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the real stuff
Lose Your Mind, Ladies
the real deal
Open Your Eyes, Guys
the real me
Can God be Trusted?
real questions & real answers
with Governor Perry & Bill White
THINK OUTSIDE THE PEW October 2010
melissa gale An Anchor Who's "Anchored"
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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, Debbie Stevens, Laurie Loew, Pieper Stewart, Ginny Hurley, Mark Trice, Dave Ramsey, Richard Landry, Lauren Lacy, Joe Elliott, Melissa Critz, Patricia Jacobson, JoAnn Armstrong, Sandra Alton, John Pound, Amy Dillon, Don Spann, Deborah Begley, Tanya Dorris, Tom Spencer, Joshua Myers, Kristen Woolstrum, Maria Arreola, Howard E. Butt Jr., and Laura Maher Art Director: Abby Pound Abby@AustinFaithandFamily.com Cover Photo: Taylor Made Photography Max Lucado photos: courtesy of Karen James Photos of Governor Perry and Bill White were provided by Suzanne Erickson and Bill White for Texas. 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. 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.
Volume 2, Issue 5
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12 IS THIS THE ONE? Max Lucado Making a Difference
KVUE's
melissa gale
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24 contents FAITH
14 GET TO KNOW YOUR GOVERNOR
20
Liking Your Teens
33
7 Body Life: Love Talk 8 Spiritual Coffee It Real in the City: 9 Keeping Kenneth Phillips 10 Church & Helping Hands Directory of Obedience: 11 Moments Ballroom Dancing 12 20 Words: Is This the One?
FAMILY
the Light: 17 Catching The Leaf & The Rock Zone: Helping Your Children With 18 Kid Homework & Study Skills to Mom: 19 Mom Our Foundation In Need of Repair
20 Dear Dads: Liking Your Teens
LIFE
27 Special: Arkie's Grill a Good Cook: 28 Just Recipe From an Apron 29 Travel: Why Would I Need a Travel Agent Anyhow?
38 The Home Front: Austin Housing Trends
YOU
39 Head to Heart: Called to Relationships 40 Health Matters: Cardio Exercise & Nutrition: 41 Diet Nutritional Support for Back Pain 42 The Real Stuff: Lose Your Mind 43 The Real Deal: A Man-Servant 44 The Real Me: Trust God
SPECIAL THIS MONTH
Lucado: 13 Max YOU Were Made to Make a Difference 14 10 Questions with Governor Perry 15 10 Questions with Bill White Academy Student Earns National 16 Grace Awards at NJCL
21 Youth Partnership For Change Gale: 24 Melissa An Anchor Who's "Anchored"
& Christianity: 33 Science "Complementary" Angles the Way: 30 Along The Worldwide Prayer Movement, Part 1 45 One-of-A-Kind 31 Ladies Top 10: Camping
MONEY Spend Life Well:
35 Protecting Your Family's Finances 36 Dave Says www.AustinFaithandFamily.com
Who Save: 37 Moms Keeping the Car Running
EXTRAS
26 Rave Reviews 22 Austin Community Calendar 46 The Back Pew
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Editor's Note What's in a Name? One of my jobs as editor is to name our articles, or give them a title. Just a few small words, but oh so important, if we want to catch your eye and invite you to read. Even the name of our magazine, Austin Faith & Family, addresses the passion of the writers we ask to submit articles each month. They’re for you – the good people of Austin – and they hopefully encourage you in your walk with God, and strengthen you and your family. The name of our magazine says it all. You’ll notice a few new titles this month – “The Real Me”, “The Real Deal”, and “The Real Stuff” – all focused on you, whether you’re a male or female, young or old. They address real issues about real life. We recently added “Body Life,” written by a local pastor to the body of Christ, to bring new life to every member! Next month we’ll be adding a new column to the LIFE section, offering you and your family ideas of fun things to do around town. We hope you’ve noticed how our magazine is now laid out in named sections, so that articles are easier to find, depending on your particular interest. Thank you, Abby! What’s in a name? Everything. There’s power in the name of a magazine, one that carries with it expectations of good reading. There’s hope in the names we give our articles, inspiring our readers to higher thinking. There’s genuineness in the names of our columns, bringing our content into the fabric of your everyday lives. And there’s the name above all names behind everything we do – Jesus Christ – the name that inspires every word we bring to you. Enjoy…
Marcy Lytle | Austin Faith & Family Marcy@AustinFaithandFamily.com Join our growing online community at www.facebook.com/austinfaithandfamily
AFF, Hi there! I picked up a copy of your magazine at the RR YMCA and read it cover to cover. Thanks for all your hard work! Vicki S. Hi Marcy, It was so much fun to see the latest edition of Austin Faith & Family and the article I wrote about David. I’m so proud of him! Thanks for sharing what he does/what he believes with your readers! Lynn C.
Letters
AFF, Love this publication!
Nancy P.
Hi Marcy, I love the magazine, and just wish it was offered at more of the establishments I visit. Melissa G. Marcy, I've received a few of your publications and have enjoyed them immensely. Joshua M.
AFF offers our heartfelt sympathies to gospel artist Dr. Marvin Sapp, who is mourning the loss of his wife and manager, MaLinda Sapp. MaLinda lost her battle with colon cancer September 9th at the age of 43. Dr. Sapp is scheduled to headline the American Heart Association's "Most Powerful Voices Gospel Tour" with an appearance in Austin on Saturday, November 6th at PromiseLand Church.
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Body Life Spiritual Coffee Keeping It Real in the City Church Directory Moments of Obedience 20 Words
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Body Life:
Love Talk
“If you’re not loving, you’re not living!”
Jesus Christ came to radically change our love lives, and only He can do it. The Apostle John tells us in his first letter (I John 4:19), “We love because He first loved us.” What does he mean by that statement? After all, isn’t love found everywhere? Most of us love our families, our friends, our pets, God’s creation, etc. We love almost everything! But none of us loves the way He loves. His love is special. It is actually holy love, meaning there is no other love like it. It is perfect, always faithful, and totally unselfish. He demonstrated His love on the cross, and that is our real basis for knowing the love of God. For a description of it, you can read I Corinthians 13
(not just a passage for wedding ceremonies.) It describes this perfect love that He wants to be in us and flowing through us). I am not a natural lover. Although I grew up with very loving parents, some things happened to me along the way that caused most of my natural ability to love to shut down. My “love tank” was empty. When my wife told me she loved me I would usually try to make a joke or change the subject. I couldn’t believe it and didn’t love in return. Even while in the ministry, I felt very little of God’s love for others and had difficulty expressing it. I knew this
wasn’t right, but didn’t know how to change it. The answer (for me) came in accepting by faith the truth of God’s love. I looked up Bible verses describing the love of God, and even memorized them. One of my favorites is Psalm 139:17, “How precious are Thy thoughts toward me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.” But it wasn’t enough to study; the Lord wanted me to speak His truth. I began to thank God and confess, “Thank you, Lord, that you love me perfectly and completely.” I would even tell my closest friends, “God is crazy about me – He’s thinking about me all the time!” I still didn’t feel anything; I was just trusting God’s word. Then a few weeks later, as I was spending time with God, I felt the love of God flood my heart. My faith was becoming reality! Since that time, I can honestly say that I have never doubted His love. When I begin to pray and listen to Him, the first thing I usually hear Him say is, “I love you, John.” It never gets old. Only He can fill my “love tank.” And when it is full, I can love my wife and others without expecting anything in return. Human love says, “I love you. Do you love me, too?” Or, as we sometimes said in middle school, “Tell Jenny that I’ll like her if she likes me.” Sounds so childish, but isn’t that how most of us love? Not God. The love of God is not just an attitude or an emotion. It is real stuff. It fills us and possesses us. Even on days when we don’t think we can love, it will grip our hearts and move us to action for those in pain or in need. Love does. Love acts. Love initiates. As I think about it again, I could rephrase John’s truth, “We can only love because He first loved us.” And only in His love can we really live. John Pound Pastor, New Hope Community Church
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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. Purify your heart and bring honor to God -
1 Proverbs 27:19 "As water reflects a face, so a 13 man's heart reflects the man." We have a clear command...start today -
5:14 "The entire law is summed up 2 Galatians in a single command: Love your neighbor
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Suit up for God...be protected - Ephesians 6:11 "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.”
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Rely on God as your only source of power... He won't let you down - Ephesians 6:10 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”
"For whoever keeps the whole law & 21 2:10 yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of
as yourself."
We all need friends...be one today - Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
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God will never let you down - Psalm 91:2 "I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust."
we praise our Lord & Father, & with 22 tongue it we curse men, who have been made in
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God is good - 1 Samuel 12:24 "...fear the Lord & serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you."
23 4:17 "Anyone, then, who knows the good
Please God...do as He instructs - Psalm 40:8
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Serve others - Galatians 5:13 "You...were called to be free...do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature...serve one another in love.”
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Fear God, not man...He is in control Proverbs 29:25 "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe."
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Have no fear...Jesus is here -Matthew 28:1820 "All authority has been given to Me ...; & lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Make a difference today - Proverbs 31:8-9
and needy."
Lean on God & run from evil -Proverbs 3:7-8
not be wise in your own eyes; fear the 11 "Do Lord & shun evil. This will bring health to your body.”
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Live in the moment...enjoy every second - Proverbs 27:1 "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth."
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God's likeness."
Make the right choice...honor God - James
he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."
dead, so faith without deeds is dead."
Seek God and take comfort in His love...He
for us - Psalm 34:4 "I sought the Lord, 25 cares and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears"
26 1:22 "Do not merely listen to the word, and
Take action today...make God proud - James
so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."
27 Proverbs 5:21 "A man's ways are in full view
We can't hide from God...rely on His light of the LORD, and He examines all his paths."
ways are perverse."
up for those who cannot speak for 10 "Speak themselves...defend the rights of the poor
Use words for good - James 3:9 "With the
Show God your love...He has earned that -
Life isn't about money...it is about God -
Humility produces wisdom - Proverbs 11:2 "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom."
breaking all of it."
24 James 2:26 "As the body without the spirit is
28:6 "Better a poor man whose 8 Proverbs walk is blameless than a rich man whose
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Don't judge or compare...love - James
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to do Thy will, O my God; thy Law 4 "Iis delight within my heart.”
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Never give up hope - Romans 5:5 "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit..."
Let the Lord work...He has a plan - Isaiah 55:
My thoughts are not your thoughts, 28 "For neither are your ways My ways, declares the
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Smile today...feel God's joy - Proverbs 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
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Clean house and start fresh - 1 Peter 2:1"Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.”
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Day Plan - Psalm 34:12-13 "Whoever of you loves life & desires to see many good days keep your tongue from evil & your lips from speaking lies."
Lord.”
God is all we need...rely on Him - 2
12:9 "But he said to me, My 29 Corinthians grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
God gives peace - Philippians 4:7 "And
peace of God, which surpasses all 30 the understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Rely on God and His strength - 1 Sam 2:9 31 "He will guard the feet of his saints...It is not by ones own strength that one prevails."
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Rich Landry
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Out From Under the Steeple In to the streets of Austin
Kenneth Phillips came to Austin over 40 years ago to pastor 60 people. But even as a young man, Phillips had a drive to reach the world personally, by using all means possible. Since he began his ministry, Pastor Phillips has had this theme: “The power behind us is greater than the task before us.” So reaching the world has never been an impossibility; only an opportunity. Promiseland Church is being led by a man who obeys and believes in a big God. Striking controversy in organized religion was the concept Phillips proposed that God created the electronic age in order to further the gospel. Television, radio, internet, billboards, etc. – these are all ways to reach the people, as Phillips states, “If we have the product, we must reach the consumer.” A passion for souls took Phillips to take the “church out of the church” where the members held street rallies down on Guadalupe St. back in 1968, near the University of Texas Co-Op. Their first converts were hippies who didn’t dress like those who were “churched.” However, with 500 conversions in a short time, the net was full, and lives were changed. Since that time, many ministries that take place out of the sanctuary are in place and growing. The street rallies expanded to 6th Street and now to
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South Congress, where all of Austin hangs out on the weekend. “We aren’t fishing with a cane pole and worms – we have nets that bring in all kinds,” states Phillips. This net requires strengthening, mending, and it’s even broken a few times, but it’s constantly being used to bring people to Christ. “Every member is a minister at Promiseland Church.” Phillips states an “epic harvest” is coming through kids, teens, and couples. “Christ didn’t die for 2X4’s and steeples,” comments Phillips.
The building that houses Promiseland Church is used every night of the week and even on Saturdays. They share their facilities with Meals on Wheels, the American Heart Association, are hosting A Night to Honor Israel, and even had Friday Night Lights use their church for filming. All of these services are offered free of charge, to bless the community. A Hispanic church started with a small group meeting at Promiseland, and they now have 500 people attending an all-Spanish service. One particular story Pastor Phillips shared was of a conversion that had a ripple effect. One couple who accepted Christ was then sent to New York to Hell’s Kitchen where they participated in a street rally. Another couple walking by with their two small children heard the music and the message, and were drawn in. Prior to this, the couple had made a “suicide pact” but after that night, they accepted Christ, and their son is now in ministry at Promiseland. The Barnabus concept, where everyone is a “foster parent” of a new believer, makes sure that new Christians
Faith
Keeping It Real in the City don’t die in infancy. Regional pastors ensure that new converts are fed, clothed, and befriended, so that there is a “continual benevolent atmosphere,” according to Phillips. Since he’s been pastor, over 20,000 have been baptized and scattered all over the world to further the kingdom. Finally, Pastor Phillips shared that he wants all of those who love God to be equipped, to know God, and to be ready for the time when “every house is a chapel and every corner is a pulpit.” “These are terrible times, but exciting times,” says Phillips. However, the task is not too big for the one who has called all of us to reach the world for Him. It starts with pastors educating the consciousness of those in the pew, so that each person feels, “I am responsible.” There must be passion in the preaching, the music, and the teaching. When Phillips arrived here years ago, he was told Austin was a “preacher’s graveyard.” However, he gives all the glory to God for any success he’s seen through the body of Christ he serves. His final words? “Without God we cannot. Without us he will not. We are laborers together with God.” Promiseland Learning Center, caring for children from ages six weeks – 5 years – is now open this Fall. It’s located across from Mueller Airport and will welcome 200 children, offering an after school program, Texas Rising Star program, and CCMS. For more information, call 220-6381. Marcy Lytle
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CHURCH DIRECTORY
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Moments of Obedience
Ballroom Dancing
What began as just wanting to learn how to dance, get some exercise, and hang out with friends, has become an expression of God’s love to a community of people who also love to dance. Last week, during a prayer time at the UT’s Campus House of Prayer, the Lord led me to pray for each of the young men that I dance with by name, as well as our instructor. On one of the walls in the prayer room is a place to write the missional community’s name that you are reaching out to. I made the decision to write Ballroom Dancing on the sheet, signing my name and the name of the person who actually got me interested in it. I really felt I needed to take that step of obedience and trust God to carry out His plans in the class. About an hour after the prayer time, I looked up and the instructor of the class was standing at the CHOP’s door. I was astonished, as was he, when I opened the door. He had a Bible in his hand and told me that he had just given his life to the Lord two days earlier and needed a place to read his Bible and pray. I invited him in and we talked for nearly 45 minutes, with him
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sharing his desire for God to change and take over his life. I told him we had been praying for him and the other members of the class that morning, and he responded with a “thank you,” with tears in his eyes. I also told him I had established a missional community that morning for the class and he got really excited. He understood what an impact we can have by just simply showing the love of the Lord to these dancers and becoming intentional in praying for them. The next day, I got a text from a friend saying that they had just baptized him. He had come for a training session and ended up getting baptized! Is it a small world, or a very BIG GOD! I can’t wait to see what He’s going to do next. Tanya Dorris 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 publications to use your article in future publications.)
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20 Words
Is This the One? A Dating Quiz
Do you think she likes me? I can’t stop thinking about her. Does he talk about me at all? If I get mad cow disease and die do you think he would be devastated at my funeral? And so it goes with those who make up the single world. It can be amusing to watch guys chase after girls who have no interest in them and girls fall for guys just because they are cute and carry a bible. What about you? Are your dating energies being spent pursuing dead ends? Do you wish you could just get a clue early on and make better use of your emotional time without being so blinded by infatuations? I have a test that may help you know if the person you are interested in right now is actually someone you should pursue. Here is a three question quiz for both guys and gals that you must pass in order to move forward in confidence with the person you like. You ready? This is how it works, on a scale of “WOW, YES!!” to “HMM, Not Really.” Read the questions below and answer accordingly. Here is the scale: -WOW, YES!! - YA, I’d say so - Well, kinda -Not right now, but I see potential - Hmm, No not really. Ladies are up first. Read the questions followed by the brief explanation and answer according to the scale-o-love above. 1. Is he pursuing you? - Haven’t you seen those relationships where the girl is way more into the guy than the guy is the girl? Best way to tell if this is you is to measure who initiates most of the contact, you or him? Don’t be fooled anymore. A guy who is legitimately into you and not just settling for your affections will show you by the way he continually pursues you. This also should be reevaluated more than just in the first few months.
2. Does he serve others like Christ serves? - This question gets to the core of what is in the heart of the man you like. It also gives you a preview into your marriage. If he doesn’t have it in him to consistently serve God by laying his life down for others - consider it an early warning sign. 3. Does your level of intimacy match the amount of time you have known each other? - A relationship should deepen over time, but also beware of relationships that can move too fast emotionally. Guys often use this as a ploy to win the affection of girls quickly and display a false sense of commitment. I’m a guy and have done this in my B.C. days - it often makes girls fall for us faster. Guys turn. 1. Is she excited about being just with you? I love this question but it’s a tricky one because a girl can like hanging out with you but not LIKE YOU, like you. Get it? A girl who is really into you will make time to be with you and will be excited about it. If you don’t get that vibe then move on. You should not have to ask a girl out more than once. 2. Does she believe in you? Do you find that she is continuously in your corner encouraging you and inspiring you to be a better man? Girls who like you go the extra mile to support you in whatever Himilayan-like adventure you set out to do. That’s the kind of lady you want by your side for the long haul. 3. Does she have the potential to be your best friend? When the sizzle of a new relationship fades, will you still want to share everything in your life with this girl? Trust me fellas, I got married young and have been happily hitched for 10 years – there is nothing more important than marrying someone who you feel is also your best friend. The Results If you answered “WOW, YES!!” to at least two questions and “Ya, I’d say so” to the other, then you passed the quiz. If not, don’t proceed any further because there is no need to pursue a relationship with this person. You are more than likely wasting your time and on the road to heartbreak. It’s too late to go back and change your answers; your first gut response was probably the right one. Let a friend take this quiz for you if you have doubts. Whatever you decide, remember dating is testing the waters of marriage and marriage is a commitment, a promise before God that you are going to lay your life down for this person no matter what happens. Emotions aside, God desires for us to be with someone who will love us the way Christ loves the church. That kind of love is real, will not misguide you and, although imperfect in human forms, is still very much available for those patient enough to wait on it. Joe Elliot
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"20 Words" has a dual meaning: it speaks to the 20-something crowd and highlights 20 words that send a message. Available at all HEB, Randalls, & Central Market locations in the Greater Austin area
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Max Lucado YOU Were Made to Make a Difference
New York Times bestselling author and San Antonio-based pastor Max Lucado is spending 2010—his 25th year in publishing—calling people, churches, and communities to “compassionate living.” Lucado’s latest book, Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make a Difference urges readers to make a difference with their lives on behalf of those who are at risk, in need, or overlooked by society. Modeling his call to action, Lucado has committed to donate 100% of book royalties for this title to help international humanitarian agency World Vision secure sponsorships for 25,000 children and build clean water wells in Africa. Also inspired by the book’s theme is the “Make a Difference Tour 2010” which will make its way to arenas in 20 cities this fall, including Austin’s Frank Erwin Center on October 7th. The tour features Max Lucado and some of the top names in the Christian music industry: GRAMMY® award-winning recording artists TobyMac, Michael W. Smith, and Third Day. Mr. Lucado recently shared some insight with AFF’s Susan Stern, regarding his book, the tour, and making a difference. AFF: Especially in America, we can easily insulate our lives against the pain of those whom are hurting the most. Why do you think we choose to look away? Lucado: I think we’re overwhelmed by the needs and we wonder what we could do. The problem of poverty is so huge both locally and globally. We read the statistics and we can’t wrap our minds around it, and so we avoid thinking about it. I think most people don’t consciously look away, but it’s more comfortable in our shell. What I try to do in my new book is expand on what we already do know - that we can’t do everything, but everybody can do something. We believe in faith that God will take all of our “somethings” and do “something spectacular” that only He can do. That has to be our response.
Photo courtesy of Karen James
The unique thing about this book is that 100% of author royalties will go to helping World Vision find sponsors for kids and drill clean water wells in Africa. AFF: Many in our audience may feel that one ordinary person can’t make a real difference in the face of our world’s challenges. What do you say to this line of reasoning? Lucado: I would say read the book of Acts, because that‘s a picture of the most common people. Nothing in the Bible says the apostles were anything more than ordinary Joe’s like you and me. If they were around today they’d be working at offices and in construction and driving carpools. The only difference was when Jesus said “Follow me,” they said, “I will.” Those are the kind of people God’s looking for today - the ones who will respond to His call. Susan Stern
AFF: Tell us about your experience visiting Mimi, the child you sponsor in Ethiopia through World Vision. Lucado: That was a really good visit for me and my wife Denalyn to make. We went with World Vision to see how child sponsorship works and how we could partner to get 25,000 more children sponsored. It was a unique opportunity to meet a child we actually sponsor. The thing I learned that was perhaps the biggest realization or “a-ha moment” for me is that it’s truly possible to be poor and not be at fault. Down deep, many of us in America think if someone just worked a little harder and tried more, they would be able to get themselves out of poverty. Like the Apostle Paul said (II Thessalonians 3), if people won’t work, don’t let them eat. It’s easy to grow cynical and think that if the poor just worked harder they’d be okay, but that’s not always the case. Mimi’s father Dadi is every bit as industrious as I am. It just so happens he was born in an area where there is no clean water, no paved roads; education is non-existent, and where a plague killed his only ox. I think these are the people we have the obligation to help. AFF: How did your idea for the Make a Difference Tour came about? Lucado: Well, the idea came as I was writing the book to help World Vision find sponsors for 25,000 children. We felt like a concert tour was the best way to get the word out to the most people the quickest. It will definitely be an evening of inspiration and encouragement and also a unique challenge to get involved and put smiles on people’s faces around the world. AFF: Tell us more about the new book! Lucado: The book is based on the first 12 chapters of the book of Acts. The Jerusalem church were common people who were part of an uncommon life-changing movement. They dealt with all the things we deal with today racism and discrimination in the church, arrogance in the church, poverty in their city. It’s a picture of how we can respond today. www.AustinFaithandFamily.com
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5. What current plans are in place to improve Texas public schools? 1. How did you get started in politics and why? I guess you could say that public service is in my blood. For generations, members of my family have served in state and local politics, from the local school board to the House of Representatives. Growing up as the son of a man who fought for our country as a B-17 tail gunner in WWII and then served on the school board and as a county commissioner, it becomes clear early that giving back is part of a person’s responsibility. I’m just honored to be able to give something back to the state that has given me so much. 2. How do you see the current state of the State of Texas? To be honest, Texas is leaving a lot of other states in the dust right now when it comes to our economy. We export more goods and create more jobs than anyone else. I sincerely believe no other state can match us because no other state has Texans. No matter how a Texan spells their last name or how long ago they got here, there’s something about our culture that encourages people to work hard, look out for others and dream big. I wouldn’t live anywhere else. 3. What do you feel have been your best accomplishments while governor here. I’d have to say I’m proudest of remaining true to the values I learned from my parents, which were reinforced by my church, the Boy Scouts, the Corps at A&M, and the Air Force. It boils down to doing what you say you’ll do, believing in people enough to let them achieve great things, and defending an individual’s constitutional right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Those simple guidelines have served me and Texas well. 4. What are the most important issues Texas is dealing with now?
Texas schools are on a track of continuous improvement. We have fought hard to “change the corporate culture” in our schools by ramping up the accountability factor, getting parents more involved, and emphasizing a grasp of basic subjects like math, science, English and social studies. Today’s children are tomorrow’s workforce, so we need to do even better in the way teach them the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and math). I’ve proposed doubling the number of STEM academies in our state and expanding the U-Teach program to recruit more top-performing college students into the teacher ranks. This is the kind of effort that will prepare our young people to compete in the workplace of tomorrow. 6. How does Texas stand in the competition with other states for jobs, businesses, and residents? I’m not saying I feel bad for other states, but they’re starting behind the eight ball with their high taxes, burdensome regulations, and legal systems that are out of whack. Employers are increasingly looking to Texas because our low taxes, predictable regulations, sensible legal system, and continuously improving schools provide them the foundation for business success. Apply the Texas work ethic in that context and end up with a state that leads the nation in exports, job creation, and Fortune 1000 companies. So, I’d say we’re standing in just the right spot to compete. 7. Is anything in the works to lower the cost of homeowners insurance? Although big government advocates believing that mandates are the answer to every ill, the only thing that really lowers prices in a market economy like ours is competition. That applies to everything from hamburgers to homeowners insurance. In a state as big as ours, the risks to insurers can be sizable, because their policyholders can run the risk from a storm on the coast to a wildfire in the Panhandle. So we’ve worked to offset those risks and keep companies in the marketplace to compete which, in the end, benefits folks all across the state.
8. What is currently being done to protect our borders from the current drug wars? You’d think a conflict just across our international border that has taken thousands of lives and even led to bullets hitting buildings in El Paso and Brownsville would draw the undivided attention of the federal government. You’d think we’d get National Guard troops, more Border Patrol agents, and a commitment to protect our citizens. Instead, we get letters and press releases. So Texas has stepped into the gap and invested more than $200 million over the past several years to put boots on the ground to protect our citizens. We have created Ranger Recon teams that are focusing their efforts on the most dangerous sections of the border and hitting the drug dealers head-on. Washington might be twiddling their thumbs, but Texas will keep the pressure on so our people are safe. 9. When you have time off, what do you enjoy doing? I love time spent with my family, whether that’s over a good meal, enjoying some quality Texas music, or dove hunting together. I do my share of reading, mostly the Bible, and world history. Throw in regular running, cycling and the occasional Aggie football game, and I get my batteries recharged in no time. 10. What makes you the most proud about Texas? Texas is a state that was built by independentthinking people who dreamed big, took risks and worked hard. Based on the traditional values that made our nation great, our culture continues to turn out some of our nation’s brightest minds, bravest military members and greatest spiritual leaders. I’ll go to my grave believing that Texas is the world’s best place to live, work, worship and raise a family.
Governor Perry was sworn in as the state's 47th governor on December 21, 2000. Rick Perry was elected to a four-year term November 5, 2002 and re-elected November 7, 2006. A fifth generation Texan, Governor Rick Perry has taken an extraordinary journey, from a tenant farm in the rolling West Texas plains to the governor’s office of our nation’s second largest state. He first met Anita Thigpen at a piano recital during their elementary school years. They married in 1982 and are the proud parents of two grown children Griffin and Sydney.
When you boil it down, people basically want three things: a good job, a safe neighborhood, and good schools for their children. So I have worked hard with my fellow elected leaders to craft a culture where employers can succeed and create jobs. We have invested Aust in 14 FAITH & FAMILY Available at all HEB, Randalls, & Central Market locations in the Greater Austin area
10 Questions with Rick Perry
heavily in defending the border and supporting law enforcement. We have partnered with legislators, educators, and community leaders to improve the quality of education for our children. Granted, Washington seems bound and determined to mess up the progress we’ve made, but we’ll just keep doing what we know is right so Texas stays on track.
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10 Questions with Bill White
1. How did you get started in politics and why? I grew up in the civil rights era, and my first step into politics was registering voters in San Antonio's Hispanic neighborhoods, after the passage of the Voting Rights Act. 2. How do you see the current state of the State of Texas? We’re a young state and we’re a growing state, but we won’t be as good as we can be, so long as Texas ranks at the bottom of the nation in the percentage of our adults with a high school diploma. We will not lead this nation if every year’s tuition to two-year and four-year state schools goes up faster than the ability of people to pay. We need to start preparing Texans for the schools and the technology they need for the jobs of the future. 3. What do you feel were your greatest accomplishments as Mayor of Houston? I am proud of the way Houston responded in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina when we provided for more than 200,000 Americans whose residences, and often jobs, were destroyed. When people ask me about Houston’s policy, I answer plainly that we should treat our neighbors as we would like to be treated. We’ve used the diverse communities in my city to deal with human needs through voluntary efforts. We did it following Hurricane Rita, and then again in 2008 in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. We also mobilized this faith community to help get our dropouts back to school and as partners in community health clinics. 4. What are the most important issues Texas is dealing with now? Texans understand that in a competitive global economy, we must improve public schools, increase high school graduation rates, and reduce the barriers to higher education.
Bill and his wife Andrea attend St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Houston, where Bill taught Sunday school for many years. The Whites are proud of their three kids: Will, Elena and Stephen. Will is a teacher at a public school in Houston and Elena and Stephen are both in college. Bill has said that his faith taught him "that I and other people were not the center of the universe. That we were all a part of something much bigger."
I have a five-point plan to expand Pre-K programs that works: improve career and technical education by working with school districts, community colleges, and employers; cut dropout rates by treating this as an emergency when students do not return to school; let educators teach writing, reasoning, and problem-solving skills, rather than teaching how to make a minimum score on an annual high-stakes multiple choice test; and make college education more affordable for more Texans. The plan is available online at: www. b i l l w h i t e fo r t e x a s. c o m / education 5. What can we do to improve Texas public schools? We can reduce the amount of time teachers spend teaching students how to take the TAKS test so that they can teach students critical thinking skills. Improving the performance of public education requires us to attract and retain great educators who can prepare our students for a complex world. This requires competitive compensation and recruitment and accountability measured by more than one test score. We must also ensure that teachers have the skills, including motivational and interpersonal skills, before they are retained with job security. Master teachers and principals ought to receive incentives to work in schools with the biggest challenges. We should identify and replicate the best practices from high-performing schools, including charter schools. Accountability should be based in part on measures of educational outcomes including success in finding jobs or pursuing higher education. 6. How does Texas stand in the competition with other states for jobs, businesses and residents? Our state is blessed with natural resources and we’ve led the nation in job growth for decades and decades. So, anybody who takes credit for job growth in Texas has been governor for too long. I've been in business and never once did I think, “Okay, my business is succeeding, frankly, because Dolph Briscoe is governor or Bill Clements is governor.” You've got to work. What we can do is start preparing Texans for high wage jobs. Right now Texas leads the nation in minimum wage jobs. 7. Is anything in the works to lower the cost of homeowners insurance?
As governor, I'd require homeowners insurance companies to prove why any rate increase is needed before I'd permit it. Under Perry, if they want your money, they can have it. I'd put a stop to that. 8. What is currently being done to protect our borders from the current drug wars? We need to do more to effectively secure the border and stop gangs, drug traffickers, and human traffickers. I have a six-point plan that lays the groundwork for this. Part of my plan includes immediately adding funding for 1,250 more positions for local and state law enforcement officers to be deployed along the border. The border security plan is available at http://www. billwhitefortexas.com/issues/border/. 9. When you have time off, what do you enjoy doing? I enjoy spending time with my family. A TV station asked both me and Rick Perry to send video clips about how we spend our time when not on the campaign trail. I attach our responses: http://www. texastribune.org/texas-politics/2010texas-governors-race/ktrk-tv-featurefocuses-on-candidate-hobbies/ 10. What makes you the most proud about Texas? My family goes back generations in Texas. They settled this state when we were just a frontier. This is a place that carried a new identity with people from all backgrounds, and we’re stronger now than we’ve ever been, because we’ve shed the old stereotypes that kept people down, stereotypes based on ethnicity and gender. We’re proud, whether you’re a newcomer or somebody who’s been around here for a long time; we’re proud of the Lone Star State. It’s a place with big horizons and bigger dreams.
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Grace Academy Student Earns National Awards at NJCL Ashton Murphy, a rising junior at Grace Academy, earned multiple first place awards at the 2010 National Junior Classical League (NJCL) National Convention. Ashton, who has attended Grace Academy since the third grade, received the first place Lillie B. Hamilton Award trophy (overall highest points, scoring in at least three categories), first place Individual Achievement Award trophy (overall sweepstakes) and the first place overall medal in graphic arts. Ashton placed in the top ten in every event that she entered. This is the third consecutive year that Ashton has attended the NJCL National Convention. An article by Classical Academic Press reports that this year “Ashton competed in numerous categories such as Latin academics, creative arts, graphic arts and ‘Olympic’ athletic activities. Ashton also delivered a dramatic rendition of one of Cicero’s speeches . . . in Latin.” Karen Moore is Ashton’s Latin teacher at Grace Academy of Georgetown. Karen says of her student: “Ashton created and entered 16 pieces of art, studied steadily for two academic tests, wrote two papers, prepared a speech entirely in Latin, designed a costume” and competed in “individual athletic endeavors.” She also played on the Texas delegation’s volleyball team. “At the NJCL area convention in February, Ashton was elected Area F chair by her peers. As such, she was also responsible to prepare items for the Texas delegation (over 200 people) to use at one of the pep-rally-like events they are required to attend at nationals.”
Classical League. Each year [the club] attends competitions on the area and state level.” Sometimes a few of the Grace Academy students will make the national convention, “where approximately a thousand dedicated young classicists convene at a university campus each year for a week full of competitions and events.” Ashton reports that Latin has connected her to a tradition of culture and language that is over 2,000 years old, which inspires and motivates her. She notes that her English vocabulary has grown immensely, thus enabling her to decode English words she has never seen before. Ashton also says that studying Latin has been fun and enjoyable, and encourages all students to study the language. She is currently contemplating a career in journalism or law, but also confesses a love for art. So what is next for Ms. Murphy? As Area Chair, Ashton will lead her cohorts at Grace Academy in organizing and hosting the 2011 Austin Area Latin Convention. Afterwards she’ll take a breath and begin her preparations for the state convention and yet another return to nationals. For with students like Ashton, the classics will never die. An audio interview with Ashton Murphy and Karen Moore can be heard at www. insideclassicaled.com. Tom Spencer ACCS Communications Director
“Grace Academy has a Latin Club that has an active chapter in the National Junior
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Family
Catching the Light Kid Zone Mom to Mom Dear Dads
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Catching the Light:
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 Gather several brown leaves and one green leaf for this lesson, along with a dull rock and a shiny polished rock, a plastic bug, a 13X9 pan, and a pitcher of water. Take turns moving the props in the pan, as the story is read aloud. Lucy Leaf was unattached, free to do whatever she pleased. However, every wind that came along blew her a little farther away from the tree from which a chewing bug had cut her loose. (Blow the green leaf.) She was glad she had fallen from the tree, because she wanted to be different, and was tired of all the other leaves crowding her in the tree. Reese Rock was solid and unmovable because of the name his father had passed on to him when he was born. (Blow on the rock and watch it sit in place, unmoved). Soon, Lucy lost her shiny green color and grew an ugly brown color (Change the green leaf to a brown one.) Reese Rock was still strong and
always had critters resting on top of him and he enjoyed them (Place the bug on him.) When it rained a lot, the water only made Reese more beautiful. (Remove the bug and pour water over the rock.)
Which part of God’s creation are you? Are you a disgruntled part of a tree, trying to shake loose, One day Lucy blew into the very creek where so you can be “free” like Lucy Leaf? Did you Reese Rock lived. (Toss the brown leaf into the know that when you believe in Jesus, you take water.) The water was running rapidly and she on his strong character, if you allow him to place had no strength to fight it. (Stir up the water his name in your heart? You can be a refuge for so it swirls the leaf around.) Lucy Leaf knocked others and never be moved. In fact, over the against the rock where she dried out in the sun. years you will become a shiny rock, a true gem. (Lay the leaf atop the rock.) When she dried, the breeze blew her away again where she landed Read the following verses -- Psalm 18:2, 19:14, on a pile of other brown leaves (Place Lucy in the 40:2, 61:2 and 92:15. pile.) Pray together that you won’t be a leaf blown Reese Rock was still in the creek, polished from about wherever the wind chooses, stepped on the recent flood of water and glistening in the and eventually discarded. Pray that you will be sun. (Replace the first rock with the polished like a rock, immovable, because of Him. one.) Little children were stepping on him to get across the creek without getting wet. (Run Marcy Lytle your fingers across as you giggle.) Lucy Leaf could also feel feet running over her, but she did not like it. (Use your fingers to stomp on the leaves, cracking Lucy Leaf into bits.) Lucy was no longer recognizable to anyone around her, and she didn’t even know herself.
Remember the ABC's of water safety: Adult supervision, Barriers to pools, and swim Classes
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Family
Kid Zone
Helping Your Children with Homework and Developing Study Skills unwind from the school day, and starting homework as soon as they get home may not be the most productive. With a consistent dinner time, homework can be scheduled to meet the child’s learning style.
School is back in full swing, and with the return of school is the return of homework. Understanding that each child is unique and has different learning styles, there are some tips that parents can apply to help their children develop good study skills and make homework time more productive. Homework and study time needs consistency. Try to be consistent with dinner time so that homework and studying can fit within the family schedule. Depending on temperament, your child may need time to
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Have a designated space for homework and studying. It is important that there be designated space for completing homework or studying. The child’s room, the kitchen table, or the family room can all be options for a designated study space as long as it is free of distractions. Eliminate distractions. Turn off the television. During homework and study time the television can be a major distraction and can dramatically decrease learning and retention of information studied. In addition to the television, it is good to restrict telephone calls, text messaging and emails. Research has varied regarding listening to music while studying. For some children, music is beneficial, while for others it is a distraction. Parents will need to determine what works best for their child.
Should parents help with homework? Parents can help with homework by calling out spelling words, checking math problems, or helping their child understand certain concepts. The parent’s role is to assist and teach without “doing the work.” Offer encouragement and support. Children need to know that learning is fun and that they will be tackling new concepts throughout their lifetime. Parents can help children learn by encouraging them, being involved in the learning process, looking for teachable moments aside from school work, and reinforcing their child’s worth and value - not based on their performance. Research has proven that a parent’s interest, active participation, and encouragement are the number one predictors of academic success. Now that the framework is in place for homework and study time, let’s take on this next school year with zeal and success!
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Al H. Jones, Ph.D.
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Family
Mom to Mom
The back to school rush has come and gone; clothes and supplies have been bought. School is back in session, the busy daily routine has taken its course, and Fall is here! Now that kids are fully engaged in all the social and intellectual activities that school necessitates, I’ve been thinking about how Americans were once educated. Our nation, having been founded on a Christian heritage, is slowly taking a turn for the worse as our very own government continually silences God. Did you know that The Holy Bible was at one time the textbook used to teach children how to read? And yes, in America’s public school system! The New England Primer was a reading textbook written in the late 1600s, by Benjamin Harris. In addition to the Bible, it was used to teach children to read and it became one of the most successful textbooks used in the United States. The content was derived from the New King James Bible and it not only included curriculum of the English alphabet but came chock full of rhymes with life lessons relating to ethics, respect for one’s parents, sin, and even salvation. For example, next to the letter B, there is a picture of the Holy Bible, “Thy life to mend, this Book attend.” Next to the letter D, conveying importance of moral behavior and one of the Ten Commandments, is a picture of a dog chasing a thief, “A Dog at night, a thief will bite.” What rich substance this would provide to a child’s learning!
that the government might interfere with the free practice of the Christian religion. So, Thomas Jefferson replied to the letter assuring them not to worry, that the government would stay separate from matters of religion. Sadly, over the years, the usage of the phrase has misled Americans and has made us think this terminology means to keep God and the Bible out of our everyday lives. In reality, it means to prohibit the government from interfering with the free exercises of Christianity. Obviously, its true meaning has been muddled to imply the exact opposite of what it was originally intended, and the very freedoms on which our country was built upon are increasingly being forbidden. For more information on this matter and to be educated on the truths of our Founding Father’s religious belief system, please view the very enriching series by Dave Miller, PhD,
“The Silencing of God: The Dismantling of America’s Christian Heritage” on You Tube. As your children have started school, remember how important it is that the truth be taught to them, because it won’t be taught in their schools. It must no longer be silenced. God and Christianity is that upon which our country was founded. Pieper Stewart Betty and Faye are my two grandmothers, ages 85 and 75. As a mother myself, I've had an especailly strong yearning to learn all I can about 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.
I recently asked MamaFaye, one of my wonderful grandmothers, if she remembered God, prayer, or other religious teachings taking place throughout her education. I was saddened that she didn’t remember a textbook like the New England Primer, but she did remember every year at Christmas time, her school would hold an annual Christmas play to celebrate the birth of Jesus. She described her memory saying, “We sang all the Christmas songs and acted out the birth of Christ, followed by the Christmas tree that was laden with gifts that our parents had brought for us. Can you see that happening today?” Unfortunately, the media and other ill-informed avenues, in regards to what the phrase “separation of church and state” was originally intended for, have deceived us. “Separation of church and state” cannot be found in the Constitution. It was actually a phrase written by Thomas Jefferson in a private document. A Baptist organization wrote him a letter worried www.AustinFaithandFamily.com
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Family
Dear Dads
Liking Your Teens They’re so cute at first, aren’t they? The baby snuggles, the first steps, first words…and you are overwhelmed with gratitude. Fast-forward 15 years and you are absolutely convinced your angel has been invaded by an extra-terrestrial alien and understanding your teen, much less enjoying him, seems out of the question. It’s his hair that he never cuts or washes… Her skinny jeans that hug her legs so tightly that you’re confident no blood is reaching her feet. Bottom Line: times have changed and because of that fact, a healthy dad-child relationship is more important now, more than ever, in order to produce healthy, well-adjusted adult children. So where do you start? As a dad, a preeminent concern one should have is the pursuit of your teen. So many parents assume that the parent-child relationship comes naturally; and therefore become discouraged when they keep hitting brick walls. Or dad is too busy to put in the effort it requires and assumes his child will be fine regardless. Either option can have devastating results.
the world and life that they will say a whole host of things that they think they mean. As adults, we must trust that perspective will come with time. At 17 they probably do assume you went to some “Worst Parent Skills 101” seminar and are now trying to make their lives miserable. They are just wounded, find themselves in a relational corner, and do not know how else to deal with the situation other than lash out. Secondly, you must learn to separate their poor judgment from who they are as human beings, and more importantly, as your child. A lot of parents associate their children’s decisions with who they are as people. Therefore, if my child makes more bad decisions than good, he is a “bad” kid. This train of thought can lead to a hard heart on behalf of the dad toward the teen. It’s important to develop the mindset that says, “No matter what you do, I will love you, support
you and think you are good and worthwhile.” As parents, separating who they are as people from their decisions is a critical step in developing a solid relationship with them. Lastly, spend QUALITY time with your teen. Driving to and from band practice is not quality time. Part of making a teen feel valued is clearing your schedule to hang out and enjoy her for just being her. To make your child feel wanted, it is important to actually want your child. As a father, God desires to work in and through you to reconcile your teen to Himself. He desperately wants a relationship with them and the best way to communicate that truth is to pursue one yourself, allowing the Grace He freely gives to you, to be freely given to them. Joshua Myers, MA, LPC
Men, do you remember pursuing your wife? The flowers, the cards, late night talks, surprise dates, etc? However, most of that excitement dissipates when one assumes he’s won the prize. Sadly, many dads don’t pursue the “prize” that is their teen. But the fact of the matter is that adolescents not only need a roof over their head and food on the table, they need to be pursued. Aside from you, there are countless entities pursuing your teen’s heart. Peer acceptance, the quest to be the best athlete or academic, the Internet, first loves, video games, experimental drug use, alcohol… just to name a few. These things have the ability to rapture your child’s heart; and as parents, we must make the effort, or risk losing them. A few things to keep in mind as you work on your relationship with your adolescent: First, keep in mind that a behavioral misstep by your son/daughter is not a personal affront toward you as the parent. Most dads think, “How could you do this to me?” or “I thought I taught you better than that.” Did you catch how many “I’s” and “me’s” there were? For the most part, teens are trying to find their own way, their own identity. They search down a lot of paths, and like it or not, they don’t make every decision with you in mind. You have to take everything your teen says with a grain of salt. They are so myopic in their view of 20
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YOUTH PARTNERSHIP FOR CHANGE Healthier Choices, Healthier Lives
Every year, nearly 1500 people are killed on Texas roads due to drinking and driving, the most for any other state in the nation. This number, while staggering, doesn’t take into account the numbers of people that die from other alcohol-related causes, including homicide, suicide, complications from alcoholism and accidental death. These are just the numbers, however; the real faces of the dangers of alcohol come from individual stories, like that of Myra McRoy Constable. As a teen, her father died from complications from alcoholism, and years later, her husband was killed in an alcohol-related car accident. The impact of losing these two men in her life has been profound; not only was she left without a father as a teenager, but her son, Nick, just under two years old at the time of his father’s crash, was also left without his dad. She says, “It is heartbreaking to know that my son’s father’s life ended as a direct result of his decision to drink and drive.”
A decade after losing her husband, Myra is now a single mom to Nick, a seventh-grader in AISD, and the Program Coordinator to Youth Partnership for Change. Youth Partnership for Change, or YPC, is a program of the nonprofit YouthLaunch, and offers service learning opportunities to young people while targeting a pervasive health and safety concern for the community: underage drinking. Constable, who has been working with YPC for four years, sees every day the connection between early choices about alcohol and the pain it can bring later in life. YPC is a program that hires young people, ages 16-21, to speak to students and the community about the social, physical and legal consequences of underage alcohol use. These fifteen youth Community Educators are drawn to the program for different reasons, but each comes to the program with their own personal story about the dangerous effects of alcohol. One community educator tells a story about her father, a recovered alcoholic, whose disease, though never active in her lifetime, had effects on the family in many ways. Another community educator tells a story about his
family as well—a large extended family with alcohol problems that led to relationship issues, tickets, fines, and jail time. He mentions that his family learned to deal with problems by turning to the bottle rather than fixing them constructively. Yet another community educator tells a story about a young friend in middle school who started drinking, and eventually brought alcohol to school, where she was caught by the principal, and faced many consequences from parents, school and the law. One more community educator admits to succumbing to the pressures of university as a freshman—partying and falling behind in schoolwork until she was put on academic probation. At that point, she luckily realized that alcohol was getting in the way of achieving her goals, vowed to avoid it through the rest of college, and joined YPC to help prevent what happened to her from happening to other Texas youth. Each of their stories are different, but have a common element; alcohol has made a lasting and painful imprint on their lives. This is not just an individual fluke, either. As mentioned earlier, Texas is the number one state for alcohol related traffic deaths in the nation. Furthermore, Austin, the state’s fourth largest city, is ranked higher than any other Texas city for alcohol-caused problems, including arrests, violence, drunk driving, and number of bars per capita. Given the revenue that alcohol brings to our city—from sporting events, music events, restaurants and bars, recreation and tourism—it is no wonder that Austin is ranked 5th drunkest city in the United States (Men’s Health Magazine). Myra Constable and YPC want to help change this. She says, “We want young people to know that there can be very serious physical, legal and social consequences of drinking, especially when you start young.” Unfortunately, it is far too common for people to have personal connections with the harmful effects of alcohol. But, this connection of personal stories is often what keeps both the audiences engaged in the YPC presentations and the Community Educators empowered by the mission of the program. One youth said, “It makes me feel good to know I am making a difference in my community. Even if it is just one student that hears our message, we have hopefully helped that student make healthier choices for their future.” Laura Maher
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Submit calendar entries to Amanda@AustinFaithandFamily.com by the 15th of the preceeding month.
October Student of the Month
Madeleine Dalgleish is in the 4th grade and attends school at home. She says her favorite subject is Science, because she gets to do “a whole bunch” of projects. However, Maddie states, “I don’t like having to wake up early to do school. I like staying up late and sleeping late.” In addition to studying at home, Maddie is a dancer. She takes eight classes at Round Rock Repertory Dance Centre, and this year she made the competitive dance troupe, the ROCK-ettes. She also takes classes in modern dance and jazz. She comments, “When I’m doing my work, or dancing at the studio, I try to do my best because I don’t want anyone to think bad things about Christians or homeschoolers.” When Madeleine grows up, she wants to be a dance teacher. “And I’d like to be a seamstress and be able to sew dresses and costumes like Ms. Julie, my dance teacher.” She states Ms. Julie is nice, a good teacher, and “a Christian too.” Maddie’s hope is to be the same kind of teacher some day. Finally, Maddie has her own motorcycle - a Yamaha TTR50. Her brothers and dad ride in competitions, but Maddie just enjoys riding around. “It’s a lot of fun!” Marcy Lytle
perception of environmentalism. Companies big and small are invited to showcase their green products and services. Consumers will have hands-on experiences with ecofriendly alternatives to everyday products and services. HarvestFest 5K and Family Fun Run – San Gabriel Park starting at 6:30am. This is a 5K and Family Fun Run in beautiful San Gabriel Park. All proceeds will benefit the WBCO which is the non-profit organization that provides Meals-on-Wheels, the Senior Nutrition Program and the Head Start Program. Teacher Heaven Semi-Annual Sidewalk Sale from 9am-6pm. 75% off the original price of All Clearance Merchandise. www. teacherheaven.com VeggieTales Kids Day at LifeWay- 11am1pm. Celebrate the release of the new VeggieTales movie It's a Meaningful Life with crafts, refreshments, activities and fun at LifeWay Christian Store in the Arbor Walk shopping center.
October 3 TaylorWise Worship Event – Bethany United Methodist Church from 6:30pm – 7:30pm. Bethany United Methodist Church “Evening of Worship” featuring music of TaylorWise and other Austin musicians. J.R. Taylor, Worship Leader at Austin Christian Fellowship and Jerry Wise, Contemporary Worship Leader at Austin Baptist Church will be sharing contemporary Christian favorites as well as original music from their recently released album, Restore Us. Free childcare provided. Trek Women Triathlon Series – Walter E. Long Park at Decker Lake from 7am -11am. Women Triathlon Series is running in 8 cities in 2010 including Austin. The Series, aimed at breaking down barriers for women, joins the Danskin Triathlon Series, as the only major women’s triathlon event created by women, run by women, exclusively for women.
October 1 Together for Adoption National Conference- to be held at Hill Country Bible Church, 12124 RR 620 North. FMI and to register, visit togetherforadoption.org Georgetown Poetry Festival – Georgetown Public Library. The Georgetown Poetry Festival kicks off Art Month in Georgetown with a Friday night open mic poetry reading at Hill Country Book Store. Live From the Plaza – Plaza at City Hall from 12pm – 1pm. Live from The Plaza is a free concert series hosted by the city of Austin to promote the artistic excellence and cultural diversity of Austin musicians.
October 2 Together for Adoption National Conference- to be held at Hill Country Bible Church, 12124 RR 620 North. FMI and to register, visit togetherforadoption.org 18th Annual Capital City Marching Festival – Tony Burger Stadium from 9am – 8pm. The LBJ and Crockett High Schools present the 18th Annual Capital City Marching Festival! Each year the festival showcases bands from around Texas to compete for the “Best Musical Performance” and “Best General Effect” awards for the performance of their 2010 halftime shows. Green Expo 2010 – Dell Diamond from 10am – 5pm. Designed to help change the public’s
QuestFest 2010 – Nutty Brown Café from 3pm – 7pm. Working together for children of emergency service providers living with disabilities or medical conditions, by offering support and services to enhance the quality of life. This is the annual fundraiser. This year we are celebrating with a vintage-style carnival, live music, raffle and so much more.
October 7
DON'T MISS! October 7
MAKE A DIFFERENCE TOUR with Max Lucado, TobyMac, Michael W. Smith, and Third Day Frank Erwin Center, 7pm Making a difference for children by helping raise up sponsors for 25,000 children through World Vision
October 5 Hanging In The Holyland – Leander Church of Christ starting at 6:30pm. Each year they convert their back lot into a small village. Nightly plays are presented. Take a walk back in time to our tiny village on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Watch Jesus resurrect Lazarus and see the conversion of Saul. Neighborhood Night Out/Open Mic for Jesus – Gateway Baptist Church from 6pm -9pm. Free hot dogs and fixings. Artists may perform – Acoustic, Tracks, Acapella. Moonwalk for the kids.
October 6 Hanging In the Holyland – Leander Church of Christ starting at 6:30pm. Each year they convert their back lot into a small village. Nightly plays are presented. Take a walk back in time to our tiny village on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Watch Jesus resurrect Lazarus and see the conversion of Saul.
October 11 Young Life Benefit Concert Featuring Aaron Ivey – Gateway Church starting at 7pm. Fall Benefit Concert and Silent Auction Musical Guests: Aaron Ivey Brother of Pearl Andy Baxter and Co. Join students and adults from around Austin for a night of worship and celebration.
October 13 Bark for a Cause – The Winfield Inn from 6pm – 9pm. Benefitting the Austin Humane Society. Come out and help raise funds and awareness. For $25 you can eat, drink, and dance the night away while listening to local musician Grainger Smith.
October 8 Live from The Plaza – The Plaza at City Hall from 12pm – 1pm. Live from The Plaza is a free concert series hosted by the city of Austin to promote the artistic excellence and cultural diversity of Austin musicians. Mark Condon Power Worship Conference – New Life Church in Austin starting at 7:30pm. This conference will be sponsored by the Austin Hill Country Section at New Life Church. He is an anointed and talented singer, songwriter and musician.
October 9
DON'T MISS! October 9&10, 16&17 -
Elgin Christmas Tree Farm's
PUMPKIN FESTIVAL
Adults $7 Children $5 (ages 2-12) 512-281-5016 Hayrides, crazy maze, Petting zoo, Toy Duck races, Hay jump, Live music, Kids crafts and activities, food, Pumpkin decorating & Pumpkin photo opportunities!
October 4 STARRY Foster Care Orientation – 1301 N. Mays , Round Rock from 6pm – 7:30pm. Dedicated to helping abused/neglected children. Come to orientation for more information.
Celia Whitler Women's Retreat & Benefit Concert- Celia will lead a women's retreat and perform a benefit concert at Triumphant Love Lutheran Church. FMI visit tllc.org
2010 Pink Heals 5K Run/Walk – Run Tex in Georgetown starting at 8am. Open My World Therapeutic Riding Center Benefit – Harvest Ranch Arena. Open My World Therapeutic Riding Center presents a “Benefit Team Roping” event which includes food, silent auction, and “Tack Walk.” With the help of a few special horses, they improve the quality of life for children with special needs involving physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. Outlaw Trail 100 Cycling Tour – Old Settler’s Park from 8am – 5pm. Each year, the Round Rock Parks and Recreation Department hosts the Outlaw Trail 100 Cycling Tour. Celia Whitler Women's Retreat & Benefit Concert- Celia will lead a women's retreat and perform a benefit concert at Triumphant Love Lutheran Church. FMI visit tllc.org
October 10 Pumpkin Festival – Elgin Christmas Tree Farm at various times. Face painting and pumpkin painting, new permanent crazy maze, hay jump, animals to visit, children’s play area, kid activities, and kiddie train ride.
October 14 Souled Out – At Avery Ranch Golf Club Conference Center from 6:30pm – 8:00pm. This message of hope and freedom is for every woman who desires to become all she was created to be. Lots of shopping, great food, testimony that will blow you away, prayer team on hand, anointed worship, and major announcement!
October 15 Global Voices Summit – First Baptist Church starting at 9am. First Baptist Church, downtown Austin, will host the Annual Conference of Global Women. Volunteers from The Lakeway Church are providing conference leadership. Live From the Plaza – The Plaza at City Hall from 12pm -1pm. Live from the Plaza is a free concert series hosted by the city of Austin to promote the artistic excellence and cultural diversity of Austin musicians.
October 16 2010 Austin Memory Walk – The Alzheimer’s Association on Executive Center Dr. starting at 8am. We’re on the MOVE to end Alzheimer’s! With more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s, and nearly 10 million more serving as caregivers, the time to act is now. 5th Annual Great Goblin Glow – Lakeway City Park from 7pm – 9pm. Hot air balloons will illuminate the night sky, and children from around the area are invited to trick-ortreat from the gondolas lined up along the waters edge. Denim and Diamonds Fur Ball – Marriott North from 6pm – 11pm. The ball will feature dinner, dancing, and a silent auction benefitting Williamson County Animal Shelter. Global Voices Summit – Fist Baptist Church starting at 9am. First Baptist Church, downtown Austin, will host the Annual Conference of Global Women. Volunteers from The Lakeway Church are providing conference leadership. Living Smart Seminar – Western Hills Church from 9am – 12pm. The seminars are free to the community and designed to provide helpful info on everyday topics of interest. Sessions will cover wills and estate planning, budgeting and financial matters, and hospice and end-of-life issues. Pumpkin Festival – Elgin Christmas Tree Farm at various times. Face painting and pumpkin painting, new permanent crazy maze, hay jump, animals to visit, children’s play area, kid activities, and kiddie train ride.
OctoBeR 2010
October 17
DON'T MISS! October 17 -
St Luke’s on the Lake 50th Birthday Party Extravaganza Outreach Carnival!
11am-1pm 512-266-2455 Come share this event with us – no charge! Cupcakes, animals, balloons, rock wall, bounce house, games and more…
Pumpkin Festival – Elgin Christmas Tree Farm at various times. Face painting and pumpkin painting, new permanent crazy maze, hay jump, animals to visit, children’s play area, kid activities, and kiddie train ride.
October 18 3rd Annual Putt for Progress Golf Tournament and Silent Auction – The University of Texas Golf Club at Steiner Ranch. Capital IDEA is an Academic Sponsorship program for low income adults wanting to get into a great career but who are unable to pay for the necessary training.
October 19 Texas Alliance for Life Annual Dinner – Hilton Austin starting at 6pm. Abby Johnson became the highest-ranking PlannedParenthood official to join the pro-life side when she stepped down from her position as director of a Planned Parenthood abortion facility in October 2009.
October 21
World Impact Festival – High Pointe Baptist Church starting at 7pm. Come out for High Pointe Baptist Church’s annual mission’s conference.
October 22 Academy of St. Martin in the Fields with Jonathan Biss, Piano – Bass Conert Hall starting at 8pm. Texas performing Arts presents an exquisite evening of Mozart performed by the incomparable Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Orchestra with renowned pianist Jonathon Biss. Live From the Plaza – The Plaza at City Hall from 12pm – 1pm. Live from The Plaza is a free concert series hosted by the city of Austin to promote the artistic excellence and cultural diversity of Austin musicians. World Impact Festival – High Pointe Baptist Church starting at 7pm. Come out for High Pointe Baptist Church’s annual mission’s conference.
October 23 Community Christian Church Fall Festival – Community Christian Church starting at 3pm. Activities will include pony rides, horseshoe tournament, hayrides, face painting, cake walk, moon jump, arts and crafts booth, raffle, hot dogs, arts and crafts booth, raffle, hot dogs, popcorn, and so much more! Fun, clean costumes welcome!
October 20
Crowe’s Nest Farm’s Annual Family Fun Days – Crowe’s Nest in Manor from 11am – 5pm.
World Impact Festival – High Pointe Baptist Church starting at 7pm. Come out for High Pointe Baptist Church’s annual mission’s conference.
Free Healthy Pre-Marriage Workshop – St. Thomas More Church starting at 9am. Free workshop for couples. Must pre-register by emailing Shelly at sprosch@legacyatwork.com
The Mimi Foundation - a special non-profit organization for families with special needs children - will host their first annual Black Tie Event at the Driskill Hotel in downtown Austin. Purchase tickets online at www. themimifoundation.com.
October 24 Halloween Children’s Concert – Michael and Susan Dell Hall starting at 2pm. It’s creepy, crawly and sooooo much fun…it’s spooky! The entire family is invited to dress up in their favorite costume and enjoy “boo-tiful” music with their Austin Symphony Orchestra. “New Day” in concert – Austin Baptist Church starting at 6pm. Award-Winning Southern Gospel group will be in concert at Austin Baptist church.
October 26 An Oasis Fundraiser benefitting Austin Liberty Swings – The Oasis – Starlight Terrace. Accessible swings should be viewed as an essential piece of playground equipment. The recreational and therapeutic benefits are countless and these swings are fundamental to the concept of inclusivity.
October 29 Live from The Plaza – The Plaza at City Hall from 12pm – 1pm. Live from The Plaza is a free concert series hosted by the city of Austin to promote the artistic excellence and cultural diversity of Austin musicians.
October 30 Annual American Legion Auxiliary Unit 447 Flea Market – American Legion Hall starting at 8am. The American Legion Auxiliary Unit 447 is proud to announce its 6th Annual Flea Market and Yard Sale. Sellers and shoppers needed.
Looking Forward... November 5-6 Jesus the Classic Rock
A Conference for the 40 Plus Age Group! Register at www.kingdomrevelation.org Crowe’s Nest Farm’s Annual Family Fun Days – Crowe’s Nest in Manor from 11am – 5pm. Fall Harvest Family Festival – Northwest Fellowship Church starting at 1pm. Bring your family and friends to a safe and fun environment. Join us for free carnival games for all ages, moonwalks, live music stage, face painting, and much more! FALL FESTIVAL at New Hope Community Church in Round Rock - 6:30pm- Bigger and better than ever! - 2330 Dry Creek Drive Booths, prizes, and food... Mercy Me – Bell County Expo starting at 7pm. Mercy Me in concert in Belton.
October 31 Fall Fest - World Harvest Outreach Church Parking Lot. This Fall Fest is for the community to have a safe, positive, and fun environment for all ages. We will be having games, food, rides, and a location to hear God’s Word being given to those who desire prayer.
melissa gale An Anchor Who's "Anchored"
She's a news anchor for KVUE on the 5:00 a.m. Daybreak early morning news and on the 11:00 a.m. Midday News, and arrives very early in the morning to start her day. Melissa Gale, mom to daughter Payton (age 7) and stepson Colby (age 22), is married to Clint, and together they make a family, Melissa’s #1 priority.
lines into the newscast. We’d love that! And I once saw Mark Murray at a local restaurant here in Austin, where he was wearing a Hawaiian shirt. When I mentioned this, Melissa stated, “That shirt is his uniform!” We also learned I’ve been watching KVUE news for years, since that Mark is an avid music fan, which of course I myself am a native Austinite. It’s my news is easy to see why – he lives in Austin! Melissa station of choice, and Melissa Gale is one anchor states that the KVUE staff is full of great people. I prefer watching. She has a twinkle in her eye and a big, bold smile that exudes confidence Being a mom, we found out, is Melissa’s first and pleasure in what she’s doing. It’s obvious love. She is thrilled to have the job she has, in watching her on TV, and even more so in because she’s able to be involved at her person, that Melissa loves God and is incredibly grateful for the life she’s living.
daughter’s school; and after she leaves the station at noon, Melissa can pick up Payton at the end of the school day. This leaves lots of time for “field trips” which Melissa loves to plan with Payton. A favorite spot in Austin where Melissa likes to hang out is Barton Springs, where there are many fun things for a family to do, “for husbands and wives, hearing live music, making healthy choices on the hike and bike trail, etc.” states Melissa. She’s also enjoying being a homeroom mother this year and can’t wait to attend her daughter’s volleyball games.
Melissa attended Sam Houston High School in Arlington, Texas and then graduated from the University of Texas here in Austin, with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. Even though she moved away for a while and worked in El Paso, anchored and produced a show in Amarillo, and lived in West Virginia (where she met her husband of 13 years), she always knew she wanted to land back in Austin, at KVUE. She’s now been working at KVUE for 12 years and loves what she does. Melissa Gale enjoys all aspects of putting together a newscast. At KVUE, where she is an anchor, she says her job begins very early at 3:30 a.m. when she has her morning coffee to kick-start the workday. Early morning writing takes place, as well as research on live guests, and reading scripts. At 5:00 a.m. the Daybreak Newscast begins and it’s over at 7:00 a.m. Over the next two hours, cut-ins are taped for the news, weather, and traffic, and at 11:00 a.m. the Midday Show starts, where Melissa co-anchors with Olga Campos. The workday for Melissa at KVUE is over at noon. With a background in broadcasting, journalism, and even theater, Melissa has always been comfortable in front of an audience, and it shows when she delivers the news with ease. Even on those rare moments when there’s a wardrobe malfunction or she “flubs her lines,” Melissa says she enjoys being real and genuine with her audience. We had to ask about a couple of our other favorites at KVUE – Mark Murray (the weather guy), and Olga Campos (Melissa’s co-anchor). Melissa states that Olga is so funny – she should be a comedian and incorporate some of her 24
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Being able to volunteer and be active in her daughter’s learning is very important, and she is able to do that with the work schedule she has.
"I rediscovered God at age 14..." Melissa experienced a lot of hard times as a child that most don’t experience in a lifetime. Her dad was a policeman and her mom a secretary, and she has a sister Dana, who’s ten years older. As a child Melissa had two aunts and an uncle murdered; the victims of random crimes. Her home was robbed several times. She was involved in a holdup at a fast food restaurant, and she lost her dad when she was 13, due to a heart attack that happened at home. However, Melissa credits her mom and her sister with being the strong encouragers who led her down a path to God, and toward a positive outlook on life. “I rediscovered God at age 14,” states Melissa. She recalls one particular Christmas play at her sister’s church, where the man playing Jesus had “the most incredible glowing blue eyes” and she saw God through this man’s eyes, and accepted Jesus into her heart. Over the years, through all of the struggles, as an adult living alone in various cities, and even now as her family and other families struggle in this economy, Melissa states, “I have always known there is a purpose for all of this, something to be learned.” She states that her mom was always positive. Melissa learned from this attitude and tries to promote resilience in her own children. From blessings to heartaches – God was her strength. And two encouraging women in her life kept her focused, looking forward, and ever thankful. www.AustinFaithandFamily.com
As our interview continued, I found it hard to keep writing. I wanted to just sit with Melissa and chat. She was so real, and so approachable, and so passionate about what she loves. She shared how that being in the news business, she hears many stories of crimes that involve children, or childhood diseases striking and causing so much pain. These stories “keep me mindful of the world and make me take action, especially for children.” Melissa emcees the Buddy Walk for the Down Syndrome Association each year. She takes her daughter to all of her appearances. “I want her to see the realities of the world and learn to serve.” The March of Dimes’ Signature Chef’s Event, is another event Melissa emcees, one that raises almost a million dollars in one night. She also joins in the March for Babies, held in May. In a few weeks, Melissa will be the host at Sowing Seeds for Life, a luncheon and style show, sponsored by Heroic Media. If it’s for the children – she’s there. Melissa has won many broadcasting awards, but she considers serving others to be a huge reward in itself, one that brings hope to future generations, and makes her a better parent and example to her daughter.
stand your ground even when it’s not popular; it takes courage and commitment.” She and her family attend Celebration Church where Melissa states she has found a place where her child loves to go, week after week, a place that is “hip” and reaches young people for God. She believes it’s important to find a place of worship where a family can grow. We asked Melissa if she had any “words of wisdom” for those aspiring to be a news anchor, and she answered, “Do a lot of reading. Take as many jobs as you can in the field and shadow those who are successful.” She also encourages young people to wait on starting a family until they are established in their careers….so that family can be their focus.
"[Being a parent] is not easy. It's hard. You have to toughen up, and stand your ground even when it's not popular; it takes courage and commitment."
Regarding being a parent, Melissa states, “It’s not easy. It’s hard. You have to toughen up, and
The hour long interview we had with Melissa went by fast. Too fast. The TV studio was cold; there were lights, cameras, colorful walls and backdrops, computers, and a flurry of activity to begin the day. However, when our photographer asked Melissa to smile for her photo, once again that twinkle in the eye, the confidence and assurance that there’s a higher purpose in life, came through in the expression on this news anchor’s face. Marcy Lytle
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The Garden Key Debut novel by Angela Dolbear
Christian art (writing, music, etc.) tends to be very prescribed and repetitive. Not this book. This is really something new and enjoyable. It is truly inspiring and helpful on issues of purity and sex when you're trying to honor God. Why? Because it's REAL. “Hi, my name is Madeleine and I’m a lust-oholic,” the Goth-girl quips. Madeleine strives to fulfill her studies as a senior at Biola University while battling the temptations she feels for her mad-crush mystery musician man. This tale of lust, redemption and really good cheeseburgers, follows the couple as they learn to resist sensuous urges and stave off the ever disappointing cliché of jumping into the sack on the first date, like both had done in previous relationships. It's easy to tell someone what not to do. But it's hard to apply what seems like a very difficult and strict principle to everyday life. There aren't many examples to live by. Realistically, how do you avoid temptation and still figure out if you're with the right guy? Just read this book. It's an awesome example of how to practically live by the right standards. Madeleine is not the overly sexualized "modern woman," nor is she the "I'm wearing an invisible chastity belt" perfect Christian girl. She's a woman: a flesh-and-blood, three-dimensional, real and relatable girl. And that's what makes this story precious. So many fiction novels for women strive to conform to the same old formula. But this is a story. A real, true, beautiful, original story that lets the reader enjoy all the details and themes that are inherently weaved throughout our lives. The GARDEN KEY is available at the Cloud Pillar Publishing’s online bookstore at www. CloudPillarPublishing.com and www.Amazon. com. Kristen Woolstrum
Forgotten God By Francis Chan Francis Chan’s book, Crazy Love, challenged Christians, some living in a lukewarm bubble, to move out of our comfort zone and start living the theology we believe. Forgotten God, his second book, reminds us we cannot do it in our own strength. Chan leads the reader into a fresh look at what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit and shows that some of us have exchanged the power of the Holy Spirit for our own clever and entertaining techniques in church and our own lives. Without the Holy Spirit, Christians can appear no different from the secular culture in which we live. “We are not all we were made to be when everything in our lives and churches can be explained apart from the work and presence of the Spirit of God.” Discussions on the Holy Spirit can become divisive. I would call Chan’s teaching balanced, although he tells us that “balance is not at all what God is about.” His purpose in writing is not to win arguments on doctrine, but rather an appeal to surrender to the work of God in our lives through the power of the Spirit. The more we desire to experience God and see Him work through His church, the more desperate we should be for the neglected Holy Spirit to show up. At the end of each chapter he tells the story of ordinary Christians, past and present, living extraordinary lives in that power. This is an encouraging read for those who are taking risks for the sake of the Gospel, and an inspiring challenge for those whose last testimony of God working in their life was months or years ago. The world needs to see the church living and reaching out in such a way that can only be explained as the supernatural presence of God with us. Forgotten God, with Chan’s truth in love and in-your-face style, points us in that direction. Deborah Begley
The Supernatural Ways of Royalty By Kris Vallotton & Bill Johnson
Probably one of the most life-changing and practical books written for Christians today is The Supernatural Ways of Royalty by Kris Vallotton and Bill Johnson. An awakening of the Body of Christ is causing a rattling of bones and spirits to arise and recognize the call of God on His Beloved. The church is listening for that sound and coming together to be that Body, sanctified and purified, with the understanding and authority of who we are in Christ Jesus. This book reveals the heart of the Father toward His heirs, and His desire for us to know who we are and where we can live right now. God's children have the ability to rock entire nations with an outpouring of His Spirit and the knowledge of His goodness towards us. I Samuel 10:25 says, "Then Samuel explained to the people the behavior of royalty, and wrote it in a book and laid it up before the Lord." This verse describes Kris Vallotton's purpose in writing. The Father said to the son, in the story of the Prodigal, "I've been waiting... to give you this ring and robe, and throw a party, too!" With a repentant heart, the youngest son now knew who he was, while his elder brother, who had stayed home all along, never knew that he actually owned the farm. The very earth is crying out for the sons of God to awaken and take their place as true daughters and sons in His kingdom. With touching testimonies and words of wisdom, Kris Vallotton and Bill Johnson give hope to a world of darkness. The gospel is authentic and simple, and these authors have glimpsed where the treasures of darkness are and revealed them to us, the Body of Christ. When we know who God is, and who we are in Him, we begin to act like royal children in the Kingdom. The Supernatural Ways of Royalty is a book for all saints that desire to live like Him today. Ginny Hurley
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Life
Special: Arkie's Grill Just a Good Cook Travel Along the Way Ladies Top 10
Arkie’s Grill Since 1948… Anyone who knows Steve Jones, the owner of Arkie’s Grill in East Austin, knows how challenging it is to write a serious article about him. He is one of the funniest characters I know. Yes, he’s a friend of mine and I am proud to say it. Friends are hard to come by these days it seems. But what I love about Steve is that he’s 12 inches to the foot and 36 inches to the yard; what you see is what you get - much like his restaurant - Arkie’s Grill. There are many things about Arkie’s Grill that set it apart from other restaurants in the Austin area. What I like the most about Arkie’s is the fact that it has been around since 1948 - that’s since Truman was in office! Some describe Arkie’s as a diner that is “lost in time” since it looks mostly the same way it did since
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it was started by a man that everyone called Arkie, because he was from Arkansas. Even though the grill was bought from Arkie by Scotty Stroup in 1994, and then bought out by the current owners Brandy and Steve Jones (Scotty’s daughter and her husband), not much has changed. It is not uncommon at all to sit down for lunch and be next to someone who can literally tell you all about Arkie’s Grill and Arkie himself.
Why are there so many people who still come to Arkie’s Grill and eat breakfast (and many times lunch the same day), and do this four or five times a week? The answer is three words…Chef Eddy Marshall. Chef Eddy Marshall is a legend to the patrons of Arkie’s Grill. Rightfully so, since he is now in his 70’s and has been there since he was 26 - that’s since JFK was in office! His made-from-scratch recipes keep customers coming back. According to Steve, Chef Eddy has been making chicken & dumplings (his specialty) which has been a favorite on Arkie's owner Steve Jones the menu for 40 years, the with Governor Rick Perry
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same way and without a single recipe, ever written down! At Arkie’s Grill, you will get down-home hardy cooking, just like your grandmother used to make! There are not a lot of places in Austin where you can still get beef tips served over rice, or good old-fashioned chicken & dumplings made by someone who’s been making them for as long as Chef Eddy has; but you can enjoy both of these at Arkie’s Grill. However, you’ll want to come hungry and early, because they are only served on Tuesdays. And by 11:15 it is hard to find a place to sit! Arkie passed away in 1998, but it’s obvious that Steve has continued to run Arkie’s Grill in a manner that would make him proud. This year Arkie’s Grill was named the #3 Diner in the Country, according to the Food Network show, Best Food Ever! Now that is something to be proud of, and since Arkie’s is right here in Austin, the truth is - you can go see for yourself! Lee Eddins
Arkie's Grill 4827 E. Cesar Chavez St.
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Life
Just a Good Cook
Recipe From an Apron
Well my friends, here we are, October 2010, one of the most pleasant months in Central Texas. I must tell you the truth…I am little late getting my article in. You see, I am right smack in the middle of opening a tiny café in Round Rock. It is like planning a wedding or even a dinner party, with the exception that my guests will be paying for their meal. And I have hopes that my guests will come back, unlike some guests that aren’t always wanted back! Come on, be honest… we’ve all had them. Sometimes it seems as if I am in the Twilight Zone! Is this really happening? If so, who’s running the show? Anyhow, thank heavens it is not me, but God. Did you know? When you own your own business, you have to be nice to almost everyone? I suppose I can go out of town to be snippy with someone. This is so strange for me - being nice, and courteous to everyone, Lord, are you serious? How will He work with me on a fulltime basis? I will let you know more in the near future. Now I need to give you one of my most precious recipes! When my kids were young, they went to New Orleans to visit their grandmother, Ruth. One afternoon she took the kids, Heather and Mathew, to buy their mama (me) a gift from the French Quarter. Much to my delight, they bought me a white cotton apron with a printed recipe for Red Beans and Rice. This was 25 years ago and I still use my apron and the recipe. I’ve needed to write down this simple, but wonderful, dish on paper. Therefore, here is where I will make it permanent. The apron has worn, the recipe is almost faded; however, the memory of the gift remains bright and as vivid as the ink once was. So many times, children mark our lives without even knowing it. I have other aprons, but I just don’t use them. This apron is so comfortable and will always have a special memory attached to the apron strings. This is the same apron I wore when my children wrapped their little arms around my waist, and now the grandkids do the same.
Red Beans and Rice 2 cups of dried red beans, or kidney beans 2 ½ quarts of water 3 tbsp of shortening or bacon fat 1 large onion chopped 1 small green pepper chopped ¼ lb salt pork or ham bone 1 garlic clove 1 bay leaf 2 tsp of chopped parsley 1 ½ cups of uncooked rice Salt and pepper Soak beans in water overnight. Melt fat in iron pot, and sauté onion and green pepper. Add beans and soaking water, plus additional water to make 2 ½ quarts. Add pork or ham bone, garlic, and bay leaf. Simmer slowly 3-4 hours or until creamy. Season to taste, add parsley, and serve over hot rice. Be sure to have plenty of hot French bread. Go ahead and add a dinner salad if you feel guilty. Enjoy.
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Sandra Alton
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Travel Have you ever wanted to take a vacation but you just didn’t know where to start? A friend mentioned that they always use a Travel Agent and you wonder, “Why would I need to use a Travel Agent anyhow? I can do this myself.” Before you go to the internet and peruse through the 165,478 options, ponder these scenarios:
if anyone knew of a great B&B in San Diego. Jack Travels was the first to respond with a great offer for a cute looking place, which turned out to be his house. You ended up sleeping in his kid’s room all weekend and having cereal for breakfast.
Life
of remember) told you he ran a travel company and that he’d get you a discount. It was only after he’d taken your money and disappeared that you remembered the troublemaker he was in high school.
•You and your fragile, aged, wealthy aunt both love animals, so you thought the cougar marketplace during your shore excursion, but cruise, with the “too good to be true price tag,” •You’d never been to France before, so you you thought your cruise ship would NEVER take sounded fun. After seven days of constantly asked around for some travel advice. Your off without you. But it did! The website you used being mistaken for a woman on the prowl, your college roommate’s brother, who had spent a to book your cruise wasn’t prepared for you to aunt has written you out of her will and you semester in France, happily gave you a list of call them with the news that you needed help figure you’ll only need seven years of therapy to recover from the experience. all the places he stayed. It wasn’t until after you getting off the island. arrived in Paris that you realized you booked yourself into the most popular youth hostel in •A room overlooking Athens sounded just In the world of Vacation Travel, things online are town. swell in the online hotel description and it only not always what they seem, and the old adage, cost 150 euro per night. Such a deal! Turns out “If it looks too good to be true, it probably is” is •You’d heard cruising is an all-inclusive it did overlook Athens, but it was from 10 miles spot on. If you want a vacation with wonderful experience, and it was pretty exciting when out of town, and a cab to the city was 75 euro memories, trust a local professional who will work with you to find you the best for your you went on that discount cruise website, each way. taste, budget, and style. and saw those great photos of passengers sipping cocktails and touring great sights of •You weren’t really sure what a repositioning Debby Stevens the Mediterranean. It was kind of embarrassing cruise was, but it sure was cheap!! Who knew it Owner/Cruise & Travel Specialist when you got onboard and realized that none would only make two stops during the 10-day www.3DCruiseandTravel.com of those things were part of your “all-inclusive voyage? experience.” •You asked your friends on Facebook where you •You wanted to get away for the weekend, so should go for your honeymoon and a guy you you “tweeted” a question to the masses asking went to high school with (whom you only sort
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•You knew you shouldn’t have dawdled in the
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Life
Along the Way
The Worldwide Prayer Movement Part I
Since about 1970, a powerful movement has been growing across the globe. It has no political ideology and few leaders - but millions of followers. The movement can be organized but seems best suited to flare up by spontaneous combustion in unlikely venues. The tenets of the movement are ancient, and have been practiced for centuries around the world. There is nothing new about it - yet it carries with it the freshness of tomorrow morning’s rising tide. Wherever this movement occurs there are social and cultural ramifications, and people who come into contact with it are dramatically changed. It appears to be occurring everywhere – in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, in South America and in North America. It is the worldwide prayer movement. C. Peter Wagner, a former missionary and seminary professor has written extensively on prayer, and 15 years ago wrote, “In recent years the expansion of the prayer movement has been exponential. Quality of prayer is increasing along with quantity of prayer. Flames of prayer are being lit in virtually every denomination on every continent. Pastors are giving prayer a higher priority… and prayer movements and prayer ministries are proliferating….” In the early 1990’s David Bryant, former Chairman of the National Prayer Committee wrote that three hundred leaders representing 160 denominations and para church organizations met for 24 hours of prayer “to inaugurate a new initiative in spiritual leadership for prayer across the Body of Christ.” He went on to say, “Since then, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in national prayer events, initiatives, ministries and coalitions, serving the national prayer movement.” In 2001, as a result of a South African businessman’s vision of prayer, 45,000 people gathered for repentance and prayer at a Rugby Stadium in Capetown. The vision grew. By 2010, a total of 220 nations participated in The Global Day of Prayer as hundreds of millions of Christians gathered in venues around the world for the largest unified
prayer gathering in history. Something undeniable is clearly happening. It cannot be viewed as isolated. The prayer movement is real. The branches of the contemporary worldwide prayer movement may have their roots in the prayer ministries of 20th century South Korea. That tiny country has seen the rapid spread of Evangelical, as well as Pentecostal Christianity, in the last 100 years. Persecuted Korean Christians in the late 19th century were forced to worship in private due to pressure from the indigenous religions of Buddhism, Confucianism, and the mandatory practice of Shinto, brought to Korea by the invading Japanese army. As a result, Korean Christians built prayer rooms in the caves of surrounding mountains and rose for prayer as early as 4:00am to seek God and worship daily before work. Today the prayer movement still dominates the worship style of the South Korean Christians with one church owning “Prayer Mountain” where as many as 10,000 people can gather at once for morning prayer. After World War II, the evangelical and Pentecostal wings of Protestant Christianity found new freedom in South Korea, and churches of all denominations grew to record sizes. Of the 10 largest churches in the world, half of them are in South Korea. Each of them traces their growth to an emphasis on prayer. In fact, the largest church in the world, with a membership of almost one million people and a Sunday attendance of almost 800,000 worshippers, is on Yoido Island in Seoul, South Korea. It is this church that owns “Payer Mountain” and has been studied by church growth leaders in the West for three decades. Researchers have concluded that there is a direct link between the unusual commitment to prayer and the rapid growth of the church. Closer to home, something else was developing that would help shape the prayer movement in America. In the United States, a seemingly
separate movement occurred in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, referred to as the Jesus Movement. Tens of thousands of young people on college campuses and in the Hippie culture were swept into a blend of old school revival teachings, focused on a literal Bible interpretation, and the return of Christ, combined with a new kind of Christian music fueled by the rock beats of Southern California. This phenomenon occurred simultaneously with the beginnings of the modern prayer movement. It is hard to say which of these came first, which influenced or birthed the other, or if they are two sides of the same movement! Yet, one thing is certain – American Christianity is significantly different today than it was before 1970. The music of the church is increasingly contemporary and millions of American Christians now meet in Mega Churches of 2000 or more in attendance every weekend, with the majority of them being either Baptist or Pentecostal. These changes in the face of American Christianity seem to be timed to the advent of the Jesus Movement, which in turn either gave rise to, or was birthed by, the modern prayer movement. Jack Hayford, reviewing the history and growth of the church over the last one hundred years, sees the relationship between the renewal of the church and prayer. He writes, “In the last few decades the American church has gone through a prayer renewal.” The old saying, “prayer changes things” appears to be the explanation behind the noticeable differences in the American Christian experience. When the history of the late 20th and early 21st century is reviewed – what will future generations say about the prayer movement? What did it mean? Where did it lead? History teaches that Christianity is shaped by the forces of its times, but it also shapes the times it finds itself in. Prayer is shaping the church today. A movement of any kind, by definition, takes on a characteristic of fire in the sense that it is self perpetuating and ignites what it comes in contact with, so that what is touched by fire eventually becomes fire. The church around the world, not just individual churches or even denominations, is being ignited by the movement of a deep hunger for spiritual realities fostered by prayer. Why is this so? Perhaps we cannot be completely certain as long as we are experiencing the heat from the flames! What are some examples of the prayer movement today? We will look at those next month. But this much we can say, in the words of E. M. Bounds, “God shapes the world by prayer.” Dr. Kie Bowman Pastor, Hyde Park Baptist Church
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Ladies TOP 10:
camping
We took our kids camping quite often, and after my brother-in-law made me a checklist of items to pack, I realized there are at least 10 “essentials” to make moms happy, when planning a weekend campout with the family. Otherwise, mom is tired before she ever gets away, miserable while she’s out of her comfort zone, and when she returns – she never wants to go again!
• 2
bathroom, please...
Plan ahead and get a site near the bathroom! If you end up away from all facilities, take a 5-gallon bucket (with a lid) and keep it just inside the tent for those “middle of the night” urges. Ask your husband to clean the bucket the next morning…and be sure to thank him…
magazines-
Save up those magazines that arrived in the mail, which are now piled up three months behind, and take them with you for reading! While the kids and dad play ball, turn down pages that hold home ideas or new recipes for the fall. Look forward to trying This is for hanging between them out when you return home. trees to dry out towels or wet clothes. It can also be used to hang other items so they are off the ground, Get the heavy duty kind and make a great, away from mud and feet. easy, “cowboy” dinner by placing And when you’re headed chicken, potatoes and other veggies home, use it to tie up loose inside, sprinkled with seasoning and items in the back of the car pats of butter, and toss on the campfire so they don’t roll around. for a scrumptious fare. Make one for each person, and your dinner’s done! http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/campfirefoil-packs/Detail.aspx
rope or twine-
foil-
comfy chairs-
We purchased some campout chairs at Target that actually have pillows and a footrest. These are great for a snooze, and for keeping your feet away from that proverbial ant bed that always seems to be right where you set up. There are even chairs that come with side tables – now that would be a treat! http://w w w.amazon.com/Picnic -Time Portable-Folding-Sports/dp/B000NBF6LE
duct tape-
This is not “usually” in mom’s toiletry bag – but it’s a great peacemaker when a gap or hole is spotted in the side of the tent or around the edge of the door. Tape it up and keep the bugs out! Then rest in peace…
plastic bags-
and plenty of them… Plastic bags might not be the best thing for the environment, but they’re great for storing muddy shoes, and to use for small trash bags, while camping. Also, they’re great for carrying a towel, soap and shampoo to the shower, to hang on a hook so the items inside don’t get wet!
music-
This isn’t just for the kids on their electronic devices. Actually pack up an old boom box of sorts, and some CD’s for easy listening. After the sun sets, quietly play and sway with your husband, and give the kids a good example of a romantic evening with a mom and dad who love each other.
s'mores-
What’s a campout without these? This is the traditional treat for camping with kids. And moms – it’s a great time to indulge in that chocolate you’ve been craving. After all, a hike is planned the next day and all the calories will go away…
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time-
Now this is a hard one. However, if possible, schedule extra time when returning home before everyone has to go back to work, school, etc. Enlist the help of the entire family in putting away all of the camping equipment – so you can still have a desire to go next time… Marcy Lytle
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Science and Scripture Complementary Angles
Western science came about because of a belief in a Creator and His distinct hand in creating the order to the universe. Galileo, Copernicus, and Newton - all Christians - saw science as an extension of the person and work of the Creator God of the universe. Today, Dawkins and Hitchens, and many of the most prominent atheist intellectuals and scientists, are raging against the roots of western science. The default media and cultural message in the world today is that science refutes faith in a personal God. On the contrary, a large, growing body of scientific evidence increasingly points to a loving, creator God as the best explanation of the nature of the universe. The amount of data, both scientific and Biblical, is overwhelming, so how can the ordinary non-scientist Christian wrap his or her brain around these complex technical findings and deep theological concepts, let alone have an intelligent, grace-filled dialogue with nonbelievers or even fellow believers? That’s where the Hill Country Institute for Contemporary Christianity (HCICC) shines, in serving the Body of Christ by bringing together thought leaders to address issues of concern to followers of Christ and those who may be considering His place in our times. The Institute has grown out of the work of a team of folks who have worked together to organize and host a variety of events, including C.S. Lewis Conferences, Spiritual Formation Conferences and Events, Christian Leadership Training, and a major symposium on faith and the arts. They work to address those issues in a variety of forums, such as conferences, symposiums, web resources, and articles. HCICC’s latest project, the Vibrant Dance of Faith & Science Symposium, will bring together pastors, Christian leaders, scientists, and theologians to explore the “Two Books” of scripture and nature, and how they complement each other. The main target audience for the symposium is the Christian scientific lay person. Science is intimidating for most people, so the goal of this symposium is to provide ordinary Christians who are non-scientists with a good foundation for understanding important current ideas in science, Christian theology, and the interaction between them. Plenary and breakout sessions with leading scientists and theologians will survey advances - and controversies - in science and theology. Subsequent dialog in panel discussions, and numerous opportunities for individual interaction will further elucidate the ideas and issues at stake. Video and audio recordings of the proceedings will be posted online as a resource for Christians to use in their daily lives in their understanding of faith and science matters. Topics at the conference will include an overview of key issues including the interpretation of Genesis and the origins of www.AustinFaithandFamily.com
the universe, life, and mankind; worldview and science; the limitations and dangers of science; the nurture and spiritual formation of the scientific person, and how the Body of Christ can impact and transform the culture in the area of science. With such a wide breadth of interpretation of scientific findings and scripture, these types of discussions can get pretty heated, even among family members at a Thanksgiving dinner table! For that reason, HCICC’s Executive Director, Larry Linenschmidt, says that one of the fundamentally core values of the symposium is gracious communication. “All the speakers are Christians who highly value scripture, yet they may have differing opinions on scientific
For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20 interpretation, and all are committed to being gracious with each other. If we are gracious to each other, we can deal with ideas and our approach to science and still disagree on some scientific interpretation issues. Christians have a variety of views and we’re trying to foster a dialogue between people with different views who respect the authority of scripture. We primarily serve the Body of Christ, that’s our main target, but we welcome dialogue and friendship with non-believers.” When describing the symposium, Linenschmidt repeatedly uses words like conversation, dialogue, relationship, and respect.
gifted them. You use your skills to serve others. If someone tells you that faith conflicts with reason that’s hogwash! Faith and reason complement each other. God gave us a mind to use it. Faith doesn’t imply that your mind is diminished or lacks reason. Reason, when fully informed by faith, is infinitely more full and viable than reason without faith. Scripture and nature both reveal God’s handiwork. Science is really an examination of the book of nature, an observation of what God did in nature.” When asked why the symposium is three full days (which seems long), Linenschmidt replied, “Because we couldn’t make it 10! There’s just so much amazing material to cover. The nonscientist will come away with an awareness that science is not inaccessible or so distant that they can’t find a way to understand and thoughtfully discuss the major issues. This is of huge value when you consider the fact that 70% of Christians who enter college lose their faith as they encounter viewpoints different from ones they were taught growing up. It’s important that we all be able to talk to our kids and to other Christians, as well as non-believers, about the overwhelming ways science and scripture complement each other.” Hill Country Institute for Contemporary Christianity is a non-profit ministry supported by faith donations. www.hillcountryinstitute.org. To register for the Vibrant Dance of Faith & Science Symposium being held Oct. 26-28 at Grace Covenant Church, go to www. vibrantdance.org. Students are free on the third day for the first 500 who register in advance (the mimimum suggested age is 16 years old). Susan Stern
Linenschmidt believes strongly that Christians belong in science-related fields if they have the aptitude and the interest. “Any field of endeavor that is moral and honorable is open to the Christian, whether it’s science, law, engineering, or anything else he or she is equipped to do well in the ways God has
• • •
Larry Linenschmidt Executive Director, Hill Country Institute for Contemporary Christianity
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Money
Spend Life Well Dave Says Moms Who Save The Home Front
35 36 37 38
Spend Life Well:
Protecting Your Family’s Finances
When dealing with an unexpected long-term illness Do you know anyone providing care for an aging parent or relative? Perhaps you are taking care of Mom or Dad right now. With advances in medicine, we are living longer lives. Over the past 40 years, the average life expectancy of an individual born in the United States has increased by more than 10 years, to age 78.4. But how do we care for our aging parents? Moreover, how can we prepare for our own care needs as we age? Long-term care insurance may be a tool you can use in your financial planning. The High Cost of Long-Term Care If you are receiving Social Security assistance or are using Medicare as your primary health insurance, you know that you need a PhD in government legalese to understand it. Medicaid, the health program for eligible individuals and families with low incomes and resources, is equally complex. Because of our aging baby boomer generation, the largest growing aspect of Medicaid is nursing home coverage. If you have not already experienced the burden of caring for family in a nursing home facility, you may not know that care in such a facility can cost upwards of $60,000 a year or higher. The resources necessary for long-term care will depend on the level of care you need. In-home assistance may cost less than paying for an assisted living facility. The most expensive level of care is the round-the-clock-care provided by a nursing home. A common assumption among many adults is that Medicaid is there for their long-term care needs. The rules for Medicaid vary from state to state, but the common criteria is that you have to be poor - dirt poor - to receive assistance. You can spend down your assets to qualify, but you may leave your spouse with little more than a social security check to live on each month. Another misconception is that Medicare will pay for all of your care needs. Medicare may pay some long-term care costs. Medicare is a federal program that pays for health care for people over age 65 and for people under age 65 with disabilities. It covers the cost of some skilled care in approved nursing homes or in www.AustinFaithandFamily.com
your home, in certain situations. Medicare also might cover some custodial care in your home if you are receiving skilled care. However, if you do not qualify for Medicare and have care expenses, you may have to pay for them out of pocket. What is Long-Term Care Insurance? Long-term care does not attempt to treat or cure illnesses like traditional health care; however, it may help you maintain your current lifestyle or essential daily living activities. Benefits provided by long-term care coverage vary from company to company but generally pay for the following types of care:
impact your decision to consider long-term care. Do you have a spouse or children at home? Did your parents require long-term care? Do you have a family history of certain debilitating medical conditions requiring longterm needs? The number one financial consideration might include an evaluation of your assets to determine if they are large enough to justify the purchase of coverage. Long-term care premiums are less expensive if you purchase coverage when you are younger. However, you may determine there are less costly ways to pay for future care. Long-term care insurance is just one tool you can use to pay for future health care costs while protecting your family’s financial resources. Talk with your financial advisor to determine if a long-term care policy meets your needs. Also, visit the website for the Texas Department of Insurance www.tdi. state.tx.us for more information. Mark Trice
§ Nursing home care in a licensed facility; § Assisted living care in a licensed assisted living facility; § Home health care services provided by a licensed home health agency, possibly including skilled nursing care and/or physical therapy; § Adult day care in a licensed facility; § Other services which may include help with activities of daily living such as: dressing, cooking, transferring, managing financial affairs, respite care, household chores. or caregiver training for family members. Coverage amounts will vary from policy to policy, but you should select a benefit amount at purchase tied to your anticipated needs. Coverage might allow a daily benefit of $200/ day up to a fixed lifetime amount. Of course, the more coverage you have the more costly the premiums. Long-term care insurance is not for everyone. However, many states are adopting new programs to help more families afford this coverage. The state of Texas has recently launched a partnership program with several insurance companies to create an economical version of traditional long-term care coverage. The partnership will allow those with longterm coverage to protect some of their assets while making it easier to qualify for Medicaid. Do I Really Need Long-Term Care? Factors such as life expectancy, gender, family history, and your current situation may all
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Money
Dave Says
Dear Dave, When, if ever, should your baby emergency fund be more than $1,000? Is there ever a scenario in which it should be less? Sue Dear Sue, I always recommend that people who make $20,000 a year or less start out with a baby emergency fund of $500. Almost anyone can scrimp and save up $500 in a short amount of time, and this makes it easier for folks who don’t make a lot of money to have a safety net in place. Is there a scenario where the baby emergency fund should be more than $1,000? I guess if you were stuck in a situation where you had $200,000 in debt and made $60,000 a year, you might want to ratchet that amount up to $2,000 or $3,000. The reason? It’s going to take you several years to dig your way out, and that means you’re taking a chance on several years worth of emergencies!
You have to define what helping your son really means. In my mind, you haven’t helped him at all if he’s still squatting in your basement five years from now. That’s called being an enabler. But it’s not going to help him, either, if you toss him on the street and say “You’re 36. Be a man!” I think you should formulate a progressive plan somewhere between those two extremes— something that includes a move-out deadline, the first three Baby Steps. And remember, no but will help him regain some dignity. matter how shiny and cool it may look, buying a As part of living with you, I’d require him to do Sea-Doo is not an emergency! Save up and pay three or four things. One is that he abides by cash for your toys. your household rules. If he’s going to live in your home, he should act the way you want him to Remember this rule of thumb when it comes act. Number two, he needs to be engaged in to toys. With the rare exception of collectibles, some kind of regular physical activity. Even if you anything with an engine goes down in value. have to pay for it, you could get a membership You should never have more than half of your at a gym or buy some exercise equipment. annual income tied up in the total of all your Exercise stimulates the mind, and he needs that vehicles. It would be pretty stupid to make right now. It’ll also be great for his body. Getting $60,000 a year and have $40,000 tied up in beat up like he’s been can be tough at that age. cars, boats and other toys. That’s way too much It can lead to depression if you don’t engage in money tied up in things that go down in value the wrong way. physical activity and goal setting.
Next, is to think about career steps. He could start with a part-time job to get some money in his pockets. Then, work on a long-term career goal. He knows how to turn a wrench, and he probably likes that kind of work. His mind works spatially, which means he can look at things and figure out how they operate. So, it might be a good idea to move in that direction. It doesn’t If you’ve got a really unstable situation—like even have to be cars. He could learn to work on there’s a good chance you might lose your job— boats or aircraft. or an emergency already pending, you should delay starting the Baby Steps and pile up a You don’t want to beat the kid when he’s down, bunch of cash. In a case like that, it just wouldn’t but you don’t want to participate in his sewage, make sense to start a financial overhaul and either. Help him clean up his life, and get him be sitting there with only $1,000 in the bank. If out of there as fast as possible. It’s what’s best there’s a nasty storm coming, you need to work, for everyone! — Dave work, work to get ready, and make sure you’ve got the biggest umbrella you can get! Then, after you get past the bad stuff, you can push “play” on your Total Money Makeover. That’s when you’d pull your savings back down to $1,000 and go into attack mode on your debt! —Dave
Always make sure your family is well taken care of before you go out buying toys! — Dave Dear Dave, My wife and I are both active duty Marines. She’s planning to get out in a few months, but I’m staying in for the long haul. You recommend saving 15 percent for retirement, but how does that apply in my case when I’ll be getting a good pension after 20 years? James Dear James, I’d like to see you do both. Just imagine the money you guys would have for retirement with your military pension and a big pile of cash from having saved 15 percent of your income over the years!
Dear Dave, When is it okay to buy toys for the lake—things like boats and jet skis—when following your Having options is a great thing. Think about all the things you could do down the road if you plan? Anonymous save for retirement t have your pension in place. You could pay cash for a home, or even open a business when you retire from the military. And Dear Anonymous, Dear Dave, I’m a lake guy, too. So, you’ve hit a soft spot these are things you probably wouldn’t be able My wife and I are getting close to retirement, with me on this question. Still, you have to be to do working with just your service pension. and our 36-year old recently moved back in with an adult about these things, and here are a few You’ve got a great future if you’ll just keep us. His automotive restoration business went rules. plugging along and saving, James. Let the bankrupt, he hasn’t been able to find another job, and he has nowhere else to go. What can First, you should be completely debt free except military do its thing, and you guys keep we do to help him? for your house. Second, you need to have your pumping 15 percent of your income into Roth John fully funded emergency fund—that’s three IRAs and other pre-tax retirement plans. It’s to six months of living expenses—in place. going to be pretty cool! — Dave Dear John, In other words, I want you to have completed 36
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Keeping the Car Running Melissa C. – married, mother of four:
Patricia J. - single mom of two teenagers:
I look for coupons in flyers in the mail and online.
Become a DIY person! There is so much information on the internet, that there are a number of things you can learn to do yourself, like change burned out bulbs, perform a brake job, change your own oil and transmission flushes, etc.
We wash our cars at home (kids do it to earn money). We use a Tetco card and build up monies towards free drinks (whatever the offer may be). We look for tire places that offer discounts to employees where my husband works (Dell employees are offered discounts at NTB). We do go to the dealership for repairs, as they take good care of our vehicles and have a quick turnaround. We have developed a relationship with a service man there and he doesn't ever do more than we ask - always checks with us and advises on things that can wait six months if needed - doesn't try to “take” us. So, creating a relationship with the service person helps a lot. For insurance, we go with the highest deductible (but only if you know you can come up with that amount if needed at the time you need it).
On larger, more complicated things, find a shop that will let you pay it out over 90 days, same as cash. By giving them 1/3 down, and two post-dated checks, I can spread it out without it affecting my budget quite as much. Try using a reputable mobile mechanic for repairs that don't require a garage "lift." Mobile mechanics don't have the overhead that shops and dealerships do, so their labor rate is less expensive. Most will also let you buy and provide the parts, so there's no mark-up expense on parts.
Money
Moms Who Save
Jo Ann A. - single “mature” mom, living alone: One of the best ways to save on car expenses is to drive in a consistent manner, i.e, do not speed, tailgate (which causes quick stops) or run up to a signal light and slam on the brakes. All of these things, in addition to not being wise, waste fuel and are not good for the tires. Keep your tires checked for correct pressure and wear and tear. When you need a new tire, always buy two (either the front set or the back). This will help them wear more evenly. Buy your tires at a place which carries good tires and will sometimes give an upgrade. I use Discount Tires and have been very satisfied. Buy gasoline at a station which will give a cheaper price without giving you a cheap gas (I usually use HEB and sometimes WalMart). Never let your gasoline get so low that the alarm will come on. This will cause the engine to suck up the debris that settles at the bottom of the gas tank (not good for your engine). For car repairs, take advantage of any warranties that may be on your car. If you don't use the dealership, find out from friends the name of a good, honest mechanic.
On our older car, the leather started to tear in the seats so instead of replacing the leather, we found nice seat covers - did the same for the steering wheel as it was peeling - got a cover for it.
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Money
The Home Front
Austin Housing Trends
July Figures Reveal Early Peak for Austin Real Estate Market According to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) report released on August 19, 2010 by the Austin Board of REALTORS®, the Austin real estate market appears to have experienced its summer peak early this year due to the expiration of federal homebuyer tax credits in April. The volume of Austin area home sales in July 2010 was 1,518, down 25 percent from the same month in 2009. The median price for July 2010 was $222,000, up 15 percent from July 2009. In addition, the number of days on market decreased three percent, to 73 days for July 2010, when compared to July 2009. “To gauge trends in the real estate market, which is cyclical, we usually compare one month’s performance to the same month the prior year,” explained John Horton, Chairman of the Austin Board of REALTORS®. “This year, however, we have the unique situation of the homebuyer tax credits that inspired many buyers to purchase homes sooner than usual. Thus, it’s more meaningful to evaluate our market from a year-to-date perspective, instead of month-to-month, to gain a clear picture.” So far this year, 11,260 homes have been sold in Austin, a five percent increase compared to the same time period in 2009. In addition, the median price year-to-date was $194,000, up two percent from 2009, and days on market decreased 12 percent from 2009 to 71 days. Chairman Horton continued, “Looking at our market year-to-date, it’s clear that the demand for homes is still strong, based both on increases in the number of homes sold and decreases in how long it takes to sell a home. We do have more active listings on the market, which means there is an ample supply of homes for prospective buyers. The stability shown in the median price of single-family homes shows Austin real estate continues to hold its value well. Preliminary August statistics show an 18 - 19% decrease in number of homes sold compared to August 2009. Southwest Austin is home to two of the fastest growing zip codes The Community Impact Southwest newspaper has reported zip codes 78748 and 78749 are two of the fastest growing zip codes in the Austin metropolitan area, which extends from San Marcos to Georgetown. Over the past five years, Southwest Austin has been one of the top-
performing sub-markets in Austin real estate, with a significant amount of new houses constructed in the area relative to its size in the market. In fact, the region covered about 10 percent of the market from 2006 to 2010. Not only has housing grown, but business has grown along with it. Although mainly residential, the area is beating metro-wide business growth. From 1997 to 2007, the area was faster growing in terms of employment and the number of business establishments according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s County Business Patterns/ZIP Code Business Patterns survey. During that time, establishments in Southwest Austin grew 53 percent versus 35 percent in the rest of the Austin metro area, and employment grew 70 percent in Southwest Austin compared to 41 percent metro-wide. With little remaining land available and impervious groundcover regulations due to the proximity to the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone, growth won’t be continuing in this area at such a rapid pace. Go to www. impactnews.com to read the entire article. The McMansion era is over According to Trulia.com and the general consensus of our clients, the McMansion era is officially over! McMansions are defined as 3200+ square foot homes built on very small lots. Based on a recent survey by Trulia, only 9% of homebuyers are looking for McMansion size homes, while over 33% of homeowners are looking for homes under 2000 square feet. "McMansions just look and feel out of place today, given the more cautious environment everyone's living in," said Paul Bishop, vice president of research for the National Association of Realtors. For a little historical context, 1,200 square feet was the average home size in America in the 1960s. That grew to 1,710 square feet in the 1980s and 2,330 square feet in the 2000s. Give Realty is a local Real Estate brokerage who is committed to giving back and investing in our community! When you sell or purchase a home using our firm, we donate 25% of our commission to the nonprofit of your choice in your name. Go to www.giverealty.com to find out more or call us at 512-338-4483. Laurie Loew
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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Head to Heart Health Matters Diet & Nutrition The Real Stuff The Real Deal The Real Me
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Called to Relationships
Head to Heart:
also forgive and release ourselves in order to hurts and wounds, and restores relationships. If God can forgive us, then we can surely choose embrace deep relationship with others. to forgive ourselves. In order to find freedom from rejection, we must take the risk and enter into relationship When we are in relationships with others, we are with others. We can allow others to carry us often carrying them to Jesus at the same time to Jesus for healing. Being carried takes risks. that they are carrying us. As we carry others, What if you get wounded again? What if they we often shift our mind and feelings off of our own paralysis and on to the needs of others. We reject you? may find that when we come to Jesus, we both Unfortunately, we often do get wounded by receive healing. We are called to live in deep, meaningful the people that love and care for us the most. relationship with others. Like the paralyzed When we are in relationship with others our It is time to take the risks of establishing deep, man, his relationships were key to his healing. expectations and needs will not always be met; meaningful relationships. Take the step of Without close relationships (his friends) he but it does not change the love and acceptance faith to carry the hurt and wounded to Jesus. would have been unable to move through the that they do give us. We have to learn to Together we can all be freed from the paralysis separate the mistakes of others from intentional that binds us in rejection and isolation. crowd, get close to Jesus, and be healed. rejection. If we do experience real or perceived Al H. Jones, Ph.D. We may not have physical paralysis, but we may arejection, we must quickly offer and receive Head to Heart Restoration Ministry suffer from emotional wounds and problems forgiveness. Forgiveness breaks the paralysis of that paralyze our ability to move towards Jesus for healing. It is during these times we need relationships and community to help carry us to Jesus. Is fear of rejection, self-rejection, or shame from the past, keeping you paralyzed and isolated from relationships? In the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the writers tell the story of two men bringing their paralyzed friend to Jesus for healing. They not only had to carry their friend, they had to move through the crowd to get to Jesus. The story goes on to say that they had to cut a hole in the roof of the house where Jesus was speaking and lower their friend down in order to get him near Jesus. What a great story of life, friendship, and relationship.
Rejection is the lack of love in our lives. The fear of rejection, and self-rejection, come alongside rejection, and reinforce our need to isolate from others. At times, the lack of love we experience is real and can be directly connected to specific events. Other times, the rejection is not real, but based on our own perception. Unfortunately, the end result is the same: paralysis, isolation, and lack of relationships. The child of divorced parents believes that somehow the divorce was their fault. They are not worth being loved. The child that experiences the death of a loved one at an early age may feel that they should have been able to stop the death from occurring. The child of abuse believes that they deserve to be mistreated or abused. If they were only good enough, tried harder, made better grades, or did not forget to do their chores, then they would not be abused. They grow up believing they do not have worth and value and are defective. Sometimes, the rejection comes by our own mistakes and poor choices. Addiction, substance abuse, illegal or harmful activity, not only leaves wounded victims, but often victimizes ourselves. We may receive forgiveness from Jesus and others for our actions, but we must www.AustinFaithandFamily.com
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Health Matters
Cardio Exercise
A Major Key for Optimal Health Cardio is any type of exercise that increases your heart rate so you can burn fat and calories. There are many types of cardio and different levels as well. Let’s look at two main levels. Slow and steady cardio is great for burning fat and calories. This lower pace of exercise should be 45 minutes to one hour. It helps you burn fat because you are in the lower fat burning zone of an average of 70% of your maximum heart rate. This type of exercise includes walking, moderate biking, elliptical machine, jogging, swimming and step or low impact aerobics. High intensity cardio is another great tool for weight loss and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. High intensity is harder work for shorter periods of time as well as interval workouts. This helps you burn tons of calories and boosts
your metabolism for the rest of the day or night. These workouts include jumping rope, sprinting and spin cycling. How much cardio do you need? That answer varies from person to person. You need to figure in the following: how many calories you eat, your fitness level, your metabolism, how hard you exercise, and how much body fat percentage you have. If you are just starting out, try just 15 to 20 minutes 3 times per week. As the weeks go by, add time to each work out and then start adding another workout in the week. As you start to get into shape, try a higher intensity workout to burn more calories and change things up. How do you decide what exercise is best for you? There is no “best” answer. It is the exercise that works best for your body and for your lifestyle and also whatever you enjoy the most. Another great way to make exercise more enjoyable is to break up your workouts. When you are at the gym you can break your cardio into 10 minutes segments between the different cardio machines; just don’t let you heart rate drop too low as you transition. On the days you weight train, do 10 minutes of cardio, then weights off and on, and your workout will go by much faster. It is also great to try new things. Shocking your body by switching up your routine is great for weight loss and avoiding the plateau we all seem to hit sooner or later. The bottom line is everyone needs cardio to live a healthy lifestyle along with strength training and a good healthy diet. So pull out your day timer or open that app on your phone and start putting cardio workouts into your week. Once you get that routine down, you’ll be glad you did! Lauren Lacy Fitness Coordinator CHASCO Family YMCA
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Nutritional Support for Back Pain Approximately 80 million people suffer from back pain. It is the second most common reason to be absent from work, just behind the common cold. There are 60,000 chiropractors in the United States alone, and the number is growing. Yet, chiropractors are overall doing well in business. Demand seems to surpass supply, indicating that back pain is a growing problem - an epidemic. The most common reason for seeing a chiropractor used to be heavy lifting and labor-intensive jobs. Nowadays, there are more office workers suffering from back pain and less jobs involving heavy labor. Why? There are many physical reasons to consider. A sedentary working condition and lifestyle reduces joint movement and promotes improper posture over time. Increased urbanization means the population is driving for a longer period of time, and more likely to get involved in a motor vehicle accident. Due to stress and improper lifestyle, people sleep less soundly and for fewer hours, thus decreasing the opportunity to repair the body. People also pay little attention to the quality of their bed and subsequently, their sleep. Back pain sufferers often have one or more of the above dysfunctions that contribute to their affliction.
and healing, as long as it is short-lived. With prolonged inflammation; however, it leads to excessive swelling, redness and pain. Obesity and chronic inflammation are, therefore, two factors that relate to frequent back pain, and both are due to dietary imbalance. The following nutritional recommendations can help with back pain: 1) Fish oil and black currant seed oil – Certain hormones serve as chemical messengers that trigger or stop the inflammatory cascade. Fish oil and black currant seed oil are omega-3 and omega-6 fats, respectively, and are hormonal precursors leading to anti-inflammatory hormones. Taking either of the beneficial fats can effectively decrease inflammation, but research shows that taking both can have a cumulative/exponential effect. 2) Magnesium and Calcium – Magnesium is a macronutrient that, along with calcium, is responsible for muscle and nerve tone. Deficiency in magnesium often causes overly excited nerves (heightened sense of pain) and muscle spasms, which can aggravate back pain. Magnesium is not produced in the body and
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Diet & Nutrition
can only be obtained from diet. Rich sources of magnesium and calcium include dark green vegetables (spinach, Swiss chard, and broccoli), seaweed, nuts, and dairy. 3) Dietary modification – Most S.A.D. foods are high in carbohydrates, and excessive carbohydrates can result in fat storage and weight gain. Pasta, bread, rice, and potatoes are simple carbohydrates that should be replaced with the dark leafy vegetables mentioned above. It is also interesting to note that most fast foods (red meats, bread, soda, sugar) are acidic in nature while the above minerals and dark green vegetables are alkaline in nature. Increasing the alkaline foods in the diet can effectively decrease the likelihood of inflammation. The above recommendations are general, and not patient-specific. By implementing these general protocols, along with active stretching, exercise and posture correction, back pain can be kept in check. We will talk about weight loss in the next issue. Dr. Trent Peng Chiropractor/Nutritionist
What does “Nutritional Support” have to do with back pain? When I was in Chiropractic school, I often heard stories from “old-school” chiropractors about how a patient would come in with the back bent, leave the office with the back straight, and would not need another adjustment for years. When I left school and began working; however, the situation was different. People left feeling better, but the pain came back a couple days later and the patient required more treatment. In short, the adjustments would not “hold” and a more intense treatment regimen was required. Some patients came in week after week using chiropractic adjustments as pain pills. Contrary to popular belief, chiropractors DO NOT want to see patients forever; it just seems the patient’s condition flares up more easily. After careful research and clinical experience, I found that patients with the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) are more likely to have flare-ups. The S.A.D. diet involves eating fast foods at regular intervals, and includes large amounts of sugar (soda, ice cream, cake, pastry). Highcarb, high trans-fat foods, promote obesity, and increased weight presents an extra physical stress to the back. Also, most of these foods are acidic in nature, and this increases inflammation. Inflammation is a natural process in the blood vessels in response to irritants or pathogens. It is a necessary mechanism to remove the pathogens, promote repair www.AustinFaithandFamily.com
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The Real Stuff (for Women)
Lose Your Mind
to the Mind of christ Are you constantly frustrated? Does fear cripple you? Are your actions less than desirable? If you answered “Yes,” I have powerful solutions for your life that involve healing the condition of your mind and heart.
People. In order to keep a sound mind, we must weekly ensure we have spent time in the Word, attended worship/assembly, spent relational prayer time with our heavenly Father, and have had interaction with other believers.
To set the stage for aligning your mind to the mind of Christ, let me share these thoughts. In Mathew 22:37 Jesus replies: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Many struggle with this truth because we live in an age where millions battle mental disorders and 1 in 4 people are crippled by depression. The 411 is this! The enemy has taken aim on our minds, knowing the importance the scriptures place on it.
Through the W²P² principle, the condition of our heart heals and remains stable. 1 Corinthians 2:16 says we have the mind of Christ through His spirit living within us. The W²P² principle keeps the Holy Spirit alive within us. Prayer leads us in to truth. Relational prayer teaches us to hear the voice of truth versus the voice of lies, doubt and fear - the voice of this world. Prayer leads us away from our own self. During this process the Holy Spirit in us will soak up the word of God and the voice of truth.
My life experiences with depression, chronic pain, and sin were all mentally debilitating. I then discovered something revolutionary for my healing. I found through scripture the undeniable correlation between my heart and mind. Something the enemy has known for ages. A scarred heart defines a scarred mind. Sy Rogers, an international and gifted communicator, states, “The strongholds in our mind directly relate to how richly or deeply we can love.” In other words, the condition of our heart determines the condition of our mind which dictates our actions. “Thinking is the soul talking to itself,” says Sy.
An amazing healing resource written by Loyd & Johnson is called The Healing Code. The premise of the book is six minutes to heal the source of any health, success, or relationship issue. This simple revolutionary process has everything to do with renewing the mind.
It is time you take back your mind from the enemy! By applying these principles and truths you can lose your mind with me to the mind of Christ. Scripture References: Colossians 3:1-2; Hebrews 8:10; 1 Peter 1:13; Revelation 2:23 Amy Dillon Souled Out Ministries Hits the Air Waves with Amy Dillon Live!
Amy Dillon Live is a new weekly morning program on the WORD 99.3/98.5 from 7:00am – 8:00am – offering women a powerful start to their morning, full of encouragement and freedom. “You will be hearing from women from all walks of life sharing their stories of tragedy to triumph, miraculous moments in Christ and much more!” says Dillon. “God is ready to rock your world! Are you ready?” Join Amy Dillon and Judith Dudley for groundbreaking programming in Central Texas!
Have you considered the condition of your soul? If so, is there any resemblance to the condition of your mind? Here are some astounding statistics. 70% of the day we are communicating. We speak at 150 -200 words a minute. We think at 13,000 words per minute. 70% of an average person's self talk is not accurate. Our internal conversation is skewed, defeating, and never turns off. Self talk is rarely accurate, but we believe it and act upon it. Hallelujah, I have good news! The power of God can destroy these fortresses. You Can Be Transformed Our minds are ravaged by lifestyles we have created and by experiences we have endured. Romans 12:2 recruits us to not conform any longer to the ways of the world but be transformed by the renewing of our mind. Then we will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good and pleasing and perfect will.” Through Souled Out Ministries, I mentor women in the alignment of their minds and encourage them to keep the W²P² principle. W²P² stands for Word, Worship, Prayer and 42
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A Man-Servant
The Real Deal (for Men)
I also never bothered to try and figure out why a man was given the bigger and stronger body compared to the woman. Now I think I understand. A man is supposed to be the biggest servant there is in any and every family situation. He eats last, not first. The man is Have you ever heard of a man being a servant? given the bigger body to be able to cut down Some men might answer, “No way! The man is the trees with which to build a shelter for his the boss around here!” How many of us were family. He is supposed to be the one who pulled raised to think that way? Yet Christ came to this the stumps out of the ground in order to grow earth as the number one servant of all time! corn to feed his family in the winter. He is the Somewhere along the line, I read that I am to one who is called upon to cut the wood for the strive to be like Christ, and hey—that might fire and make sure the home is safe to sleep in mean I too am called on to be a servant. Time all night long. He is the one who checks all the has passed now, and thanks to a loving and doors and windows, and is the last to go to bed, patient God, I think my eyes have finally been making sure everyone family member is fed, warm, and taken care of before he puts his own opened to a few truths. head on a pillow. One truth came to me when I was trained as a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. It It’s all about choices, and choices have was drilled into my head that my men were consequences, but more on this as we move my most important responsibility. I fed them along together next time – before feeding myself. Thinking back, I wonder Don Spann why I let those lessons remain on the base, and wonder why my eyes were closed to bringing those lessons home to my family. the Bible, or what I call the “rule book,” came into my life - what a difference it made! That book moved from a coffee table decoration to the most important book I have ever read in my life.
Let’s see… I am a man, and I should know the answer to this, but I think I’ll sneak in a question here somewhere. Who goes first? Is it the man? Is it the woman? Maybe I should hold up the macho image and demand that the woman go first. Maybe it is not such an important question after all, for I don’t remember hearing it discussed around the table when I was growing up. Come to think of it, we never discussed too many things at all around the dinner table. It was always a rush job to “woof down the food” and hurry back to the TV set to watch some mindless program. Looking back, it is easy to wish that I had been taught better leadership skills on how to be the head of a family. Some of us are more fortunate or “blessed” than others when it comes to learning Man-Wife relationship things. When
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You
The Real Me (for Young Adults)
Trust God He REALLY Does Know Best
Have you ever felt uncertain of the future? Do you wonder if the decision you make might not be the right one? You want it so badly, but you’re not sure if God is telling you to go ahead and take it? What if it’s the wrong choice and God is not there to help you? What will you do when you know you can’t go back? Most people experience this all the time - me included. I have a hard time really trusting God. Recently, I had to make a life-changing decision: Where would I go to college? I could leave my family and go far away to an expensive, private university or I could stay at home and go someplace cheaper. I really wanted to go far away, like any graduated high school student. Who wants to stay at home, right? But my parents made it very clear. If I went far away, they would not help me pay for it. I would totally be on my own. My first reaction was “Fine,” thinking I could take out loans. Then I started doing the math, and I realized I would probably be paying off those loans my whole life! I read Dave Ramsey, and that just confirmed to me that debt is not cool. Why take out loans, when my parents are capable of paying for the not-so-expensive-community college? I then decided to talk to my father, God. He is incredibly rich and powerful. Since, I am his daughter, why wouldn’t he be able to help me pay for college? I asked, and asked, and
NEW!
Paul:
90 Days on His Journey of Faith by Beth Moore The fourth book in the Personal Reflections Series, Paul draws from portions of Beth Moore’s best seller To Live Is Christ. You’ll love the 90-day devotional format that includes journaling space and questions that lead you to prayerfully consider what God is teaching you.
asked. He didn’t answer. That is when I started to question my decision. What if going away is not God’s plan for me? What if he is not there with me? After the millionth time I asked, He answered. “Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) He made me realize then, that no matter where I go, He will always be with me. He will never leave me. He will always take me back, even if I mess up a million times. He also made me reflect on why I wanted to go far away to that luxurious expensive university, when I knew I was not rich enough to afford it, and he told me, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6: 19-21) I knew then, the decision I had to make. I decided to attend Austin Community College this year. It was not what I wanted in the beginning, but God has a plan. He didn’t open doors for me to go to the school I wanted, but He opened doors for me to go to the school He wanted me in, at this moment. I learned to REALLY trust Him during this process and to listen to Him. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8) Maria Arreola
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One-of-a-Kind: A Portait Artist Taylor Made Portrait Studio is a unique photography business offering families heirlooms and memories in each portrait they take. Tracey Taylor is the head photographer and she has two assistants, Tyler, her oldest son, and Rhonda. Together they capture the personality of each client. Clients have even said that Tracey is able to portray family relationships in their portraits. The studio is located in a residential gallery in Pflugerville, Texas, and has been in business since 2004. However, Tracey has been into photography since 1987. Tracey states that she enjoys all aspects of portrait work, with the exception of weddings. She especially loves photographing high school seniors. “I love working with the seniors. It’s such an exciting time in their life, they are budding as an adult, and it’s usually the first time for them to be photographed by themselves, without the rest of the family, doing what they do. Their personality shines through.” From outfit changes, to props, to backgrounds, she loves it all, and states, “I get as excited as they do!” Many of the backdrops Tracey uses, she has painted or created herself. They are custom, one-of-a-kind, very personalized – unlike those found at other portrait studios. All of her clients get very personal attention, a free design consultation, and she will even measure walls and pick out colors to match the décor of the home where the portrait will be displayed. Tracey states, “I’m not just a photographer. I’m a portrait artist. I’m not taking photos for a CD or to sit on a desk. My pieces become art for your walls that just happen to have your family as the subject matter. I pay attention to the finest detail, and there are no surprises. My clients know exactly where they’re going financially and what they want hanging in their homes, before I ever click my shutter.” Taylor Made Portrait Studio thrives on prayer. Tracey states she prays daily, and relies on Him to give her strength. She believes in the importance of creating memories and images that will become heirlooms, and she is able to capture the spirit and heart of her subjects, in ways that amaze parents, individuals, and families. A picture is of great value, it’s worth remembering; and worth displaying…or it’s not worth taking.
October is Family Portrait month at Taylor Made Portrait Studio and a portion of every session fee goes to "Operation Smile.” They help children born with cleft pallets receive the necessary operations to create a beautiful smile for them. Be sure to contact the studio for more information on how you can be a part of helping a child "get their smile on." Marcy Lytle
Meet AFF's SALES REP! of mission trips to Central America, Africa, the Middle In her current role at AFF, Susan feels blessed to
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.
Susan Stern Susan@AustinFaithandFamily.com
In 2007 Susan took a break from the ad biz, and, in faith, downsized her lifestyle and went on a series
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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!
be able to use her advertising experience to help faith-and 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!
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AD Directory 3D Cruise and Travel 512-218-0291 512 Moving 512-382-5813 620 Café and Bakery 512-244-1009 Austin Furniture Depot 512-323-5222 Austin YMCA 512-730-YMCA Altrua Health Share 888-244-3839 Chasco Family YMCA 512-246-9622 Children at Heart Ministries 512-255-3668 Concordia University 512-313-3000 Cypress Creek Dentistry 512-219-1811 Double Dave’s Anderson Mill 512-918-3283 Cedar Park 512-482-3283 Elgin Christmas Tree Farm 512-281-5016 Family Link Kids 512-947-7306 Give Realty 512-338-4483 Grace Academy 512-864-9500 Green Solutions 512-696-7594 Head to Heart 512-496-8938 Heart Association www.heart.org Hill Country Institute www.VibrantDance.org Infinity Conversions 512-252-7778 IRS 512-477-5627 Kent Redding Real Estate 512-306-1001 Legend Lighting 512-251-0000 Lifeway Austin 512-342-7933 Mark Cohen Insurance 512-252-7000 MetLife 512-691-1931 Minute Man Press 512-931-2211 Morellia Grill 512-255-0511 Mr. Appliance 512-454-8045 Mr. Electric Travis Co. 512-894-0909 Williamson Co. 512-388-1835 Newberry Financial 512-905-6573 RR Area Serving Center 512-244-2431 Scarlett Red Salon 512-931-1300 Smokey Mo’s smokeymosbbq.com Spillar North Austin 512-244-2224 South Austin 512-444-3227 Susan Hart Boutique 512-291-6055 Taylor Made Photography 512-494-4267 Teacher Heaven North Austin 512-323-5288 South Austin 512-693-0668 Teravista Ranch House 512-651-9850 Terra Toys 512-445-4489 T. Laney Construction 512-263-9993 Town Lake Animal Center 512-972-6084 The Oasis oasis-austin.com
By the Numbers
50%
percent of people prefer to eat takeout on their couch
60%
percent of people like to take a pre-bite of the food they are cooking 46
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the Back Pew Two rival politicos were together when one said, "I always relish the opportunity to promote my party. For example, whenever I'm at the airport I'll give the skycap a big tip and say, 'Remember to vote Democratic.'" His adversary responded, "I have my own way of doing just that--and it doesn't cost me a penny. I don't give any tip at all and I also say, ''Vote Democratic.'"
Quotes A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by every pebble on the road. -Henry Ward Beecher A man begins cutting his wisdom teeth the first time he bites off more than he can chew. -Herb Caen A prudent question is one-half of wisdom. -Francis Bacon Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom. -Thomas Jefferson In seeking wisdom thou art wise; in imagining that thou hast attained it - thou art a fool. -Lord Chesterfield
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