives were so full. Our bellies were full. Our schedules were chock full. The van was certainly FULL of stuff. Yet, I had this nagging feeling that there must be something more. We had just celebrated Christmas with my brother’s family in typical American style with lots of presents and lots of food. But it just wasn’t enough, and I was left longing. My husband jumped in the back of the van with our boys to watch Facing the Giants and he set me up with podcasts from Imago Dei Community Church in Portland, Oregon. I was captivated by these messages on rethinking the way we do Christmas. They called it Advent Conspiracy. After a few hours, my husband was in the back crying about football, and I was in the front crying about Christmas! I realized that a hunger for something more could be filled with something much less. Advent Conspiracy proposes four ways to reclaim Christmas: Worship Fully – The shepherds and wise men came to worship. How can we more fully enter the story of God with us? How can we be more present? Spend Less – The average American family spends around $1,000 at Christmas. Much of this spending follows us into the New Year as debt. How did the birth of our Savior become about consumerism? Give more – We can give more by giving from the heart, and by giving gifts that express our unique relationships.

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Saturday, December 4th

10am-5pm

Sunday, December 5th 1pm-5pm

@ Shoreline Church

Love all – What about taking a portion of that Christmas budget and using it to make a difference in someone else’s world, by meeting a practical need like the need for clean water?

"Christmas would never be the same for our family..." The more we learned, the more we determined that Christmas would never be the same, for our family. The following year we cut our spending, redistributed that money for clean water, and got passionate about relational giving. Last year, we gave our older son tickets to a bowl game featuring his favorite college team. (How we ended up with a Texas Tech fan in our Austin home is another story entirely!) We gave our younger son tickets to a concert with his favorite band. These were the gifts that stood out above all the Legos, Wii games, and RC cars. Our boys will never forget those special trips. We wanted to share this idea of Giving More with our church family. In 2008 my friend Jody Reynolds and I launched Presents with a Purpose. We are now excited to announce the 2010 event to be held at the Shoreline Church Special Event Center, 15201 Burnet Rd, Austin, TX. We want to encourage people to think outside the mall and take the time to be intentional about gift giving. When push comes to shove – and that happens every

year on Black Friday, doesn’t it? – Christmas shopping can become about filling a quota. Five presents for him, five presents for her; and something in everyone’s stocking. God’s gift to us at that very first Christmas was so much more than meeting an obligation. It was a gift of great sacrifice and a tangible expression of love. We want to reflect that in our giving. So, we invite you to shop with us this year, Saturday December 4th from 10am-5pm and Sunday December 5th from 1pm-5pm. Lunch will be available for purchase. We will have a wide variety of vendors and have found so many ways to give more! We give more by supporting local business owners, crafters and artisans, and their families. We give more by purchasing fair trade items and using our purchasing power for global impact. We give more by choosing charitable giving options. Anyone who shops at Presents with a Purpose will be giving more because a portion of vendor proceeds will benefit Caleb House orphanages in Haiti, Botswana, and the Philippines. These homes for children are being built in honor of Caleb Koke, son of Pastors Rob and Laura Koke, who relocated to his home in heaven July 2009. If you’re on an empty road and feel that nagging desire for “more,” please visit www. adventconspiracy.org. Join us at Shoreline Church for Presents with a Purpose where you will find all kinds of opportunities to FILL your Christmas with less! Lynn Cherry Ministry Assistant - Shoreline

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Money

Wealth & Wisdom Dave Says Moms' Tips & Tricks Spend Life Well

35 36 37 38

Wealth & Wisdom:

Generations of favor

Howdy. I’m very excited to be a contributor to Austin Faith and Family as a new Financial Columnist this month. Each month it will be my objective to bring you a practical Wealth creation or preservation idea or strategy, as well as some encouraging Spiritual words of Wisdom. I hope it will be a blessing to you as we all seek to be faithful stewards of our financial resources.

A Family Legacy

ith the holidays right around the corner, and that usually means being around our loved ones, here’s a topic or idea that’s sure to get some diverse discussion. From a financial standpoint, a family legacy may consist of trust funds, real estate, stocks, cash, collectables, jewelry, you name it. But probably the greatest wealth creation instrument there is, is Life Insurance. It’s the only product that has immediate significant leverage and a death benefit that is income tax free. For even greater leverage than an individual policy, there’s Survivorship or Second-to-Die life insurance that pays a benefit after both insured’s pass away (originally designed to pay estate taxes that are due after the second spouse dies). There are many factors to consider (age, health, finances, beneficiaries, etc) when designing such an estate plan. To illustrate this concept, a business associate of mine recently shared this story with me. Mrs. Smith (fictitious name) was a 65 year old widow in good health, and she wanted to leave a financial inheritance to her only son and grandchildren, but her resources were very limited except for her paid off house, worth approximately $250,000. When asked what her plan for the house was after she dies, she said, “I’ll just leave it to my son and he can sell it, rent it, whatever.” Her son had a successful business and was already investing $30-$40,000/year in his tax qualified retirement plan. The advisor suggested an alternative strategy. The mother could sell the son the house now and if the son were to finance a $250,000, 30

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year fixed mortgage at 5% (down payment and financing rates will adjust results), his monthly payments (Principal & Interest) would be approximately $1,350/mo or $16,200/year. Since mortgage interest and property taxes are currently tax deductible expenses, the son could back off on his tax qualified retirement contributions to maintain the same out-ofpocket expense and still receive the same tax deductions (some toward retirement plan and some on mortgage interest and property taxes).

but he was a devout man of faith. As a fervent preacher, he’s been credited as leading the greatest Spiritual Awakening the United States has ever seen. B. B. Warfield, a theologian from Princeton in the 1920’s, conducted a study on Jonathan Edwards’ life and the Fifth Generation Rule. Out of 1,394 known descendants, 13 were College Presidents, 65 Professors, 30 Judges, 100 Lawyers, 60 Physicians, 75 Army/Navy Officers, 100 Pastors, 60 Authors, 80 Public Servants (Governors, etc), 3 U.S. Senators and one Vice-President.

The son allowed the mother to live rent free on the property and that enabled her to take the $250,000 from the sale of the property and use it as a single premium payment on an individual universal life insurance contract. That amount of premium, for someone of her age, sex, and health would create a tax free death benefit in excess of $1,000,000 dollars depending on the company and the plan selected. A survivorship policy would provide significantly greater leverage for a couple of similar age, health, etc. In addition to the immediate leveraging and tax free death benefit, Mrs. Smith would earn competitive interest rates on her cash values, not have to worry about stock market fluctuations, and she’d still have access to any cash values in case of an emergency.

In contrast, Max Jukes, a contemporary of Edwards, had no interest in a faith in God. He had a serious drinking problem and troubled marriage and family. Of his 540 known descendants 310 died as paupers, 150 were criminals, 7 murderers, over 100 drunkards and half of all his female descendants were prostitutes.

Words of Wisdom More important than a family legacy of financial wealth would be a legacy of spiritual faith. The Bible is full of God’s promises and stories of people who lived by faith, obeyed God, and they were blessed abundantly. Likewise, a life of sin and rejection of God’s truth has led many to a life of destruction. In Exodus 34:7 the Bible speaks of a principle often called the Fifth Generation Rule, “…….and the sins of the father upon the children and the children’s children to the third and fourth generation.”

God has given us His Word so we can know Him, obey His laws, claim His promises and receive His blessings. If we are faithful to that end, I believe God’s favor will anoint our legacy for generations to come. Have a question or problem you’d like to discuss? Give me a call or send me an email. I’d love to hear from you. Barry A. Tripp Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc. (512) 258-1860 btripp@tfamail.com Investment Advisor Representative with securities and investment advisory services offered through Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC and a Registered Investment Advisor.

Dr. James MacDonald, in a sermon entitled, “God is Always at Work,” gives a compelling example from the life of Jonathan Edwards. Mr. Edwards (1703-1758) lived only 55 years,

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Dave Says

Dear Dave, Would you agree that pride is our biggest problem when it comes to debt? Brian Dear Brian, That’s a really interesting question. I think pride is definitely toward the top of the list, but I’d say the biggest cause of debt is immaturity. One really good definition of maturity is learning to delay pleasure. When you can’t wait to buy the video game, or the car, or the iPhone, then that’s a sign of immaturity. It’s like a fouryear-old fussing and whining, “I want it right now!” Give me a break! That kind of stuff makes me sick.

We do these things because we’re responsible spiritually for handling that money well. Those Dear Dave, of us who are Christians call that “stewardship.” What’s your rule of thumb about how much We feel like we’re called to be good stewards— But you know, pride may be the biggest reason your car should be worth in comparison with good managers—of God’s money. It’s not a people keep debt. People who walk around your income? freaky thing. It’s just a matter of following God’s worrying about what everyone else would Madea good advice and common sense. think if they got rid of the big house or the fancy car—worrying that everybody else would think Dear Madea, they’re broke—now that’s pride. But it definitely Great question! My rule of thumb is that all of I want that money to behave, and these things are some of the best ways I’ve found to make it enters into the equation. your vehicles—I’m talking about cars, trucks, —Dave boats and their Sea-Doo sisters, motorcycles, do what it’s supposed to do! —Dave and anything else like this—should not total more than half your annual income. Dear Dave, My fiancé is from a wealthy family. The other day, Why? It’s because all of these kinds of things Dear Dave, her father suggested a pre-nuptial agreement. go down in value. You never want half of I’ll be starting college next fall. Is it okay to take I’m not sure what to think about this. What’s your income going into things whose value is out student loans if you have no other income to live on while you’re in school? your opinion on pre-nups? dropping like a rock. You don’t need a $20,000 Mandy Jeremy car if you’re making $30,000 a year. That’s just stupid. Think about it this way. If you’re making Dear Mandy, Dear Jeremy, that kind of money, and I walk up and tell you It sounds like her family values its money more I’ve got an investment opportunity that will Wait a second! What do you mean you don’t than it values their relationship with you. That turn $20,000 of your hard-earned income into have any other source of income to live on could be a problem. If your bride-to-be feels the $12,000 in just three or four years, are you going while you’re in school? Didn’t anyone ever teach same way, then you shouldn’t marry her. In most to take me up on the offer? If you’ve got a brain you about a little thing called work? I worked 40 to 60 hours a week all through college, and cases there’s just a really bad spirit that goes in your head, the answer’s no! I still graduated in four years. Nowadays, many along with pre-nups. It’s basically planning your divorce in advance. And in most cases, what you Now, I’m okay with it if you make $300,000 people would call that child abuse. It’s absurd! set your eyes on is what you’ll end up getting. a year and buy a $20,000 car if you pay cash. Don’t try to box me into a corner with the One of my daughters just got married, and I That’s like most people running out and buying ridiculous notion that you have to take out student loans to go to college. You do not! Did never even thought of suggesting a pre-nuptial a Happy Meal. It’s just not a big deal! you know that only 57 percent of people who agreement. —Dave start college actually graduate? That means There may be one exception to this rule. If you’re fiancé was already wealthy on her own, I might change my answer. Extreme wealth has a tendency to attract a whole lot of weirdness and dishonesty. I’ve even gone so far as to tell my wife to get a pre-nup if I die and she marries again. This is different than just the potential to be wealthy, like your case.

Dear Dave, Do you ever reach a point in your plan where you stop budgeting or using the envelope system? Craig

43 percent don’t. And guess what they have? Student loan debt and no degree!

Here’s what I want you to do. First, apply for every college scholarship you can find. Next, get a job! You may even have to take a couple of part-time jobs, but so what? Once you’re there, live in the dorm and eat dorm food, too. It won’t Dear Craig, kill you. And a state college, where you can get I’ve been fortunate enough to build a net You can still have a wonderful marriage, even if worth of several million dollars, and my wife in-state tuition, is always a good idea. If there’s you don’t see eye-to-eye with her family on this. and I never stopped doing either one. We still one close by you can save even more money by But both of you need to be on the same page sit down together every month and plan out a living at home. and of one mind. That’s why I think it would be written budget. Every dollar is spent on paper a really good idea for you guys to address this before the next month begins, and we follow it Is a college education important? Sure, it is. It’s a before the wedding with a heart-to-heart talk exactly. And I can promise that were you to look great thing, and I recommend going to college. But is student loan debt a necessary part of and some pre-marital counseling! in my wife’s purse, you’d find one of our deluxe getting a degree and achieving success in life? — Dave envelope systems, just like we sell in our office Absolutely not! bookstore. She carries it with her everywhere! — Dave 36

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Moms' Tips & Tricks

Moms'

Tips & Tricks Eating Out, or Takeout –

For a quick and inexpensive meal, go to Taco Cabana and order a dozen tortillas, a side of rice, and a side of charro beans. Take it home and add a little cheese and you've got bean and rice tacos that are awesome! Cost is about $5 and it feeds three people. It’s even better when I have leftover chicken or taco meat to add to it!

Eating In, Under $10

Homemade spaghetti sauce using a mix of hamburger and Italian sausage - one package of link Italian sausage (5 to a package) and 1.5 pounds of hamburger meat. Remove sausage from the casings. Chop 1 onion and 1 bell pepper. Cook both meats with the onions and bell pepper, scrambling, until meat is thoroughly done. Drain well. Add 4 small cans of tomato paste, and equal amounts of water. Add 3 teaspoons of sugar, salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Grate Romano cheese directly into sauce and stir well. This is a thick, hearty sauce, so add more water if you prefer it thinner. Use the leftovers on homemade pizza, and just top with provolone cheese!

At the Store

Money

in Rhyme

When shopping for plain t-shirts or tank tops for layering, don’t spend lots of money. Rue 21 often has great deals with these necessities being as low as $3 - $5 at times. The material is soft, and they wash and wear just as well as the $10-$20 versions at department stores. And they have a huge variety of colors and prints!

And Even More

For inexpensive table décor for Thanksgiving, try using your wine glasses for something other than drinking wine! Turn them upside down and place them down the center of the table, with a fall flower or leaves tucked up inside the glass, and then place a tea light on top. Looks very festive and elegant!

Patricia Jacobson & Marcy Lytle

Weekend Fun –

It’s a bit pricey, but a horse carriage ride for the family, in downtown Austin during the holidays, is memorable and makes for great pictures. Or leave the kids at home, and split the cost with another couple! You can reserve a carriage and have it pick you up at TGIF at 1st and Congress. Check out the different options at http://www.austincarriage.com/. If that’s too much to spend, just take the family for a walk downtown when the Christmas lights go up, and walk inside the Driskill Hotel on 6th Street. The 1886 Restaurant, just inside the hotel, has great desserts and you can order, take them in the lobby to a huge table, and play a game of cards – all while watching people come and go in the hotel!

On the Run

Purchase a Kleenex holder that fits across the back seat of your car and keep it filled. Kleenexes are a musthave for runny noses, spills, and a makeshift napkin – when the drivethru forgets to place one in your sack! These holders can be found in the auto department of major department stores, or on line. Just Google “tissue holder for car.”

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Money

Spend Life Well

Getting a Head Start on 2011

Putting your family on track for a healthy financial life

recently visited one of our local home improvement stores with the hope of picking up a few supplies on sale for our fall yard clean up. But fall was not the season in the air in the store. No, it was Christmas… in September. For some, Christmas can be one of the most financially destructive seasons of the year. Many families borrow their way to “happiness” and spend the entire next year paying for it. Proverbs 22:7 talks about the control that debt can have over our lives where we are reminded, “The borrower is servant to the lender.” Want to avoid the debt trap get a head start on your resolutions for the New Year? Adopt these goals and take control of your family’s finances today.

they have taken the time to examine their expenses. Some 43% of American households spend more than they make.

card. With a little time and perseverance, you will be beating that debt right out of your life.

Where can you start? Simply write it down. If you use a credit or debit card for all your expenses this could mean simply printing out a statement. Otherwise, you may need a notebook or something similar to write down your expenses. We use a zip lock bag to collect all of our receipts. Then once a week review and record those expenses. Do this for 30 days and you will begin to see some interesting patterns. A change or two in your spending may be in order if you are spending more than you bring home in income.

The easiest way to save is to make sure it comes off the top of your paycheck. If your employer offers you direct deposit into multiple bank accounts, consider slicing off a portion into a savings or money market account. We have found that most people save less or nothing at all, if they wait until the end of the month.

Give Back

Pay Off that Debt

Our family makes it a point to give back to the Lord the first fruits of His financial blessings no matter what our financial situation may look like that month. Whether or not you have the financial resources this year to give money is not as important as the act of giving. Austin has an incredible number of non-profits that need volunteers. Giving back helps keep the right attitude toward our finances and serves as a reminder from where the blessings came.

Spend Less Than You Make

We often get the most puzzled looks when we share this with people. It seems pretty basic, right? The reality is that most people do not have a firm grasp on what they spend unless

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The average household in America has more than $8,000 in credit card debt, let alone other consumer debt on cars, student loans, and mortgages. Want to eliminate your debt? Start by saving $1,000. You need to have an emergency fund before you tackle debt. Life happens and the quickest way to get further into debt is to not be prepared for unexpected expenses. Have a garage sale, sell those unwanted holiday gifts, but set aside $1,000 for emergencies first. Then start with the lowest balance credit card and put all your energy and resources to eliminating that balance. Once it is gone, say good-bye to that card and destroy it. Next, attack the next largest balance with everything you were using to pay off the first

Pay Yourself before Your Bills

A specific savings goal for 2011 could be to build up your cash emergency fund from $1,000 to 6-9 months of living expenses. Have that much or more set aside in cash or easily accessible funds? Perhaps then take advantage of your employer’s retirement plan up to the company match. Also consider contributing to a Roth IRA, if you qualify.

Putting it All into Perspective

One morning during a recent quiet time with the Lord I was reading Luke 12 and revisited one of Jesus’ teachings on money. Verse 34 hits home for me every time I read it: “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will be.” During this holiday season, I hope that you will take time to reflect and pray with your family and give thanks for the blessings in your life.

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You

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

39 40 41 42 43

Head to Heart:

Healing Father Wounds

sychologists have suggested that the primary factor in shaping our concept of God is the kind of relationship we have had with our parents, especially our fathers. Imagine a little four year old girl sitting in a Sunday School class and the topic of the class is prayer. The teacher shares the prayer that Jesus taught his followers to pray, the Lord’s Prayer, and then leads them in reciting it. When that little girl hears and repeats the opening line, “Our Father in heaven,” she will naturally associate the concept of God as Father with her experience with her earthly father. Depending on the relationship she has with her dad at home, it will be either a positive or negative association, one that she will likely carry with her through her childhood, through her teens, and into her adulthood.

to him afterward, full of tears and said, “I loved all that you taught us today about prayer, but when you started your prayer by calling God ‘Father’ you lost me. I had a terrible Father, and I cannot think of God as my Father.” These two stories represent countless examples of people who cannot connect with God as their Father because they suffer from “father wounds.” Father wounds are caused by dads who abuse their children in some way, by dads who reject or abandon their children, by dads who are controlling and authoritarian with their children, by dads who are emotionally distant from their children, and by dads who fail to demonstrate love and affection to their children.

the same time have an emotional experience of a relationship with God that is negatively affected by unhealed father wounds. A person might believe cognitively that “God is good,” but at the experiential level feel abandoned or abused by God.

In depth healing of father wounds takes place when a person appropriates God’s healing grace for his or her damaged emotions. This involves choosing to forgive your father for each way he hurt or disappointed you, asking God to bring up any specific painful memory that still influences your life, inviting Jesus to enter that memory and bring his comfort, placing your father at the foot of the cross, and releasing him along with all of your disappointments, hurts, anger, and bitterness. Then you can turn to Unhealed father wounds seriously hinder the Father and ask him to come and reveal his For people who have had a good and healthy a person’s ability to experience a healthy perfect love and fatherhood to you. relationship with their fathers, the biblical relationship with God the Father. How can Jack Hammans concept of God as Father is comforting and these wounds be healed? The first step is, as encouraging. For others, who have had a James Bryan Smith says, to let Jesus redefine Head to Heart Restoration Ministry www.headtoheart.org bad and unhealthy relationship with their fatherhood for us. You can do that by reading fathers, the biblical concept of God as Father is the Gospels and meditating on Jesus’ revelation threatening and disturbing. Several years ago a of the nature of God in his teaching, his actions, Youth with a Mission worker named John Smith and his prayers. Your distorted thinking about Jack Hammans is a Licensed Pastoral Counselor with the encountered a hardened, streetwise teenager. God, shaped by unhealthy aspects of your National Christian Counselors Association and joined “Okay, mate,” he said, “what is God like?” Fresh relationship with your earthly father, will be Head to Heart Restoration Ministry in June 2010. Jack from theological studies, John blurted out, “He corrected as you contemplate the picture that has been involved in the Christian pastoral ministry for over forty years. He is experienced in pre-marital and is like a father.” The young man’s eyes blazed Jesus has drawn of God as the perfect Father. marital counseling, crisis counseling, and inner healing with hatred. “If he’s anything like my old man, prayer ministry. He has a special burden for members you can have Him!” Later John Smith learned Through my years of pastoral ministry, I have of the body of Christ who suffer from depression. Jack from a social worker that the boy’s father had observed that Christians have two separate is committed to setting people free from emotional and raped his sister repeatedly and beaten his “belief systems” concerning God: a cognitive spiritual bondage so they can move steadily forward in mother regularly. James Bryan Smith, in The belief system and an emotional belief system. A their personal journey toward wholeness in Christ. Good and Beautiful God, relates a similar story. Christian may have a cognitive understanding He closed a meeting with a prayer that began, of the fatherhood of God that is consistent with “Dear heavenly Father…” A woman came up Jesus’ revelation of the nature of God and yet at

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GET R You

Health Matters

for the 2010 Holidays

Trimming the TreeExcess

an you believe it’s already November? The holidays are just around the corner. It doesn’t matter if we are ready or not, they will be here soon with lots of food, food, food! There is something nice about sitting around a table with loved ones, eating until we are stuffed, not saving room for dessert - but having some anyway. Catching up on what’s going on in our lives. Going shopping and seeing a range of colorful, tempting goodies that are wonderfully packaged and calling you to buy them and eat them. What a fun time of year. Well, we know it’s coming, so let’s get ready for it. The average American gains 7-10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years. And even worse, most people keep that weight on, despite any “New Year’s Resolutions” they may make. So let’s get prepared to not be a part of this statistic.

Stress.

With the holidays usually comes stress. Whether it’s financial, emotional, or other, we need to prepare for it. We need to fuel our bodies with good nutrition to help us maintain energy and stamina to cope with it all. If we find ourselves too busy to exercise and eating bad food out of convenience, then our immune system will weaken. Being sick during the holidays is no fun for anyone.

Eating.

Maintaining control during this time of year can be a huge challenge. There is nothing wrong with celebrating the holidays with food and festivities. If you know you have a party to go to, don’t starve yourself during the day. This will make you more likely to overindulge. Instead, eat smaller, healthy meals throughout the day. Even without parties, there are hidden temptations all around us. Those rich, sugary foods have a nasty habit of making us crave yet more rich and sugary foods. This is why it is so critical to make sure to eat as healthy as possible.

Just say no.

Many of us feel bad saying no, so we will take whatever is offered to us, making certain not to hurt anyone’s feelings. It’s simple. If you are not hungry, then don’t eat. All you have to do is say, “No thank you, I’m not hungry” or say, “That looks great, can I take one to eat later?” Then when you see the nearest trash can, throw it away. Another guilt behavior we may have adopted from our parents is to eat everything on our plate. If you find that you are full and you still have food left on your plate, leave it. The starving kids in a third world country won’t get that food if it is in the trash can or in your stomach. And if it does end up in your stomach it will manifest itself permanently on your body. Do you really want that to happen?

Exercise.

If exercise is not a part of your regular schedule then the time to start is now. The benefits of exercise go way beyond weight loss and maintenance, but it will surely help you through this stressful time of year. If you develop the habit now, then you are more likely to stick with it when things start to get hectic, and hopefully continue after the New Year starts. So, are we ready to tackle the holidays? Just think of how proud you will be when everyone else complains about the weight they put on and you will be bragging that you stayed even, or that you lost weight! Lauren Lacy Fitness Coordinator CHASCO Family YMCA

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READY Diet & Nutrition

ustin is often coined with the title of “Allergy Capital of Texas.” Instead of “allergy season,” we categorize our seasons into common allergies, such as “cedar season,” “ragweed season,” “pollen season,” etc. In addition to taking allergy medications and allergy shots, there are natural strategies that can assist in reducing the likelihood of suffering from allergies. Some of the strategies involve minimizing contact with common allergens, while others aim to strengthen the body’s own defenses against allergies. Following the multiple strategies listed below can yield tremendous benefits with the coming “Cedar Allergy Season.” Adrenal gland function: The adrenal glands, two small glands that sit on top of the kidneys, are one of the most important endocrine (hormonal) glands in the body. They secrete several hormones, one of which is cortisol, which has powerful effects on controlling inflammation, a process very much related to allergic symptoms. Adrenal glands also respond to stress, so chronic stress situations (i.e. emotional trauma, increased workload, improper diet) can fatigue the adrenal glands, resulting in uncontrolled inflammation and allergic symptoms. There are saliva and other functional tests to determine whether your adrenal glands are underperforming and fatigued, if you find the right natural health practitioners that perform those tests. The way to ensure healthy adrenal gland function is to prevent stressors in your life, either by leaving the situations or by adapting ways to help deal with the stressors. Some herbs and supplements are helpful in restoring adrenal function, such as gingseng, licorice, and rehmannia. Please consult a natural health practitioner before taking these herbs.

You

Preparing for the Allergy Season

effectiveness. Another very important allergen is dust mite feces, which often accumulate over time on your mattress. Therefore, it is crucial to purchase a “True HEPA vacuum cleaner,” and vacuum the mattress with it to remove dust mite feces. If you do not use a “True HEPA” vacuum cleaner and instead vacuum your mattress with a regular vacuum cleaner, dust mite feces might not be absorbed. They might actually fly around, which can worsen allergy symptoms. Remember: Even though Austin is an allergy capital, there are people who live happily here without allergy symptoms. A properly functioning body, with good diet and exercise, along with a protected environment, can resist allergies from occurring. Dr. Trent Peng Doctor of Chiropractic and Applied Clinical Nutritionist

1) Food allergies: Allergies are cumulative. This means that when someone has a food allergy, it puts the body in a vulnerable state to develop other allergies. Food allergies are commonly hidden, because symptoms related to a food allergy can be delayed, sometimes days after consuming the product. Common food allergies include wheat, dairy, corn, eggs, and soy. One symptom related to food allergies is a headache. The easiest way to detect food allergies is by simple elimination. Try not to have a certain food (i.e. wheat) for two weeks, and add the avoided food back in afterwards, and watch for a few days to see if certain symptoms appear or get worse. If a particular food allergen is found and avoided, it will aid in overall health and prevent other allergies from developing. Another important nutritional support for food allergy is proper digestion, so supplementing with digestive enzymes such as Betaine HCL, pancreatic enzymes, and quercetin, can all be helpful. 2) Air Purifiers and Vacuum: Obviously, to reduce airborne allergies, we need to minimize airborne allergen exposure, such as dust, dust mites, animal dander, mold spores, bacteria, etc. A good air purifier can remove most of the allergens mentioned above, and should be laboratory tested and recognized as a “True HEPA” air purifier. HEPA stands for “High Efficiency Particulate Air,” which says it’s highly efficient in filtering and removing particles in the air. The key to look for when buying an air purifier is “True HEPA,” which removes at least 99.97% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 micron. In comparison, purifiers with the “HEPA” or “HEPA-like” label rid only 85-90% of the particles. The air purifier should be on all day, and regularly cleaned for maximum www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

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You

The Real Stuff

for Women Tradition is Not Holiday Restricted

he season for tradition has arrived! The holidays bring about traditions uniting us as family and ensuring a rich heritage. Traditions make life more meaningful and remind us of loved ones that have passed. Why then do the majority of us only keep tradition a couple of months out of the year? In looking at two definitions, “tradition” is not holiday restricted. In the dictionary, it reads, Tradition: a. an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious practice or a social custom). b. the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction. As I read this, I was challenged to recall my own reasoning for not keeping traditions throughout the year. And I was challenged to take attempted habits and develop them into a more lasting form called tradition. Categories that include tradition are endless, but for the purposes of this article let’s look at two areas that we should plan for tradition in the coming year – not holiday restricted. The first is of course spiritual. How do we handle Christ and tradition within the home? There has to be more than frantically flying out the door on Sunday mornings to make it to church on time. Here are suggestions for annual tradition. First, a tradition of prayer as a family. Can I encourage you to step out in faith and establish a tradition of family prayer outside the confines of the dinner table? When you do, the tradition takes hold and can extend out even further. As an extension of the family prayers within our home, my daughter and I often pray for my husband when we remember an important meeting he might be in. We pray these prayers driving down the highway or while out shopping. Traditional prayer has already been established within the home, prompting extended prayer together outside of the home. How about establishing an annual tradition of bible reading and prayer the first day of every month? This falls right in line with giving God the first. What a powerfully effective tradition to hand down generationally! For weekly bible study made simple, my daughter and I use Sword Fighting by Karyn Henley. Implement these traditions even if children are not in your home. Single? Start the tradition now and it will be rooted and well watered to pass down when the time comes.

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The second area for annual tradition is that of health. What is tradition for you when it comes to health? Something is being handed down by you for generations to come. Is it establishing life or death? We are the most obese country on the entire globe! The processed substances we feed our families can hardly qualify as food. It is time for more traditions. How about scheduling throughout the year organized family fitness such as fun runs (you can always walk)? Can you imagine the mindset that would shift in your family by creating a tradition of bi-annual physical endeavors or competitions? Perhaps sculling down Lady Bird Lake or competing in a family bowling tournament. This tradition keeps everyone mindful that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and instigates physical preparation throughout the year. Try a traditional bike ride to a nearby town or landmark. The mindset shift this tradition implements affects this generation and generations to follow. Why not set tradition to attend the farmers market in your community once a month or the first and third week of the month? You establish the decision to choose a healthy life style and it is educational. This is one tradition that is easy to stick to! There is a sense of establishment in the soul when we engage in tradition. Why leave it to just the holidays? Determine today what traditions you will establish annually for generations to come.

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for Men

A Man-Secret W

e were last talking about what a man servant is, and how few men think of themselves as a servant. It is sad that we miss that role as a man, for it opens up such rich and rewarding experiences we can get no other way as a human. I should add that real love for a woman cannot be experienced until we men finally learn that God intended for us to put the woman way up there on a pedestal, and to put her first - right after loving Christ. You know something? We men are pretty thickheaded, and we are slow learners. Most of us were taught that we are King Kong - head of our Castle - and were born with the right to thump our chests and make all the demands in the world, and our wives and children are bound to do our every bidding just because we say so! Every last one of us has been real dumb! God made it so that man cannot out-give God. God ALWAYS gives man back more than we can possibly give to Him! We simply can’t outdo our Creator! We plant one tomato seed in the ground, and God gives us a whole basket of tomatoes. There is another secret out there that I have discovered that has been right in our faces for all our lives, and we still don’t get it. Simply stated, God let that principle of giving come right down on earth so we could learn a very special lesson on love, and He made it so that no man can ever out-love a woman! That’s a fact! Guess what else I have learned? Once a woman knows she can really trust you, and that you are showing her that she is number one in your life for real - something magic happens. That woman covers you up with loving like nothing else you have ever known. All of us are born wanting to be loved! This is a big deal to us - especially us men. It all started with our mothers loving on us like we were the most special human ever born. But now what, my fellow man? If I want to be loved, I must first turn up my love button just a little for my woman, and when I do - she gives me back a hundred times more than I could ever give! I say that is God’s plan, and that is a secret we guys have been too dense to share with one another! All we men need to do is put our woman first - truly mean it - show her real love and respect - and the love we get back comes in over the transom, over the door, it is so much! What a concept guys! What a concept! Share the secret - and tell me how much better this ole world will get!

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Your Life

The Real Me

ults For Young Ad

You

How do you want to live it? know that she can still do all the things she dreamed of. She was only looking at the bad things happening in her life and had forgotten to count all the blessings. She is healthy, she owns a car, and has a place to live, unlike many people. I took her to the church I am attending, and her hug let me know she will again be the same passionate girl she was a year ago. She had lost hope, and I helped her find it. Never think your life has no meaning, as you are the one who decides what your future holds. So go on! Decide what you want to do! You are still alive!

ot that long ago, I was talking with one of my high school friends with whom I had lost touch, when I noticed she sounded different. No longer did she sound like her cheery, always happy self. It had been a year since we graduated high school and I could tell she had changed tremendously. She used to be the counselor in our group of friends. Whenever we needed advice or had problems, we would always go to her because we knew she would really listen and give us good advice. She was also the church-going person that invited everyone she met. She was actually the one that got me involved in church and as a result, I found Christ! But when I talked to her, I knew something was wrong.

felt He didn’t care about her. She even started questioning me about how I knew if He was really real! After that, I knew what I had to do. She was the one who helped me when I needed a friend, and I knew now it was my turn. She needed to be reminded of how beautiful life is. She was falling into a deep depression and God chose me to catch her before she fell. Life was not going the way she had planned, but the good thing is - her life is not over. I let her

Count your blessings. Once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play, and you will finally be able to move forward the life that God intended for you with grace, strength, courage and confidence. –Og Mandino Maria Arreola

She told me everything she was going through. Her life was not going the way she planned. She had been accepted to her first choice university, but because of a lack of financial resources wasn’t able to attend. She was disappointed, but that wasn’t what got her down. Her second plan was to attend ACC and find a job. However, she forgot to pay for her classes and as a result wasn’t able to attend ACC, either. That got me thinking. This girl was always the responsible one, never late to any of her classes, never forgetting to do her homework. She was always on top of it. She was even the one who always called to remind me of what I had to do. Forgetting to pay for her classes sounded very weird to me, and she knew it. Then she broke down. She told me that she had stopped going to church. She also told me that she was tired of her parents and her siblings, and felt trapped with nowhere to go. She thought that when she graduated high school, she would be free to make her own decisions. She had a job, but didn’t enjoy it as she should, and in her free time, she watched T.V. This girl was the one who every time you asked her if she had seen a particular show, she would tell you she had no time to watch TV. She also told me she wasn’t talking to God, because she www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

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Collide ACC Retreat

Let the Students Say It

tats say that a college student sets their college path the first six weeks of college. So our question is, “How can we impact a student at the beginning of the six weeks in a way that will assist them as they begin this new journey?” Our response is, “Collide.” Collide is a Christian Retreat for incoming students at Austin Community College. The goal of the retreat is for churches and college ministries to come together as one body to prepare incoming students for college. September 1719th of this year was our actual retreat. Here is what the students had to say… I just want to think AustinLIT for their vision and ministry to ACC students. I had been feeling a bit stuck in life until I came to this retreat. It seemed really hard to meet believers at ACC and I was desperately trying not to have to do the Christian thing on my own. Everyone at the retreat was so welcoming, and I had so much fun meeting people who truly want to be a community of Christ-followers. I thank God for the opportunity to fellowship with the people I have met here. -Katie Hoffman

am really just glad I came on this trip and I just get jealous when I think about the group that gets to come next year. -Phillip Remore This weekend was just what God ordered! I knew coming into the semester that God had big plans for ACC and LIT this semester. Little did I know he was rising up a city-wide army of passionate, Jesus-loving world changers! This weekend I saw God stoking fires of passion and purpose inside the hearts of college students. I’m pumped to see us carry that fire back to campus and watch it spread like wildfire! The community founded this weekend encouraged me that I’m not alone and that we can be the change we want to see. -Zac Tinney We truly felt God’s hand all over the retreat. This year we had eight churches and three campus ministries involved in the retreat. We hope to double that number. We had 70 people attend the retreat, and we are praying for 200 next year. We have a big desire to impact students, and we have a big desire for all churches in

Austin to come together to support such an initiative. In our opinion, these retreats hold strategic importance as students pursue and encounter Christ during college. It’s easier to pursue God if you have 70 others doing it with you. It’s easier to find that group of 70 students at the beginning of college, than searching on your own throughout the year. For more information, please visit www. collideretreat.com or www.austinlit.com. Colby May

I came to the Collide retreat not knowing what to expect and I was nervous about the people I would meet. I wasn’t sure how God was going to use me. I almost felt useless before I came to the retreat, but by the second night, as we were sitting around the bonfire, I realized God made no one to feel or be useless. We all have a purpose and are most definitely not all going to reach our purpose in the same way. The second night of the retreat God moved us all. We experienced his presence and felt His love. -Kodi Keese I didn’t want to come this weekend. I have felt far from God, yet there is something about getting away from the ‘world’ for a while. In Ephesians it says stand firm over and over again. I try daily to stand firm in this battle that rages around me. This weekend brought me back to solid ground and helped me stand firm. I read in Ecclesiastes about dry bones yesterday. While I wasn’t dead anymore I still felt ‘dry’ and the Lord restored my heart this weekend, putting flesh and tendons back on my dry bones. -Haleigh Pier I came into this weekend just ready to play basketball, kickball, and basically looking forward to just goofing around. But Saturday night I really got a wake up call when we did the fireside worship. I realized that God was calling me to be a leader and to make sure that I don’t let this feeling die in a week. Looking back, I can really tell that God was here the whole time. I 44

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20 Words:

JESUS SPOTTED ON SIXTH STREET

or the past two years I have had the privilege of leading a Friday night prayer team out on 6th Street. As you can imagine, we have seen just about everything you would think we might encounter out there including fights, freak shows, demon possessions, miracles, salvations, and more. Yet on this last prayerwalk. we came into contact with someone so anointed that it had me convinced it was Jesus himself disguised as a man named Jarred. I’ll come back to Jarred in a minute. but not before I remind you of two key truths. First, unlike most of us, those who encounter extreme hardships in this life truly yearn for heaven, while the rest of us live in fear trying to imagine an afterlife without cable, sex, or the internet. Second, God loves to use broken people to change the world. With that in mind, we then read that crazy speech in Matthew 5 where Jesus is declaring the poor, meek, persecuted, insulted, slandered, and those who mourn BLESSED! Turns out this chapter gives us some divine insight into how God views what is most important and of most value in this world. Where man sees a mistake, God sees a divine purpose. When man sees an impossible situation, God sees an opportunity. Who man sees as an unfortunate soul, God sees as a vessel to rescue a dying world. And this is where a 5’3”, 90lb student enters the picture. A brother who spends his weekend nights bringing hope through the gospel to everyone he literally bumps into on 6th Street. Our team happened to be huddled in prayer on 6th and Trinity as Jarred was approaching, being clearly oblivious to what was happening around him. As his cane accidentally smacked the leg of one of our prayer team members, I saw Jarred immediately dive into a conversation with him. He began to share Jesus with us, not realizing we were out there praying and ministering ourselves. He handed us a tract, told us a little about his testimony, and asked if he could pray over us….then he was on his way again. Before he darted off, we got a chance to get to know Jarred a little more. He is a 20-year old college student who has a severe case of scoliosis, is legally deaf, and legally blind. His hearing aid allowed him to pick up some sound so he could effectively communicate, but his eyes were not as fortunate. Jarred told us he makes it a point to share Jesus with everyone his walking stick touches as he tries to navigate his way through the city streets. When he is ready to go home, he simply tries to locate a Good Samaritan stranger willing to give him a ride back to his apartment. He lives a life of complete trust and surrender to God in more ways than one. We would run into him again (literally) before the night was over as he was asking strangers for a ride home – and one of our team members gladly stepped in to assist.

After his departure and encountering this young man’s raw passion for life, Jesus, and the Great Commission, we couldn’t help but wonder if this was some sort of angel in disguise. His lack of sight and sound was a unique asset in a spiritually hostile environment like 6th Street. The glares and rude comments we often receive as we minister go unnoticed by someone like Jarred. His physical limitations were clearly an asset making him a very effective evangelist. He wasn’t interested in man’s opinion; he was on a mission to seek and save that which is lost. While my senses may cause me to often live in fear rather than faith, his were truly freeing him to live radically.

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There was so much I was reminded of by Jarred’s uncompromising light, and whose pure joy and energy in Christ came pouring out as he sang worship songs on the walk back to the car. God has given us everything we need to go make an impact in the community around us right now. No matter how apprehensive I may get about living courageously for Christ, I will always have Jarred’s example in the back of my mind of how simple it really is when the world around you is tuned out. Jarred isn’t living for anything this world has to offer and I don’t want to, either. I am inspired to turn up the radical level a notch in my own life as a result of meeting this brother and I hope you are too, as you read this. So Jesus, on behalf of those of us who want more, shake us - break us - remake us and lead us - to places we don’t want to go. Joe Elliott "20 Words" has a dual meaning: it speaks to the 20-something crowd and highlights 20 words that send a message.

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T-H-A-N-K-S

Those Heartfelt Actions Noting Kind Sentiments We traditionally send out thank-you cards for gifts received at graduations, weddings, and other important celebrations. Think about the impact you might have on those around you by sharing expressions of thanks toward family, friends, or even acquaintances at unexpected moments but regular intervals. Our show of thanks is an expression of our participation in the relationship. Similarly, we give thanks to God for His many blessings toward us; his limitless love around us. As we celebrate Thanksgiving with loved ones, remember those heartfelt actions noting kind sentiments, and give THANKS to the One who made this all possible. I Chronicles 16:34 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. -Portia Scott

Quotes "He who thanks but with the lips Thanks but in part; The full, the true Thanksgiving Comes from the heart."

-J.A. Shedd

Do not get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. - Galatians 6:9 46

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