Christian Living Magazine January February 2024

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January / February 2024

BOISE

Christian Homes A place for God’s servants

JAKE

Evans

Lifting others up

2024

Salvation Army Modern building, same commitment

THE UNITED

Nations

Roosevelt’s godly vision

Mike Morris, administrator at Boise Christian Homes Inc., is shown with resident Diane Miller, who formerly worked as a Bible translator in Papua New Guinea

Contents January / February 2024 “The Father gives me the people who are mine.

Every one of them will come to me, and I will always accept them.”

— John 6:16 NCV

Volume 13 | Number 1

FEATURES Jake Evans: Bringing the bottom up

12

‘Love thy neighbor’: A real life story

14

Jeff the Woodman: Skills from the Lord

18

Discernment: Be ‘Jesus-y street smart’

22

The Journey: ‘Read the story’

23

No more anger: God helps abusive mom

30

2024 Salvation Army: Still serving

32

Mountain mover: He makes a way

34

COLUMNS

COVER STORY

The Renegade Psychiatrist: Lasting change Real Man’s Toolbox: ‘Year of the Real Man’ “I Get To!”®: Earn This Exploring God’s Great Outdoors: His timing works History, Culture & Faith: Roosevelt’s U.N. vision

Boise Christian 36 Homes:

20

Stop the alibis: Start blessing others

37

38

Fascinating history A Prayer in the New Year

PUBLISHER

GRAPHIC DESIGN

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Denice King • 208-918-5190

EDITOR

COVER PHOTO

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

CONTRIBUTORS

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GENERAL INFO

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8 10 16 24 26

DEPARTMENTS

About discipline: Obey with gladness

Sandy Jones • 208-703-7860

6

Symbolism & Salvation: The power of parables

Jesse Fairgrieve • @fair_fotos Instagram Larry E. Banta, Steve Bertel, Daniel Bobinski, Rick Chromey, Tom Claycomb III, Roxanne Drury, Joan Endicott, Greg Grotewold, Doug Hanson, Leo Hellyer, Vincent Kituku, Glenn Koch, Rosie Main, Kathy Collard Miller, Bethany Riehl, Ed Rybarczyk & Bradley Shotts

WEBSITE DESIGN SEO Idaho

5 7

Wednesday’s Child: Meet Curtis Biblically Responsible Investing: Pickleball & the stock market Understanding Relationships: A pesky emotion Maximum Health: Longevity and vitality

31

Publisher’s Corner: A new year – God is there Bible Blanks: A prophet and leader of Israel

4 9

28

IN EACH EDITION

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DISTRIBUTION

D&S Distribution • 208-985-6904 Christian Living is committed to encouraging and instructing individuals in their daily lives by presenting stories of people in the Treasure Valley who are living on a foundation of faith in Jesus Christ and who serve as uplifting examples to others. Views expressed in Christian Living do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. Every effort has been made by Christian Living to insure accuracy of the publication contents. However, we do not guarantee the accuracy of all information nor the absence of errors and omissions; hence, no responsibility can be or is assumed.

All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2024 by Christian Living Ministries Inc.

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Christian Living is published every other month and is available in over 600 locations throughout southern Idaho, including grocery stores, convenience stores, medical waiting areas, and churches. If your church would like additional copies please email us today at christianlivingmag@gmail.com Annual subscriptions available for $13/year. To start your subscription or give one as a gift send your check or money order, along with complete address information, including which issue to begin with and a phone number to call in case there’s questions about your subscription to Christian Living Magazine, PO Box 867, Meridian, ID 83680.

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Christian Living | January / February 2024 3

PUBLISHER’S Corner

New year, new challenges; God is still there It still seems surreal. Nothing could have prepared Happy New Year! Welcome to 2024 and all that us for him to have cancer. He’s the one of us who is God has in store for each and every one of us! always so careful.

Several years ago a friend gave me a book titled We take comfort in knowing that God is still on “DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF, and it’s The Throne, and He is the One in control. Not us. all small stuff,” by Richard Carlson.

Not the doctors. Only God, our Provider, Who is Honestly I never read the whole book, but the title The Great Physician; He is in control and it is His stuck with me, and when the “stuff” of life happens Will that will be done.

I try to weigh it out, asking myself how big or small I’m sharing this with you, our Christian Living it might be in the grand scheme of things. There family, because I’ve always been transparent about will be times in life when things happen that put it our lives, and what’s happening – good and bad; all in perspective. Trust me on this one. and because we covet your prayers. That is the best In November I took my husband to his primary gift anyone could give us right now. Pray for God to care doctor. intervene and that His Will be done.

A little backstory, in August Steve had coughed so Many of you walked with our family when our hard he’d broken a rib to the right of his sternum. daughter-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer Just as it healed, it happened again, this time in the Sandy Jones 9-1/2 years ago. At that time the Holy Spirit spoonback part of his rib cage. And if that wasn’t enough, just as the pain was tolerable, he broke a second rib fed me Romans 8:28, and has shown us time and in the front. The doctor ordered a bone density scan, which showed time again the truth of His Word, and we know that He will again. normal aging.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of Then in November, the weekend before I took him to the doctor, those who love him, who have been called according to his purhis left hip started bothering him. By Monday morning it hurt so pose.” (Romans 8:28 NIV) badly he could barely walk, and he was quite certain he had someSo as we enter into this bright New Year full of hope and promise, how fractured it.

I encourage you to love God. Love your family. Love your friends He adamantly did not want me to take him to the ER, and his who are like family. Love your neighbor. Hug a little tighter, and a PCP could get him in at 10:30 that morning. little longer. Trust God more than anything, or anyone. Take time to By mid-afternoon we knew from his patient portal that the hip think about what big “stuff” He has done for us, knowing that’s the wasn’t broken; he didn’t have a blood clot in his lung, but he does most important “stuff.” Be grateful for every blessing and know that have lung cancer.

God will carry you through it all.

We sat stunned.

Until next time….

At the time of my writing this, only 3 weeks have passed. Three God Bless! weeks of doctors’ appointments, tests, lab work, radiation therapy.

We know what type of non-small cell cancer it is, although we are Now that the tree is down, and life is back to normal, please still waiting on the genetic test result, and he seems to be responding remember to support our advertisers. Without them there simply well to the pain relieving principles behind radiation treatments. By would be no Christian Living Magazine, we can’t do what we do the time this is in print, and in your hands he will have started his targeted treatment plan. without them. n

By Sandy Jones

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4 January / February 2024 | Christian Living

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WEDNESDAY’S Child

Curtis loves football and has NFL dreams The following information is provided

by Wednesday's Child, an organization that helps Idaho foster children find permanent homes.

Twelve-year-old Curtis is an active boy who will do well with a Forever Family who loves adventures. He is a big Los Angeles Rams football fan and dreams of one day becoming skilled enough to make it into the NFL. He also loves baseball and is looking forward to joining a team once he gets settled into his new home. This well-rounded young man has many other interests that just might make him the perfect fit for your family. Those interests include: fishing; hiking; swimming; reading Manga; singing; listening to a wide range of musical genres; making cool figures and scenes out of modeling clay; playing games; and drawing. If you're a musical family, he would really love to learn to play the trumpet.

Curtis enjoys watching anything that makes him laugh and considers math his favorite subject in school. He loves family dinners and is even up for helping you make his favorite dish: spaghetti.

Curtis longs for a family of his own, where he will be valued and treasured. He dreams of having parents he can trust and count on, who will fill his life with safety and positive emotional connections.

Curtis and his team are open to a single parent or a family with both a mom and a dad, and to families who reside within or outside of the state of Idaho. He will do best in a home where he can be the only or youngest child. Parents who are patient, communicate well, and have a good understanding of trauma are sure to be a wonderful fit for him. Each day spent in foster care is one too many for this amazing young man.

If Curtis could make a great addition to your family, inquire today at idahowednesdayschild.org. n For more information on the Idaho Wednesday's Child Program, visit www.idahowednesdayschild.org, or contact Specialized Recruitment Services Administrator Shawn White at swhite52@ewu.edu or cell (208) 488-8989.

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Christian Living | January / February 2024 5

SYMBOLISM & Salvation

The power of parables: the sower’s story

and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good During every person’s first year on Earth, discoversoil, where it produced a crop – a hundred, sixty ies are made that, for lack of a better term, become or thirty times what was sown.” part of one’s neural net. Because no two people have The explanation Jesus gives picks up in verse 18, the same life experiences, each of our neural nets but here’s an overview: are different. As life continues and new discoveries The seed represents the Word of God. are made, each piece of learning finds a home in our The path is another way of saying hard ground, unique mental filing system. because dirt gets packed when people traverse on it.

In academic terms, this is called our “schema,” Think about it. Parts of the Oregon Trail can still be which, as you would correctly guess, is the same root seen 160 years after it fell out of use, and even today word for our English word, schematic. nothing grows in the ruts because the dirt is so solidly Every person’s mental filing system is different, packed. In the same way, the path in this parable but being that so many life experiences are common represents people with hearts hardened to the point across a culture, a whole lot of overlap exists. No that God’s Word cannot take root. doubt this is why Jesus used parables so frequently The rocky ground represents those who receive – to convey spiritual truths in a way that the masses God’s message with joy, which is conveyed by saying could understand, if they wanted to. the seed sprang up quickly. However, because the Daniel Bobinski I say, “If they wanted to,” because there was a soil was shallow due to the presence of rocks – which catch. Thankfully, Jesus told his disciples what that represent troubles and persecution – the message did catch was. In essence, Jesus used parables to distinguish between those not stick. The distractions of the world and attacks from the enemy who truly desired to receive the message of the Kingdom and those prevent the seeds of God’s Word from developing and growing strong who were just interested in His signs and wonders. Those who truly root systems. want to know God and His principles would seek to understand the The third type of soil, the thorny ground, represents people who parables.

This is backed up by the writer of Hebrews. In the sixth verse of He- hear God’s message but their time to tend to what God wants to do through us is pushed aside by what Jesus described as the worries of brews 11 we’re told, “God reveals Himself to those who earnestly this life and the deceitfulness of wealth. Think of it as a fragmented foseek Him.” That’s the key. Before God reveals Himself to someone, cus on God’s Word that eventually gives way to the cares of this world.

He wants to know whether that person is genuine in his or her desire The fourth type of soil described by Jesus is the good soil. Good soil for that relationship. represents a heart that readily receives the Word of God. It has the In other words, is your heart ready? conditions necessary for roots to grow strong. It’s fertile. It’s tended to.

I’m going to assume that if you’ve gotten this far in reading this, If you think about it, in the book of Genesis, Adam was told to tend you have at least a passing interest in understanding the meaning of the garden before the fall. In the second chapter of Genesis we’re Christ’s parables. So with that, allow me to take a tour of a parable told, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of that Jesus used to describe the possible conditions of our hearts.

Eden to work it and take care of it.” Note that Adam was given the responsibility to work and take care of the garden before the fall ocThe parable of the sower curred. In the same way, we need to tend soil of our hearts so that the A sower is a person who puts seeds on or in soil with the purpose Word of God can grow solid. of growing healthy plants. In the parable of the sower, Jesus tells of a If we have a hard heart it behooves us to humble ourselves before person applying seeds to different types of soil. He also tells us what God and ask Him to soften it. happens to the seeds as a result of landing on the various soil types.

If our heart resembles rocky ground and we are distracted it helps Later, Jesus explains to His disciples that the seed represents the Word to find a mentor who stands firm on God’s Word and study with that of God and the different types of soil represent different conditions of person regularly. the human heart.

If our lives are being choked with worldly worries we must learn to You can read the parable and its explanation by going to the 13th set boundaries and set aside time for biblical study and prayer. chapter of the book of Matthew, verses 3-23, but it starts with Jesus Bottom line, if our heart is usable by God, He will do mighty things saying this: through us – more than we can imagine. But it’s like getting to know “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the Him in the first place – He wants us to earnestly want that. n seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.

Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It Daniel Bobinski, Th.D., is an award-winning and best-selling sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun author and a popular speaker at conferences and retreats. Reach came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up him at danielbobinski@protonmail.com or (208) 375-7606.

By Daniel Bobinski

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BIBLICALLY Responsible Investing

On pickleball, patience and the stock market

By Doug Hanson

I joined the pickleball crowd! I became one of the 36.5 million pickleball players in the United States. The first time I played two years ago, I was unimpressed with the game.

Having played a lot of tennis, I didn’t think pickleball was worthy of being called a sport. I mean, what could be so challenging about hitting a wiffle ball back and forth over a net? I was wrong.

Pickleball is a game of strategy and skill, with patience being the key word.

Unlike tennis, pickleball has a “kitchen” (non-volley zone), an area seven feet on each side of the net that you are not allowed to stand in while hitting the ball in the air (volley). Rather, you must wait for it to bounce or try to volley it from outside the kitchen. These restrictions lead to playing a strategic “soft game” to set up put-away shots.

The soft game is hitting the ball just over the net so that it lands softly in the kitchen. In doing so, your opponent can’t hit a put-away shot because the ball is so low and close to the net, so they must hit a soft shot back. The soft game continues with each of you hitting short shots low over the net.

But patience pays off! Eventually your opponent will hit a shot that inadvertently flies high and far over the net, giving you the chance to hit a winner.

There is a correlation between investing in the stock market and playing pickleball. For the last two years, the stock market has been lackluster, rising and falling but moving sideways. It’s like the soft game in pickleball, delicately hitting the ball back and forth over the net. The soft game won’t win for you, but, with patience, it sets up the winning shot. Patiently investing in this sideways stock market will eventually pay off because the market has always gone up over time.

“Better to be patient than a warrior, and better to have self-control than to capture a city” (Proverbs 16:32). I’ve learned that one of my faults in pickleball is the lack of patience. I strive to be a warrior and conquer the city too soon.

Continued on page 9

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Christian Living | January / February 2024 7

THE RENEGADE Psychiatrist

God’s power to make lasting change in us 2. Seeking humility – Then the psalm has me As a rare breed of psychiatrist (Christian, former look at myself and see that He is the one who made missionary, ordained minister), I have been a bit of me. This is humility: seeing myself as God sees me. a renegade. I will be bringing you some thoughts I am a redeemed sinner, made by Him to serve and on a regular basis, from a unique perspective that I honor Him. I need to vacate the throne in my heart hope will be of some encouragement in your daily which is meant for Him. walk.

3. Having gratitude – The next verse follows The holidays are over and now we are starting into yet another year. They keep going by so fast. with thanksgiving, recognizing all good things come Many of us look at the new year as a time to make from Him. We need to remind ourselves of this some changes in our lives. We may want to make a quite often so we do not become proud and pronew start, restore a relationship, be a better parclaim that we provided all this – we made the food, ent, wife, husband, get a better job, or make other we worked hard, it is from my efforts alone. In my needed adjustments. Sometimes we try to change family we have always stopped to pray for our food things on our own. We try hard to be better people.

We work harder and maybe seem to get nowhere. before eating at home, in a restaurant, at the amuseWe start out so well and then go back to the old ment park, anywhere we would stop to have a meal. habits. How do we turn over a new leaf, start afresh, Dr. Larry E. Banta The reactions have been interesting. make positive, lasting changes?

The next step to allowing lasting change is to alI know I am powerless over the influence of the world, temptalow God to purify our mind, bringing our thoughts to be in line with tions, making changes. I need power I do not have on my own. The power for lasting change comes only from God, from His Holy Spirit His will.

In Matthew 5:8 near the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount working in our lives. We can try and try but will make little change, especially in the areas that really matter.

Jesus says: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” The world wants us to look inward and find our inner self which As we seek purity in ourselves through the Holy Spirit, He clarifies is like a god and can make us powerful. It is not real. If I really look our vision. It is like wearing some powerful HD glasses. God can inward using the lenses God gives me, I see only an imperfect sinner, clean the lenses as we confess those things that are standing between desperate and hopeless without God. However, with Jesus, I am reus and Him. Then we can see what God is doing. We can appreciate deemed, full of hope only because of Him, not me. He says in Isaiah the beauty around us, the intricacy and complexity of creation, and that even my righteousness looks like filthy rags! (Isaiah 64:6) To make lasting change, the first step is to recognize who we really the beautiful things He is doing in the lives of those around us. This are. If we do not know Jesus, we are without hope, without a secure puts us in AWE of God, something we seem to lose over time. future, really in desperate straits and are likely going to keep failing So far, we have uplifted God, humbled ourselves under His mighty as we try on our own to make changes. We must fully accept Him. hand, renewed our sense of gratitude, and cleaned our spiritual We must recognize we are sinners, confessing Him as Lord and lenses so we can see. We have restored our sense of awe for an aweSavior, accepting Him and following Him completely. Then we are some God. Now we need wisdom which God will amply supply if we ready to see what God can really do, if we truly allow Him to do it. only ask.

Psalm 100 gives us some guidance that is something I need to remind myself of frequently.

James 1:5 tells us: If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will A psalm. For giving grateful praise. be given to you.

As we see ourselves a bit more like God can see us, it allows us Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. to take a sort of inventory of what needs to change. What are the Worship the LORD with gladness; habits that are not good? Do I suffer from an addiction or continucome before him with joyful songs. ing sin that I cannot conquer? Am I struggling in a relationship with Know that the LORD is God. a spouse, children, employer, neighbor? Or do I just need better It is he who made us, and we are his; spiritual habits, regular reading and study, more faithful attendance we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving at church, small groups, power to talk to others about Jesus? and his courts with praise; As we put God on the throne, recognizing Him as our Lord as give thanks to him and praise his name. well as our Savior, we can humbly come before Him and pray for For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; those things we need to change. He will answer but we must listen. his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Sometimes He answers by sending others into our lives to help. We have to be humble enough to accept the help. Lasting change comes So, what are the steps the psalmist tells us? gradually. Old habits and addictions can go away. We can draw ever 1. Praising and worshiping God – The psalm begins with givcloser to God. We can become more like what Jesus wants us to be, ing praise and worship. What does praise do? It does not change God, it changes me. I start seeing God more as He really is: high but Satan does not want us to change. It is a daily spiritual battle and lifted up, holy, glorious beyond description and worthy of all that we can only fight with God on our side. n of my praise. I can see God more as He really is and reorder my thoughts accordingly. Worship puts Him back on the throne in my Dr. Larry Banta is an author of several books, a retired psychiaheart. As Lord, He is the boss. We are to be worshiping the Lord trist, and a former missionary. He served in India, Mexico and with gladness and joy, knowing that God has me in His mind, He Kenya. He and his wife, Evelyn, a counselor, travel together to proloves and cares for me and sent His Son for me. I look at Him by praising and uplifting Him. vide consultation and training in various international locations.

By Larry E. Banta

8 January / February 2024 | Christian Living

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Pickleball

BIBLE BLANKS by Steve Bertel

Instead of waiting for a high-floating shot to attack, I try to unwisely attack an unattackable ball, which often results in me either hitting it in the net, hitting it out, or popping it up for my opponent to be the warrior and conquer our city. Whoever my pickleball partner happens to be that day may say, “Be patient, Doug.” And if they don’t say it, then I’m sure they are thinking it because I’m thinking the same thing.

“Whoever is patient has great Doug Hanson understanding” (Proverbs 14:29a).

A person understands the game of pickleball when they can force themselves to play patiently. The same is true for investing. A patient investor understands the payoff will be forthcoming – eventually. And, in the broader scheme of life, practicing patience in one area of life should encourage being patient in other areas.

But please excuse me now, I’m in a hurry to get to the pickleball court to practice patience. n Doug Hanson is an investment advisor with Christian Wealth Management in Boise, providing biblically responsible investment advice to Christians. For more information, visit investforthegloryofgod.com or contact him at doug@christianwm.com or (208) 697-3699.

Investment advisory services provided by Creative Financial Designs, Inc. Securities are offered through CFD Investments, Inc., Member FINRA & SIPC. 2704 South Goyer Road, Kokomo, IN 46902, 795-453-9600. Christian Wealth Management, LLC is not affiliated with CFD Investments, Inc. or Creative Financial Designs, Inc.

Fill in each answer, one letter per square.

Then arrange the letters in the highlighted squares to reveal the name of …

A PROPHET AND LEADER OF ISRAEL 1. “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is ___ toward Him.”

2. Eliab’s famous brother

3. They did “the work of the tabernacle.”

4. Joshua instructed the Israelites to tell their descendants “Israel crossed the Jordan on ___ ___.

A PROPHET AND LEADER OF ISRAEL is …

ANSWERS: 1. BLAMELESS (2 Chronicles 16:9) 2. DAVID (1 Samuel 17: 12, 13) 3. THE LEVITES (Numbers 3:5-8) 4. DRY GROUND (Joshua 4:20-22) A PROPHET AND LEADER OF ISRAEL is: DEBORAH (Judges 4:4)

Continued from page 7

CHURCHES IN YOUR AREA “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” — Thessalonians 5:11 NIV BOISE

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For information on adding your church to this directory, please call 208-703-7509 or email:boisechristianliving@gmail.com www.christianlivingmag.com

Christian Living | January / February 2024 9

REAL Man’s Toolbox

Make this year the ‘Year of the Real Man’

away childish things.” A big difference between The year 2024 is here, and I firmly believe that it children and men is that children many times react is going to be a wild ride. In this new year we have to situations quickly, without thinking. Real Men a number of things to navigate through: Ukraine, evaluate their situation, weigh the benefits and conRussia, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Hamas, Hezbolsequences of possible reactions, and then develop lah, Democratic Party, Republican Party, morality, a course of action that is most prudent. Real Men homegrown violence, and mental health identificalook at long-term implications instead of just split tion and treatment, to name just a few. second emotions. Real Men face challenges instead There is a short, easy-to-read book which can of hiding them or running from them. help us travel through the above challenges in 2024.

Christian men who successfully live life in a The book was written by Pastor Virgil L. Stokes twisted world are men who have a high degree of in 2020 but is very relevant in 2024. The book is integrity. Men with integrity are not swayed by titled, “Man Alive! Christian Manhood in a Twisted what others do or say. Men with integrity know World.” the difference between right or wrong, and they In the Introduction of the book Pastor Stokes has do what is right, true, uplifting, honorable, loyal, included two verses from the Bible to set the tone and Christ-like, without being redirected by other for the rest of the book. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14: people’s opinions or challenges. Men with integrity Leo Hellyer “Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courabelieve that right is right, in every situation. geous. Be strong. And do everything with love.”

Real Men defend biblical truths. Real Men look These verses are easy to read and understand; however, it is much to the Bible to find the standards they live by. Real Men profess, and harder to actually follow these verses in real life on a daily basis. live out, their Christian faith openly and with conviction. Pastor There are two specific groups of very different men that I have Stokes points out that Real Men are stable and consistent. Their acsome contact with that I feel at least are driven to do their best in tions and reactions don’t change like the directions of the wind. Real following the two verses from 1 Corinthians 16. One of these groups Men don’t look for the easy path; they look for the God-directed of men are many of the men on the 2023 Boise State University, path. Real Men are men of God, grounded in His truth, obedient to Mountain West Championship Football Team: Coach Spencer His guidance, and caring for others more than themselves.

Danielson and Team Chaplain Mark Thornton. Another group of I highly recommend you get a copy of this book. It is a very wellmen who are steadfast in following the direction in 1 Corinthians 16 written study book that will guide you through your challenging and are Tier One Operators in the United States Armed Forces. I have exciting journey of life. As Christian men, each day of our lives we worked with a number of these men who are dedicated followers of should be striving to become more and more like Christ. The reality Jesus Christ. of life is that we will always fall short of the Glory of God – after I will admit that the two groups of men I just mentioned are a cut above most men struggling to navigate the challenges that we face in all, we are flawed human beings who are sinful by nature. We must our daily lives. The truth is, however, that each of us has the capabil- fervently strive to do our very best every day. When we stumble, and we will, we must go to God Almighty and admit our shortcomings ity to be heroes in the faith in living out our lives.

Pastor Stokes lays out nine characteristics which he feels are neces- and follow His direction to get back on the righteous path of life.

We all stumble – laymen, young, old, pastors, evangelists, etc. God sary to be able to exemplify a godly ‘Christian Man in a Twisted doesn’t give up on us, and we shouldn’t give up on ourselves or on World’. These characteristics are: Being Responsible, Being Christour brothers who stumble. like, Having Inner Strength, Being a Protector, Having Maturity, We need to continually fill up our cup with the Love of Christ, so Being Courageous, Having Integrity, Standing Up for the Truth, we can pass on some of that love to those who God brings across our and Being Stable and Consistent. path to minister to. We need to challenge our brothers to continuPastor Stokes does a very good job of taking desirable traits of manhood and simplifying them so anyone can understand what they ally seek God’s strength and direction in living out ‘Christian Manhood in a Twisted World’. n mean. He presents the fact that each of these traits are achievable by men who are willing to change, and who are motivated to press though the struggles. As we face the challenges of being a Real Man, Leo Hellyer is a non-staff pastor with a local church and has been married to his wife Norma for 50 years. The couple volunteered with the we need to stop being victims and start being responsible for the Boise FamilyLife Ministry Team for 20 years. Leo has also been serving ways that we react to the stressors in our lives. We must be honest with Boise Rescue Mission Ministries for 20 years and is currently with ourselves and others about our issues, own them, and adapt serving at the River of Life Rescue Mission. He is president and chief and conquer them.

About halfway through the book Pastor Stokes refers to 1 Corinthi- firearms instructor with Helping Hands Firearms Training LLC. If you have questions about Real Man’s Toolbox, or need other assistance, he ans 13:11: “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put may be reached at silverplate426@msn.com or (208) 340-5544.

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NAMPA Narcan initiative

Jake’s mission: ‘To bring the bottom up’

Jake Evans started the Nampa Narcan initiative to help others through their struggles with addiction – a battle he faced in his own life. (Photo by Patricia Evans)

By Steve Bertel

“I appeared to have it all together but, beneath that facade, I was slowly self-destructing.”

That’s how Nampa resident Jake Evans describes his downward spiral into drug addiction … an addiction that started in his early teen years and quickly grew worse. In fact, he says, “within a single week, I had tried cocaine, LSD, mushrooms, and ecstasy.”

But that was only the beginning.

Unlike other addicts who are perhaps facing personal issues, struggling to hide their addictions from family and friends, or are maybe low-income, poorly educated, or even living on the streets, Jake led a very affluent, a very success-driven life.

“I grew up in West Virginia, about an hour away from Washington, D.C. My father was a family practitioner dentist; my mother

12 January / February 2024 | Christian Living

held three presidential appointments, from both the Bush and Trump administrations. So I was raised with lofty expectations, instilled with the desire to be everything to everyone,” he explains.

“In high school, I was a varsity football player, a jazz band member, a show choir participant, and the leader of my own band. Academically, I was an honor roll student. However, despite my accomplishments, I spent most of my life searching for a place where I truly belonged.”

When he was 14, “a group of older kids” as he calls them, introduced him to marijuana. “Instantly, I felt a sense of acceptance that had been eluding me. I began to associate substance abuse with social acceptance, and started down a path that led me to become known as ‘that guy’ in school.” He was the youngest guy at senior parties, surrounded by older friends. It all seemed normal to Jake.

Even as his life took an even more dangerous and darker path.

“Upon entering college, I felt the urge to experiment with a broader array of drugs,” he remembers. That’s when he tried everything from cocaine to ecstasy.

His father wanted Jake to follow in his footsteps and take over his dental practice. But Jake wasn’t keen on that idea. He did not want to become “the mirror image of my father, living in the same small town and working in the same profession. That thought was terrifying to me. It would’ve been like watching the same episode of ‘Leave it to Beaver’ over and over,” Jake says. So he did what seemed logical to him at the time: he pursued a music career.

It wasn’t long before he acquired a recording engineering certification. As a guitar player, his goal was to write, perform, and record music. But, given the “party atmosphere” of the music industry, his abuse of cocaine, LSD, and ecstasy continued. Unabated.

Raised Catholic, Jake remembers he was “super inquisitive” about his faith, but the Catholic school he attended was very punitive.

“They were like: Just listen to the lesson and don’t ask questions.

As such, a lot of my questions went unanswered,” he says, to the eventual point where “I did not identify with one specific belief. I always believed in God, but I never identified as a Christian. I didn’t know the difference between salvation and grace. I just knew that there was something greater in the world than me. I knew there was a Creator. I called him God. That was it.”

Then, during a school trip to New York City, a fellow student produced several small blue pills – Percocet, a dangerous one-two punch of the opioid oxycodone and the pain-killer acetaminophen – and offered them to Jake. He initially declined, rather proudly telling his friend, “No, man. I only use cocaine.”

But the student didn’t give up, telling Jake, “Well, what if I told you that you could smoke these?” Intrigued, Jake accepted the offer. And smoked the pills. “The moment that smoke hit my lungs, something clicked in my brain,” he says. “For the first time ever, all the yearning and desire to impress and ‘fit in’ disappeared. It completely vanished. I experienced a calm like never before.”

When he returned home five days later, Jake found himself totally and physically addicted; in fact, as he puts it, “I had developed a crippling 30-pill-a-day habit of 30 milligrams of Percocet” – that he bought from street-level drug dealers. Or from friends who worked at the area’s pharmaceutical manufacturing plant. “In fact,” he admits, “most of my money went for drugs.”

Jake had a lot of responsibilities in his life at that time. He was attending law school, he was the university’s student body vice president, he had a full-time job, and he was excelling as a National Model United Nations delegate. So he kept his habit hidden. “I couldn’t sit through a 45-minute class without needing to get high,” he points out.

After one particularly nightmarish LSD trip, Jake finally asked God for help. “I told Him, ‘God, if you get me through this, I swear I will never use acid – or anything that’s remotely psychedelic – ever again.’ And He did. He got me out of it. And I kept my promise: I never used LSD after that.”

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Even though Jake felt he could quit whenever he wanted, he couldn’t. His drug abuse – minus the LSD – continued. Until the day a female professor noticed something amiss. She left a sticky note on his desk reading, “We need to talk.”

“Her words were all capitalized and underlined several times,” Jake recalls.

When the two talked after class that day, the professor produced a paper – his class attendance record – and began pointing out what he already knew. She read, “Tardy. Tardy. Tardy. On time. Tardy.

Tardy.”

“She looked at me with genuine concern and said, ‘Jake, you are going to fail this class because you can’t show up on time. Is everything okay?’ Those last three words hit me like nothing ever had.

I could see two distinct paths ahead of me: one, where I tell this woman everything, admit my problem, and seek help. Another, where I pull myself up by my bootstraps, get my degree, and deal with the addiction later.” Fortunately – wisely – he chose the first option. Partly because the professor, boldly violating the school’s teacher/student ethics rules, admitted she had once been an addict as well. And related her own personal recovery story.

Motivated by what she told him, Jake left school and enrolled in a six-month sobriety program at Tree House Recovery in Costa Mesa, California. Jakes describes the program as, “a full lifestyle overhaul.

It wasn’t so much about not using drugs, as it was about living a healthy lifestyle; to put you into your best life and keep you there.”

In fact, after graduating from the program and becoming completely drug-free, Jake even joined the recovery team and used his talents to help grow the program.

At that same time, he began attending the Calvary Chapelaffiliated Harvest Christian Fellowship Church, under the direction of senior pastor Greg Laurie, the nationally-renowned Harvest Crusades founder.

If You Decide To Carry, Carry Responsibly!

Two years after becoming sober, Jake gave his heart to the Lord.

He then set out on a determined personal mission to help others, starting with the student who had originally offered him those blue Percocet pills. “I told him how fantastic I was doing – and how amazing my life was, now that I was clean and sober. But he told me he was ‘fine’ and ‘didn’t need any help.’”

Jake didn’t press the issue with him … but now, looking back, wishes he had. “Two weeks later, on Thanksgiving Day, that young man took a fatal dose and passed away. Alone in his dorm room.

When I heard the news, I broke down. This was a friend of mine, someone with whom I used almost daily. It could have easily been me; most likely, it would have been … had I not decided at that moment that I had been given a second chance at life.” Losing his friend made Jake more determined than ever to help others. “I wanted my story to be the worst it ever got for anyone,” he says. “So I resolved to be on a mission: to bring the bottom up” – in other words, to help those, to build up those who had reached their depths of despair.

Even though Jake’s long-ago prayers to overcome his addiction had been answered, God had yet another plan in store. “The young woman who worked across the street from the corporate office where I was working mentored me. Prior to that, I had never spoken to her.

She was very beautiful; so beautiful, I figured she was way out of my league,” he recalls.

Today, that woman is his wife. And the mother of their two children.

Continued on page 15

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A REAL life story

Taking ‘love thy neighbor’ seriously

By Glenn Koch I met my friend David Meyer when he parked his decrepit motorhome at the curb in front of a small rental house I own in Caldwell, Idaho. An extension cord ran across the sidewalk into it.

I knocked on the door and a tall older gentleman answered. My words were firm when I said, “Fella you cannot park your motorhome here, it’s against city ordinance.” Having been a landlord for over 50 years, and having dealt with all kinds of people, I was surprised and impressed with David’s polite response, “All right Mr. Koch, I’ll move it.”

Several days later I was again surprised at David’s ingenuity when I saw that he had indeed moved his motorhome, somehow squeezing it in the yard behind my rental house. Again the extension cord lay on the ground and into the house. This time, I said to myself, “I’ll let the city building inspector tell him that this did not meet code and that he had to move.”

For some reason the inspector never showed up and I was told by my renters that I was to collect half of the rent from them, and half from David. David was not one to talk much. He always had the rent money on time and carefully counted out down to the fifty cents. I learned that he suffered severe arthritis, that as a youngster his parents divorced and basically the streets of L.A. were both his teachers and his parents. David once told me that he had spent most of his life in jails.

Winters in Idaho can be severely cold. My guess is that the arrangement he made with my renters did not include the electricity to heat what was probably a poorly insulated old motorhome.

One day in particular I stopped to collect the rent and the weather was well below freezing. It took David a couple of minutes to answer the door due to his arthritis and the cold. He came to the door all bundled up in a blanket and several layers of clothing.

I said, “David, let me buy you an electric blanket, so you can try to keep warm.” “No,” he said, “I won’t accept it, I’ll be fine, I’m used to the cold.” One could not help but admire this proud person who would not accept charity.

One summer day I received a call from the renters in the house stating that the police had arrested David and had taken him to the county jail.

Didn’t Jesus tell us that if we wanted to serve Him we should visit those in prison? I went to see David twice while he was in the local county jail awaiting trial and sentencing. David told me during one of these visits that he was a convicted felon and as a result was not to own guns. When the police arrested David they found a rifle he claimed he was storing for a friend.

The weeks go by, and it’s David on the phone saying he was sentenced to four years in the State prison in Boise, and was “about to go stark raving crazy with nothing to do and I’ve not been here long enough to have a job. Is there any way you could buy me a TV?” The prison would only allow new TV’s, which they had to purchase.

I realized I was probably being “conned” by a con artist, but recalled the offer of the electric blanket that he refused to accept.

Somehow the Lord would not allow me to forget this seemingly gentle person. I sent the prison money for the new TV and also wrote David a short letter every month enclosing a small-amount money order for his personal needs.

In my letters I purposely mentioned my church activities, prayers for him and also sent him annual subscriptions for Guideposts magazines. During the course of the four years there were several articles from prisoners who had experienced life-changing success from reading Guideposts and the Bible.

14 January / February 2024 | Christian Living

David would never respond to my letters that mentioned anything religious, Guideposts or the Bible. Finally I wrote him and bluntly asked if he had received Guideposts or read the Bible I had sent. He responded that he had read some of the Bible and that he passed Guideposts on to other inmates. This was as close as he would ever get to discussing God. Surprising to me, but obviously not to David, was how rapidly the four years sped by. One day David called, excitedly stating that he had served his sentence and asked if I could pick him up at 1:30 on Friday at the prison. How could I say no? The prison guards were courteous and seemed pleased that he had someone to pick him up.

It was a gorgeous sunny winter day and the normally quiet David chattered all the way to Caldwell. I had made temporary arrangements with the same house renters to let him sleep in a pickup camper parked in the yard where David’s motorhome had been.

That afternoon I took David to his motorhome where we had stored it to pick up some of his clothes. Then to the post office to get a P.O. box so he could receive government disability checks; to the bank so he could open an account from the small amount he had saved from my monthly money orders; and finally to Health and Welfare offices to apply for food stamps.

In the parking lot at Health and Welfare David met an “acquaintance.” I watched carefully as David handed his friend what appeared to be money, but nothing was exchanged. My first thought was to confront David when he got back into the car about what could have been a drug deal, but I really didn’t know the details of what I had just witnessed so decided not to spoil what had been a wonderful afternoon.

I left David and his belongings with his friends at the camper.

The very next morning (Saturday) I received a call from the Caldwell Police Department asking “Do you own the property at 201 Blaine St. in Caldwell?” “Yes.” “Do you know David Meyer?” “Yes.” “He is dead!” “What?!” “He died, and we are treating his death as a homicide, can you come to the house?”

Upon arriving at the taped off yard I learned they found David sitting up dead and there was a white powder on the floor, with the door to the camper latched from the outside!

Upon hearing of David’s death, the friend from the Health and Welfare parking lot went to the police and told them that he and David had been using drugs and that he had left at 1:30 a.m., latching the door from the outside as it wouldn’t stay shut otherwise.

I was stunned. The next day was Sunday and after church I briefly told my pastor the events of the previous day. He urged me to talk to “Hank,” a recovered addict and a member of our church.

Upon telling “Hank” the story, he said, “Glenn, I can fully understand what happened. When a drug addict is released from prison, his first thought is to have a celebration and party. David’s body had been clean for four years, and when he took his normal drug dose his system could not handle it, and it killed him.”

David’s story does not have the normal happy ending of most Christian Living articles. My hope is that it will somehow resonate and warn of the dire result of recreational drug usage. If so, perhaps David did not die in vain.

Please know help is available. Chances are the addict will not win this battle on his or her own. I believe the very best counselor is our lovingly forgiving Heavenly Father, accompanied by a trained healthcare professional. n

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Jake Evans Continued from page 13

available.’ For someone actively seeking recovery, “It was definitely God at work. It took about two years for me to become the caliber of man she those ‘No’s’ can be very discouraging,” Jake emphaneeded me to be as a partner,” Jake says. “What’s sizes. “So we help them find the ‘Yes’s.’” more, had I not met her, I would not have become a Reports say opioid use is steadily increasing in Christian. If I had not become a Christian, I would Idaho. Nampa alone has seen an alarming 200% have never come to Nampa.” jump over last year, according to Jake. “As our infraSince his brother lives in McCall, Jake and his structure develops, so does the crime rate. And the wife entertained the idea of moving to Idaho. They drug trade. Granted, we’re on the other side of the placed offers on several homes, wanting to settle bell curve right now compared to major U.S. cities, down wherever God chose, so they could set about but we have the opportunity to stop that curve. helping others. The only offer that a seller accepted So we have to be proactive. And flexible. Because was on a home in Nampa. Right across the street recovery is not the same for everyone.” from Grace Bible Church, what has now become Nampa Narcan takes its name from: a) the city their home church. In fact, using the musical talents where it was “founded” – even though the group he developed years ago, Jake now plays lead guitar now works throughout the Treasure Valley with in the church’s worship band. emergency service personnel and those in need Looking back, Jake realizes, “The professor who of recovery help, and b) the legal nasal spray drug Steve Bertel felt compelled to write me a sticky note and take a that helps reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, risk, going way out of her lane to essentially save bringing a person from a life-threatening overdose my life … the woman who mentored me, became my wife, and the state to a more manageable withdrawal state. In fact, many first mother of our children … the house-offer that brought us to Nampa responders now carry Narcan (also known as naloxone) dispensers and to a church right across the street, I firmly believe it was all part with them, to immediately administer to those suffering from an of God’s divine plan. It’s all part of God working in my life.” opioid overdose.

Jake has spent the past ten years specializing in life coaching and Jake stands firm in his commitment to help others. “Nampa has crisis intervention. “I’ve worked with Fortune 500 CEOs and I’ve become not just a place I live, but a community I love and serve. worked with people crawling out from underneath bridges,” he Together with Nampa Narcan and other collaborative efforts, we are says. He also served on Nampa’s Opioid Settlement Board, and cochaired the Substance Misuse and Mental Health Committee for the working towards a brighter future, one where addiction no longer holds our community captive. It is a journey that I believe I was desHealthy Impact Nampa Coalition. tined to embark upon, and I am grateful for the opportunity to make Earlier this year, that mission led Jake to partner with the Nampa a positive impact on the lives of those around me.”

Fire Department and establish the Nampa Narcan initiative. “Our If you know someone struggling with an opioid addiction and in mission is to directly connect those in drug crisis situations with need of help, or if you simply want to find out more about Nampa someone who can help them navigate and find resources that can Narcan, you can go its website nampanarcan.com or call the Nampa help them, no matter what hurdles or barriers may be in the way, Narcan hotline at 208-960-6092. n be they geographic, financial, or clinical,” he explains. “We want to help remove those barriers and guide them through the process – Steve Bertel is a multi-award-winning professional radio, televiand make sure we keep walking with them – in their recovery joursion, print media, and social media journalist, who retired after ney, so that we can help them foster a healthier, drug-free lifestyle.” a 30-year broadcasting career. He’s now a busy freelance writer.

There can be some rather formidable challenges for people fightHis first suspense novel, “Dolphins of an Unjust Sea”, is available ing an addiction, sometimes from the very resource agencies deon both Amazon and Kindle. Steve and his wife of 41 years live in signed to help them. “Some agencies may tell those suffering ‘Sorry.

We don’t take that insurance’ or ‘Sorry, we don’t have any beds Meridian, Idaho. He can be reached at stevebertel65@gmail.com.

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Christian Living | January / February 2024 15

I GET TO!®

“I Get To!”® Earn This

Though I may not know the X’s and O’s of It’s that time of year. (You’re hearing a Christmas football, I do know about the value of these basic song in your head about now, aren’t you?) Yes, it’s life-principles. As a speaker, I’ve been blessed to December 2023 as I write this and many are in share them with everyone from students to entrethe midst of enjoying celebrating our Savior’s birth preneurs to CEO’s and have coached individuals in with festivities, lights and decorations, pumpkin over 30 countries. These are universal to the human pies (with unreasonable amounts of whipped condition, regardless of race, religion, background, cream), hot cocoa with marshmallows, building education, or DNA. gingerbread houses and snowmen, ice skating and Though shared multiple times since, the followsleigh rides. December is extra special to Mark and ing topic was first presented many years ago to the I also because on the 20th we get to celebrate our Boise State Bronco Football team and coaching 43rd wedding anniversary. (Clearly married super staff, when then-head coach Chris Petersen invited young—LOL!) me to share again. (I’m truly blessed and honored This time of year also brings football playoffs and to get to encourage the current BSU coaches, team, bowl games, so this year, my favorite coach and and staff, as well—I love them all!)

I are heading to the LA Bowl game for our anniversary to support our Broncos! Besides being my Joan Endicott “I Get To!”® Earn This favorite coach, Mark has received honors and acWhile dissimilar in the obvious ultimate danger colades both as an MVP athlete and received Coach and sacrifice, many have noted the intriguing parallels of football of the Year Awards multiple times. The value of his contributions and war. In essence, these two echo each other across the field and was recognized even further in January of this year when he was the battlefield: strategy and tactics, violence and sacrifice, adverinducted into the Hall of Fame by his high school where he was an saries and victories, teamwork and brotherhood, leadership and athlete, teacher and coach for his entire career. Clearly, athletics has discipline—all in the ultimate quest for victory. been an enormous part of our lives.

Because of the importance of the unique bond of brotherhood for More than anyone else, I’ve seen up close and personal the lifelong a football team, I shared the brief summation of the movie “Saving impact Mark has made on student athletes as a coach! I also fully appreciate the experiences he had as an athlete and how they helped Private Ryan,” which is a gripping 1998 war film written by Robert Rodat and directed by Steven Spielberg. Set against the backdrop of positively shape his life. A quality coach does more than just impact World War II in 1944, the movie follows a group of American solan athlete on the field or court; they live a life worthy of being moddiers on a perilous mission. Led by Captain John Miller (portrayed eled by all who observe them. This kind of coach cares much more

by Tom Hanks), they embark on a quest to locate Private James about the heart and soul of the person than simply the performance Francis Ryan (played by Matt Damon). The urgency of their mission of the player. There’s an automatic compensation that happens stems from the fact that Private Ryan’s three brothers have tragiwhen the person feels valued: his or her performance as a player cally lost their lives in combat. Upon discovering this, the military naturally elevates! became committed to find and safely return the last surviving son to This level of influence never happens by accident. It starts with his grief-stricken mother. The film provides a harrowing and visceral having clarity in one’s own convictions, consistently choosing character and courage over comfort, which is then proven and played out portrayal of the brutality and sacrifices enduring during wartime.

This movie was challenging to watch on many levels, and for good in one’s conduct. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of reason. It is said by many veterans who lived through horrific wars challenge and controversy.” –Martin Luther King, Jr. that this was the most realistic and accurate war movie ever made.

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That day in the meeting room, I encouraged the gentleThe clip from the movie that gripped and challenged “Courage men to picture themselves standing alone in the center of me from the first time I saw it was the one I shared with blue turf of the football field. Starting from their earliest the team. Captain Miller, who had led seven soldiers on is contagious. the memories—as well as what they’d been told—I asked them a harrowing mission through the bloody, brutal battles imagine that, standing with them, were all the people they that claimed five soldiers’ lives, was now the one who lay When a brave to could remember who had impacted them, along with the bleeding to death from a gunshot wound to the chest. man takes current coaches, staff and teammates in that room. I shared Private Ryan knelt down in front of his captain on the that even with an unsafe home of origin such as I had, there bridge. The raging battle finally dampened with the a stand, were still so many who showed up and made the difference sight and sound of our United States military planes. As for me. Though virtually impossible to recall them all, if the spines the two looked up, Ryan observed, “They’re Tank Bustwe could, not only would the blue turf be covered, but the ers, sir—P-51’s,” to which the captain replied, “Angels stands would be filled as well! of others are on our shoulders.”

Of course, on a spiritual level, we cannot earn anything.

Then, with his shaky hand, his last ounce of energy, often Everything we have, from our earthly lives (every breath pulse and breath, the captain pulled him close and used and heartbeat), relationships, positions, and possessions—to stiffened.”. his last words to make a powerful plea: “Earn this!” the faith in Jesus for our eternal life—are all gifts from God WOW! What a powerful perspective and incredible alone. So, with all God blesses us with, we get to respond —Billy Graham challenge! Just imagine how it would elevate everything with humility and gratitude and be a blessing to others. We in our lives (and those around us) if every single day we showed up are rivers, not reservoirs. We own nothing—but are simply stewards of evwith sheer gratitude to God and to all who have been there for us, erything. He calls us and enables us to be faithful with it all. “… everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required,” Luke 12:48b. invested and sacrificed on our behalf. Starting with all who have “What you are is God’s gift to you; what you become is your gift to sacrificed for our freedom in this country. THAT sacrifice can never God.” –Hans Urs von Balthasar be overstated or too appreciated!

I’m eternally grateful that my favorite coach has been a stellar role Then, on a more personal level, think about all the sacrifices model of earning this as a faithful man of God who’s lived with unwavmade on our behalf and see it as an opportunity to earn what we’ve ering clarity of conviction, courage, character and conduct. He will been blessed with from all who have gone before us: those who’ve immediately tell you that is purely the result of loving and surrendering poured into us, prayed over us, unconditionally loved us, nurtured to Jesus Christ as Lord of his life. n and invested in us; those who have encouraged and believed in us; spoken words of wisdom, truth and life into us; taught us, coached Grab your FREE copy of Joan Endicott’s “I Get To!”® book and us, offered us kindness and compassion—pastors and clergy who videos at www.JoanEndicott.com. Joan is an Award-Winning Keynote have offered spiritual guidance, who have befriended, mentored and Speaker, Author and Coach whose coaching has reached over counseled us—and all those who have been a safe place for us to fall 30 countries. Meet her and enjoy her encouraging messages on and fail.

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Christian Living | January / February 2024 17

JEFF the Woodman

Using the wood skills God gave him

Jeff the Woodman displays one of his neatly sawed pieces of wood. He takes pride in perfection; and his woodlot, where he specializes in hardwoods, shows his precise tendency for neat stacks. (Photo by Gaye Bunderson)

18 January / February 2024 | Christian Living

By Gaye Bunderson Jeff Grosboll drives a weathered 1981 GMC truck, and when his son tries to talk him into getting something newer, Jeff replies that material things just don’t matter to him. Thankfully, the truck still works, and so does Jeff, despite his somewhat weathered state as well.

At 73, Grosboll is known by many as Jeff the Woodman or Jeff the Wood Guy. He saws and stacks wood like nobody’s business; he takes pride in the beauty of his logs and the neat stacks of wood varieties that are arranged throughout his lot.

“I turn bad, crappy-looking wood into good wood,” Jeff said. “I was raised to be a perfectionist; my dad raised me that way.”

His dad was not a wood guy like his son, but Jeff explained that his father would grow a beautiful garden and then inevitably spot that one tiny little weed that needed to be pulled.

Jeff was formerly in the landscaping business, but that work bottomed out during the so-called Great Recession. “The economy took a dive 10-15 years ago,” Jeff explained, “and I lost a lot of jobs.

People had unused lawn equipment in their garages and realized they could do the yard work themselves and save money.”

Jeff started selling wood shortly afterward, catering to small-quantity orders such as wood for camping, fire pits, barbecues, and similar uses. His enterprise is called Jeff’s Firewood, and he uses Craigslist and the side of his aged truck to get the word out.

It’s work that sustains him financially, and Jeff admits that if not for his wood, “I’d be starving and homeless. This is survival for me. I bank every penny I make to survive.”

But the wood is not really the only thing that sustains him.

Jeff came to Idaho in 1998, but he was born and raised in California. “I was baptized as a child,” he said, “but later I got in with the wrong people and got into drugs.”

He married and divorced, but all those years of his life are behind him now; he is drug-free, and his family consists of a 42-year-old son and an 18-year-old granddaughter who is in college.

One day about a year and a half ago, a local pastor, Gary Barton, stopped into Jeff’s lot to see about getting some wood for his home fireplace and his cabin’s woodstove; while he was there, the two men started chatting. During the course of their conversation, Gary asked Jeff if he was a Christian. The man who was baptized as a child lost his way as he grew up and got older, but something in his heart still wanted to believe. He answered “yes” when Gary asked him if he could pray with him. The men climbed into Jeff’s truck.

“I was in the driver’s seat and Gary was in the passenger seat, and I was crying. Gary reconnected me with the Lord,” Jeff said. “I may look like a tough guy, but I’m pretty emotional. I can cry at the drop of a hat.

“Gary has a nondenominational home fellowship and Bible study that I go to. He’s taught me so much and opened me up to the Holy Spirit and to God. I’d left and gone astray and got hung up on drugs.

I shouldn’t even be here today. But God’s always been there for me.”

He is tearful while reliving the story. “God gave me the emotions,” he said, “but I can’t stop them. He’s given me a humble heart.”

Said Gary about his friend: “Jeff is humble, hungry for truth, and very thankful. I love his heart to grow and to learn. He prays a lot!

And God is blessing his life. He is a real survivor.”

Jeff thanks God for the wood and the woodlot, for his skills at sawing and stacking, and for his knowledge of so many things woodrelated – all of which he’s learned through experience: “God gave me the abilities to do what I do, and if He hadn’t, I wouldn’t be able to do it.”

On his lot, Jeff sells stacks of applewood, elm, black locust, honey locust, white ash, sycamore, English walnut, and red and silver maple. He’s well-versed in wood vocabulary and the use of various woods. His conversation includes such nuggets as:

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“Willow is a softer hardwood. It’s good for camping. After an hour and a half, the flames go out and you can cook on the coals, and then the coals go out and you don’t risk starting a forest fire. It burns a nice ambience flame.

“Red maple burns hot and long and so does silver maple, black locust, honey locust, white ash, and elm; and an applewood fire burns REALLY hot!”

He said people tell him they buy log bundles at a store but say, “‘There’s not much wood and it doesn’t burn long’. People want hardwood, but they don’t know anything about it – about as much as the hardwood knows about people,” Jeff said with a twinkle. “So I tell them about the hardwoods.”

Some of the ‘weatheredness’ of his body includes carpal tunnel syndrome: “I used to split all the wood by hand, but now I have carpel tunnel and use a chainsaw.”

In November of last year he took a couple of falls on his woodlot.

“I banged myself up pretty darn good,” he said. “I hurt both knees – sciatic nerves – ankles, right elbow, wrist.”

But he never stopped sawing.

“God is my strength for sure. He has His hand upon me.”

Jeff gets along well with his neighbors and said he prays for them frequently. In fact, his woodlot was offered to him by one neighbor, John O’Rourke. “I used to chop wood in my driveway until John came by on his bike one day and said to me, ‘Geez, why are you making such a mess here?’”

John took Jeff to the vacant lot he owned down the street and told the Woodman he could chop and store his wood there, for free. As a trade, Jeff started trimming John’s bushes and taking care of his shrubs.

It was the beginning of a friendship between John, his wife, and their adult children. John passed away in his 90s, but the arrangement the two men made still holds.

All of Jeff’s wood is uniformly cut – “I cut in a line and horizontally” – and he has a wooden measuring stick that he uses to keep all the pieces a specific length.

“He cuts firewood in the most unique and beautiful way, so tidy and organized are his stacks that they amaze people,” Gary stated.

“His knowledge of hardwoods is remarkable. … He tells every customer about a God who helps and delivers. People leave his lot richer after spending their money and time there.”

On the woodlot, Jeff also has a tall stack of shredded wood and a pile of wood knots. “People use the shreddings for livestock bedding or in their gardens,” he explained. “I sell truckloads of it.”

The pile of knots is because, in his perfectionism, Jeff doesn’t want to sell his wood with knots in it. So, he said, “I cut them off and sell them by the barrel.”

He admitted that though he needs the money he makes from the wood, he doesn’t keep sawing and stacking through injuries, bad weather, and other adversities just for the dollars. “I love doing it,” he said.

One man delivers all of the wood Jeff needs throughout the year.

Jeff works with it rain or shine, losses of balance, old truck be darned, and cold weather or hot. The wood is always welcomed and the Lord is always with the Woodman. n For more information, contact Jeff by phone at (208) 375-5634.

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Christian Living | January / February 2024 19

Boise Christian Homes Past, present, future – w

Mike Morris, administrator at Boise Christian Homes Inc., is shown in his office with homes resident Lee Ross. Ross is something of an unofficial archivist for BCH Inc., and its history is rich. (Photo by Gaye Bunderson)

By Gaye Bunderson

World War II played a powerful role in the beginning of a place that is now called Boise Christian Homes Inc. Specifically, children orphaned by the war were a significant element in the homes’ beginnings, their evolution, and the projects staff and residents focus on today.

WWII ended in 1945, and in 1946 a local couple named Arnold and Eva Kernan sought to help children orphaned by the war. They started Christian Children’s Home in Boise, moving unused U.S. Army barracks to a site on North 36th Street, very near to the old location of Boise Bible College. The refashioned barracks were soon filled to capacity with kids.

For the Kernans, the project was about way more than just giving parentless youngsters a home. The Kernans’ purpose was to mold young lives after what they referred to as “the true pattern”: Jesus Christ.

The Kernans’ work was so successful that, after blessing many children with a safe place to live, they turned their efforts to helping another demographic: people in their retirement years, specifically ministers and missionaries who had devoted their lives to the Lord’s work. After the children’s home moved in 1977, Boise Christian Homes Inc. took over the space, with the goal of establishing a community for believers of vintage age. That project, too, showed great success.

As of late 2023, Boise Christian Homes – or Boise Christian Retirement Village, as it is known – housed 35-40 residents, with plans to build more housing for more seniors.

The current administrator of Boise Christian Homes is Mike Mor-

20 January / February 2024 | Christian Living

ris, a 38-year-old Nampan who, until a year and a half ago, worked as Director of Technology at Boise Bible College. Due to their initial proximity, both the homes and the college kept close ties over the years, and when the administrator position opened at BCH Inc., Morris felt a nudge to step into the job.

He recently compiled a list of benefits that residents receive from living at the facility, including such things as (in part): Living in a community of like-minded believers provides retirees with abundant opportunities for spiritual growth and enrichment.

Retirement can sometimes bring challenges such as health issues, emotional adjustments, or feelings of isolation. Living in a Christian community allows for mutual support and care.

Retirement doesn’t mean retirement from service. In fact, this season of life offers a wealth of experience and time that can be dedicated to serving others and engaging in ministry.

Some of the current service opportunities harken back to the homes’ original origins: young people. The missions of Christian Children’s Home and Boise Christian Homes Inc. remain intertwined. Said Morris: “Our mission is to help retired pastors and missionaries have a place to retire after spending their lives serving God. We also assist at-risk youth in our community and try to connect with youth groups to share all of the knowledge held here.”

The concept of elders sharing knowledge with youngsters is a lesson for society, and there are many stories and wise words that the residents of Boise Christian Retirement Village are willing to share.

In fact, one of the most interesting things about the Village is the people who live there. The residents’ ages currently range from 6087; over the years, some have surpassed 90 and even lived to be 100.

Morris said: “There are so many amazing stories here, if you hear a conversation, you’re going to be entertained.”

He offered two biographies as proof.

Diane Miller worked for 10 years with Alpine Christian Missions in Germany, where she learned the German language. Later, for 36 years, she worked with Pioneer Bible Translators in Papua New Guinea. She explained that in that country, she spoke what is called Melanesian pidgin, a kind of bridge language to facilitate communication.

She grew up in Oregon and Idaho; and in an intriguing twist, she revealed that her mother had served as a house parent at the original Christian Children’s Home. “And now I’m at the retirement home,” she said. “When I moved in, there were three people here that I already knew!”

Her move-in date was January 15, 2023, and when queried as to whether or not she’s pleased with the arrangement, she replied, “I love it here.”

What does she love most? “The Christian atmosphere – and the great food and the great people.”

Glenna Apsley co-founded Camp One Way in Illinois in 1972 with Alice Eversole and served there for 47 years. “There was a little piece of land in the country near a pond,” Apsley said. “We purchased the land and opened the camp initially on our own; but the Lord made it clear that if we wanted to continue, we had to give up ownership, form a board, and continue as a non-profit.”

The name Camp One Way was based on John 14:6: “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’.”

The camp was founded with the goal of providing a Christ-focused summer experience for youth. Later, a Christian retreat was established in the late ‘70s, and many lives were touched thanks to the work of Apsley and Eversole. Camp One Way is still in operation today (see camponeway.org).

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COVER STORY

what an interesting place Apsley moved from Illinois and into the Village in 2012. She explained: “I have relatives here, and I was invited by relatives to come here.”

What does she like best? “This is like a camp and it makes it easier for me to make a new life here.”

Tie-ins among Boise Bible College, Christian Children’s Home, and Boise Christian Homes are still strong and include the fact that a previous administrator at BCH Inc., Michael Rocks, lived at the children’s home as a young boy. He is now a missionary to South Korea, making him eligible to return to his old childhood homestead – now changed to a senior site – when he is ready.

Danny Harrod attended Boise Bible College when it was located near the children’s home and is now a professor of Intercultural Studies at BBC’s modern location on West Marigold Street in Garden City. Harrod brought a volunteer group of students to BCH Inc. late last year to spend time with the residents and do little tasks for them, like tidying up a garden space, raking leaves, and moving a piece of furniture.

Some of the ways Boise Christian Homes works with young people include: • Game nights for kids.

• Church neighbors Hill City Church and Foothills Christian Church, as well as other valley churches and Boise Bible College, send their young people to the Village to serve and connect with residents.

• YWAM (Youth with a Mission) participates in service opportunities and resident interactions.

• BCH Inc. worked in partnership with a local business to provide blankets, pillows, and home goods to local women’s and children’s centers.

• It also sponsored five at-risk children through the Christmastime Shop with a Sheriff program.

Morris said, “We are helping kids with their Christian development.”

The Board of Directors of Boise Christian Homes Inc. is pushing forward on a redevelopment project at the BCH site. Board members have established a redevelopment committee and plans have been drawn up for a project that would increase the size of the Village. Currently, there are 12 buildings on 8.3 acres, but Morris

During warm weather, residents of Boise Christian Homes Inc. may take advantage of a pergola that graces the yard of the facility. (Courtesy photo)

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Symbols of faith adorn the grounds at Boise Christian Homes Inc., aka Boise Christian Retirement Village. The small tableau shown here represents what the living facility for retired senior servants is really all about. (Photo by Jesse Fairgrieve)

and the board members agree that a huge need remains for more residences, and a large lot has been designated for more living space in the coming years.

Christian Children’s Home moved to a ranch setting in Eagle in ‘77 and that property has been sold.

“The funds are being reinvested into the 36th Street property’s redevelopment,” Morris explained. “We are hoping to almost triple our capacity, and to have more opportunities for future youth programs.”

Lee Ross has lived at the Village for five years along with his wife, Judy, who served as a missionary in Africa for 16 years. Ross helps with the Village’s one-acre garden and also adopted the role of archivist for the facility. He has an abundance of historic documents and photos in his apartment and said he’d like to try to write a history of the Christian Children’s Home that became the Boise Christian Homes.

Ross loves being a part of the site. He said: “Residents have everything they need here.”

Food is donated by Albertsons, Costco, the Boise Rescue Mission, and the Idaho Food Bank. Churches are near the facility, but a church service is also held on-site. And someone is always available to assist seniors who have no transportation get to a doctor’s office or other appointment.

The Village is in a nice area and is close to the Greenbelt and the Boise River.

Ross continued: “The neighborhood for a mile around is quiet.

There’s not much traffic, and there are parks you can walk to.”

Residents pay to live at the Village. Morris stated: “The rental rates are really affordable, and utilities and food are figured into the rent.”

It’s a well-deserved retirement for people who’ve spent their lives in service. Morris and many others want to see the unique housing environment continue and expand so that, hopefully, in 2146 and even beyond, it will still be flourishing and just as full of interesting people as it is today. n For more information, go to boisechristianhomes.org.

Christian Living | January / February 2024 21

DISCERNMENT

Develop ‘Jesus-y street smarts’ for 2024

But then, turning on a dime, in verse 6 Jesus says we The year 2020 was one that made history, several positively have to know the difference between a dog times over! Here’s a quick recall of the epic 2020: and a swine – swine being those who do not deserve the Covid pandemic burst forth and rampaged; to receive holy things. And, sorry, but there’s just no George Floyd was killed; the nation’s cities were way to tell the difference between a dog and a swine wracked with rioting, looting, arson, and police without making some differentiating observations! being shot; historic statues were pulled down and In Matthew 7:7-11 Jesus teaches that there are difdestroyed across the nation; millions of children had ferences between good and bad fathers. The former their educations at school interrupted and thrown give good gifts like bread and fish. The latter give into chaos; families were divided; friendships were loser gifts like rocks and snakes. Clearly, Jesus wants ruined; churches were brutalized: giving dropped, us to grasp the difference between different kinds of church staffers were laid off, and entire church fathers. And knowing the difference requires a judgcommunities closed down; concerts and sporting ment that goes between and discriminates. events were cancelled around the globe; and the Another example for our necessary discrimination global economy was baptized into a simmering follows in verses 12-20. Therein Jesus says we can stew of chaos. And then, like gasoline thrown on discern the difference between good leaders and false a fire, it was an election year. Election years are prophets by virtue of their fruit. False prophets can Ed Rybarczyk notorious for propaganda, widespread gamesmanappear to us in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they ship, and gaslighting. In short, the whole year was are like wolves who are driven by avarice and power. overwhelming.

Building out our own powers of observation, Jesus says we can distinThree years later – headed into yet another presidential election guish between the good and the bad leaders in light of the fruit – the year – it is critical that we are able to discern the times in which we product, consequences, orientations, and outcomes – of their lives. live. Me? I’ll be utterly shocked, yet sweetly surprised, if 2024 isn’t Further down in verses 21-23 Jesus himself separates those who pubreplete with mayhem, dramatic news stories, and fear-mongering of licly say they follow Jesus from those who by their faithful obedience epic proportions. This time around, those of us who confess Jesus actually follow Jesus. And then, to top it all off, in verses 24-27, our as Lord and Savior need to be able to read the signs and respond Lord taught there is a difference between those who build their houses accordingly. on the sand (i.e., those who only hear His words) and those who build Two thousand years ago a not-classically-educated outsider from structures on rocks (those who hear and obey). And in crescendo Galilee could read the signs of the times. He told his listeners to be fashion, Jesus issued a grave warning to sand-builders: great will be ready. Jesus warned them of a coming Middle East apocalypse: the their fall!

Jewish Temple was going to be torn down, families would flee into In my podcast – the Uncensored Unprofessor (www.uncensoredunthe hills, and it would be better, he said, if women were not in the professor.com) – I am in the middle of an entire series on discernmiddle of childbirth (Lk. 23:29). In short, Jesus called his followers to ment. We need to have a perceptive ability that goes between, one practice historical discernment. that sifts and sorts, one that differentiates and discriminates, and an Among believers there is a dynamic known as spiritual insight. The awareness that there actually are evil schemers who work evil (Ps. apostle Paul wrote about it in 1 Corinthians 12:10 and called it the 10:2; 28:3; Prov. 6:16-19; Eph. 6:11). But an in-between-judgment, gift of “discernment of spirits.” It is the ability to know the difference the ability to distinguish, is not present at birth. We need to develop it, between lying spirits and authentic spirits. Alternately put, it is the practice it, and even evaluate our use of it. ability to readily sniff out the distinction between authentic biblical The ability to distinguish is neither neutral or unformed. In the teaching and doctrines that defy Scripture. Me? I’m all for that gift biblical presentation, discernment is informed by goodness, truth, and from the Holy Spirit. But here today I’m writing about discernment beauty; those three transcendentals serve both as guides and laseras a kind of Jesus-y street smarts. And it won’t be enough if a few targeting for our differentiating abilities. The truth is, God positively pastors, priests, and bishops recognize what is actually going on. wants us not to be played by bad-actors, or manipulated by propaganThe whole body of Christ needs to be able to sense the difference da, or gaslit by emotionally-wrought storylines. Because, as we saw to between fact and fiction. the umpteenth in 2020, they all end in broken relationships, suffering, In the New Testament the word for discernment is diakrino: to and widespread ruination. separate, make distinctions, and differentiate. Its cousin is krinein: King Jesus, come quickly! Guide your Church into discerning truth to judge. Matthew 7 is a stellar case study for differentiating because and piercing light, for the sake of Your mission and glory. n the entire chapter unpacks our need to correctly understand the matter at hand. In verses 1-5 Jesus warns against improper judgEd Rybarczyk, PhD, is both an ordained minister and a retired ment: fault-finding, character assassinating, blame shifting. He says History of Theology professor. He now produces and hosts the it is hypocritical to call-out a friend for a matter about which he Uncensored Unprofessor podcast @ uncensoredunprofessor.com. stumbles when you yourself stumble even more with the same thing.

He can be reached at uncensoredunprofessor@gmail.com.

By Ed Rybarczyk

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THE Journey

Whatever you’re facing, ‘read the story’

By Roxanne Drury

We are all on a journey. We each begin that journey in different places. Some in a Christian home, some in a not-so-Christian home.

Either way, I think everyone has an expectation of what their life might look like now and in the future. How many of you as a kid picked out what your wedding dress would look like? I did. I still have the picture I tore from the newspaper – that’s because I save everything. Anyway...guess what? I eloped and my wedding dress was actually an old homecoming dress from a homecoming I went to with someone that I was not marrying. Lame, right? But I still have that dress, too.

Here’s what I’ve learned. When we experience disappointment, we “read the story.” The story of how we met, how we got married, all the fun, excitement, anticipation, stress. We “read the story” of 52 years of marriage, four kids, three miscarriages, six grandkids, eight dogs, seven homes in three states, time spent in ICU for a severe TBI (traumatic brain injury), COVID-19, and on and on. We read the story.

Here’s another type of story: The Road to Emmaus – Luke 24:1335 Two guys were walking along the road. They were talking about all that happened. They were disappointed: Jesus was gone. As they were walking, Jesus Himself walked up beside them but they didn’t recognize Him. He came to meet them where they were. Jesus wanted to know what they were talking about – and they told Him all that happened to Jesus. Vs. 21 says: “We had hoped that He was the one who was going to redeem Israel.”

Continued on page 25

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Christian Living | January / February 2024 23

EXPLORING God’s Great Outdoors

Behind the scenes learning WILL work out

Oh, I guess the slingshot deal might have been

By Tom Claycomb III I saw a post last night on Instagram by @ ordained by God and might come in handy later imalexismonique that made me laugh. It said too, huh? something to the effect of, “God did not say stay Read 1 Samuel 17:32-51 for the whole story, busy and know that I AM God. He said be still but in a nutshell, David suddenly saw that he and know that I AM God.” was fully prepared for this battle. In v. 37 David Everyone has heard the old adage, “An oak said moreover, “‘The Lord who rescued me tree doesn’t grow big and strong overnight.” It from the paw of the lion and the paw of the takes decades. That may sound cool in a philosobear will rescue me from the Philistine’. And phy class but if you’re young and wanting things Saul said to David, ‘Go, and the Lord be with to happen right now, it’s not necessarily what thee’.” you’re wanting to hear.

Ever wondered why David gathered five stones?

Remember how in the movie “Karate Kid” I’ve heard that Goliath had four brothers. that he quickly ran out of patience painting his I say the above to encourage you to hold fast mentors’ fence? But then saw the importance if God has you out learning back behind the of it when it was explained to him that he was Tom Claycomb III scenes. In due time if you’re faithful, He’ll exalt sharpening his defensive moves? you so you can bring Him Glory and Honor. I Well, I’m not too sure how much eternal wispromise you. That’s how He works. dom that we’re going to get out of studying a Hollywood movie Now let me give you a personal example. I won’t go through so let’s look at a real-life adventure out of the Bible. Remember the whole history about how I got into being an outdoor writer, a young shepherd boy named David? I’m told he was about but not long after starting, I decided that I wanted to start teach16 years old when he took some food to his brothers who were ing some outdoor seminars. But what I saw as a curse turned fighting the Philistines. up to be a huge blessing. I’m constantly floored when I see God Put yourself in his moccasins (er, sandals) for a minute. His work like this. I’ve worked for 45 years in the beef packing world. brothers got to be in the limelight. They got to go to war and If I was around some big-name writers and everyone was asking, have a chance to be heroes. What lot befell David? He got sent What do you do? one might say, I worked for 15 years in the out in the hills to watch the stinking sheep.

Forest Service. Next one, I went to journalism school. Next one, In those days he didn’t have a cell phone. He couldn’t check his Facebook page, Instagram, or post pics on Twitter of a lamb I invented the 30-06 or whatever. Then it comes to me. Er….. I getting carried away by an eagle. The present era would see that work in beef packing plants.

I thought at best that I was second-class. How would I ever get as a boring, unfulfilled life. Nothing to build up his self-esteem. to present seminars at Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shop, or Sportsman’s Nada. Zilch.

Warehouse? Much less at the big shows like the Safari Club And yet this was the perfectly prescribed training grounds International Convention, the Dallas Safari Club Convention for the future king of Israel. When David saw Goliath strutting & Expo, or the SHOT Show, the biggest outdoor show in the in the valley below, blaspheming the Most High God, he was world with over 60,000 people attending from all over the world? shocked. He couldn’t believe it. Was no one going to whack this Did God send me to college to get a journalism degree (so I uncircumcised Philistine? could use Saul’s armor)? No! Of all things, He used my packSuddenly the fog of his understanding lifted and he clearly inghouse background! You ask how’d He do that? Think about saw that he’d been perfectly trained for such a time as this. He it. All outdoorsmen use a knife and yet I bet less than 5% can went to King Saul and requested permission to go shut up the sharpen one. When I first started conducting seminars, I got my Philistine. foot in the door by doing a Knife Sharpening seminar.

Of course the devil tried to weasel in and have David discard Then due to my packinghouse experience I noticed how many God’s training and weapons of war and put his trust in the earthly wisdom/methods when Saul told him to wear his armor. dysfunctional knife designs were on the market. I then changed my seminar title to KNIFE SHARPENING/CHOOSING THE What the modern world would see as an underprivileged, PROPER KNIVES. I’ve taught knife seminars from Texas to deprived young boy with no cell phone, no internet service was actually a boy in the perfect training scenario. With none of the Alaska and been on staff of some big knife companies. Now I above distractions what did he do all day? Knowing young boys, conduct 40-60 seminars/speaking engagements per year. (Yes, Covid slowed things down.) God used something that I thought I’m betting that he practiced shooting with his slingshot every was a curse to pour all of the above blessings out on me. As I’m free second that he had. He shot birds and rabbits for dinner. typing this, in an upcoming two-week period, two different knife He set up targets and every day tried to beat his previous day’s companies are sponsoring me to go on two different Texas huntrecord. I bet it went something like this: “Okay, I hit my 4-inch ing trips. Crazy, huh? target 101 times in a row yesterday. Today I’m going to try for So, the point of this article is, if God gives you a task to do, 115 times.” Much like your kid shooting free throws.

What about in the evening setting around the fire ring after do it with all of your heart and then set back and see what God dinner? With no TV to rob his time, all he had was a harp to does. What you see as a curse may just be your boot camp to spend time learning how to play and writing songs. What good train you for something bigger. We know from the parable of the could that possibly amount to? Oh, yeah, he’s the guy that talents that if we’re faithful with the small things, then God will later wrote...how many Psalms as he cried out to his God? The give us bigger responsibilities later. That’s how He works. Hit it Psalms we still enjoy today? hard and see what God does with your seeds of faith. n And what about the slingshot deal? In private he went from shooting targets and birds for snacks to killing lions and bears.

For more information, contact Tom at tomclaycomb3rd@gmail.com.

24 January / February 2024 | Christian Living

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The Journey Continued from page 23

There it is: disappointment. Jesus called them out on it. In verses 25-26 Jesus calls them foolish and slow of heart. Then Jesus tells them the story (vs. 27): “And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.”

Jesus was going to leave them and they urged Him to stay, so He did.

As soon as Jesus started to break bread to eat, their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. Then Jesus disappeared.

In disappointment, reading the story opens our eyes to the good.

Roxanne Drury Reading the story reminds us of the trials that strengthened us. Reading the story of our lives helps us remember who is in control.

I love this next part, vs. 32, “They said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked to us on the road, while He opened to us the scriptures?’” Their hearts were aglow because they were hearing the story. Hearing or reading the story rekindles the fire that once burned in us. What fire that once burned inside of you has lost its flame? Love? Happiness? Contentment? Faith?

The same idea can be applied to our Christian walk. Read the story.

Open your Bible. Reading the story rekindles the fire from when we first accepted Christ. In disappointment, read the story. In doubt, read the story. In a state of confusion, read the story. In a season of waiting, read the story. In a season of wondering why or how, read the story. In sadness, in fear, read the story and let it refuel the fire that once burned inside of you.

Joshua 1:9 speaks directly to what this message is about: “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

My encouragement to you is to “read the story” and be reignited.

The journey begins and ends with the story. n Roxanne Drury is a wife, mother, grandmother, and retired Christian preschool teacher who served the Lord in children’s ministry for over 45 years and is currently on staff at Rockharbor Church in Meridian. She has written a group study guide on Psalm 23. She may be reached at glorylandbooks@gmail.com.

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Christian Living | January / February 2024 25

HISTORY, Culture and Faith

How Roosevelt’s vision reimagined the world

51 countries ratified the United Nations Charter In 1940 western civilization was under attack.

(October 24, 1945). In early 1946, Truman delivWars raged across the globe. Fascist dictators inered his own fiery sermon to the Federal Council of vaded and occupied weaker countries. Totalitarian Churches of Christ: “We have just come through a regimes removed human rights and denied religious decade in which the forces of evil in various parts liberty. The threat of atheist socialism and commuof the world have been lined up in a bitter fight nism spread across the globe, even to Main Street, to banish from the face of the earth...religion and U.S.A. democracy.”5 The world hungered for peace and security.

Truman argued human rights were rooted to the In a May 1940 radio address President Franklin “worth and dignity” of every person. All lives (and D. Roosevelt confessed, “Americans might have to nations) mattered to God. Truman then disclosed become the guardian of western culture, the proteca shocking revelation to this religious council. The tor of Christian civilization.”1 A few months later, new U.N. Charter was written with “the essence of he preached, “If the spirit of God is not in us, and if religion.” Its tenets were spiritual values to: we will not prepare to give all that we have and all • End aggression that we are to preserve Christian civilization in our • Maintain peace land, we shall go to destruction.”2 Promote social justice Dr. Rick Chromey •• Defend Throughout the war years, Roosevelt – a devout individual rights/freedoms Episcopalian – often acknowledged “Christian civi• Substitute reason/justice for tyranny/war lization” and “religious liberty” as essential for universal peace and • Protect the small and weak security. The horrific Jewish Holocaust gave Roosevelt the political Truman concluded “the United Nations [had] laid the framework capital to promote a bubbling global dream. of the Charter on the sound rock of religious principles.”6 To answer He called it the United Nations. this charter, he issued an altar call for American Protestants, CathoRoosevelt knew a Judeo-Christian worldview was problematic to lics, and Jews to unify and lead a “moral and spiritual awakening.” the secularism and atheism of Nazis, socialists, and communists: The first step? Stand with the United Nations and recognize Is“Those forces hate democracy and Christianity as two phases of the rael’s right to exist (awarded May 15, 1948). To affirm this right, the same civilization. They oppose democracy because it is Christian.

British ceded their control of Palestine (which they occupied since They oppose Christianity because it preaches democracy.”3 1917) for the Jews to have a homeland. The Nazi wanted to exterRoosevelt envisioned the United Nations as creating progressive minate the Jew. Roosevelt’s (and Churchill’s) vision gave Jews back global “peace and security” serviced through Christian nations: their ancient land with dignity and worth.

“Even in time of war those Nations which still hold to the old In a 1950 U.N. Assembly address, President Truman outlined the ideals of Christianity and democracy are carrying on services to early successes of the United Nations, noting better living conditions, humanity which have little or no relationship to torpedoes or guns or freedom, and justice. The U.N. directly helped millions through bombs. That means very definitely that we have an abiding faith in food, schoolbooks, vaccinations, and farming advice. However, Truthe future – a definite expectancy that we are going to win through man noted, it’s the U.N.’s support of the “spiritual values of men’s to a peace that will bring with it continuing progress and substantial lives” that’s brought the most dignity and worth.7 success in our efforts for the security and not for the destruction of This was always the original Judeo-Christian vision of the United humanity.”4 Nations.

After Roosevelt’s death in April 1945, President Harry Truman Unfortunately, the U.N. sadly devolved after 1950 and drifted picked up the mantle for the “United Nations” and months later, toward secular paths.

By Dr. Rick Chromey

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It began in 1948 with the U.N.’s “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” that proclaimed freedom of opinion, speech, and religion; prohibited slavery, forced marriages, torture and inhumane punishment. The problem? Unlike American founding documents, it refused to acknowledge God as the originator of human rights.

During the 1950s, the United Nations replaced its religious foundation with secular values. Religion was shelved. In December 1955, for example, U.S. ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge’s recommendation for United Nations sessions to open with prayer was quietly rejected.

A secular United Nations now tolerated and accepted communist, atheist countries. In the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan voiced concerns about “a growing disregard for the U.N. charter” noting how certain nations violated the charter through civil rights abuses, human slavery, and sex trafficking. Reagan was ignored.

Today the United Nations is a shell of its original vision, leading many to question its relevance or necessity. Can the United Nations, sans biblical principle, effectively monitor human rights and religious liberty? Without God, can unity, peace, or security even exist?

Roosevelt didn’t think so. Neither did Truman or Reagan.

But there was a day back in 1945 when the “United Nations” had six million reasons to exist, and each was tethered to biblical purpose.

It’s why we can’t ignore our past.

Because it has a way of repeating...today. n Dr. Rick Chromey is an historian, author and speaker who helps people interpret history, navigate culture, and explore faith. Since 2022, he’s worked as a Lewis and Clark historian for American Cruise Lines on the Columbia and Snake rivers.

Annually he speaks to audiences of all ages on topics related to leadership, classroom management, natural motivation, U.S. history, creative communication, and Bible/theology.

Christian Living readers may use this QR code to subscribe to Rick’s inspirational (history, culture, faith) Morning MANNA! (M-F) email. www.mannasolutions.org

Sources: 1)Franklin D. Roosevelt. Radio Address Before the Eighth Pan American Scientific Congress. Washington, D.C. May 10, 1940. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/radio-addressbefore-the-eighth-pan-american-scientific-congress-washington-dc 2) F. D. Roosevelt. Address at Dedication of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. September 02, 1940. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/address-dedication-great-smokymountains-national-park 3) F. D. Roosevelt. Campaign Address at Brooklyn, New York; November 1, 1940. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/campaign-address-brooklyn-new-york 4) F. D. Roosevelt. Radio Address on the President’s Sixtieth Birthday. January 30, 1942. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/radio-address-the-presidents-sixtieth-birthday 5) Harry S. Truman. Address in Columbus at a Conference of the Federal Council of Churches. March 6, 1946. https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/library/public-papers/52/address-columbusconference-federal-council-churches 6) Ibid.

7) H.S. Truman. Address to the U.N. General Assembly. October 24, 1950. https://2009-2017.state.gov/p/io/potusunga/207324.htm

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Christian Living | January / February 2024 27

UNDERSTANDING Relationships

Anger – that pesky secondary emotion

Hurt – Hurt comes from many causes – a sharp word, cooking a fine meal and its being passed over, Note: Much of the information for this issue’s painting the house and not receiving an appreciative comment, being slapped, discovering an affair, column is taken from Dr. H. Norman Wright. and so on. To relieve our hurt, we become angry.

We want the other person to pay. We want to even Anger. It’s one of those things that we feel. But the score. But hurting people don’t keep score in the can you define it? What does it mean to you? same way. When we’ve been hurt, we don’t always Simply put, anger is a strong feeling of displeasure want to admit the extent of the hurt, so we cover it and irritation. But if not dealt with, it can slide into over with anger. other emotional responses such as rage, fury or even When you are angry, ask yourself, “Am I feeling wrath. Rage is an intense, uncontained, explosive hurt?

Where is this hurt coming from?” In place response. Wrath is fervid anger looking for venof your anger, try telling your partner, “Right now geance.

I’m really feeling hurt. I wanted to let you know and When anger erupts into conflict and goes unretalk about it and not have it develop into anger.” solved, rage and resentment may begin to emerge.

Frustration – Frustration is at the heart of much Richard Walters, in his book, Anger: Yours and of our anger. The word “frustration” comes from Mine and What to Do About It, says, “Rage blows Gary Moore the Latin “frustra”, which means “in vain.” We are up the bridges people need to reach each other, and frustrated when we confront a problem but can’t resentment sends people scurrying behind barriers find a solution for it. Frustration is the experience of walking into to hide from each other and to hurt each other indirectly.” dead-end streets and blind alleys and getting nowhere.

Anger becomes a problem when it takes the form of two extremes: A common myth is that frustration always must upset us. It overreaction or underreaction. When we underreact, we repress or doesn’t! If your partner is talking or acting in a way that bothers suppress our anger, often without realizing what we’re doing. When you, you may feel frustrated, but you can control your response we choose to block it out, we are not being honest with ourselves or both inwardly and outwardly. Many of your spouse’s behaviors and those around us. reactions will not be what you would want. From time to time, we When we overreact, our anger is out of control. It comes out in all tend to magnify what the other person has done and create a rage and fury, which can lead to physical violence. But Dr. Wright mountain out of a molehill. says that that pain is minor compared to the inner emotional pain.

There are hundreds of little annoyances that can activate the Let’s explore some of what Dr. Wright calls “truths about anger”: frustration button, but these annoyances are part and parcel of mar• Anger is not the problem or the main emotion; it is a symptom. ried life. Accepting them and • Expressing your anger giving them permission to be to your partner does not there can relieve some of the lessen your anger; it usually pressure. Give your partner increases it. permission to talk the way he • How you use your anger or she does, to do things difis a learned response. This ferently from you, to be late, to be silent. Your frustrameans that you can learn a tion will lessen because you new response and get your have brought yourself back anger under control. under control. We frequently • Your partner is not become frustrated when we responsible for making you feel out of control. angry – you are!

Resist the temptation to act How do you feel after readaggressively when you get ing these statements? Angry? frustrated. Practice and work Confused? Upset? Amazed? on your Mutual UnderstandAnger is what psychologists ing exercises. It’s a normal call a secondary emotion. It tendency to act out, but is literally a message system you can choose not to be that tells you something else “normal”. is happening inside you. AcRemember, it isn’t your cording to Dr. Wright, anger partner who makes you anis caused by fear, hurt or gry.

It’s your inner response frustration. to the person that creates the Fear – You may be afraid anger. You and you alone are that your partner is going to responsible for your emooverride you, control you, Image by Vera Arsic from Pexels tions and reactions. n yell at you, be unreasonable, not give you what you want, verbally attack you, withdraw, ignore you, and so on. To protect yourself Gary Moore served as associate pastor at Cloverdale Church of from your fear, you attack with anger.

God for 15 years. He does couples’ coaching and leads couples’ Whenever you begin to experience anger, ask yourself, “Am workshops and retreats called MUM’s the Word. He has a I afraid of something right now?” What am I feeling? You may weekly radio program – Life Point Plus – on KBXL 94.1FM at discover the cause right at that moment. Try telling your partner, 8:45 a.m. on Fridays. His website at www.mutualunderstanding.

“I feel somewhat fearful right now. Could we talk about it? I would net has video teachings and other resources for couples. He may rather do that than become angry.” be contacted at glmoore113@gmail.com.

By Gary Moore

28 January / February 2024 | Christian Living

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NO MORE anger

God gives hope to an out-of-control mom

From that turning point, God began to reveal the Darcy’s training pants were wet again. Again! As I underlying causes and the solutions for my anger litstruggled to pull down the soaking pants, I felt a rush tle by little. And there were many. I had to learn how of frustration. to identify my anger before it became destructive. I “Darcy, you’re supposed to come in the bathroom forced myself to believe God wanted to forgive me and go in the potty chair.” As I spanked her with – over and over again (Isaiah 43:25). Reading books my hand, my tension and tiredness found an outlet. about disciplining children effectively, I became more Spanking changed to hitting. consistent in responding calmly to Darcy’s disobediDarcy’s uncontrollable screaming brought me back ence. She became better behaved. to reason. Seeing the red blister on her bottom, I I also copied verses like Ephesians 4:31 and Provdropped to my knees. erbs 10:12 onto cards, placing them in various loca“I love Jesus,” I sobbed. “I don’t really want to hurt tions throughout the house. As I took Darcy into the my child. Oh God, please help me.” bathroom, I would be reminded that, “Hatred stirs As the weeks turned into months, my anger habit up strife, but love covers all sins (Proverbs 10:12).” worsened. At times I grew so violent that I hit my These truths contributed to breaking my cycle of toddler in the head. Other times I kicked her or anger. slapped her face.

Eventually, I had the courage to share my problem Kathy Collard Miller with As a Christian for ten years, I was ashamed. “Oh, my Bible study group. James 5:16 admonishes God,” I prayed over and over again, “please take us to “confess your sins to one another and pray away my anger.” Yet no matter how much I prayed, I could not control one for one another, that you may be healed…” They prayed for my anger and I wondered whether I might kill Darcy in one of my me and their prayers indeed had “great power.” rages. In time, I had to be honest with myself – I was abusing her.

Through a difficult process of growth over a year, God’s Holy Spirit “Oh, God, I’m a child abuser! Help me!” empowered me to be the loving, patient mother I wanted to be. Then I was afraid to tell Larry, my husband. “After all, he’s a policeman,” He began my ministry by giving me opportunities to share through I thought. “He’s arresting people for the very things I’m doing.” I speaking, articles, and books. My memoir is titled, No More Anger: certainly couldn’t tell my friends. What would they think of me? I led Hope for an Out-of-Control Mom (Elk Lake Publishing). a Bible study. I was looked up to as a strong Christian woman. But I’m thankful to the Lord for healing the relationship between Darcy inside I was screaming for help. and me. A beautiful woman who is a loving wife and mom, Darcy One day I remembered Larry had left his off-duty service revolver in has forgiven me for the way I treated her. We share a close relationthe bureau drawer. ship. God also healed my dysfunctional marriage with Larry. Now we Convinced God no longer loved me and had given up on me, I minister together and are lay counselors, married for over 50 years. concluded suicide was the only answer: “Then I won’t hurt Darcy anyAlthough I wondered during that devastating time of my life whethmore.” But then a thought sprang into my mind, “But what will people er God could ever forgive me for the horrible things I’d done, I know think of Jesus if they hear Kathy Miller has taken her life?” now that He has. And He is even more than capable of empowering I couldn’t bear the thought that Jesus’ name would be maligned, even us to face any challenge, even child abuse. n if I wasn’t acting much like a Christian. I closed the bureau drawer.

Sometime after that, I shared briefly with a neighbor about my anger. Kathy Collard Miller (www.KathyCollardMiller.com) is a popular reShe didn’t condemn me like another friend had when I’d tried to share treat speaker and the author of over 60 books, including Pure-Hearted: my pain. She even indicated she sometimes felt angry towards her chilThe Blessings of Living Out God’s Glory. She and her husband Larry dren too. “Oh, Lord, maybe there’s hope for me after all,” I cried out live in Treasure Valley and also speak together at marriage seminars and when I left her house that day. retreats. Kathy has spoken in over 30 U.S. states and 9 foreign countries.

By Kathy Collard Miller

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MAXIMUM Health

2024 health goals: longevity and vitality

4. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10): CoQ10 is a comYou probably want to live a long, healthy, enerpound that helps produce energy in cells. It also getic, and active life without inflammation, pain, functions as an antioxidant. Some studies suggest and disease slowing you down. A healthy diet and that CoQ10 supplementation may have benefits for lifestyle and using the right longevity nutrients can heart health. help you to stay healthy and energetic through old 5. Resveratrol: Found in red wine, grapes, and age. In the United States, we have this incredibly certain berries, resveratrol is a polyphenol that has complex and quite ridiculous system of what we call been studied for its potential anti-aging effects and ‘healthcare,’ which is disease care. We need to transcardiovascular benefits. form all of that. If we want to talk about disease 6. Adaptogens: Adaptogens are herbs and plants prevention, health promotion, wellness, vitality, lonthat are believed to help the body adapt to stress gevity, we don’t have a system designed to deal with and maintain balance. Examples include Rhodiola, that; we have a system designed to diagnose disease Ashwagandha, and Holy Basil. and prescribe drugs and surgery. I recommend you 7. Collagen: Collagen is a protein that supports take charge of your health. the health of the skin, hair, nails, and joints. ColLongevity and vitality supplements are designed lagen supplements are popular for promoting skin to support overall health and well-being. It’s impor- Rosie Main elasticity and joint health. tant to note that while supplements can play a role 8. Probiotics: Probiotics are beneficial bacteria in supporting a healthy lifestyle, they should not be that support gut health. A healthy gut is associated seen as a substitute for a balanced diet, regular exercise, with overall well-being and may contribute to longevity. and other healthy habits. Here are some common 9. NAD+ Precursors: Nicotinamide adenine disupplements that are often associated with longevnucleotide (NAD+) is a coenzyme that plays a key ity and vitality that can help you start taking role in energy production. Some supplements, action on your health. such as nicotinamide riboside (NR), are mar1. Antioxidants: Antioxidants help neuketed as NAD+ precursors and are believed tralize free radicals in the body, which can to support cellular function. NAD+ is found contribute to aging and various diseases. in certain fish, including sardines, tuna, and Common antioxidants include vitamins C salmon, as well as mushrooms. and E, selenium, and beta-carotene. Foods 10. Green Tea Extract: Green tea rich in antioxidants include berries, nuts, contains compounds like catechins that and colorful fruits and vegetables. have antioxidant properties and may have 2. Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Omega-3 fatty various health benefits, including supportacids, found in fish oil and certain plant ing cardiovascular health. It is also found in sources like flaxseeds and walnuts, have been black tea, white tea, oolong tea, cranberries, associated with heart health, brain function, blackberries, strawberries, cherries, peaches, and anti-inflammatory effects. apples, pears, kiwi, avocados, pistachios, pe3. Vitamins and Minerals: Essential vitacans, and hazelnuts in small amounts. n mins and minerals, such as vitamin D, vitamin K, magnesium, zinc, Vitamin C, selenium and For further support with your health calcium, play crucial roles in maintaining bone goals or more information, go to health, immune function, and overall vitality. Image by Luisella Planeta LOVE PEACE from Pixabay MainHealthSolutions.com.

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2024 Salvation Army

Decades of service and a modern Boise facility

Majors Thomas and Kimberly Stambaugh currently lead the Salvation Army in Boise, with its new location and modern facility. The Stambaughs faithfully served the Army overseas; and in Guam, Thomas Stambaugh received a Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding leadership from the island’s governor. (Courtesy photo)

By Gaye Bunderson

While society’s problems seem to be growing, numerous nonprofits in the area are also growing to meet the needs of many in the Treasure Valley. The Salvation Army is one of those non-profits.

The Army – as it is frequently known – boasts an interesting history of saving souls and aiding the needful, as follows: “William Booth began the Salvation Army in 1865 as a means to help the suffering souls throughout London who were not willing to attend – or even welcomed into – a traditional church,” according to information at salvationarmyusa.org.

Booth’s daughter, Evangeline, was sent to North America by her father and became national commander in the U.S. “In 1934,” according to the website, “Evangeline became the Army’s fourth general. She left America on the highest crest of love and popularity, and retained her American citizenship until her death in 1950.”

The Army came to the Treasure Valley also in the 1800s. Information provided by the Salvation Army reads: “In 1887, two Salvation Army officers, Captain Lizzie Kiefret and Lt. Ella Hollcraft, stepped off of a train in Boise and immediately began the work of the Salvation Army – and 135 years later, the Salvation Army is still providing services in Ada County.”

Its work extended over time to other counties in the region, and it is a long-established and well-recognized area institution, providing assistance to thousands of Idaho’s citizens.

Today, the organization in the City of Trees is overseen by Majors Thomas and Kimberly Stambaugh, who stepped into that leadership position in 2020 after a notable Salvation Army career overseas.

32 January / February 2024 | Christian Living

Thomas’s full title is Boise Corps Officer, Southern Idaho Coordinator, and Idaho State Liaison. Kimberly’s title is Boise Corps Officer and Treasure Valley Coordinator.

Both Stambaughs witnessed an expansion of the Army’s local facilities that began a year prior to their arrival. A new building went up in 2019 at 9492 W. Emerald St. in Boise. At that location, there is a 45,000-square-foot community center offering classes, child care, a food pantry, recreational opportunities in the form of a full regulation-size gym, and a chapel for church services.

During the same year, when the expansion opened to the public, the Salvation Army welcomed 20,277 pantry recipients, paid $49,285 in utility bills for those requesting financial assistance, and helped more than 5,000 residents with various seasonal support needs – and that was just in Boise alone.

In Nampa, Caldwell, and other area communities, the Army extended a helping hand there as well.

Regarding the Boise facility, Thomas (Tom) Stambaugh said, “There is still new construction on the property on another phase that will serve as a warehouse and the site for more social services.”

Many know the Army through its annual holiday kettle bells campaign. A brief history of that program, taken again from the website salvationarmyusa.org, states: “In 1891, Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee was distraught because so many poor individuals in San Francisco were going hungry. During the holiday season, he resolved to provide a free Christmas dinner for the destitute and poverty-stricken.”

McFee just needed to overcome the problem of paying for the food.

On the website, under the heading Red Kettle History, the story continues: “McFee lay awake nights, worrying, thinking, praying about how he could find the funds to fulfill his commitment of feeding 1,000 of the city’s poorest individuals on Christmas Day. As he pondered the issue, his thoughts drifted back to his sailor days in Liverpool, England. He remembered how at Stage Landing, where the boats came in, there was a large, iron kettle called ‘Simpson’s Pot’ into which passers-by tossed a coin or two to help the poor.

“The next day Captain McFee placed a similar pot at the Oakland Ferry Landing. Beside the pot, he placed a sign that read, ‘Keep the Pot Boiling’. He soon had the money to see that the needy people were properly fed at Christmas.”

As holiday shoppers know, the program continues on in the 21st century.

“With the kettles, it’s a direct fundraiser,” Tom said. “We give back to the community whatever we get.”

One of the biggest programs to benefit from the fundraiser is the Booth Program.

“The Booth Program is our signature program,” Tom said. In its entirety, the Booth program provides: education for teen moms (in conjunction with the Cardinal Academy); on-site child care; life and parenting skills classes for both moms and dads; and an Incentive Store. The store provides young parents with items they need for themselves and their babies – but, they must earn them. They are rewarded with Booth Bucks. It’s a real-life experience in what it takes to provide for oneself and one’s child.

To earn a Booth Buck, the young parent must attend classes, participate in social services, and learn financial responsibility.

“The Booth Program is a ‘one-stop shop’ for the parents’ and babies’ needs,” Tom stated.

Though the Booth Program is a pivotal one at the Army’s new campus, it is not the only program that is helping meet community needs.

Tom explained that, “Our services programs have changed. We’re seeing more working class families. They come for food and power assistance – and they’re all working families: nurses, EMTs, other occupations. They fall between the cracks; they’re not poor enough for some programs but don’t make enough money to be self-supporting.

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“These are local Idaho families. They’ve built their lives here, their careers. The price of groceries, gas and rent keep going up. These are working people with a budget, and their budget comes up short.

They’re living paycheck to paycheck and are turning to the Salvation Army for assistance. Many are one to two paychecks away from being homeless.

“About 1,500 – 1,900 a month come to the Army’s food bank, just for food and nothing else.”

Stating that this is “a new demographic and a big shift,” Tom told the story of woman who, in the past, would regularly pull a tag from an Angel Tree during the Christmas holiday to fill a need for someone else; but, she now finds herself putting her own unmet necessities on a tree tag in hopes someone will generously help her.

Asked if there are any common misconceptions about the Salvation Army, Kimberly said, “We’re more than a thrift store.” Thrift stores are a thing of the past for the Salvation Army in favor of newer benefits to its visitors, including the new gymnasium and other health-related amenities.

She also wanted people to know that, “We are the Church, and we are ministers. We help spiritually elevate people. We understand family values. There’s nothing better than breaking bread around a table with others. It’s a blessing. We want people to come to church and receive Jesus.”

Anyone is welcomed at the chapel, at any stage of spirituality or need of healing.

“A lot of our people are unchurched; they come from broken families,” Tom said. “They may have faced many challenges from eviction to drug use. We want to give them the gift of Jesus.”

And therein lies perhaps another misconception about the Army.

“It’s not always just a food box that we give them,” Tom stated. It’s fully about people hearing the gospel’s good news.

The Stambaughs stay very active with their Army commitments.

“We’re busy all the time – midnight calls even, from families and individuals in great need,” Kimberly said, “and we answer those calls and are out the door when and if it’s necessary.”

The couple encouraged others to volunteer with the Army, and to volunteer where they think they might serve best. “If you like sports, you may want to be a coach,” Tom said. “Or if you were once an unwed teen, come help today’s young expectant moms.”

In other words, anyone who has experience and a passion for something may use it to the benefit of others. That kind of service has been the backbone of the Salvation Army for more than 100 years, with plans for at least 100 more. In the Treasure Valley and around the globe. n For more information, go to https://boise.salvationarmy.org.

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The Gordons were looking for a way to increase their income while also providing for and protecting their children’s future. When they heard about The Generational Transfer Trust (“GTT”) they were pleased to learn of its many benefits as well as the opportunity it afforded them to support the work of The Salvation Army. Although they had a Living Trust naming their three children as beneficiaries of their estate, they had concerns about passing their accumulated wealth to the next generation in one lump sum. The GTT provided a way for them to create a secure income stream for themselves and their children for their lifetimes while also avoiding capital gains on the appreciated assets used to fund the trust.

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Christian Living | January / February 2024 33

MOUNTAIN mover

Facing an obstacle? He can make a way waiting for me. I had exhausted every scenario

By Bradley Shotts “Lord have mercy….”

I could, trying to figure out why in the world he These words ring in my mind as I reflect back was wanting to talk to me. I walked in and was on how many times I have said them out loud. invited to be seated. He looked at me and said, “I As we face uncertain times and hardships along understand that you and Amy are trying to adopt the paths we walk, it is good to reflect back and a baby.” remember how God has come through for us, “Yes sir,” I said, wondering how in the world answered our prayers, removed giants, and he had heard this news? He continued, “Well, I moved mountains that on our own we could not think that is great! How much is that going to cost overcome. you?” I told him, now feeling like I was in some Recently, I was praying about a giant and a kind of dream. Without saying another word, he mountain that I am facing. I was driving to work, reached in the top drawer of his desk and pulled sitting in traffic, and God began to remind me of out a memo pad. He silently sat there writing. all the times He has come through for me. Times I thought to myself, “What in the world is he that I clearly did not know how in the world I writing?” He looked up and handed me the would ever overcome. This encouraged me, and I memo and said, “You take this downstairs and Bradley Shotts know there are many of you who need this same give this to a teller. Have them give you a caencouragement. shier’s check to whoever it needs to be made. This Back in 1996 my wife and I desired to adopt a baby. We deis not a loan. I don’t care if you ever pay me back. You and Amy cided to attend an adoption seminar and take the first step in the go and get your baby.” adoption process – through the same home where I had been I cannot begin to tell you how I felt when he said those words to adopted. The purpose of the seminar was to introduce attendme.

I left the bank that day praising God – still in shock, but realees to the process and the cost associated with adoption. We left izing that God had heard our prayers. What a miracle! there deflated because of the exuberant cost, not knowing how God not only answered this prayer but also provided a way for in the world we would ever be able to pay the fee to begin the me to pay back that gift within 60 days. God always does above process. I remember Amy and I praying and simply telling God, and beyond what we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).

“Lord, if this is Your will for us to adopt and have a family, we Let’s look at the giant you are facing right now. There is nothknow You will make a way. We give this to You and we place it in ing that you can do on your own to defeat this giant. It may be Your hands.” financial or a matter of the heart involving a relationship where We returned home and a few days later I received a call from healing and forgiveness need to take place. It may be a famthe bank where I had previously worked a few years prior. The ily member who is in danger and is in need of God. Whatever secretary to the bank president informed me that the president you are facing, God is bigger. There is nothing that God cannot wanted to meet with me at 2 p.m. Completely bewildered as to repair, provide or make a way for. why I was being called to this meeting, I nonetheless told her I I know it looks to be impossible – and with man, it is imposwould be there. sible. If it were in your power, you would have already fixed it, I still remember the feeling in my stomach as I climbed the but you cannot do it. In your hands it is a giant and a mountain stairs leading to the executive offices of the bank. The secretary that you cannot move. But God can. looked at me and told me to go on in, that the president was

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You are thinking, “I have prayed and I have prayed until I cannot pray any more. I am discouraged.”

What do we do? We keep praying. We walk up to Jesus and we lay this burden at His feet and completely give it to Him. When our problems are at the feet of Jesus, they are not our problems any longer. They move from problems to solutions. They move from being broken to being in the hands of the potter. Only the potter can make everything look new, as if it were never broken and is now stronger than it ever was before. This is exactly what God wants to do with your situation. Not only repair it, but make it as if it never happened.

Let’s pray together: “Father, You see within the heart and You know the hurt and the pain that we are facing. We choose not to carry this burden any longer. We give it to You. We ask You to open doors that men have closed. We ask You to provide, to break barriers, to bring healing, to restore, to mend the broken, and to build bridges so that we can cross over to the other side. We place our faith and trust in You. May You do above and beyond what we ask or think in Jesus’ name.

God, we ask You to do what is impossible for us. Thank You for loving us and being everything that we need. We place all of our trust in You. Amen.” n Bradley Shotts began his ministry working in the funeral industry in 1988 at Lloyd James Funeral Home in Tyler, Texas. He currently serves as the general manager of Forest Ridge Funeral Home Memorial Park Chapel in North Richland Hills, Texas. He and his wife, Amy, live in Bedford, Texas. They have two adult children, Blaine and Braylee. Bradley is a member of Rotary International and serves on the board at Shepherd Heart Ministries in Tyler. He is an ordained minister.

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Christian Living | January / February 2024 35

PARENTS’ and God’s discipline

Do you obey God with gladness or resistance?

By Greg Grotewold love being exchanged: a version directed at God When it came to disciplining their kids, my and another towards His children. While there parents were old school – my mother in particuare two targets, there is only one true love. The lar. As there was no appeal process, rule offenses key to unleashing it is the sequence in which such were first met with the prompt and judicial use of affection is exercised amongst the targets. “By the yard stick, the extra sturdy type handed out this we know that we love the children of God, at the state fair. I was then grounded and sent to when we love God and obey his commandmy room. Proverbs 13:24 was not a theological ments” (v 2). We know that we’re truly loving stumbling block, for she had little interest in sparothers when we first love Jesus. The former is a ing the rod. distinguishing mark of the latter and one eviWhen compared with today’s confused methdence of a redeemed faith. “Beloved, let us love ods, hers might seem a bit harsh. They weren’t. one another, for love is from God, and whoFirst and foremost, I deserved every correction. I ever loves has been born of God and knows was, euphemistically speaking, a “slow learner” – God” (1 John 4:7, ESV). one whose poor behavior was in a perpetual state That’s good theology, but what does it have of exhibition. But more importantly, my parents to do with glad obedience? It all comes back to Greg Grotewold deeply loved me and wanted to preclude this presequencing. Loving others as we ought is conpubescent hellion from ushering into my teenage tingent upon loving Jesus as we ought. Gladly years such deficient judgment. I can only imagine what I might obeying God is a function of being glad in God. Avoiding the have pursued absent such intervention.

Lord’s equivalent of my mother’s stick can’t be the motivation.

Perhaps not surprisingly, mine was not a glad obedience. I That’s nothing more than onerous law-keeping. No, we complied because of the stick. It was consistently applied and adhere because we adore Jesus and have a deep desire to thus a looming threat for future use. Even for the less please Him. Such adoration produces a level of affection self-aware, there does come a point when such puntowards our Savior that can’t help but impact ishment begins to deter future nefarious activity, at the level of affection carried towards others. least some of it.

What we feel towards God is what we will feel What a rotten way to live life, though. Rather towards others. What He gets is what others than simply obey and enjoy the benefits of blessget and obeying becomes a delight. ing my parents, I made it a chore. Rather than Yet, there are times where we don’t delight gladly adhere because I loved them, I did so bein loving others. We become grudgingly. The fact that I wasn’t alone – some indifferent towards them, perof my buddies were as foolish – was the only haps even callous. We are calconsolation. lous towards them because we Unfortunately, I carried some of this foolishare callous towards Jesus. What ness into adulthood, where my reluctance to we feel towards God is what we obey my parents’ commands transitioned to a will feel towards others. What He reluctance to obey God’s. I do love the Lord gets is what others get, and obeying and have a genuine becomes a law-keeping chore. desire to please The direction of our sequencing Him. There are shifts daily, perhaps hourly. Keeptimes where I ing us on the more affectionate side of happily keep His the spectrum is one of the chief aims of commandments. But, Scripture. We know the Bible is replete if I’m to be honest, such with the glories of Christ, but reminders are joyful adherence is too sporequired. We need to be in God’s Word daily radic, too intermittent. It need (perhaps hourly) so as to enjoy fresh encounnot be this way. ters with His sovereign goodness. We need to Everyone who believes that taste anew the Lord’s incomparable grace and Jesus is the Christ has been born of mercy. It’s what staves off indifference and calGod, and everyone who loves the Father lousness. Jesus will meet us where we are at and loves whoever has been born of him. By bless us with an intimacy that grows our affection this we know that we love the children of God, for Him and thus others. when we love God and obey his commandments.

May we be diligent in pursuing our gladness in For this is the love of God, that we keep his comChrist. And may those affections produce their mandments. And his commandments are not intended aim – a glad obedience. n burdensome (1 John 5:1-3, ESV).

In the verse above, John gives us the path by Greg Grotewold lives in Oakdale, Minn. with his which a more glad-filled obedience can be enwife, Sandi, and their two sons, Luke and Eli. He joyed. But first, a clarification is needed. The pasis a deacon in his local church and greatly enjoys sage appears to suggest that there are two types of Image by Tara Winstead from Pexels serving in this capacity.

36 January / February 2024 | Christian Living

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NO alibis

Stop the excuses and start blessing others

By Vincent Kituku

“Alibis”: the name for all the reasons we give for not utilizing our talents, gifts and experiences to live a fulfilling life. They range from if I had been the president to if the dog didn’t eat my homework.

If I had cash…, if I had time…, if I had talent like so and so…, if I had a spouse…, if I had connections…, if I had an education…, if only I were young again…, if I didn’t have an accent…, if we were not poor…, if my dad didn’t buy alcohol with my tuition…, if the government didn’t…, if I could speak… The list of ifs is endless. Yet the alibis are obsolete when we look at what is within our reach at the present.

Use of alibis is not a new phenomenon. Moses, when called by God to go Egypt and help get the Israelites out of bondage, said, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent…I am of slow speech, and of slow tongue” (Exodus 4:10). In other words, Moses was saying, “If I could speak eloquently, then God, I would be the perfect person to lead your children out of slavery.”

Jeremiah, the prophet, had his own alibi. When called to be a prophet, Jeremiah cried, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child” ( Jeremiah 1:6).

While Moses’s and Jeremiah’s responses are good examples of humility (feeling unworthy for the high calling), like them, we look at what we don’t have as an excuse for not living up to our potential.

In Moses’s case, he learned that the rod in his hand that he had used for years was the tool he needed. When he made himself available, trusted in God’s will, he was able to live up to his potential.

Continued to page 39

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Christian Living | January / February 2024 37

My Prayer in the New Year

By Bethany Riehl Lord, You are more glorious than we can imagine or conceive. Thank You for being our Creator.

Thank You for creating a world for us to dwell in, providing light, air, water, food, and clothing for our physical needs. Beyond that, You give us sunsets and sunrises and starry night skies; sweet and savory smells; waterfalls, pools and rivers; chocolate and queso, sushi and steak, watermelon and crisp apples; sweaters and fuzzy socks and sandals and shorts (and pockets!).

You don’t just provide, LORD, You lavish.

Your goodness is beyond searching out. May we praise You as You are worthy to be praised, in increasing greatness and thankfulness. May we tell the next generation of Your grace and steadfast love (Psalm 145).

May we obey You in fullest measure, living out the “one anothers” in Your Word, serving You with joy and gladness in our local churches, seeking the lost and telling them of Your coming wrath and the salvation You have provided. May we remember all year that our greatest need—forgiveness from sin—has been bought and paid for by Jesus Christ, Your Son. He not only died the death we deserved, taking the penalty that we deserve for our sin, He lived the life we couldn’t. He came to be our Example, our Advocate, our Propitiation. Our Savior.

Even more, You’ve given us Your Spirit to lead us in truth and equip us with Your power to obey, to praise, to declare Your greatness, to be Your grateful servants.

Thank You, that You have not left us on our own, but have given us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). May we remember this as we live in this world.

This year, may You give us enough hardship to keep us humble; to drive us to You in complete submission and dependence on You. May we rejoice in trials of every kind, knowing that the testing of our faith produces steadfastness that will in turn make us perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-3).

Write Your Word on our minds through the discipline of memorization, but even more on our hearts as we seek to not only know and agree with Your Word, but to do what it says (Psalm 119:11). Put biblical sense into our minds and mold our thinking in such a way that it aligns with Yours.

In our joys this year, may we turn and praise You, “singing psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in our hearts” (Colossians 3:16), that all who see our rejoicing would turn and praise You as well.

May we invite all who are lost to the marriage supper of the Lamb, to live in fellowship with You for all eternity (Revelation 19).

May we be known by our love for one another, our denial of ourselves, to see others as more important, following the example of Christ our Lord (Philippians 2).

May this year be one that draws us closer to You day by day, measure by measure, by the cooperative work of our obedience and the power of Your Spirit.

May Your name be praised and may our anthem this year be, “…Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS…” (Revelation 19:1,2) Amen.

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38 January / February 2024 | Christian Living

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No alibis Continued from page 37

In the story “Acres of Diamonds,” a man in Afthing depended on God. Work as though everything rica who had a large piece of land heard about how depended on you.” Of all the different abilities God people were getting rich by selling diamonds. He has given different people, the ability to pray has decided to sell his “worthless” piece of land and go been given to everyone without exceptions. look elsewhere for diamonds. One day, while strollStrong relationships provide nests to fall back ing, the man who bought the land saw unfamiliar to and re-group ourselves so we can forge ahead stones. He picked one up and placed it in his hut with the spirit of determination. Moses’s eloquence and it was later seen by a friend of his while visiting. limitation was covered for by his ‘eloquent’ brother The visitor inquired where the stone had come Aaron. from and this landowner told him about the unfaWhatever challenges you face, you must do miliar stones on his land. The visitor knew that the something about them. Chances are that you will unfamiliar stones were diamonds, and this land had discover they are not nearly as unclimbable as you the largest amount of diamonds ever discovered. thought they were. Trust in the talents, gifts and The first landowner never found diamonds where he went and regretted not exploring what had been relationships God has given you. We are created in available to him for years.

His image, able to accomplish great things, if we Our diamonds are not out there somewhere. They Vincent Kituku have faith in Him and confidence in our abilities. are within us. All we need is to explore and excavate Always remember, you have what it takes to start them, then put them into use. enriching yourself and others if you don’t use the alibi of, if I had…

The resources we need to begin acting on our visions are not in The tools you need to transform your life and the lives of other some elusive place “out there.” Change from saying, “If I had…” people are in your hands. n to saying, “Now that this is what I have to accomplish, this is what I have to start with.” What are the talents, skills, knowledge and gifts Dr. Vincent Muli Wa Kituku, motivational speaker and author that you can use right away to enrich the world as you derive the of “Overcoming Buffaloes at Work & in Life,” is the founder and benefits of living a fulfilling life? executive director of Caring Hearts and Hands of Hope, a nonThe power within the human soul is unmeasurable. The power profit organization that raises tuition and fees for poor orphans of kneeling in prayer provides spiritual stamina needed for one to and other children from poverty-stricken families in Kenya. be on his/her feet with definite purpose in life. Years back, I read a poster with a St. Augustine quote that said, “Pray as though everyContact him at vincent@kituku.com or (208) 376-8724.

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Christian Living | January / February 2024 39

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