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Contents September / October 2015 “Worry is the darkroom in which negatives can develop.”

— Wanda E.Brunstetter, author

Features

6

FX:

Strengthening families

Speedway chaplains:

10

Fun-filled faith

8

Outdoors with Dougherty: Steelhead stories

Feet: 14 Beautiful Wipe Every Tear from Home: 18 Notes Mini tornados This: 22 Consider Living ‘agape’

28 Challenging Faith:

On the fast track

Launch Pad:

Columns

Right thinking

12

Cover Story —

Toolbox: 30 Marriage Beware complacency

32

Maximum Health: Shop with a doc

Departments

Volume 3, Number 5 Publisher Sandy Jones Editor Gaye Bunderson gayeb@sterlingmedialtd.com 208-639-8301 Sales & Marketing Melva Bade melvab@sterlingmedialtd.com 208-631-3779 • Vin Crosby vinc.bcl@gmail.com 208-989-2097 • Sandy Jones boisechristianliving@gmail.com 208-703-7860 Cover Photo Mary Lou Mobley Graphic Design Denice King Contributors Dan Dougherty, Terry Frisk, Dani Grigg, Leo Hellyer, Hilarey Johnson, Ron Kern, Joel Lund, Rosie Main, Bene’ Paul, Lauren Phillips and Dan Woodworth Distribution Specialists Idaho Distribution Services Website Design SEO Idaho Webmaster Liza Morgan

Samantha Tucker: Inspiring archer

Roger Warrick: Veterans’ chaplain

20 27

Daily Bread: 24 Your Kids and money

26 Business Spotlight: Born Again Fitness

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 2015 by Christian Living Magazine LLC. Christian Living is published every other month and is available in over 800 locations throughout the Treasure Valley, including most grocery stores, convenience stores, medical waiting areas, and churches.

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Publisher’s Corner: Music’s power Christian Living | September / October 2015

PUBLISHER’S Corner

The power of music to minister I can imagine that reading all of this isn’t as

By Sandy Jones moving as seeing it in person, but I realized that The first week of August I attended the their perspective on music was so true for me. I Global Leadership Summit, a live international hear songs on the radio and it brings me back simulcast featuring clergy as well as top secular to certain times in my life. Times of great joy, leaders from around the world. It’s hosted lotimes of insecurity, and most recently, times of cally each August by The Pursuit Church here grief and sorrow. As I helped my son and his in Boise. I’ve been several times and always wife walk their recent mile with stage IV breast come away with new insights and greater cancer, there were times that I was completely wisdom. This year was no different, but one overwhelmed by the pain of the realization of segment rang so true to me that I want to share what was about to happen to their family. it with you.

When Shannon was first diagnosed, God gave Bill Hybels, the senior pastor at Willow Creek me the verse Romans 8:28 to cling to. In it we Community Church (located in South Barare promised that “all things work together rington, Illinois) and speaker and emcee for the for the good of those who are called acevent, sat down with Brian Houston, founder Sandy Jones, Publisher cording to His purpose,” and I clung to and global senior pastor of Australia-based Christian Living Magazine that verse for all I was worth for the nearly 16 Hillsong Church. Bill did a one-on-one intermonth-long battle. Still, I am human, and there view with Brian about struggles in Brian’s perwere days that the thought of their two children, ages 5 and 7, sonal life, asking how he juggles church, church plants all over losing their Mommy was just too much to bear. I was drowning the world and, of course, about the production of the widely in despair.

How was I to help this young family, who I love so known and greatly loved worship songs he has produced with the Hillsong Worship Team, known as Hillsong United. Songs much, through this season in their lives?!

Then one day as I was driving down the road, Hillsong such as “Shout to the Lord,” “Mighty to Save,” “At the Cross,” United’s “Oceans” came on. Suddenly I connected with someand their most recent hit, “Oceans.” Songs we all love to have thing: “You call me out upon the waters, where feet may as part of our worship sets at church, and find ourselves beltfail” — trust me, my feet were failing — “And I will call upon ing out with the radio as we drive down the road.

Your name and keep my eyes above the waves.” How’d they They closed this segment by moving over to another part of know I felt like I was drowning? Yet here the stage, where a group of four vocalists was the promise, my promise, to keep my were waiting for them. Bill is no stranger eyes above the waves; then His promise: to opening up the most vulnerable parts And we know that for “When oceans rise my soul will rest of himself to his staff, and many times in Your embrace.” The ever-present those who love God all to the attendees of each year’s Sumreminder that He is in control. He’s got mit. This time, he confessed to having a things work together for me covered. He’s holding onto me. recent battle with fear, something abBut then the challenge: We are called good, for those who are normal for him. He talked about how he to stay strong in our faith. How liberatcalled according to his used music to cope his way through it, ing, yet frightening, to sing the chorus and it hit close to home for me.

— what if I failed Him? Yet each time I purpose.

Bill explained that he has had times — Romans 8:28 (ESV) would promise as I sang along: in his life when scripture just wasn’t Spirit lead me where my trust is connecting with his issues, and prayer without borders, seemed to escape him. It has been at Let me walk upon the waters, those times that he seems to be gifted with a song on the radio Wherever You would call me, that touches the very heart of the matter, and his soul. He Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander, often replays the song over and over until he works through And my faith will be made stronger, the issue. It seems Bethel Music’s “No Longer Slaves,” a In the presence of my Savior. song about not being held captive to fear, is what carried Bill And each time as the music faded away, I just knew He had through this particular trying time. It was through this portion this. that Bill and Brian both spoke of different pieces of music that Shannon left us on June 21, leaving a big void in our lives had carried them through trials, having the quartet perform a and in our family. Yet in the weeks since, God has been faithful portion of each of the following: “I Will Follow,” “No Longer to be there for each and every one of us. While it is true that Slaves,” “No Other Name,” “Good Good Father,” “Oceans,” often we don’t get to see the seeds that we plant in this life and closing with “It Is Well.” germinate and bear fruit — which is true in Shannon’s case Bill went on to explain to Brian, as well as the audience, that — our son, Drew, along with my husband and I have been it was through talking with other leaders around the world that greatly blessed to watch as the fruits of her labor are proving he discovered that he’s not alone in this need to turn to music to not have been in vain.

As we move into fall and the time of harvest, I encourage to work through life’s issues. It seems that a leader’s mind is often so busy with business and life details that their mind liter- you to not stop planting those seeds of God’s love everywhere you go. Trust me, they will bear fruit — in His time. ally needs to check out and feel the emotions to work through God bless! n some of the sensitive issues of life.

September / October 2015 | Christian Living

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Q&A on FX

Helping make family relationships stronger effectiveness of churches, Christian schools, and parachurch ministries, but we think the missing link is families. In verses such as Deuteronomy 6:4-7 and many others, we see scripture telling parents to talk with their children about God. It’s important that parents do not abdicate that responsibility. Churches and Christian schools are important, but parents are supposed to be the primary catalyst for conversations about our relationship with God. Our goal is to equip parents with tools to do that better.

Daniel Bobinski facilitates an activity at Family Experience Ministries. (Courtesy photo)

By Gaye Bunderson Editor’s note: Daniel and Jeralynne Bobinski of Boise launched Family Experience Ministries (FX) in 2014. They recently answered the following questions about FX for Christian Living. On their website (FamilyExperience.net), FX is referred to as a place “where we learn about relationships and God as a family.”

Q. What is Family Experience Ministries? Why did you start it? What is your goal?

A. We started FX because we believe the family is central to God’s work. Some families are doing great, but we see so many families struggling. We wanted to create a place that provides support with tangible tools and resources so families can grow stronger and overcome struggles. With that, our mission is to equip parents with tools to know, love, and lead their families.

With those tools, parents can create a strong foundation within their families, resulting in better relationships. It also equips them to raise up the next generation for Christ.

Research from the George Barna organization shows that less than 20 percent of people claiming to be born again have a Christian worldview. Barna says this begs questions on the

September / October 2015 | Christian Living

Q. What do you do for families?

A. We equip families with tools in three distinct areas.

First we have a weekly fellowship for families. After the lesson, parents receive a list of suggestions for things to do at home that week to keep their children engaged in the lesson topic.

The suggested activities are varied and scalable, so parents can involve their children to the degree they know works for each child.

Second, we conduct monthly relationship classes for parents and teens. Everyone’s personality is unique, so we teach people how to recognize their own style, how to recognize other styles, and how to understand each other better. The goal is for people to value the differences instead of criticizing them, with a result being more harmony in the home. Daniel is the main teacher here. He’s a certified behavioral analyst with a master’s degree in education, and for more than 25 years he’s been teaching managers about emotional intelligence in the business world.

God has placed a strong burden on his heart to reach families with the same material.

Thirdly, we host a speech and debate club for Christian teens.

One afternoon each week from September through April we spend an hour comparing the Christian worldview with other worldviews, an hour helping teens develop an apologetics portfolio so they can effectively defend their faith, an hour on how to construct and deliver different types of speeches, and an hour learning how to analyze and construct arguments for debate. Students can compete in tournaments if they want, and they really enjoy it. We want kids to be able to speak boldly and change the world for Christ.

Something else that’s developed along these lines is public speaking. For years Daniel has done keynote speaking in the business world, and lately we’ve been speaking at Christian conferences, too. Wherever God leads us to get these tools out there, we’ll go.

Q. What makes FX unique in other ways?

A. Our one rule at FX is that families must sit together. To facilitate that, we have tables instead of pews or rows of chairs, so when it’s time for families to talk with each other about something in the lesson, it’s easy for them to do so. Some might think that teens would find this horrific, but they really like it — even the ones who come in initially thinking they’re not going to like it.

Also, we always include something in each lesson for all learning styles. Believe it or not, sermons are great for teaching to only one of the four main learning styles. So, to connect with everyone, we have much more going on in our weekly lesson.

Obviously, we don’t force anyone to do anything, but by using a model called the “accelerated learning method,” activities and short family discussions are almost always on the menu.

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Finally, we don’t desire to be a replacement for someone’s church. In fact, we have our weekly fellowship on Sunday afternoons so as not to interfere with someone’s church attendance.

People from many different churches come to FX, which, to us, speaks of the unity of the Body of Christ. Besides, the “Church” is really the entire body of believers; therefore, all believers are welcome at FX.

Q. What is the definition of success for your ministry?

A. Success is parents talking with their kids about God during the week. It’s also families feeling closer as a result of everyone in the family moving closer to God. And ultimately, success is marriages getting stronger and children growing in their love for God as they become adults. n

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Q. What are some typical problems you’re seeing in families today?

A. Perhaps the biggest problem we see today is parents letting churches, schools, and youth ministries assume responsibilities that belong to the parents. Even if pastors and teachers are pouring themselves into the kids under their care, it’s still the parents’ responsibility to be the main facilitators of their children’s spiritual development. Unfortunately, the very existence of these institutions lets parents start thinking that someone else will pick up the responsibility of shaping and molding their kids’ spiritual lives.

Just like some school teachers tell parents not to help their students with homework because the parent won’t understand the assignments, we also have some youth pastors now telling parents that they probably don’t understand today’s youth, so let the youth pastor take care of things. We wholeheartedly disagree with this mindset.

At the same time, we know that many parents feel unequipped to be strong spiritual leaders in their own homes, so that’s why we started this ministry! There is no shame in feeling unequipped.

If nobody has ever taught parents how to do it, how could they possibly know?

Q. What do you do if a couple wants counseling?

A. This came up sooner than we thought it would. Thankfully, Daniel started his business more than 25 years ago as an executive coach, and Jeralynne has a degree in psychology.

That, plus being certified in various assessment tools, gives us a framework for helping people come to grips with their strengths and weaknesses.

One thing that can be eye-opening to many people is that every strength has a corresponding weakness. Individuals are initially attracted to their mate’s strengths, but after a number of years, they can start focusing on the weaknesses. We offer our monthly relationship classes, but if requested, we meet with couples to review their behavioral and decision-making preferences as determined by several assessment tools, and help them get refocused. We help them develop strategies for “valuing the differences” instead of criticizing them. However, we have a list of professional counselors handy, and if we see that a couple needs more than we feel comfortable offering, we will refer them to those people.

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Christian Living | September / October 2015

OUTDOORS With Dougherty

Love of steelhead goes back to boyhood

South Fork of the Clearwater (courtesy photo)

By Dan Dougherty Steelhead have always fascinated me. I can remember looking at an old black and white picture of my dad holding one he caught fishing with grandpa Johnson (my mom’s dad) on the Sandy River outside Portland. It must have been about 1946 because my oldest brother was a baby.

In 1952, a couple months before my third birthday, we moved to Pendleton, Ore. where my dad became pastor of a new church. The church was in a renovated apartment house.

Half of it was made into a church and we lived in the other half. God blessed us and in three years the church was bursting at the seams. The building was sold, a new beautiful church was built, and my parents bought a big old house not too far from the new church.

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Our next door neighbor was a fireman. He always seemed to have a lot of time off. He was a steelhead fisherman, and he fished the Umatilla River. He paid me 10 cents for large flying grasshoppers, his favorite bait. Occasionally, he gave my parents a steelhead to help feed their four growing boys.

My dad always planned to go fishing with him, but with the demands of a pastor and always being actively involved in his boys’ sports, he never found the time.

My dad became pastor at the Clarkston Church of God when I was a fifth grader. Being the pastor’s son I was drafted into the church’s Boy Scout troop as a sixth grader.

In the spring of 1962 our scout troop, along with about 50 others, had a Camporee up the North Fork of the Clearwater (now covered by the waters of Dworshak Dam). My neighbor, competitor, friend and classmate, Burton Bridger, also attended. He took with him the new steelhead pole his dad had just given him. In our activity time as we hiked and played, he fished. He fished with a red-and-white Daredevil spoon.

He was teased by many, but the joke was on them when he hooked and landed a huge steelhead. It was my first introduction to B-run steelhead, and I vowed someday I would catch one.

My first steelhead were caught in Deep Creek below Hell’s Canyon Dam in 1976 — back in the days before the stairway, when you had to lower yourself down a 3-foot rope from one trail to the other. Using a Mepps Aglia Long, I caught 10 lb.

30 inch and 11 lb. 31 inch A-run steelhead. Not the large Brun fish I still hoped to catch.

Thirty-nine years later I was on my quest. My friend Gary from Harpster, Idaho invited me up to the South Fork to show me how it was done. The fish were in early so the last week of February I headed north. There were fishermen everywhere you looked. Many of them were from Montana.

We were drift fishing from the bank with bobbers, using jigs and eggs. On the first day out I hooked a huge fish. After battling it back upstream it pulled free. Gary commented it was a monster. It pulled free because it bent the hook out straight.

You can only keep fish that had their adipose fin clipped.

Fish that are not clipped are classified as Native and must be released. I was told that about 70+ per cent are clipped.

It sure didn’t seem to be so. In the next two days I caught 11 fish, none clipped. On the best day I caught three out of five keepers. On that day I was fishing a section of river by myself. A fly fisherman was downstream. He owned a grocery store in Livingston, Mont. He had on waders and every time I hooked a fish he came over and netted it for me. I greatly appreciated it.

September / October 2015 | Christian Living

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One day I was fishing near two gentlemen who had been fishing the river for many years. They were a wealth of information. The banter between them was quite humorous. I didn’t get their names but referred to them as Bert and Ernie, which they readily accepted. Bert asked Ernie how he liked his steelhead. Ernie said he liked to smoke it. Bert said he tried that once but had a hard time rolling it in that thin paper and could never seem to get it lit!

It just happened that smolts were put in the river that week for their ocean run journey. As I pulled my jig in, I was unaware that a tiny smolt was on it until Bert and Ernie brought it to my attention. They said I had to take a picture of it — they had fished the river for years and never caught anything that small.

On Sunday I went to church with Gary at the Gospel Lighthouse Church of God in Stites. It was a small congregation with Troy Hall Jr. as pastor. The singing was great. I heard songs I hadn’t heard in years. After visiting my friends Robin and Greg Kimball near Kamiah, I stopped back at the church for the evening service and shared in the potluck dinner afterward. Among God’s people you always feel at home.

I returned home with six fish. What did I do with them? I smoked them! Actually, my wife’s cousin’s husband smoked them. Three were smoked with honey and three with maple syrup. They are excellent. n

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Christian Living | September / October 2015

SPEEDWAY chaplains

Serving the Lord on the fast track rent pastor to make sure your purpose is right. It’s all nondenominational. You’re a visible person, someone people can come to if there’s a need. It’s nothing more than being a witness for Christ,” Nathan said.

“I can pray for others and share Christ. It’s family out here,” Mark said. “It excites me. It’s the people. It’s family oriented.

People look out for each other. There are all ages out here.”

“It’s competition on the track but a real cohesive group back in the pits. They help each other so they can compete against each other. That may sound a little different,” Nathan said.

The chaplains’ responsibilities include giving the pre-race prayer over the loudspeaker.

Mark James has been a fan of auto racing since he was a young boy. He has been serving as a chaplain at Meridian Speedway since 2011. (Photo taken by Bill Adams)

By Gaye Bunderson Chaplains aren’t generally associated with a fast-living lifestyle, but Mark James and Nathan Dearing are two men who love the fast lane. They work as chaplains at Meridian Speedway, but the only thing actually fast-living about them is their love of cars built for speed.

Mark and Nathan are local members of Racers for Christ, a national nonprofit ministry that provides chapel services, pastoral care, outreach and Christian fellowship at motor sports events, according to its website at teamrfc.org.

Mark James’ passion for Christ and his passion for racing connected when he became a track chaplain at Meridian Speedway in 2011. Mark’s father took him to auto races at the Kearney Bowl in Fresno, Calif. in 1967 when Mark was about 11. He loved what he saw and later became a huge fan of NASCAR and Top Fuel dragster racing. He drives a car in the Speedway’s annual Preacher Feature for the Faster Pastor. He loves everything about the Speedway, including the sounds, he said — and the noise of both the cars and the crowds can be considerable.

Mark explained the bleachers at the Speedway are divided into two diverse crowds that share a common enthusiasm for racing. One group is playfully referred to as the North End Animals because it’s the beer drinkers’ section and can get a bit rowdy. The other side is for families. But anyone who comes to the Speedway comes for a good time.

“Some come to back the drivers. Some come to help work on the cars if they get damaged; people pay extra money to be in the area where they get to twist wrenches,” Nathan said.

“Some people have favorite drivers or different kinds of cars they like to watch. Some people come to see the crashes.”

There’s even a section for people in wheelchairs, according to Nathan, who said, “The track is trying to meet the needs of different groups that come out here.”

That’s also part of his and Mark’s reason for being there: meeting needs.

“It’s a volunteer position, you sign a statement of faith.

There’s a letter that you write and references from your cur-

10 September / October 2015 | Christian Living

Nathan Dearing, who sometimes races his own car at Meridian Speedway, is shown here starting off the races with a prayer. By day, he teaches school. (Photo taken by Bill Adams)

“I can do the prayer and leave, but I stay until later,” Mark said. “I like to talk to the racers.”

He is on hand when there’s an accident and someone is hurt.

“The minute there’s a crash, I’m out there. I try to touch base with the family. I pray and give them spiritual encouragement — that’s what I like best: spiritual encouragement,” he said, explaining he operates completely by permission of Meridian Speedway General Manager Adam Nelson and Race Director Steve Mulder.

Nathan said he holds back a little when there’s a wreck.

“Emotions are high; adrenaline is high. I wait until a little later to see if there’s anything they need. Their immediate thoughts are on the car, to see how much damage there’s been, and if they can get back out. You want to stay out of the way while they’re dealing with those really intense emotions.”

Like everyone else, Mark and Nathan hold days jobs. Nathan, for instance, is a fifth grade teacher. “My car is called Teacher’s Pet, and it’s painted school bus yellow,” he said.

Both men hold informal credentials in ministering to others, as required by Racers for Christ. “You have to have some kind of experience. You have to be active in church and a prayer warrior,” said Mark, who currently attends Ten Mile Christian Church in Meridian. He has been a leader and co-leader in Celebrate Recovery, a Christ-centered 12-step program, at both Ten Mile and Capital Christian Center, and was on a prayer team at Calvary Chapel Boise.

Nathan attends Meridian Assembly. “The pastor (Ed Kreiner) comes out and cheers and has driven my car when it’s the Faster Pastor event,” he said.

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Nathan is a frequent racer in his own bus-yellow mini stock car, and his church is one of his sponsors. “I think they do have a little bit of confidence in me to lead a Bible study,” he joked, “and I fill in for the pastor when he has other duties.”

His other sponsors include his racing fans, as well as Tutor Doctor, Brown & Patrick Law Office, and God’s Country Camouflage. “My advertisers have to meet my Christian standards,” he said. “If I’m out there as a chaplain, I can’t have a beer sticker on the car.”

Both Mark and Nathan enjoy, but are humble about, their successes on the ¼-mile oval racetrack at Meridian Speedway.

Mark said he came in fifth during this year’s Preacher Feature but was first in a heat race, doing 70 mph in 17 seconds.

“I usually finish the year just out of the Top 10,” Nathan said.

“I’ve been racing long enough I should be doing better!”

He’s also done 70 mph in a matter of seconds.

Racers for Christ is, according to information on its website, the original network of track chaplains at racing facilities. Established in 1971, it now has 30,000 pastors meeting racer and fan needs across the U.S. It holds an ongoing chapel service for the Indianapolis 500.

A statement from RFC reads: “God is always faithful in His vision, and it takes a team of dedicated people to bring that vision into fulfillment. Those who deserve recognition for the success of Team RFC are our faithful donors and committed volunteer staff.” n

9/10-15

Mark James, aka “Tiger,” is available to speak at local churches about racing and Team RFC. He may be reached at (208) 291-0028 or by email at mjames0028@gmail.com.

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Christian Living | September / October 2015 11

LAUNCH Pad

Teens enjoy fellowship during school day

One of the highlights for Launch Pad students is gathering together in the middle of their school day, where they find encouragement through God’s Word and are surrounded by other teen believers. (Photo by Brianna Chaves)

By Gaye Bunderson Some high school students in Idaho are getting locked, loaded and ready to launch. They attend a program known as Launch Pad. The “lock, load, launch” concept is part of Launch Pad’s mission statement, as explained at launchministries.org: • To LOCK high school students into a life changing, love relationship with Jesus Christ by speaking and living out the gospel at each Launch Pad site.

• To LOAD up students with the transforming truths of God’s Word as we provide them with religious release time elective classes taken during public school hours at their nearby Launch Pad. • To LAUNCH students back to their campuses and communities fully equipped to make a difference for the Kingdom of God. Launch Pad and Launch Ministries are the brainchild of Rock Brown. The idea came to him during a routine stop at Meridian High School one morning in 2006 to drop off his oldest son. “I started to pray for him, and out of the corner of my eye I saw the LDS Seminary. My wife and I began to pray for God to raise up something like that for non-LDS kids,” Brown said.

Just months later Launch Pad formed, initially as a group for Christian athletes. It evolved to include any interested young person within the student body who wanted to take an elective

12 September / October 2015 | Christian Living

Bible course off-site from the Meridian High School campus.

Now nine years in, the program has stretched throughout Idaho and even across state lines to include a Launch Pad program at Moses Lake, Wash.

“The Lord has definitely surprised us,” Brown said. “We never thought it would grow beyond just the one site in Meridian.

But He has opened doors and multiple sites and schools and allowed us to introduce the Launch Pad concept to others.”

At last count, there were 20 sites, 900 current students or graduates of the program, 75 past or present volunteer teachers, and 30 affiliated churches (from www.launchministries. org/history).

Andrea Priebe, administrative assistant at Launch Ministries, said there are five primary things students get from participating in Launch Pad: biblical teaching, encouragement, Christian community, prayer, and fellowship. She said students make such statements as, “Nobody cusses here. I get to be who I am” or “My mom has cancer. Please pray for me.”

One parent, Genny Heikka, said Launch Pad has been a positive experience for her daughter. “We moved here from California just before her sophomore year began and Launch Pad provided a welcoming place where her faith could grow,” Heikka said. “I love how the ministry brings students together and equips them to make a difference for God.” Launch Pad teachers are volunteers and include parents, youth pastors and others.

They range in age from 20 to 65 and vary from retirees to working people; are single, married or widowed; and represent numerous denominations.

“Rock does a lot of work to recruit and train qualified people,” Priebe said.

As of early July, he was heavily into the process of lining up teachers for the fall semester.

“The teacher volunteers really love it.

They get on their knees for these kids, and the students love their teachers. They’re mentors, and the students build relationships with them. What the students struggle with in high school is real,” Priebe said. “We select teachers through wisdom, prayer and the Holy Spirit.”

The teacher volunteers answer to a teacher coach for “encouragement, equipment and accountability,” according to Priebe. The teacher coaches answer to a lead teacher, and at the top of the hierarchy is Brown, who is the executive coach.

The teachers are encouraged to use engaging methods of imparting scripture. Priebe cited as an example one instructor who used a cake to tell the story of portioning land to the Twelve Tribes of Israel. She divided the cake just like land had been divided among the tribes — in large portions and small slices.

Teachers don’t just start with Genesis and go through the Bible to the end of Revelation. “We’re always looking for new curriculum,” Priebe said. All curriculum is firmly rooted in the Word of God. According to its website: “Launch Pad is a place where students can connect with God and their friends, during school hours, in a way that encourages them to launch into their world fully equipped to live out their faith.”

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Once they’ve added the class to their schedule, they will then need to register with their local Launch Pad site. This may be done by registering on the website. Registration opens in October for spring Launch Pad.

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“We want them to be ‘impactful’ within the school,” Priebe said. “We don’t want the students to just be sponges but to feel they have the power to be authentic.”

Launch Pad is part of the Release Time program that allows for Christians to offer Christian curriculum and fellowship to students off school premises but during regular school hours.

Because Launch Pad is required to meet off of school property, students gather on a regular basis throughout the semester wherever individuals or businesses open their doors to them. In Meridian, they meet in a house; sometimes they meet in churches.

One Launch Pad group meets in a dental office. Launch Ministries pays rent to use spaces when it is necessary.

Students pay a $25 per-semester fee to cover the curriculum, but no one is turned away for lack of ability to pay. Donations for Launch Ministries come from individuals, churches and foundations, said Priebe. There are four part-time paid workers in Launch Ministries; Brown, being the founder and executive director, is the only full-time paid member.

Brown is a graduate of Boise State University with a bachelor of arts degree in secondary education; he has a master’s of divinity degree from Western Seminary. He has been in full-time ministry for nearly 30 years, including with Campus Crusade for Christ. He has been married for 25 years and has four children.

He has a heart for young people. Regarding Launch Pad, he said: “For me, I think it was born of the fact I have a deep love for the younger generation and the need to equip them with a biblical worldview.” n

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Christian Living | September / October 2015 13

BEAUTIFUL Feet

Wipe Every Tear fights for Filipino girls

Kenny Sacht is shown with just two of the Filipino girls his organization, Wipe Every Tear, has saved from a life of exploitation. (Courtesy photo)

By Lauren Phillips Editor’s note: This column is the first of many by Lauren Phillips that will feature stories on area missionaries and their work across the globe.

The column name, “Beautiful Feet,” is based on Isaiah 52:7 (KJV): “How lovely on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation.”

This is an article about an unseemly subject: human trafficking. It’s also about God’s great love and deliverance. Wipe Every Tear volunteers truly are the hands and feet of Jesus, taking young girls by the hand and leading them to freedom.

“How in the world do you sell a human being in 2015?” asks Kenny, a passionate, bright-eyed, broad-smiled, 50-something Boise man. “I’ve never understood slavery even when I was teaching history at Cole Valley Christian. It’s always been a mystery to me. How can one human being own another? It’s crazy.”

Kenny Sacht and his wife, Dawn Ann, or D.A. as she’s affectionately known, raised five girls and a boy, and now enjoy their five granddaughters, so the thought of one of them being sold into sex slavery was unconscionable. The beginning of Kenny’s story didn’t start with human trafficking and founding Wipe Every Tear (WET), a ministry created to rescue girls and young women held captive in the sex trade — that came later.

14 September / October 2015 | Christian Living

It began more simply, by taking his high school students on a couple of summer sports outreaches.

In 2007 Kenny, known as “Coach” to his students, took his Cole Valley basketball team, along with a few college men, on a summer mission trip to the Philippines. “Basketball is huge there — it’s the national sport,” he says. Working in conjunction with a local Filipino church, Kenny’s team invited inner city kids from Manila into the jungles for an American-style basketball camp. “They love Americans. I’m a tall man over there,” laughs Kenny, who stands about five foot ten, “so you can imagine their excitement to see these really tall, talented, and friendly basketball players. It was a great experience, so when I came home I began to think of ways to get the girls there.”

I need to lead another team, he thought, so even though he wasn’t the volleyball coach, he made arrangements to take the girls’ team that happened to include one of his daughters. “Some of my colleagues said, ‘You can’t take girls to the Philippines! There’s snakes and bugs, it’s hot, they won’t eat the food,’ and I thought to myself, You just don’t know my girls!”

So, Coach and his second adventurous team held a volleyball camp for about 60 youth in the Philippines. Some of the kids kept saying, “No one has ever done this for us; why did you come all this way?” “We came for you,” they were told.

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About that time, Kenny began hearing about human trafficking and found that the Philippine Islands were an international destination for this type of activity. How did I not see it? he wondered. What he came to discover was that young, poor, illiterate girls are specifically sought out by those who seek to exploit and abuse them for financial gain.

The Philippine archipelago is made up of over 7,000 islands, of which about 2,000 are inhabited. For impoverished rural families, work is hard to find. Human traffickers travel from island to island recruiting girls, luring them with the promise of a job in the big city. The prospect of meeting their families’ needs is oftentimes too good to resist. They are told they’ll have a fancy title, Guest Relation Officers, or GROs, with a badge, and will make a lot of money. The funds for travel and new clothing are freely given on loan — the first of many loans.

When they arrive for work, they are already in debt and find nothing they were promised. Instead of a well-paying job with an important official title, they are forced on stage to dance in revealing costumes and then paid for by customers for a set, or sometimes negotiated, price. They are expected to give sex to repay their inflated debt. Now, trapped, alone, and owing a sum they could never repay, many lose hope, becoming addicted to easily obtained drugs and alcohol.

In addition, “There is a tremendous code of honor in the Philippines. The girls don’t even think to walk away before paying their debt. It’s just not an option,” explains Kenny. “Where could they go? How would they find their way back home? You can’t even get a job at McDonalds without a college degree in the Philippines. These girls are not prostitutes; they are precious girls who have been prostituted. There’s a big difference.”

Kenny and D.A. are simple folk. They’ve worked hard on teachers’ salaries to put their kids through school and live a quiet life. “When we first began thinking about how to help these girls, I was broken over it,” says Kenny. “It was just too big. It didn’t seem like there was anything we could do. There are hundreds of thousands in the Philippines alone, and literally millions of girls the world over. It paralyzed me.

A photo of one of the girls hangs on the wall in Kenny’s Meridian office; God used that photo to make a point with him.

“One day, the Lord in His graciousness, simply said, ‘Kenny she is the world.’ It revolutionized my thinking. Yes! I thought, we can take care of one girl. It’s just one more girl.”

Shortly thereafter, WET, a non-profit 501(c)(3), was born; now, three years later, 77 girls have been rescued, set free, and allowed to be girls again. They go to college and are experiencing the love of their heavenly Father for the first time all because of a lot of prayer and some simple acts of obedience.

Continued on page 16

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Christian Living | September / October 2015 15

Wipe Every Tear

Continued from page 15

Three girls who were rescued from human trafficking by Wipe Every Tear wear “I Am Loved” t-shirts. The young women are told they’re “loved, worthy, enough.”

(Courtesy photo)

“Our ministry is not normal. We don’t quite fit into a Western, evangelical paradigm,” Kenny says. He and his teams don’t put on street dramas or hand out tracts, and don’t even talk about Jesus much — not at first. “A friend asked me once, ‘When do you share the gospel?’ and I said, ‘You will have a good meal tonight — that’s good news. You don’t have to have sex with a stranger tonight — that’s good news. We care about you — that’s good news. We’ll keep you safe tonight — that’s good news. The Lord made it very clear to me that the girls didn’t need more words about Jesus, they needed to see Jesus in us.”

WET teams willingly walk into environments that are completely debauched, scary, and entirely foreign, with the hope of rescuing a precious girl that God leads them to, but not before time spent in prayer. “We pray and worship for a couple of hours before we take teams into the street. We ask the Lord to lead us to the specific bar and point out each girl He wants us to talk to.”

Kenny has simple faith. He believes the Bible when it says that Christ comes to make His home in a believer. “If Jesus lives in me — and He does — I take Him with me. It’s Christ in you, the hope of glory,” he explains. “If you have Him in you and you’re walking in Him, then when you walk into that room you can know that Jesus has now entered the bar.”

In the city where WET is based, there is a 1.5-mile long stretch of bars where a reported 15,000 girls, sex workers, are “employed.” Only foreigners are allowed to enter. “So that’s where we go, taking teams of women, and married men (for the integrity of the ministry) into the bars. Sometimes we’ll have about 50 people on a team, so we break into smaller groups of four or five, taking Jesus with us.”

16 September / October 2015 | Christian Living

Once in the bar, foreign customers tell the manager, typically a woman, which girl they want by calling out the number worn on the front of the girl’s costume. They are ushered to a table where the customer is then required to buy the girl a drink.

“One time,” remembers D.A., “one of the young girls we called for asked to have chocolate milk.”

“Once we have them at our table, we tell them who we are, what we will do for them, and ask them if they want to come with us,” Kenny explains. Many times the managers will tell the girls that WET will lie and mistreat them, steal them away, or worse, kill them, but God is so much bigger than the lies.

“Many times we come to find out that God prepared the girls beforehand. We’ve had girls tell us, ‘When you walked in we felt God.’ Others have said things like, ‘God is in you, isn’t He?’ or ‘We see God in you.’ One girl had a dream that people were coming to show her a way out. ‘As soon as you walked in I was so happy because God told me you were my way out.’”

The girls who choose to walk out with WET volunteers are invited to stay in a home made especially for them. There are four houses in the city, and although they are operating above capacity, they are safe places where love reigns and Jesus is Lord. These precious young girls experience a whole different way of life there. They are loved, told they are special, and are helped in the most practical of ways. WET enrolls them in college, provides a modest monthly stipend, clothing, shelter, three meals a day, and a safe place to lay their head at night. In addition, Kenny says, “We are a culture of worship. They’ve never seen anything like it. Many, many times, within days, a girl will come up to me and say something like, ‘Coach, God told me that I needed to stop doing drugs.’ We never tell them that. Another said to me, ‘Coach, God told me to stop having

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pre-marital sex.’ One girl battling drug addiction came to me and simply said, ‘It left.’ I understood what she meant. We hear this kind of thing all the time. All this happens in their hearts with God. When Jesus shows up how can you not respond?”

“Here’s the neat thing,” he adds, “the girls that we’ve brought out, they now lead our teams going into the bars.

They say, ‘We’re going back in to get our sisters.’” The girls speak the many dialects from the island villages where they’ve come from, and they have credibility because they were once one of the sex workers. They tell the others that WET will do what they say they will do. Then, “when they come to live with us they watch everything we do. They see us read, worship, pray, and live a life of love. They come to know Jesus just by being with us. Even when they mess up, we keep on loving them because that’s what God has done for us.”

Kenny and D. A. didn’t set out to change the world, but they are, one girl at a time. One of God’s specialties seems to be using ordinary people as His hands and feet. These world changers walk into bars unafraid, fully expecting to lead a young girl to freedom, believing that she, whom Christ sets free, is truly free indeed. n For information about becoming a volunteer, going on a trip, sponsoring a girl, donating toward a much needed safe house, or to speak with Kenny, log on to wipeeverytear.org or visit at 77 E. Idaho St., Meridian, Idaho 83642.

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www.DiamondHeatingandCooling.com Christian Living | September / October 2015 17

NOTES from Home

Life with two (much loved) mini tornados

This is the author’s residence, or at least part of it. “My goal when I leave the house is for burglars to think, ‘Oh, someone’s already been here — better move on.’”

you’re doing an amazing job and I salute

By Dani Grigg you.

When my husband and I bought our little house, I was excited about the setup: I’m not sure what the difference is beYou walk in to a living/eating/cooktween me and these people, but I suspect ing space, and then tucked off around a it has to do with what we need to stay corner is another room — our “family” sane. It’s a unique list for everyone. My room, I decided. list includes quiet time (that’s probably at The kids would play in the family room, the top), scripture study, sunshine, famI imagined, and we would keep the living ily, friends, novels, art, Netflix, interesting room in the front tidy for visitors. freelance work, a clean house, adventures, NOPE. exercise, chocolate, hugs and sleep.

Nope, nope, nope.

The clean house is on the list, you see, Dani Grigg is a Boise freelance writer, wife and Instead, the kids play in the family but so are a lot of other things. Often I room AND the living room, and we keep happy mother of two young sons. need the other things more, and the satisNOTHING tidy for visitors. faction of picking up toys is short lived.

The good news is today one room in my house is picked A grandma friend of mine recently told me her mantra from up. The bad news is it’s the hall and it doesn’t even count as when her kids were little: “Cleaning the house while the kids a room. The other bad news is I just checked and there are are growing is like shoveling the walk while it’s still snowing.” now four birthday party noisemakers, a matchbox truck and a That gets a huge AMEN from me, and a THANK YOU for McDonald’s toy on the floor in our tiny hall. letting me know I’m not the only one failing to keep up with You may be thinking, Why doesn’t she clean up her house? the mini tornados.

Or make her kids clean up her house? The answer is: I DO. So, yeah, most days (all days?) I’m walking around with But I’m living with two mini tornados. something missing from my sanity list. Often it’s the clean I know there are people out there with two or more small house.

But I’d like to think I’m passing for mostly sane, and I children and clean houses. Maybe you’re one of them. If so, know I’m in good company in the slightly crazy crowd. n

18 September / October 2015 | Christian Living

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COVER STORY The Brighter Side

Samantha Tucker — The fateful

Inset: Samantha Tucker must draw her bowstring with her teeth. (photo by Lia Coryell). Samantha in the grass (photo by Mary Lou Mobley)

By Ronald and Lisa Kern “You are Mine.” Those were the words Samantha Tucker heard from God on that autumn afternoon as she lay bleeding and mangled in a ditch after skidding off the road on her motorcycle near Fort Knox, Kentucky.

“I remember looking at my arm and thinking, ‘Oh…I’m going to lose that,’” Samantha says, recalling the events of that day in 2010.

Samantha Tucker is an Air Force veteran and was an 11-year civilian employee of the Army at the time of her accident. She was also struggling with the circumstances of her life — heading into her third divorce, her daughter living away with her ex-husband in Oklahoma, angry and bitter and trying to find a way to survive on her own. She had put in for a deployment in Afghanistan in order to earn extra money, but more so to escape the problems that burdened her heart.

20 September / October 2015 | Christian Living

It was a beautiful October morning and Sam had decided to enjoy it by riding her Harley Davidson to work. She arrived with elevated spirits, but as the day went on, her nerves started to fray and that anger and pain returned. Sam’s friends were going to a karaoke bar after work and invited her to join them.

She had already committed to helping a church group that evening with an event for special needs kids.

“I had a choice: go to church and help the kids, or go to the bar and listen to karaoke — and I didn’t choose the kids and I didn’t make it to the bar,” she says.

Sam was following her friends on a road that she had never travelled on before; it happened to be the road that military tanks used to get to the training grounds. The wide tracks of the tanks had broken down the asphalt on the corners and left debris along the edges of the road. She took a corner a bit wide and it proved to be disastrous.

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day God said, ‘You are Mine’

Samantha hugs young Liam at the UCO Endeavor Games. (photo by Aric Smith)

As she went down, Sam described it as “just like you see in the movies — everything in slow motion.

I can see the spokes of the wheel and the sparks, and I’m thinking ‘This can’t be happening. This can NOT be happening!’” The motorcycle dragged her down the highway and into the ditch, and the wheel was still spinning, pulling her sleeve into the drive belt and grinding into her left arm. She pushed off the spinning wheel with her other hand and got away from the bike, then ran down the highway screaming, “Oh God! Oh Jesus!”

Help came quickly, but it was a close call. Sam almost bled out there by the highway, but another soldier, who happened to have just finished his combat lifesaver course, stopped and had the supplies needed to tourniquet her arm. In shock, Samantha looked down and saw what was left of her arm, shredded down to the bone, and her thought was, “I hope this doesn’t screw up my deployment.”

Clearly, that deployment never happened. But what did happen was that Sam heard God speak to her that day. “You are Mine.” Simple words, but oh so powerful.

Samantha’s experience with the true God was brief, but her experience with religion had been a lifelong struggle. Her best vision of God’s love had come to her in the form of an interim pastor that she encountered in fourth grade. Her parents had invited him to their house and he spent just a few minutes on the front porch with her. He led her in a prayer to accept God into her life, and she describes him as “maybe an angel.” Just the embodiment of Jesus on earth, she felt.

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However, for the next 30 years or so, Sam’s relationship with religion left her much more jaded. Due to the expectations of herself and others, and the human failures of an imperfect church, she carried guilt and insecurity and felt she never really measured up. But when she heard those words, audibly, there in that ditch, it got her attention. And brought her an amazing peace. She finally knew that her relationship with God was real, that He truly cared for her and accepted her just the way she was — broken and battered, now literally.

“The woman that was carried out of that ditch was not the same woman that was dragged into the ditch,” Sam says now.

Her transformation was far more that just the physical injury that, while profound, serves as a daily reminder that God has a further purpose for her in this life. Sam says they had a conversation that day, that she would go to Haiti, to serve other amputees with Mission of Hope, among many other things, and she came to understand that she could absolutely rely on Him to equip her for her upcoming challenges.

Sam did lose her left arm below the elbow, and after her recovery she moved back to Idaho and decided she wanted to join her brother, a longtime bow hunter, on a hunting trip.

They went into a store to see what kind of options she might have and was flatly denied any options because of her condition. She almost gave up on that idea, but a job opportunity with a prosthetist took her to California, where she came into contact with Paralympic Archery Gold medalist Jeff Fabry.

Her dream was rekindled and she was introduced to mouthtab archery. Sam is one of only a few amputees who pulls her bowstring with her teeth, both a powerful and delicate skill.

After her first veterans’ sports clinic, it didn’t take long for her to realize, “Hey, this is something where I can actually help other people.” And that was all she wanted to do.

Samantha Tucker just finished her first international competition at the ParaPan Am Games in Toronto and is striving to make it to the Paralympics in Rio in 2016. Her ultimate goal career-wise is to win the Gold, but she realizes that that is important to her because it would give her a huge platform to use her experiences to help others. She has overcome a tremendous adversity in her life, and would not trade it for anything.

“If I could give that experience to everyone in the world, it would be so worth losing my arm.” n If you would like to help Sam reach her goal of going to the Paralympics, please contact Premier Athlete Sports Management at premierathletesm.com.

A former business owner in Meridian for more than 20 years, Ronald Kern and his wife, Lisa, are now retired. They are founders of Kern Ministry Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit Christian organization that provides life’s essentials, medical supplies and educational resources for children, families and communities worldwide. Kern is an entrepreneur, business and life consultant, author, motivational speaker and philanthropist. Contact him anytime at RonaldAKern.com or TheBrighterSide@icloud.com.

Christian Living | September / October 2015 21

CONSIDER This

Does modern culture dilute true faith?

By Dan Woodworth the branches. The one who remains In the last two issues of Christian Living (abides) in me, and I in him bears we engaged in a transformational discourse much fruit, for apart from me you about the difference between the Church can do nothing. in the book of Acts and the Church today.

Why don’t we remain in Him? Let’s Purity produced resurrection power in the discover together why we do not remain early Church. Today we generally do not in Him. Could it be that we are distracted experience the same power that the early with the busyness of our American culChurch experienced because tradition and ture? Could it be that we have so many our Western thinking process of our logical, conveniences such as remote controls for rational, analytical, cognitive and natural everything we can possibly imagine? Could mindset has diluted the raw resurrection it be that we are so sophisticated that we power of Christ. can practically do everything on our own?

In this issue I have a deep desire to explore Could it be that we have been duped by another difference maker. Religious ritual our television sets, smart phones, emails fits well into our Western culture because and all of our other electronic toys? there is very little difference between “reliCould it be that we know the drill? When gion” and our culture. we come to our church meetings, we know The dramatic difference that Jesus and His Dan Woodworth that there will be singing, maybe a prayer disciples experienced in the Gospels and the or two, a polished message, an offering, disciples experienced in the book of Acts is the perfect, pure and maybe a closing song or prayer? love of Christ. The Greek word for the love of our Abba and Could it be that we have been so “lulled to sleep” that Christ is agape. Most of us know the meaning of the word, we just go through the motions automatically without even but very few of us actually experience it. Why? Because the “thinking” of “engaging” because we are thinking about all spiritual hosts of wickedness fight day and night against that of our “problems” and the “busyness” of our lives that we agape in an attempt to stop us from experiencing it. are disconnected spiritually and emotionally from our Living Religious ritual or religious spirits are the craftiest of all deand Loving Lord? monic spirits. They say the right things and do the right things, Our pastors are so busy going to meetings, organizing but they cannot counterfeit the agape of Christ. So if Satan events and “putting out fires” that they rarely prioritize time and his hosts can infiltrate the Church with religious spirits, to pray. It is painful to realize that the average pastor in the then they can stop the work of Almighty God. United States prays eight minutes a day! Many have been Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 in the Greek: trained to use their “brain power” to be eloquent in preachIf I speak in the tongues of man and of angels, but ing and teaching. do not have AGAPE, I am a resounding gong and a The apostles in the book of Acts chose “deacons” to serve clanging symbol. And if I have the gift of prophecy the widows, but the apostles devoted themselves to the Word and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, of God and prayer (Acts 6:4.) and if I have all faith so I can remove mountains, Going back to John 15:5, Jesus speaks: Apart from me but do not have AGAPE, I am nothing. If I give away you can do nothing. What does that mean? I believe it everything I own, and if I surrender my body to be means that everything we think, speak and do is to be in “His burned, but do not have AGAPE, it benefits me nothPresence.” In other words, He wants us so consumed with ing. AGAPE is patient. AGAPE is kind. It does not His life in us that we don’t even think about separating our envy. AGAPE does not brag. It is not arrogant. It is lives from His. not rude. It is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered.

God is agape. (1 John 4:16). He is perfect pure agape.

It keeps no account of wrongs. It takes no pleasure in He knows everything. (He is omniscient.) He is all powerwrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. AGAPE covful. (He is omnipotent.) He is everywhere. (He is omnipresers or bears all things, believes all things, hopes all ent.) He has a Perfect Plan for our lives. We need to obey His things, endures all things. AGAPE never fails or ends. wonderful words in Luke 9:23-24: Well! We read those words or say those words out loud and If someone (you and me) wants to come after me, say to ourselves, “There is no way I can do that. That was for let him deny himself, and let him take up his cross Jesus and for Paul.” daily, and let him follow me. For whomever (you and No! No! No! Those words are for us! Our Astonishing Abba me) wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever wants those words to become “flesh.” In other words, He (you and me) loses his life for my sake, this person wants us to experience His agape and have those behaviors in will save it. For what good will it do a person (you our everyday lives. and me) who has gained the whole world, but has How can we do that? We do it by remaining in Christ. Listen lost or forfeited his very self ? to the words of our Captivating Christ in John 15:5: To die daily and lose ourselves in Him is a process of pain Remain (abide) in me and I will remain (abide) in and suffering that will give us far more than everything we you. Just as the branch is not able to bear fruit by could possibly desire and more (see Ephesians 3:20). To be itself, unless it remains (abides) in the vine, so neither transformed into His agape is the greatest blessing we will can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are ever experience.

22 September / October 2015 | Christian Living

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What do I mean? I have lost the ambition to prove myself to the church and the world. I am FREE from what people think about me. My life is in Christ! Is yours? I am FREE from my identity tied to what I own or what work I do! I am FREE to agape with the agape of Christ!

My identity is in Christ! I am His and He is mine. Paul wrote these words of Spirit and Life in Galatians 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ; and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

That experience has happened when we ask Christ to come and live in us. That daily experience needs to be intentional all day long every day. We must continually surrender our wills to Him and let Him feel, think, speak and live in us and through us.

We must be renewed in the spirit of our minds (Ephesians 4:23) to be set free from the “logical, natural mindset” and receive the mind of Christ to overcome “religion” and our “busyness” in our Western culture.

How does that happen?

1. We must speak the Word of God out loud and mediate in His Living Word for a few minutes every day. Say out loud 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 that I wrote in the fifth paragraph of this article. Let the Word of God become “flesh.”

2. We must passionately pray every day as if our lives depended on it and they do. Instead of making it a “duty,” let’s ask our Living Lord to give us a deep hunger to be in constant communion with Him in His agape. When He becomes our

life, we will have a deep desire to agape Him and want to be with Him and agape people the way He does.

Are you willing to lose all of your life to gain His? If you are, you will be misunderstood by many people and experience persecution because the devil hates agape. All who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12).

Listen to Jesus in Matthew 5:10-12 in The Message: “You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom. Not only that — count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me.

What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens — give a cheer, even! — for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.”

Dr. Dan Woodworth earned his Doctor of Ministry (DMin) degree from the King’s University in Los Angeles in 2009.

His passion is to encourage and empower people with the transforming power of hope and healing to become all they are created to be. He and his beautiful bride, Irene, have planted three churches. They are in the process of creating a cross/cultural, cross/generational healing community solving pressing problems in Boise and beyond.

He may be reached at dan@danwoodworth.org. n

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Christian Living | September / October 2015 23

YOUR Daily Bread

Teaching children money management

24 September / October 2015 | Christian Living

Terry Frisk is a partner in the firm B2B CFO, providing financial advisory services to small businesses.

He also counsels individuals on personal financial matters through the Cathedral of the Rockies Budget Counseling ministry. He may be contacted through e-mail at terry_frisk@msn.com.

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By Terry Frisk Financial stewardship is one of the most important lessons we can teach our children. Jesus talked about money more than any other subject. He devoted 11 parables to the subject and the Bible offers over 2,000 verses on money matters. With the lazy days of summer over and our kids heading back to school, now is a good time to start teaching good money habits.

Children recognize the value of money at an early age. They quickly learn that money can be used to obtain things they want. The best time to start teaching responsible spending behavior is when they are toddlers. Avoid buying your child something every time you are in a store. This encourages instant gratification that can lead to impulse spending later in life. When at a store together, if they ask you to buy something, explain that the purpose of the shopping trip is for something else like food for dinner or supplies for home. Then, stick to it. You want to discourage the behavior of desiring new things every time you shop and teach them to avoid impulse buying.

Another tactic is to engage them in the purpose of your shopping trip. If you are grocery shopping, let them choose a component of the meal. This may mean you have sliced bananas with your chicken breast, but they learn healthy shopping habits that avoid frivolous spending.

As children get older, the lessons should turn to handling cash. There are a lot of different opinions on when to start giving kids an allowance and how much to give them. I believe parents should start as soon as the children are able to understand the denominations, which is somewhere between age 7 and 9. The lessons you want to teach at this age are saving, giving and spending. To teach these concepts, I like using three jars: one designated for saving, one for giving and one for spending. Have them put equal amounts of their allowance in each jar and help them define how the money will be used.

There should be a goal for the money in the savings jar and that goal should be attainable within a foreseeable time frame. For younger children, that could be six to eight weeks. As they get older, establishing goals that take longer to achieve teaches patience. The giving jar teaches giving back to God and sharing with others. Have them start giving to their church with money from this jar. Also, help them select additional ways to help others with money from this jar.

Finally, the spending jar is to be used at their discretion. They may choose to spend it immediately or they may add it to their spending jar or giving jar. Discourage them from raiding their saving and giving jars for spending and if they make a spending decision they regret, avoid bailing them out.

The point is to get them to think about their spending before proceeding.

As they become teenagers, start teaching about budgeting. Start with identifying their income amount and allocate that income based on their goals. These goals should be an extension of earlier concepts of saving, giving and spending, but should have a more focused, longer term vision.

Savings goals might include college funding, purchase of a car or other high ticket item that may require saving for a long period of time. Giving may involve making a pledge to support their church or other charity and fulfilling that pledge.

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Spending is the last item to consider after setting saving and giving goals. Identifying how much is available for spending, and tracking that spending to avoid overspending, is the most important lesson they can learn.

Let them make mistakes. It is better for them to make small mistakes and learn the hard way when they are young than later in life when the stakes are higher and the mistakes are more costly.

Money management skills are important lessons we can teach our children. Starting early, being consistent and, most importantly, setting good examples for our children are the keys to teaching healthy spending habits. Start now! n Want to re-read a past article?

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Christian Living | September / October 2015 25

BUSINESS Spotlight

Fitness pro focuses on mind, body and spirit

Brandon Jenkins knows personally the struggle to overcome food addictions and feelings of low self-worth. His fitness training is threefold, dealing with the mind, body and spirit of an individual. (Courtesy photo)

By Gaye Bunderson The Bible tells us we are fearfully and wonderfully made, the work of God’s own hands. Unfortunately, the world we inhabit messes with His perfect design, and our bodies suffer from neglect, gluttony and other harmful things. Brandon Jenkins knows all this from experience of the most personal kind. As a child, he lived in what he calls “a pretty chaotic environment.”

To cope, he took comfort in food and began struggling with his weight. At his heaviest he weighed almost 300 pounds, adding to his feelings of low self-worth. “When I was 19, I decided that enough was enough, and I was no longer going to be a victim of my weight. I took my life and happiness into my own hands and began to exercise. In the course of a year I was able to lose over 100 pounds and have kept it off to this day,” Jenkins explains on his website at bornagainfitness.com.

He became a personal trainer eight years ago and said, “I have enjoyed every minute of it.”

Four years ago, he opened Born Again Fitness in the basement below the chiropractic offices of Martin S. Donaldson at 1203 10th St. in Nampa; the two men attend the same church. In Jenkins’ space, there is fitness equipment, a representation of Jesus, and Christian music playing softly on a radio.

Because he survived a difficult childhood and being overweight, Jenkins understands that good health is more than veggies and

26 September / October 2015 | Christian Living

treadmills. It’s getting to the core of what motivates someone to overeat and lose interest in staying healthy.

“You have to look at the ‘why’ behind overeating,” he said.

“As you deal with all this, it’s easier. You’re not fighting with yourself. … You’re feeling it, not running from it.”

That’s why he espouses a method of weight loss that incorporates the three parts of a person: body, mind and spirit.

Without looking at all three components, Jenkins said, people may eat less and exercise more but ultimately fail at health goals because they haven’t dealt with the underlying causes of their need to overindulge.

“You have to unearth all those buried feelings,” he said.

“People come seeking fitness but are looking for something deeper.”

He’s willing to go the distance with them; it’s a journey he and his clients take together. Because he has a background in psychology and is working toward his master of social work degree at Boise State, he’s professionally capable of helping someone explore their interior self while working on their exterior.

He received certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine, is a certified personal trainer, certified bodybuilding instructor, and is certified in sports nutrition. He is interning for his drug and alcohol counselor certificate.

Frequently, when people struggle with weight, they “selfmedicate” with food, particularly bad food, so he teaches the elements of good nutrition. They may also turn to drugs and alcohol, and that’s why he’s gaining knowledge in that area.

“You can self-medicate with anything,” Jenkins said, calling addiction a spiritual issue. When he began to lose weight in his 20s, he even got addicted to bodybuilding, taking it to extremes. Building muscle gave him a sense of security. “I wanted to protect myself, my ‘inner child,’” he said.

He deliberately keeps his in-person client numbers low — currently, he has around 20 that are a diverse group of males and females — but has a large following through his website.

“It’s a blessing. With the Internet you can reach more people,” he said, explaining he even has international clients.

He’s on Facebook at Born Again Fitness Personal Training & Weight Loss Coaching.

He also works as a trainer at Anytime Fitness in Caldwell.

He said the space below the chiropractor’s office is “just the beginning.”

Jenkins, now 40, once wanted to be a homicide detective, but that wasn’t in the cards. “The Lord has shown me, along the way, that I’m a people person,” he said. “This is not just a job; it’s a way to witness.

“This is what I want and hope to give to my clients: a new lease on life and a new way to deal with the stresses of the world. You don’t have to hide behind layers of fat and baggy clothes anymore. I want you to know that inside and out you are a beautiful child of God and your worth is infinite.” n

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ROGER Warrick

From helicopter pilot to veterans’ chaplain

By Bene’ Paul Roger Warrick had been a heavy drinking helicopter pilot when God got a hold of him. A graduate of Meridian High School, Roger began his military career at the age of 17, shortly after the Korean Conflict ended. He held all the positions on a tank crew including tank commander by the time he was 22.

Then he was off to Officer’s Candidate School at the Idaho Military Academy, graduating with the commission of second lieutenant. After attending two more schools, he earned the rating for both helicopter pilot and fixed wing pilot. Altogether he flew 19 different makes and models of military aircraft and served over 26 years with the Idaho Air National Guard.

Many pilots hit the bar and drink heavily after flying, and Roger was no exception. He had begun drinking at age 17 when he joined the military. It wasn’t until he decided to marry for the second time that Roger decided to let Jesus take over the pilot’s seat of his life. Roger credits the pastor who performed the wedding to his wife, Coral, with leading them both to the Lord. Thanks to the power of the Holy Spirit, Roger has been sober for 37 years. Together, Roger and Coral have raised seven children.

While serving in the Idaho Guard part-time, Roger became a successful real estate agent in the Treasure Valley. He and Coral worked their real estate business as a team. Still involved in ministry, Roger was a part of an advance team that went to the Philippines to prepare for a Kenneth Copeland crusade.

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There, he spoke to several groups, including the country’s leadership. In 1981, Roger and Coral put real estate on hold and went to Bible school in Torrance, Calif. for two years.

While in California, the couple taught an adult Sunday school class on a biblical approach to success, motivation and communication. Upon graduation from Bible school, they came back to Boise, where Roger served as a volunteer youth pastor for awhile. As a youth pastor, and always a hunter and a fisherman, Roger took the youth on a two-day fishing trip.

He was awakened in the middle of the night and compelled to pray fervently. He didn’t know why, but he continued to pray.

Shortly thereafter a rock broke loose and came rolling down the hill, just missing his head by inches. Needless to say, Roger believes in the power of prayer.

In 2010, Roger joined the American Legion. He was chaplain of the Legion for three years. For many years, he has been a supporter of the Boise Rescue Mission. Three years ago, he was asked to become the veterans’ chaplain at the Rescue Mission. The Mission offered to pay him, but Roger chose to be a volunteer. Due to a lifetime of successful sales and generous giving, Roger and Coral live debt free.

“Many homeless veterans are alcohol or drug addicts,” Roger said. “I can relate to them, and they trust me because I had an alcohol problem too.”

Continued on page 35

(208) 467-6066

Christian Living | September / October 2015 27

CHALLENGING Faith

Right thinking: Get to or got to?

By Joel Lund Every day we learn something new about running our company, especially since it is Internet based, for the most part.

Communicating isn’t easy. Doing it well, less easy.

Sometimes it feels so hard, it’s tempting to drift into a bad attitude. There are some days when that is really tempting.

Ever have days like that?

The good news is that we get to choose our view.

We have a slew of digital tools that are anything but simple to use. We send out business newsletters, and you may send out newsletters too. We can almost hear you snort while slapping your hand to your forehead. We feel for you.

Still, anyone who has used technology of any kind has at some point declared — loud enough to startle someone — “I hate technology!” Come on now, be honest. You know you have.

When technology works, it’s pretty great.

But when it doesn’t... sigh.

We sigh a lot at Prepare For Rain.

When worlds collide

Embracing the challenge

And we’re glad we get to do all of this. Because all of these tools enhances our ability to inspire and influence people to “prepare for rain” in their lives.

A field has to be planted before it can yield a crop. It’s work. Hard, hot and demanding work. For our dreams to be realized we must lean in and act. And act like we mean it.

We each get to choose every day how we engage our lives.

Sure, we can approach life’s challenges with an attitude of “I’ve got to” do something. But it sure feels better to intentionally seize the day with a full-bodied “I get to” Joel Lund, CEO of Prepare For Rain, is a do this. certified business and life coach, specializing Go ahead. Indulge me. Close your eyes in helping people powerfully use their unand try on each attitude: “get to” versus tapped strengths to make a lasting impact in “got to.” private, public and church sectors. He is an Which one feels better? Which one award-winning author in non-fiction and empowers you? fiction (under his pen-name Brandon King).

Amazing, isn’t it? What a difference one Starting in his teens, Joel has been inspiring little letter can make. audiences all over North America. In a forJust think what a difference your consismer life, he earned two degrees in Christian tent choice will make. studies and served full-time for eight years in youth ministry. Looking for resources? Visit Joel at PrepareForRain.com.

Between Microsoft, WordPress, Apple, iTunes, Adobe Creative Cloud, Amazon, Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, HootSuite, CreateSpace, Twitter, LeadPages, AWeber, vCita, Instagram, Trello, Evernote, DropBox, EventBrite, HP, Toshiba, iPad, iPhone, Canon, Linksys... and a bunch of other pieces of tech, there’s a lot that can go sideways.

And you know what? It does!

It’s amazing how many of these things have become totally embedded in our lives when not many years ago they were just a creative idea in someone else’s innovative head. But they’re here to stay. Sigh (again).

So we keep at the steep learning curve, embracing the amazing benefits these tools bring us. It’s part of the deal of building a company like ours. When we can, we delegate.

Quite a few people have helped us in the past — or do now — with various aspects of marketing, designing or supporting what we’re creating.

28 September / October 2015 | Christian Living

Getting there

Sure, we sigh a lot at Prepare For Rain. But we laugh more than we sigh. A lot more.

Because we get to be fully involved with what matters to us. We get to meet the coolest people. We get to collaborate. We get to learn and share.

We get to struggle. We get to wonder when things won’t be quite as hard...and we can worry less along the journey. Even then, we get to make a difference.

We get to discover more dreams we have. We get to come alongside people and help them bring their dreams into reality.

We get to see our work impact others in positive, life-transforming ways.

Your turn! You get to or you got to. It all starts with your choice. Isn’t it fantastic that you get to?

If you would like a complimentary inspirational ebook titled “Reclaim Your Dream,” you may download it at www.prepareforrain.com/ebook. n

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MARRIAGE Toolbox

A silent killer that wrecks relationships

Beware the silent killer of complancency in your marriage (stock photo)

By Leo Hellyer In each of the Marriage Toolbox columns I have tried to provide you with tools that you can put into your personal Marriage Toolbox to help you have a lifelong, God honoring marriage. We have examined many different challenges or threats to biblical marriages. Disunity, disharmony, disagreement, and division can all destroy a marriage from the inside.

There are many challenges outside of our marriages that can drastically affect the health of the relationships between men and women who are trying to honor God by being the husbands and wives He designed them to be. There is one challenge to our marriages that is a silent killer, which lurks in the background of our relationship, and that tries to slowly sap the strength and excitement out of this God ordained lifelong bond. Many married couples, some of whom have been married for a number of years, are feeling the effects of complacency, familiarity, and lack of desire or willingness to make changes.

One of the best ways to survive in combat situations, or in life situations in society, is to be aware of your surroundings. How many times have you observed someone so deeply involved in their cell phone, MP3, magazine, or whatever that they walked right into a pole, tree, or the street, without being aware of what they were doing? Sometimes we live the same way in our marriages. We are living life in our marriage like we have blinders on.

30 September / October 2015 | Christian Living

I am writing primarily to husbands in this month’s column, but women can benefit from reading this, seeing what a biblical husband is, and how he should be treating his wife. Single men and women can discover how their marriages should function and what type of a spouse to be looking for.

Men, please find a Christian man who you can be a sponge around and soak up everything he can give you about becoming and maintaining a life as a husband who glorifies God. One of my mentors, Dennis Rainey, and his wife Barbara created a great resource, The FamilyLife Marriage Bible. They presented a copy of The FamilyLife Marriage Bible to my wife and me on a Love Like You Mean It Marriage Cruise and wrote in a scripture reference that should speak to all of us as we seek to be godly husbands and wives. The scripture is Psalm 112: 1-2: Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, Who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed.

Men and women, we are to fear the lord, delight in His commandments and be upright. Our marriages are the foundation of our society. We must have vibrant, God honoring, God following marriages for us as couples to be blessed, and for our society to be blessed. Each one of us must do our part, and see what our brothers and sisters do, as their part.

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Isolation between a husband and wife can start very slowly and can end up being devastating to a marriage. A number of years ago Dennis came up with “9 Steps to Defeat Isolation in Your Marriage.” They include: • Learn about God’s blueprints for marriage • Reaffirm your commitment • Deal with your selfishness • Begin to pray with your Leo Hellyer is a non-staff pastor with a local church and has been married to his wife, spouse Norma, for 42 years. The couple volunteered • Develop your relational with FamilyLife on its Boise ministry team skills for 20 years. They are both employed by Boise • Spend focused time Rescue Mission Ministries, Norma at City together Light Home for Women & Children and Leo • Attend a Weekend to at River of Life Rescue Mission. They may Remember Getaway • Start or attend a Home- be reached at silverplate426@msn.com. If you have questions about Marriage Toolbox, Builders couples series or need other assistance, Leo may be reached small group Bible study at (208) 344-1357.

• Depend on God’s power to build your marriage Franklin Graham, president of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, said God is clear about the definition of marriage in His Holy Word: Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh (Genesis 2:24). We are to leave mom and dad, and we are to become one flesh, physically, mentally, and spiritually.

We are to be the light in a world of darkness. It is our responsibility to shine brightly for all to see. God honoring marriages are a reflection of the Trinity. God will not only give you and your spouse the ability and desire to love and support each other through everything you face as a married couple, but He will give you the ability to love those who openly challenge the foundation of your lives together.

God is a God of Love; as Christ followers we are to be men and women of love, husbands and wives of love. God is also a God of Truth, and we should be husbands and wives of truth. The key is, we need to, with God’s help and direction, speak the truth in LOVE to each other, and to the society around us.

How do we revitalize our marriages? We get closer to God. We spend time talking with God. We place our focus on God, and our spouse, and not ourselves or our selfish desires. We love our spouse by being present physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We lead sacrificially, with service, provision, and by honoring our spouse. God loves us unconditionally, and that is exactly how we are to love our spouse.

God gave you your spouse as a gift from Him; God gave you to your spouse as a gift for your spouse. If we allow God to be the glue in all aspects of our marriage, we will have a vibrant, loving, God honoring, passionate, light shining marriage that will last a lifetime. n

Christian Living | September / October 2015 31

MAXIMUM Health

How to shop like a doc for healthful food

By Rosie Main I want to share with you our family’s healthful eating shopping list. Of course start where you can but start making life-changing choices for your family and their health.

Shopping list:

Read the ingredients. Look for short ingredient lists.

Produce: Dirty Dozen: You want to buy these products organically. When grown conventionally, these products contain very high amounts of pesticides.

1. Peaches (highest pesticide level) 2. Apples (Granny Smith) 3. Bell peppers 4. Celery 5. Nectarines 6. Strawberries 7. Cherries 8. Kale 9. Lettuce/Spinach 10. Grapes (imported) 11. Carrots 12. Pears (lower pesticide level but still pretty high)

Clean 15: Save money on these: 1. Onions 2. Avocado 3. Sweet corn 4. Pineapple 5. Mango 6. Asparagus 7. Sweet peas 8. Kiwi 9. Cabbage 10. Eggplant 11. Papaya 12. Watermelon 13. Broccoli 14. Tomato 15. Sweet potatoes Fruits: Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and green apples.

Choose these because they contain the least amount of sugar (low glycemic index).

When choosing fruits and veggies: 1. Fresh fruit contains the most nutrients.

2. Frozen fruit is good for smoothies.

3. Canned fruit has the fewest nutrients and probably contains additives.

Bulk:

Go with raw nuts, seeds. No sugar, no additives or preservatives.

• Cashews • Almonds • Pecans • Macadamia nuts • Brands: Navitas Naturals and Go Raw

Oils:

Cooking oils: Buy minimally processed, extra virgin (cold pressed) oils in dark, glass containers.

• Grapeseed oil • Coconut oils (medium high heat) • Olive oil (low heat only) • Avocado oil • Walnut oil • Balsamic vinegar, for dressing • No canola oil

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Meats: Look for grass fed, free range, hormone free, antibiotic free. No additives such as food colorings, sugars, nitrites/nitrates.

1. Fish: Wild caught, not farm raised • Best: Pacific salmon, mahi-mahi, mackerel, and halibut • Avoid shellfish, tuna and cod (large toxic loads) 2. Beef/Lamb: Grass fed (look for green label); contains good fats in the ideal ratio 4:1 3. Chicken/Turkey: No antibiotics/hormones. Free range. Naturally raised.

4. Turkey Bacon/Packaged Meats: Look for no nitrites/nitrates 5. No pork. Highly acidic with large toxic loads Examples: Bacon, pepperoni, ham, ribs, pork chops

Dairy:

Beverages:

• Whole milk: No hormones, antibiotics or pesticides • Made from cows not treated with rBGH or rBST • Full fat, plain Greek yogurt — no sugar • Real butter: Organic, full fat • Margarine: Plastic — yucky • Raw cheese: Organic Valley brand • Also, try raw goat milk cheese; brands include Mt. Sterling or Alta Dena • Dairy alternative: Coconut milk— buy in a can, not in a carton (the carton has additives and preservatives)

Coffee/Tea • Chlorine free filters or French press • Swiss water decaf: Decaffeinated coffee is generally high in toxins because of chemical processing.

Juice • Organic, raw Kombucha; high in probiotics • Coconut water • Fruit juice generally contains the same amount or more sugar than a can of soda. If you must, look for unpasteurized and nothing from concentrate.

Containers: Stainless steel or glass only

Eggs: Cage free, hormone free, antibiotic free

Grains: • Ezekiel brand bread/tortillas Cereal/Pasta: • 7 Sprouted Grains brand • Food for Life brand

The inside aisles:

Canned and packaged foods: Stay out of this area of the store as much as possible. Most of your food should come from the outside ring of the store. In the aisles you will find foods generally void of nutrients, full of many additives and preservatives used to increase the shelf life of the food.

While many of these options are not “bad” for you, they don’t provide maximized nutrients.

Nut butters: • Raw not roasted • Almond butter • Cashew butter • Tahini butter (from sesame seeds)

Continued on page 34

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Christian Living | September / October 2015 33

Healthful food

Continued from page 33

Hummus:

Miscellaneous:

Crackers/Chips:

• Ecos Laundry Detergent • Spry Gum (no aspartame, xylitol sweetened) • Dr. Bronner’s Soap • Lara Bars (raw fruit and nut bars) • Kind Bars (can get at Starbucks) • 7th Generation Diapers (chlorine free)

• Made from garbanzo/tahini (sesame seed) • Look for olive oil as a main ingredient • Good with fresh veggies • Mary’s Gone Crackers brand • Made from brown rice and seeds, gluten free

Sweeteners/Cooking Aisle: • Stevia • Raw honey • Pure maple syrup • Coconut palm sugar • Coconut flakes-unsweetened • Coconut flour • Almond meal • Flax seed meal • Bob’s Red Mill brand • Unsweetened cocoa powder • Sea salt-real salt • Coconut aminos: Soy sauce alternative, Coconut Secret brand

Broth:

• Organic, free range • No sugar added • No MSG • Imagine brand

Canned:

• Olives • Tomatoes • Beans • Coconut milk • Organic salsa: Amy’s brand

Also go to healthyhomecompany.com/529731 for toxic free personal hygiene and home cleaning products.

Avoid:

1. Sugar: • Sugar is an anti-nutrient.

• Sugar causes inflammation and leads to many diseases.

• Cancer cells use sugar as their main source of energy.

The many names of sugar: High fructose corn syrup, brown sugar, molasses, honey, cane sugar, evaporated cane juice, dextrose, fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose, maltodextrin, xanthan gum, sorbitol, barley malt, caramel, ethyl maltol, sucralose (actually just processed garbage) and many more The many sources of sugar: Breads, oats, grains, rice, potatoes, corn, pastas, fruit, condiments, processed meats, packaged foods

Rosie Main 2. Bad oils: • Damaged fats are altered in the process of extracting them from their sources.

• Your body cannot recognize or metabolize these fats.

• They cling to cell membranes, prevent cellular detoxification and contribute to weight gain.

Examples: • Canola oil: Unfortunately, this stuff is in almost everything...watch out for it.

• CAN-Canadian OLA-oil…Canadian oil. It doesn’t even come from a plant.

• Soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, and vegetable oils are also bad.

Rosie Main is a chiropractor, USA team doctor and a Maximized Living doctor. She owns Main Health Solutions at 2300 W. Everest Lane, Suite 175, in Meridian.

She is also the host of Maximized Living Radio on 94.1 The Voice and KIDO 580 AM. Get a copy of the Maximized Living Recipe Book for Core and Advance Plans, as well as information on Shop with Doc, by calling (208) 859-6170 or rjmaindc@yahoo.com. For other information, visit MaximizedLivingDrMain.com.

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Continued from page 27

He cares for them, prays for them, and helps them become self-sufficient. He helps them find jobs, housing, and apply for Social Security or disability insurance. He has led many of them to the Lord. Since he has become veterans’ chaplain, over 140 have come through the program and found housing.

He can remember only two or three who have dropped out.

“This is a very successful program,” Roger said.

Often you will find Roger at the Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery, conducting a funeral for a member of the American Legion or for a homeless vet. Every funeral and every wedding that he conducts contains a message of salvation for those who attend. Or you might find him in a supermarket parking lot, helping someone find their car, or praying for their healing. Roger truly lives the verse, “Inasmuch as you have done it unto... these, you have done it unto me.”

Veterans receive services at three Rescue Mission locations in the Treasure Valley: River of Life Men’s Shelter, City Lights Women’s and Children’s Shelter, and the Lighthouse Rescue Mission in Nampa. For more information, you can call Russ Taylor, director of the Veterans’ Program, at (208) 389-9840.

Bene’ Paul obtained her B.A. and M.A. in communications at San Jose State College. She has written and edited newsletters for a variety of political and business groups and for Christian singles in the Sacramento, Calif. area. Currently, she is a freelance writer and a business marketing coach in the Treasure Valley. She may be reached at bene_paul@yahoo.com.

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Christian Living | September / October 2015 35

DAVID’S Hope

Nampa woman launches miscarriage ministry

Lenette Jackson, executive director of David’s Hope, personally creates something she calls a Memory Box for parents who’ve lost a baby. (Photo by Gaye Bunderson)

By Gaye Bunderson Trying to turn a personal tragedy into something positive, Lenette Jackson started a pregnancy loss ministry she calls David’s Hope. Jackson, whose husband Randy is a pastor at Nampa’s First Southern Baptist Church, experienced two miscarriages, one in 2008 and another in 2010. Both fetuses were male.

“There was not a lot of help available,” Jackson said. “My midwife said, ‘Go bury him in the garden.’ I cried and said, ‘He’s not a puppy.’”

The medical term for a miscarriage is “spontaneous abortion,” and Jackson said it hurt to see her pregnancy loss referred to that way, even though she acknowledges it was only a medical reference.

After Jackson went through a time of grieving, David’s Hope officially launched in October of 2014. The name was chosen based on King David’s response after the loss of a son born from his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba. In 2 Samuel 12:22-23, David is quoted as saying: “While the child was still

36 September / October 2015 | Christian Living

alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”

The Jacksons have hope through faith.

“God, when He creates life, that baby had a purpose, and we believe we’ll have the opportunity to see that baby again,” Jackson said.

There is nothing that remains of a child who dies in utero or just after birth, and that complicates the grieving process.

There’s no birth certificate, no photos, and no memories to fall back on. In 2009, Jackson tried to get a bill passed in the Idaho Legislature that would at least allow for a death certificate for any baby who dies at any stage of pregnancy. “A death certificate gives proof of their existence,” she said.

The legislature did not pass such a bill, so Jackson created a Certificate of Life that she gives to grieving parents. The certificate reads, in part: “This child is hereby acknowledged as a full member of the family, and is an equal creation deserving

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of the same inherent and immeasurable value and capacity to be loved as all other human beings created in the image of God. By virtue of being conceived, the spirit of this child lives eternally with Jesus and in the heart and mind of the family, now and forevermore.”

Jackson encourages parents to give their lost child a name. “A name gives the child an identity,” she said.

She named one of her babies Esias Samuel Boaz Jackson.

“It’s a big name, and he was so tiny. We were able to hold him in our hands, and he was perfect.” The other child was named Elizar David.

One mother referred to the baby she lost as “Little Peanut,” a nickname given out of love and as an act of solace.

David’s Hope is now partnering with Cloverdale Funeral Home, and the Jacksons will help perform a memorial service for a baby. After the memorial service, there is a balloon release. Parents may write poems or prayers. “Anything that gives them healing and relief,” Jackson said.

There are funds she refers to as “scholarships” for people in need to help with the costs of burying a baby.

She is getting requests for help from all over through her David’s Hope Ministry Facebook page. “I counsel a lot of women over the phone.”

Something special she does for mothers is prepare a container filled with mementos, which she calls a Memory Box. She includes a personal handwritten letter, a card, and booties and blankets handmade by volunteers. “Just so the mother has something to remember the baby by,” she said.

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For more information about David’s Hope, call Lenette Jackson at (208) 899-3676 or email davidshopeministry@ gmail.com. Find David’s Hope Ministry on Facebook, follow on Twitter @davidshopemin and Instagram at davidshopeministry.

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In one instance, friends threw a grieving mother something they called “a life shower,” and each participant signed the Certificate of Life.

According to statistics provided by Jackson, 1 in 4 pregnancies ends in miscarriage. A mother has to have experienced three miscarriages before a health insurance provider will pay for a diagnosis as to the cause. Sixty percent of all miscarriages are preventable, she said.

David’s Hope is still seeking 501(c)(3) status but has a board of directors comprised primarily of pastors at this point. A professional counselor who is not on the board volunteers some time to help counsel troubled parents, and Jackson is working to get licensing for lay counseling.

Men and women deal differently with the loss of a baby, but counseling is available for fathers as well.

“Everything we do is absolutely free,” Jackson said.

The Jacksons have two children, a 13-year-old daughter and a 16-year-old son. Theirs and other families will mark Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, a national event, at 7 p.m. October 15, at Cloverdale Cemetery in Boise. Anyone interested is welcome to attend. For more information, go to www.october15th.com. n

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Christian Living | September / October 2015 37

RADICAL for the Lord

When God said ‘move,’ the Wheelers packed up

Ethan and Kimberley Wheeler have taken their family of four children off to Thailand. The adult Wheelers will help girls caught up in sex trafficking.

(Courtesy photo)

By Hilarey Johnson Ethan and Kimberley Wheeler left August 25 with their children and a handful of packed trunks to spend two years in Chang Rai, Thailand working for Destiny Rescue, an organization seeking to end child sexual exploitation and slavery.

The Wheelers both grew up in the Treasure Valley but didn’t meet until college. Kimberley was a student at Boise State and was volunteering at Ronald McDonald House when a couple from a local church came in to drop off some food for a family.

She was impressed by the homemade bread and jam and decided she wanted to know about a church where people were “that friendly.” She looked at the address on the donation and decided to visit.

It happened to be the same church Ethan attended with his parents, and that’s where he and Kimberley met. They will celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary September 2015 — their first month in northern Thailand.

They have four children: three daughters, ages 12, 10 and 5; and a 9-year-old son.

Ethan says he never felt called to missions and has never even desired to go on a short-term mission. But in the spring of 2008, he attended a worship concert by Christian musician Kirk Franklin. During the middle of the event, the music was stopped for a presentation on child sex-trafficking. Ethan’s oldest daughter was 5 years old then.

“That’s where God got a hold of my heart the first time,” he said.

Ethan left the venue feeling wrecked, angry. He sat in the parking lot alone for over an hour, speaking and crying with

38 September / October 2015 | Christian Living

Kimberley on the phone. After trying to process it, the couple began to research trafficking. They prayed together, and with others. However, they couldn’t find anything tangible to do about it at the time, so they grew frustrated.

“At least in my case, I shut myself off to the whole thing,” said Ethan.

They did find information about sponsoring at-risk girls in what are called “prevention homes” but didn’t understand how prevention homes worked. Now, they feel trafficking prevention is a needed and valuable way to spend time and money, but at the time, it felt empty to them.

Things have changed so much in the last seven years that Ethan believes if he were to first hear about the issue now, it would be easy to find a place to plug into and support. However, God was preparing Ethan and Kimberley for a different call. He was moving them away from a place of being shut off.

“We had basically been living in that mode for several years,” Ethan said. Then, last December, Kimberley discovered Destiny Rescue.

But that’s only part of their story, following that concert in 2008. They lost a full-term son. “That really changed our lives,” Kimberley said. Then, their 3-year-old son displayed signs of autism. The day after their son’s diagnosis, they found out they were pregnant with their fourth child, a daughter.

During that pregnancy, Kimberley began to have serious complications. She spent three months in the hospital. “The timing — having those things happen — really pulled us away from any other focus,” said Kimberley. Ethan agreed. He began to hold less tightly to his career, giving up what he named his “35-year plan.”

“Going through those difficult things helped us to grow as a couple,” Kimberley said.

“Sometimes when you go through tragedy, you don’t want it to be…wasted,” Ethan said. “We prayed, ‘OK God, I hope that you’re preparing us for something. That you’re using it.’”

They don’t claim Thailand is the end point, just another step on the path God is moving them on.

Speaking of that time, Ethan clings to the scripture in James 1:2-4 (NIV): Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

“I don’t think we’re complete,” he laughed. As it turned out, God’s will was for the Wheelers to sell their home and move their family mere months after finding out about the opportunity, and less than a year after they first heard about Destiny Rescue.

The Wheelers had friends who also spent a year in Chang Rai, serving with House of Grace, a prevention home. The friends mentioned to Kimberley that they’d seen another big, crazy American family in the area — and that the family worked for Destiny Rescue. Kimberley looked up the organization and told Ethan, “Look, their rescue agents actually go into these brothels and take the kids out!”

Not only do they extract girls from brothels who want a different life, they help them cope with the trauma and teach them skills to support themselves in their new life. It’s a risky job, and sometimes agents have to leave when their cover identity is compromised.

www.boisechristianliving.com

For more information on Destiny Rescue, see destinyrescue.org. To keep up to date with the Wheelers’ adventures and support needs, see their blog and website: WheelsOverAsia.com.

Hilarey Johnson lives in Meridian with her family, glancing nervously at the impending empty nest. She is a reluctant runner but plans to run four half marathons this October to support Heaven’s Gate orphanages in India. She writes “redemptive fiction,” and teaches martial arts at Family Tang Soo Do. She blogs infrequently at Hilarey.com, where you can learn more about her upcoming martial arts fantasy novel.

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When Ethan heard that, he immediately wanted to be a part of it. “That’s every guy’s instinct,” he said regarding live rescues.

He knows many organizations have a different focus, and the diversity is what will most help in the fight against human trafficking. “Prevention is always better than rescue,” said Ethan. But Destiny Rescue focuses primarily on girls who are currently being trafficked.

When he sent his resume, he wrote that he would do anything, serve wherever it was needed. His new title will be “International Operations Coordinator.” Because of Destiny Rescue’s rapid expansion, the organization needs help with logistics, contracts, training new country managers, administrative support, and hiring. He will likely fill in other capacities, whenever possible.

Kimberley’s role won’t change much, only her view. Though she plans to volunteer at Destiny Rescue, she will still primarily be a mom and a wife, as well as a homeschool teacher. She is sad to see her children’s current friendships put on hold, but she looks forward to the first time she will see the faces of Destiny Rescue’s girls.

Kimberley will have help. Kaneda Drake, the pastor’s daughter from their home church, Calvary Chapel Meridian, will travel with them. Kaneda will live with them and help Kimberley balance some of the rigors of homeschool and specific attention requirements of their family. Kimberley hopes it is encouraging if anyone has ever thought, “We couldn’t do that, we have a child with special needs.”

The kids are excited too. They are quick to practice Thai greetings and speculate about the country’s floating market and annual lantern festival. The oldest daughter has been exchanging letters with an American girl who lives there now. While sharing their interests, the Wheelers’ daughter wrote that she loves gymnastics and sewing.

The other girl said she likes ostriches and riding elephants.

The kids have seen their parents’ broken hearts over the issue of child sex-trafficking, and in each of their own age-appropriate ways, they understand their daddy will be helping to rescue girls who are slaves.

Ethan remembers, “When God changed it up on us, He said ‘Go,’ and we said, ‘Really? Are you sure?’” But when they land in Chang Rai, it will have only been three months since they first accepted the position. The main thing, they believe, is when God says to move, you do. And sometimes that move takes you across the world.

“It’s surprising how long it takes to sell everything you own,” said Kimberley, speaking of their home, vehicles and most of their possessions.

“Not every Christian has to drop everything that they’re doing and everything they own,” Ethan said.

The Wheelers understand they are radical, even in the Christian community.

“There is a right way and a wrong way to become missionaries,” said Ethan when speaking about the average seven-year process of school, training, funding, proper preparation, and ‘dipping your toes’ in short-term missions. “We are doing it the wrong way.”

But the Wheelers also know human reasoning didn’t build the church. “When Jesus called the disciples, that’s not how it worked,” Ethan said. He is content to be radical.

“God called us, and we are going. I don’t know what else to tell you. When He calls, you go. Why do you have to prepare? Why do you have to get ready? Why can’t you just say ‘yes, God, whatever you want me to do, I’ll do today’?”

Ethan encourages everyone to just let God work through their weakness. “Whether that’s dropping everything and going to Thailand, or going on a date with your wife because you’ve been neglecting her, spending time with your kids, changing jobs, or staying at your job…whatever. If he says move, move. If he says stay, stay.

“When God calls you to do something, you have two choices. You say yes or you say no. Those are your choices.” n

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Christian Living | September / October 2015 39