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Today, in the Dalton community, the region’s best cardiovascular care is just one heartbeat away, at Hamilton Health.
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About Us
WRITERS
Dr. Alan Hix
Brian Branam
Charles Finney
Corrie Vallance
Dorothy Teague
Filip Brunner
Jade Morgan
Jon Mann
Juliana Horatia Ewing
Rick Hughes
Sandra Gilmore
Thomas Morrison
SALES
Matthew Ruckman
423-503-1410
Email: goodnewstn@gmail.com
DESIGN
Caleb Prytherch
Email: art.goodnews@gmail.com
PHOTOGRAPHER
Paula Knipp
423-310-4207
GoodNews Dalton
EDITOR/ARTICLE COORDINATOR
Sandra Gilmore
Email: articles.goodnews@gmail.com
PUBLISHER
Matthew and Bethany Ruckman
Cell: 423-503-1410
E-mail: goodnewstn@gmail.com
OFFICE
423-790-5378
WEBSITE
goodnewscm.com issuu.com/goodnewsdalton
Hello Friends,
We want to take a moment to tell you who we are and what we are about. Our names are Matt and Bethany Ruckman and we have six beautiful children, Brendon, Kailey, Andrew, Leah Jean, Emma, and Cooper. We live in Cleveland, Tennessee, and love what this town has to offer! We have started GoodNews Christian Magazine because we feel that when God, family, and community are combined, lives will be changed.
GoodNews Christian Magazine is a complimentary, Christian lifestyle publication. You can find us throughout the community in retail establishments, churches, restaurants, and more. Our magazine opens the door for Christians to work together to grow and strengthen our community through relevant editorial and effective advertising.
GoodNews Christian Magazine is written by men and women in the community who love and serve the Lord. Our hearts are open and willing to be used by God to reach out to the community to spread the GoodNews!
Disclaimer
All of the content in the GoodNews Christian Magazine is for general information and/or use. Such contents does not constitute advice and should not be relied upon in making (or refraining from making) a decision. Any specific advice or replies to queries in any part of the magazine is the personal opinion of such experts/consultants/persons and is not subscribed to by GoodNews Christian Magazine. The information in GoodNews Christian Magazine is provided on an “AS IS” basis, and all warranties, expressed or implied of any kind, regarding any matter pertaining to any information, advice or replies are disclaimed and excluded. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement or article we deem inappropriate.
Life in Rhythm
by Brian Branam
If you could summarize your purpose with two words, a verb, and a noun, what would it be? For me, those two words are create content. I am a pastor, teacher, and author who creates content to help you think biblically.
I’ve had the privilege of sitting under some incredible Christian scholars and pastors, but the greatest theologian I ever knew was my grandmother, Lou Truelove. She had a 5th grade education. She taught herself to read by using the Bible. She was married at 15 and birthed 10 children; five boys, five girls. My father was the youngest of the 10.
Some of my fondest childhood memories are sitting on her front porch as she shucked corn or broke beans. I listened to her tell the stories of her week and what the Lord had done for her. She lived the Bible. She connected Bible verses to circumstances. She could show you the sovereign hand of God writing her story.
I believe God used her prayers and her example to shape within me a passion to help people understand the Bible in the places where heaven and earth intersect in everyday life.
Why is this passion of mine so important? Because we need more great theologians like Lou Truelove in the world today. We need their prayers and their examples. I see men –and women – giving up. An alarming amount of men are giving up on work and family. Sadly, many men are giving up on life. They don’t see how heaven and earth intersect in everyday life.
God’s Word showing where heaven and earth intersect in everyday life.
Where are other places in the Bible that show this intersection of heaven and earth? God showed Jacob a ladder in the wilderness on which angels ascended and descended between heaven and earth. When Jesus taught His apostles to pray, He asked God that, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10 ESV). In Revelation 21, God gives John a future vision of a new heaven and a new earth in which the crown jewel is a new Jerusalem that comes to earth from heaven.
A case in point from the Bible is the life of David, whom the Bible calls a man after God’s own heart. David was royal and awful. He was a success and a failure. He was raw, but redeemed. David had plenty of reasons to give up but he was consistently drawn back to deeper truths that helped get his life back into rhythm. He was drawn back to
It is God’s desire that your life be that intersection for His Kingdom on earth now. Heaven and earth constantly collide all around us. But if we are biblically illiterate we will remain wholly ignorant of the world as it really is. If you can understand the Bible, you can understand the world and make better decisions. And better decisions mean walking in a little bit of heaven in everyday life.
WMedicare and the Upcoming Annual Enrollment Period
Money Matters Rick Hughes with
Driven by a passion to educate, inform and prepare future retirees, Mr. Hughes founded Hughes Retirement Group in 2007. His main interest is helping his clients in reducing their taxes.
ith the transition of seasons from summer to fall this month, we begin to prepare for cooler temps, shorter days and the beauty of change as trees shift from greens to oranges, yellows, and reds. This time of change in nature is a great reminder that change might also be needed in our season of retirement. Enter the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP).
AEP runs from October 15th to December 7th of each year and offers Medicare beneficiaries the opportunity to review their current coverage. This is a time to reevaluate your healthcare coverage needs, see if adjustments need to be made, make sure you are optimizing benefits available to you and make educated, informed decisions that will impact both your health and finances in the upcoming year.
Many Medicare Advantage and Part D (prescription drug) plans update their benefits, coverage options and costs at this time. This can have an impact on your out-ofpocket expenses and inclusion of your doctors in certain networks. Have you had changes to your health in the past year? Maybe you will need to start seeing a new doctor or specialist or begin a new medication. A plan that has been working for you might not be the best option in the new year due to plan updates.
While we all know that Medicare and healthcare go hand in hand, sometimes we don’t realize that Medicare is also a piece of our Retirement Plan as well. Expenses associated with your healthcare are directly tied to your financial plan and income needs during retirement. Bridging a healthcare gap between retirement and Medicare eligibility age requires planning. Budgeting for co-pays
and prescription drug costs associated with Medicare plans factor into your overall retirement income need. As you assess your coverage needs during the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period, it may also be a good time to review your overall financial and retirement plan as well.
Hughes Retirement Group started out taking care of the Medicare needs of our community. Throughout this journey, we realized the tie between Medicare and financial planning. This led to the growth of our business to include both areas so that we could help ensure that our community had all the knowledge they needed to make not only informed but educated decisions for all of their retirement needs.
In the spirit of this education mindset, Hughes Retirement Group will be hosting our Inaugural Medicare Shake and Bake 2024 event Monday, September 23rd at the Olive Branch Event Center here in Cleveland. We will shake up the A,B,C’s of Medicare with two educational classes to choose from. One will be offered at 10:00 am and the other at 2:00 pm. During this time, we will discuss changes for the upcoming year that will be crucial to your evaluation of your Medicare needs and current coverage. After class, feel free to let all of that information bake in while you visit the various senior focused services that will have booths set up to help continue this educational experience for our community. If you would like to join us, please RSVP your time choice, name, and number of guests to Robin@hughesretirementgroup.com.
Pain = Blessing
by Jon Mann
Life is full of happiness, love, and joy. It is also full of pain, loss, and suffering. You are thinking to yourself right now, no duh, right? However, if presented with a choice, the majority of us, if not all, would prefer to never experience anything bad in our lives ever again. What if I said, in doing so, we would miss the greatest opportunity and blessing ever presented to us? (You now probably think I am crazy and wonder how this made the cut). Before you quit reading, let me ask you this one question: What is one thing that every single person in the world has in common? We have all experienced pain in one way, shape, or form, some worse than others. However, like my wife likes to say, “Pain is pain.”
You are probably still wondering how pain is a blessing. There are multiple ways. First, have you ever had a cut and after it healed it left a scar? If so, you know that the area where the scar is is tougher than the surrounding area that is not scarred. Second, remember when you were younger and your parents said, “Don’t touch. It's hot.” and, you did anyway? Did you learn the lesson to listen and not touch it because it’s hot? Lastly, have you ever seen a pearl? If so, do you know how a pearl is created? A pearl is created from sand, trauma, or a parasite entering the shell of the clam and damaging their bodies. Just think—those beautiful pearls we see come from the result of a traumatic injury.
God did not plan for pain, loss, and suffering to be a part of the world. However, sin entered the world, and these are reflections of that darkness. Am I saying that I'm glad we have pain, loss, and suffering in the world? Absolutely not. But God can turn them into a blessing. *Genesis 50:20 says, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people.” The scar leaves your skin tougher. The only way for that to have happened is if you kept going like the righteous in Proverbs 24:16, “For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again.” In the moments when we make mistakes, and when we are at our lowest, God meets us there in those times like in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “God’s grace is sufficient for you, and His strength is made perfect in your weakness.”
Lastly, as the clam made beautiful pearls from a traumatic experience, so can you help others who are hurting by giving mercy and grace. You know everyone has experienced some type of pain. Don’t be afraid to show your scars. Revelation 12:11 says, “We overcame him (satan) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.” Decide today to give your pain freely to the Lord. Don’t choose to harbor it and let satan win. Allow God to turn your pain into a blessing!
*All Scriptures NKJV
Jon Mann is a manager at CTN-WTNB ClevelandChattanooga and Co-Executive Director of JAMMinistries with his beautiful wife, Amy Mann. He attends Metro Tab Church where he serves as the Outreach Coordinator and attends ministry school. Jon and his wife also foster two beautiful children.
The Power of Get Up and Go
by Corrie Vallance
In Matthew, Chapters 1 and 2, we see a great example of one man’s faithful actions in the husband of Mary, Joseph. Just think about what we could do to avoid conflict if we heard and obeyed the heavenly father as Joseph did!
Joseph never hesitated to listen to God’s voice. And by jumping at the chance to follow the commands of the Lord, Jesus was born into this world and saved from being murdered by King Herod. We have our Lord and Savior because of Joseph’s unyielding faith. The Lord’s purpose for mankind was carried out by Joseph’s actions.
But Joseph wasn’t following blindly. He followed by faith, calling that which is unseen, seen! By implementing the thought pattern that God’s provisions are already given to us by inheritance, we can move forward. Following by faith is rather the opposite of following blindly. It is truly said that the blind walk by sight. But what they are seeing is the world, not the spiritual realm. Spiritual blindness stops us from even imagining the possibilities, the colors, the depth, width or might of God’s love! Faith empowers us to see these things as they already exist because we know they do truly exist.
Why do we think God spoke to Joseph in his sleep?
I believe it is the way into the mind through the back door, so to speak. It is a way for God to speak to us through our subconscious rather than our conscious mind. Our
consciousness is constantly battling with itself. The clatter that comes from that thinking clouds our judgment. Our conscious mind is the Adamic Nature we are born into and therefore we cannot shut it off or shut it out completely. But in our sleep, we are freed from this thinking, this consistent intention to call things good or bad. And so, in our slumber, we have the ability to simply receive a thought instead of interpret it.
The choice Joseph had when he woke up was to simply follow the message he had received during sleep, or in his dreams. He took action upon it without understanding. He chose to simply follow the command of the Lord. So Joseph got up and moved as instructed.
I recently moved from California to Tennessee, a 2500 mile move. This move has been so displacing and life altering. I made this move with a Penske truck and trailer that towed my meager possessions across the grand span of the United States. I can’t imagine packing a mule with some water and bread, leaving everything behind, and then trekking across the Sierras, the Rockies, and all that terrain to move to another town.
But Joseph never quibbled about his assignment. He simply packed the mule, the woman, the child and set upon the journey. The length of the first trip Joseph took with Mary is undetermined. I have read 492 miles, 90 miles, and even 60 miles. But even at 60 miles, going the speed of a walking mule would be too much for a person of my faith capacity to endure!
Reading this chapter truly can cause us to see the need to evaluate the reluctance in our Christian faith. We have such a desire for comfort that our mindset can work against the Lord and His plans for our lives. I laugh out loud at the thought of my inadequacy to be more like Joseph when called by God in my own life. So, dear reader, let this Scripture challenge us to pattern after Joseph and get up and go as the Lord leads!
Learning About God Through Autumn Leaves
Autumn is a special time of year when the leaves on the trees change colors and fall to the ground. These changes can teach us a lot about God and our faith. Let’s explore some fun lessons about autumn leaves and see what the Bible has to say.
Embracing Change
In autumn, the green leaves turn into beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow. This reminds us that change can be beautiful. The Bible says in *Ecclesiastes 3:1, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Just like the leaves change, we also go through
different seasons in our lives, and God is with us through all of them. Think about a time when something changed in your life. How did it turn out to be a good thing? How did God help you through that change?
The Beauty of Letting Go
When the leaves fall from the trees, it shows us that sometimes we need to let go of old things to make room for new things. Jesus teaches us in Matthew 16:25, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” Letting go can be hard, but it helps us grow and trust God more. Is there something you need to let go of, like a worry or a fear? How can trusting God help you let it go?
The Reminder of Life’s Cycles
The seasons change every year in a cycle: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. This reminds us that life has different times, too. Psalm 1:3 says, “That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.” When we stay close to God, we can grow and be strong, no matter what season of life we are in. What are some ways you can stay close to God every day? How does it make you feel strong and happy?
Preparation and Rest
Autumn is a time when many animals get ready for winter. They gather food and prepare to rest. This reminds us that rest is important. Hebrews 4:9-10 tells us, “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.” Just like the animals, we need to rest and trust God to take care of us. What are some ways you can rest and spend time with God? Why is rest important?
The Assurance of New Beginnings
After the leaves fall and winter comes, we know that spring will follow, and new leaves will grow. Isaiah 43:19 says, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” God is always doing new things in our lives, just like new leaves grow in spring. Can you think of a time when something new and exciting happened in your life? How did it make you feel to know that God was with you?
Autumn leaves are not just beautiful to look at; they also teach us important lessons about God. They remind us that change can be good, letting go is important, life has different seasons, rest is needed, and new beginnings are always possible. Next time you see the colorful leaves falling, remember these lessons and thank God for His wonderful creation and His love for us.
*All Scriptures NIV
Plumb Line
by Jade Morgan
Afew years ago, I felt led to lead a devotion at our women’s meeting. I really thought I had the topic all worked out, but God kept a particular issue on my mind for days on end before the meeting. I could not seem to find the “perfect” verse to use, so I asked a few friends for advice on the topic. I was led to Amos 7:8.
Background:
● Amos was a shepherd and looked after fig trees.
● He was from Judah.
● God sent him to Israel.
● Jeroboam was King at the time and Israel became hugely successful. They had full control of the trade routes, thus becoming crazy rich.
The Israelites thought they would always be this way, this successful.
● Although the Israelites believed in one God, and that He ruled the nations, He is their judge. He decides what is done about their sin, that worship is important and that they did not obey God’s law. Therefore, their worship did not bring anything good from God.
● Amos compared their behavior to that of their ancestors.
● Amos begged God to not reign total judgment on the Israelites; twice God complied.
● God wanted people to behave in a true way instead of sacrifices. Sacrifices are good, but behaving in a true way is more important. Which brings us to Amos 7:78 AMPC: “Thus He showed me, and behold, the Lord stood upon a wall with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand. And the Lord said to me, Amos, what do you see? And I said, A plumb line. Then said the Lord, Behold, I am setting a plumb line as a standard in the midst of My people Israel. I will not pass by and spare them any more [the door of mercy is shut].”
A plumb line?
I looked up the definition: A plumb line is an object to which masons first build and frame walls of houses, and by which they do at any time measure them, whether they stand upright, or any way belly out and decline.
I still did not really get it. Then, I read that the word ‘plumb’ means: to a complete degree; exactly. Ex:
“plumb tired.” Now that was a phrase I knew well. Click. I got it.
God is “measuring” the Israelites against the perfect standard: Jesus. When we sin, we start to bow, decline, or tilt. We lose our vertical alignment. Our standard, or plumb line, is and forever will be Jesus. He was sent to be the perfect example. When relationships are considered, we cannot compare ourselves to others or compare our sin to others' sin. We cannot compare to justify. We answer to Jesus. Our relationship with Him is what matters most. He alone judges our sin. We know right from wrong– period. Just because my sin isn’t as “bad” as someone else’s does not mean it is permissible or accepted. Sin is not weighted differently.
The plumb line when perfectly straight, spins. The most beautiful spin too. When it is off kilter in any way, no spinning will occur.
I once heard this example and my goodness, the impact it has made in my life!
Think of a big city skyline. All of the buildings are different sizes, shapes, colors, etc. Some you notice immediately; some you have to look a bit more closely to see. Some stick out like a sore thumb but, that’s when we are looking straight at them. What about the view from above? When God looks down at that skyline from Heaven, He sees flat, straight across surfaces. None stick out more than others; none are bigger or smaller. They all look the exact same. This is like our sin. It is not weighted by our Father in Heaven. Conviction looks different for everyone, but ultimately, our hearts know right from wrong. And that’s plumb clear!
Jade is the connect & serve director at Public Church. She is a 2008 graduate of Lee University with a degree in Special Education. Jade Morgan’s focus is helping people find their place and purpose in Jesus’ church. A native of Cleveland, Tennessee, she enjoys traveling the world on missions.
The Hilarious Misadventures of the RabbitTrappin’ Smiths
by Charles Finney
Once upon a time, in the heart of the Southern countryside, there lived a family as rural and uneducated as they come - the Smiths. Now, the Smiths were known far and wide for their unconventional ways and their propensity for finding humor in the simplest of things. One fine day, the head of the Smith clan, good ol' Farmer Jeb, decided it was high time he caught himself a rabbit for supper. Armed with nothing but a rusty old rabbit trap and a heart full of determination, he set out on a misadventure that would soon have the whole town laughing.
Now, the Smiths' idea of a rabbit trap was quite unique. It consisted of a broken laundry basket, a piece of string, and an empty moonshine jug. Jeb figured if he placed the jug just right, any rabbit lured by its shiny surface would get caught in the basket when it fell over. He proudly set up his trap near the cornfield, convinced that he had outsmarted every rabbit
in the county. Little did Jeb know, his plan was about as foolproof as a screen door on a submarine.
Meanwhile, Grandma Smith, a wise old woman despite her lack of formal education, was sitting on the porch, her Bible in her lap. She had a habit of finding solace and wisdom in the scriptures, even if she didn't always understand them. On this particular day, she was reading aloud from the King James Version of Psalm 25:14-15, her voice carrying across the fields like a gentle breeze: “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant. Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord, for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.”
Little did Grandma know, her words would soon have a whole new meaning for the Smith family. Back at the rabbit trap, Jeb waited patiently, hidden behind a bush, convinced he was about to make culinary history. Unbeknownst to him, a curious raccoon had caught wind of the shiny moonshine jug. Fascinated, it approached the trap, its clever little paws reaching out for the jug.
Just as the raccoon tugged on the jug, the laundry basket fell with a loud thud, trapping the raccoon inside. Startled, the raccoon darted around, dragging the trap with it, and creating a ruckus that could wake the dead. Jeb, thinking he had caught the biggest, most ferocious rabbit in the history of rabbitkind, leaped out from behind the bush, armed with a kitchen broom for protection.
“Ma! Pa's caught a demon rabbit!” shouted Jeb's youngest son, Billy, running toward the chaos with wide eyes. Grandma Smith, hearing the commotion, closed her Bible and made her way to the scene. Seeing the raccoon trapped in the laundry basket, she chuckled, realizing the hilarity of the situation.
“Jeb, that ain't no rabbit. Looks like you caught yourself a bandit, though,” she said, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
Pausing for a moment, Jeb scratched his head, realizing his folly. The family erupted into laughter, even the raccoon seemed to chitter in amusement as if it knew it had outsmarted the great rabbit trapper.
As they released the raccoon back into the wild, Jeb wiped tears of laughter from his eyes. “Well, I reckon that's one way to catch a critter, even if it ain't the one I was aimin' for.”
Grandma, always the voice of wisdom, nodded sagely. “Sometimes, life's lessons come in unexpected ways, Jeb. Just like how the good Lord shows us his secrets in mysterious ways.”
Later that evening, the Smiths gathered around the dinner table, enjoying a hearty meal of fried chicken and cornbread. As they shared tales of their day, Grandma Smith brought up the scripture she had read earlier. “You know,” she said, her eyes twinkling, “maybe the meaning of life is a lot like that raccoon—sometimes, you think you're chasing after one thing, but life surprises you with something entirely different.”
The family pondered Grandma's words, and then, as if on cue, burst into laughter once more. And in that moment, surrounded by love, laughter, and the warmth of family, the Smiths realized that the meaning of life wasn't some grand mystery to be solved, but a series of moments, both big and small, that brought joy and laughter, even in the most unexpected of circumstances.
And so, the Smiths continued their days in the Southern countryside, finding humor every day, cherishing the wisdom of Grandma, and never underestimating the intelligence of a raccoon—all while living out the lessons of Psalm 25:14-15 in their own unique, unforgettable way.
And that, my friends, is the story of the RabbitTrappin' Smiths, a family who taught us all that life's greatest lessons often come wrapped in laughter and love, just like a raccoon in a laundry basket.
• CHANGING THE ATMOSPHERE
Charles Finney—minister of inspirational Good News, retired various positions and industries, management and operational, freelance writer, author of “Grandpa-Good News From The Good Feel Cornfield.” Writings are a remembrance of family, farm life and church upbringing to be a blessing to all!
THE TOTAL CHURCH EQUIPPING CONFERENCE
Cost: $15 Per Person
Thom S. Rainer is a renowned church leader, author, and consultant, currently serving as the founder and CEO of Church Answers, an online resource platform for church leaders. He previously held the positions of President and CEO at LifeWay Christian Resources and was the founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. His expertise in church health led him to establish the Rainer Group, a consulting firm that has guided numerous churches and organizations. A prolific author, Rainer has contributed more than two dozen books to the field, including influential works such as “I Am a Church Member” and “Autopsy of a Deceased Church.”
SESSION TOPICS:
MISSIONS
• Steps to Recognize and Raise Up Missional Leaders in Your Church
• Getting Ready to Go NEXT GEN – KIDS
• Babysitter vs Influencer
• Leading a Child to Christ
• Starting a Special Needs Ministry in Your Church NEXT GEN – STUDENTS
• Six Things Every Volunteer Needs to Know to Work with Teenagers
• Navigating Best Practices for Discipling Teenagers
• Beyond Meat: Helps for those that lead youth Bible study
PASTOR WELLNESS
• Why Groups Matter: Small Group & Sunday School Training
• Winning the Church Back to Men
• The State of Manhood
• Key to Multiplying Gospel Impact Through Your Senior Adult Ministry
• First Impressions and Guest Services
• Fears in Disciple-making
• New Member Connection and Assimilation
• Open Your Church to Deaf People
• Teaching/Leading an Adult Class or Group
EVANGELISM
• The Power of Prayer in Evangelism
• The Five-Star Evangelistic Leader
MINISTRY ADMINISTRATION
• Artificial Intelligence and Your Ministry: The New Fuel for Efficiency and Impact
MISSION GEORGIA
• Navigating Trauma in the Church
• Four Keys to a Healthy Church
• UNLEASH!: 5 Strategies for Shaping a Church That’s Reaching, Discipling, and Deploying Young Leaders
• Deacon Ministry Foundations
• Current Trends and Common Practices in Turn-Around Churches
• Dealing Effectively with Church Conflict PUBLIC AFFAIRS
• Protecting Evangelism and Missions through Religious Freedom
• Reducing the Risk of Child Sexual Abuse in the Church WOMEN
• Five Essential Elements for Leading Women in the Local Church
• Women in Ministry WORSHIP & MUSIC
• Harmonizing Hearts: The Art of Being a Great Worship and Music Leader
• Sound & Vision: Elevating Worship Experiences Through Audio, Visual, and Livestream Mastery
C.W. Callihan: Elevating Homes with Excellence in Exterior Remodeling
In the realm of exterior remodeling, C. W. Callihan stands for quality and commitment. Chris Callihan built his first home at eighteen years old and began his career in home building, residential development, and construction. He decided to start his own company, specializing in exterior applications (siding, windows, and doors), in his hometown of Ellijay, Georgia in 2002 and has worked tirelessly since. Chris’ dedication, hard work, and commitment to excellence are still the values and standards the company operates on today.
C. W. Callihan expanded into the North Georgia and Chattanooga area in the early 2000’s and opened their corporate headquarters in Chattanooga during 2014. Since then, Chris Callihan has grown his company into one of the most well respected exterior contractors in North Georgia and Southeast Tennessee. While Chris is a modest man, he attributes his company’s success to the team he has assembled over the years.
Meet the C. W. Callihan Team
Steve Totherow
Steve came to C. W. Callihan in 2013, after retiring as a home builder in the North Georgia area. Steve is a licensed
contractor and serves as a Project Manager and Sales Manager of the North Georgia territory. Steve has more than 30 years of experience in all facets of construction management.
Leigh Ann Bachus
Chris recruited Leigh Ann in 2014 to open a corporate office and assist him in managing his quickly growing company. Leigh Ann’s background in construction and real estate management, along with her accounting skills, proved to be a perfect fit for C. W. Callihan. Leigh Ann oversees all areas of operations including accounting, marketing, sales, growth, and project management.
Jackie Whitmire
The year of 2015 was a time of growth for C. W. Callihan which brought Jackie to Callihan as a Project Manager and Sales Manager for the Chattanooga and Cleveland areas. Jackie holds a contractor's license and began his construction career 30 years ago as a home builder and brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience in all construction trades.
Yonny Gomez
Yonny became a valuable member of the C. W. Callihan team in 2018 as a master carpenter. Yonny supervises the punch out technicians and makes sure all details of each
Ashley and Leigh Ann discuss design colors for a client.
project are completed exactly as ordered. Yonny has an eye for detail and is always happy to go above and beyond to make sure customer satisfaction is 100%.
Ashley Phillips
Ashley serves as Administrative Assistant and has proven herself to be invaluable for day-to-day operations since joining the company in early 2021. Always eager to jump in and do whatever is necessary including answering phones, managing schedules, bookkeeping, and much more. Ashley is the friendly face that helps keep everyone on track.
Jordan Whitmire
As C. W. Callihan continued to grow, Jordan followed in his dad’s footsteps in Spring of 2021 and joined the team. Jordan brings with him a B.S. Degree from Tennessee Tech and a Master’s Degree from Liberty University. Upon leaving health care management, Jordan decided to return to his roots in residential construction to oversee business development and project management.
Dedicated to Providing the Best Products
C.W. Callihan's commitment to excellence extends to the products it utilizes. Understanding the pivotal role that topquality materials play in the longevity and aesthetic appeal of homes, the company goes above and beyond to source and incorporate the best in exterior remodeling. From durable siding to other essential components, C.W. Callihan ensures that every project is a testament to quality craftsmanship.
C. W. Callihan provides exterior contractor services in areas of vinyl siding, cedar siding, windows, door, gutters, screen porches, decks and more. However, Callihan is most proud of offering James Hardie Building Products and boasts Hardie’s highest achievement level of “Elite Preferred.” Few exterior contractors are able to achieve the James Hardie “Elite Preferred” status due to the rigid requirements of installation and product training, quality control, customer reviews and satisfaction, volume, and absolute supremacy.
Competitive Pricing & Free Quotes
Transparency is a core value at C. W. Callihan. The company believes in providing its customers with not only top-notch services but also the assurance of fair and competitive pricing. Homeowners can embark on their remodeling journeys with confidence, armed with the knowledge that C. W. Callihan offers free quotes, ensuring that the financial aspect of the project is as transparent as the company's work ethic.
The C. W. Callihan team will work with you on your design, either in their showroom or at your home, assist you with color selection, textures, style, provide you with a
rendering of your final project, and help you with financing options, if needed.
Professional Affiliations
C. W. Callihan exhibits commitment to being an active participant in the local business community by supporting regional economic growth and maintaining memberships in the Catoosa County Chamber of Commerce, Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Home Builders, Home Builders Association of Greater Chattanooga, and an A+ Accredited Member of the Better Business Bureau.
This esteemed siding contractor has been elevating and transforming homes for over 20 years and emerges not just as a contractor but as a partner in enhancing the beauty, durability, curb appeal, and value of homes. Situated at 6707 Ocoee Street Suite 103, Chattanooga, TN, the company's mission centers around total customer satisfaction, utilizing the finest materials, offering competitive pricing, and maintaining transparency at every step. Their professional affiliations further affirm C. W. Callihan's commitment to industry excellence and customer-centric practices. For homeowners seeking a reliable and experienced siding contractor, C. W. Callihan stands as a testament to a legacy built on trust and quality.
Jordan Whitmire, Project Manager.
for Everyone When Life Overwhelms Us
by Dr. Alan Hix
Do you sometimes face situations in which you feel completely overwhelmed by circumstances, yet you must find a way to move forward? In these moments, we need more than mere courage; we need a source of strength beyond ourselves. Judges 6:11-16 reveals a profound encounter between Gideon and God in which Gideon finds boldness in the assurance of God's presence despite overwhelming circumstances.
Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites. At any moment they might appear to steal the hard-earned harvest. Gideon may have felt overwhelmed by fear and uncertainty, yet, in this very ordinary moment, an extraordinary encounter unfolds. The angel of the Lord appears and addresses Gideon with an unexpected greeting: “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior!”
In modern language, Gideon's response was something like, “Who me? I’m not anybody, and my family is not important.” To take the focus off himself, he raises concerns about the apparent absence of divine intervention in the face of the Israelites' suffering. In other words, Gideon is saying, “God, where have you been all this time?”
Undeterred by Gideon’s accusation, God assures Gideon of His divine plan for delivering Israel from the Midianites. The insignificance of Gideon’s family and his own sense of personal inadequacy become irrelevant in the face of God's empowering promise: “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”
Gideon's journey from doubt to acceptance is reflected in his acknowledgment of God's promise. It is not Gideon's might but God's presence that defines the outcome of the challenge before him. In response to God’s promise, Gideon finds the courage to embrace God’s call upon his life.
In this story, we find an important truth: God's promises are not contingent on our qualifications or abilities. His presence transforms our inadequacies into opportunities for His glory to be revealed. When we face challenges, we are not alone; we are carriers of the divine presence, and God's promises resonate with the assurance that we will overcome through His strength.
Because of this assurance, we can face our challenges with renewed confidence. Like Gideon, our focus shifts from our limitations to God's unlimited power. His assurance enables us to step into situations that seem overwhelming, knowing that we have the promise of His presence.
The promise, “I will be with you,” was the same one given to Moses, Jeremiah, and Isaiah when they expressed their own sense of unworthiness: “I can’t speak.” and “I am only a
youth.” and “I am a man of unclean lips.” When Joshua found himself having to step into Moses’ shoes, God's promise to him was: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9 ESV).
In the encounter between Gideon and God, we discover a timeless truth: God's presence transforms fear into courage, doubt into faith, and weakness into strength.
As we navigate life's challenges, let us take courage in the promise that we are not alone. Looking forward to the time when God would send His messiah, Isaiah declared, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel (which means, God with us)” (Isaiah 7:14 ESV).
God's declaration, "I will be with you," invites us to face difficulties with unwavering confidence, knowing that in His presence, we find the courage to face our challenges in His strength.
Dr. Alan Hix is Professor of Christian Studies at Shorter University. In addition to being and educator, he has served churches as a pastor, been involved in mission trips to Africa, Canada, and Alaska, and participated in archaeological excavations in Israel for several years.
dNews for Everyone
Hope Prevails: Rodney Waddell’s Testimony
by Sandra Gilmore
“They were treating me for one thing but it was definitely another,” Rodney Waddell explains.
“Earlier that day, I knew something just wasn’t right when I was in my garage at home. I beat on the car to alert my wife. She called for help and the paramedics were on their way in moments.”
At the initial survey, all the signs of a heart attack were there. EMTs did their best to get Waddell stabilized en route to the hospital for more specialized care. Later, it was discovered that he suffered from an aortic dissection, a rare and extremely dangerous condition where the inner layer of the aorta, the large blood vessel branching off the heart, tears. Blood surges through the tear, causing the inner and middle layers of the aorta to split (dissect). This leads to massive internal bleeding, leaving a mere 7-10 minute window for effective medical intervention before the risk of bleeding out becomes imminent. Statistically, only about one-third of people survive such an event and the subsequent surgery. For Rodney, it was about focusing on the One who could heal and save him, not the statistics of an anticipated one-third survival rate.
This ordeal began on November 15, 2018. After 45 days in the hospital, Rodney resumed his normal routines with his family and on his delivery route. And yet, what could be seen as mundane became miraculous. Before his heart event, Rodney went about his days with a deep belief in the Lord. After the heart event, plus other health challenges, each day became a treasure and an opportunity to share with others just how much God cares about our lives. The blessings of daily life became more evident. He takes more joy from each day. Laughter, problem-solving, and engaging with people are now elevated components of his days rather than just simple parts of daily routines.
“He is with me, I know that for sure,” Rodney confirms as he shares with individuals as well as groups and/or congregations in churches throughout the Rome, GA area. You see, the aortic dissection wasn’t the only battle Rodney faced. The hurdles he met next were COVID-19 in 2020, then a stroke in 2021, and more recently cancer in 2022. The span from November 2018 to May 2022 tested Rodney’s resolve and physical strength.
His family stood strong during each health episode. His wife, children, and grandchildren supported him with faithful prayers and unwavering commitment. Hope was and is a staple in their lives.
Scriptures that stayed with Rodney were James 1:2 KJV, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.” and 1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
Rodney adds, “I want to acknowledge my former and current pastors that have helped me along this journey: Pastor Mike Garrett from Dykes Creek and Pastor Mac McCurry of Pleasant Valley North Baptist both in Rome, Georgia for their guidance. There have been others who have and are dealing with various issues and they’ve asked me questions. I can only speak from my experience to just keep their heads up and know that they are not alone down this path called life.”
Someone recently asked, “Did you see a light?” Rodney replied with deep conviction, “Well, not exactly. I guess when you are walking in the Light, you don't have to look for it!”
About The Author
Rodney Waddell lives in Rome, GA, with his wife. They are proud parents and grandparents. He wants to share his testimony because he knows for sure the Lord caused a miracle and has more work for him to do on earth.
Gò0 dNews for your Taste Buds
Savor the Season with Autumn BBQ
It was that special time of year when kids reluctantly traded their carefree summer days for the rigors of school.
The Johnson family had a tradition that helped ease the transition: a back-to-school BBQ. They knew gathering around the grill brought them together in a way that nothing else could. It was the perfect way to celebrate the end of summer and welcome the new school year.
Early Saturday morning found Dad, a seasoned grill master, venturing into the garage to dust off the trusty old barbecue. He couldn’t help but reminisce about all the family gatherings around that grill over the years. Meanwhile, Mom began preparing the marinated chicken that would be the star of the BBQ. She had a secret marinade recipe passed down from her grandmother, a recipe that had been perfected over generations. As she mixed the ingredients together, she thought about how proud her grandmother would be to see her carrying on the family tradition.
Their two kids, Emily and Alex, were tasked with setting up the backyard. They draped colorful streamers from tree to tree, and their laughter filled the air as they blew up balloons.
Dad carefully placed the marinated chicken on the grates. The sizzle and aroma of the cooking meat wafted through the air, drawing neighbors out of their homes and into the backyard. The Johnsons’ back-to-school BBQ was known throughout the neighborhood as the unofficial endof-summer party, and everyone was eager to join in. The family dog, Max, couldn’t contain his excitement either. He darted around the yard, stealing glances at the grill in the hopes that a juicy piece of chicken might fall his way. As the guests arrived, old friends and new neighbors mingled, sharing stories of their summer adventures and dreams for the upcoming school year. Energetic children ran through the yard, chasing each other as Max chased them.
Finally, the moment arrived when Dad declared the chicken was ready. He placed the perfectly grilled pieces onto a platter and carried it to the picnic table. The family
gathered around, savoring the flavors of the chicken and sides and the warmth of each other’s company.
The Johnsons and their guests were reminded once again that the best way to start a new chapter was surrounded by the love of family and friends, good food, and the comforting glow of the grill.
Lemon Garlic Marinade
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, dried oregano, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Place your choice of protein (chicken, fish, shrimp, tofu, or vegetables) in a resealable plastic bag or a shallow dish. Pour the lemon garlic marinade over the protein. Seal the bag or cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to marinate. For best results, marinate for 2-4 hours or even overnight, depending on the thickness of the protein. When you’re ready to cook, remove the protein from the marinade and grill, roast, or pan-fry as desired. (Discard the used marinade.)
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Autumn Leaves
by Juliana Horatia Ewing
The Spring's bright tints no more are seen, And Summer's ample robe of green Is russet-gold and brown; When flowers fall to every breeze And, shed reluctant from the trees, The leaves drop down.
A sadness steals about the heart, —And is it thus from youth we part, And life's redundant prime? Must friends like flowers fade away, And life like Nature know decay, And bow to time?
And yet such sadness meets rebuke, From every copse in every nook Where Autumn's colours glow; How bright the sky! How full the sheaves!
What mellow glories gild the leaves
Before they go.
Then let us sing the jocund praise, In this bright air, of these bright days, When years our friendships crown; The love that's loveliest when 'tis old-When tender tints have turned to gold And leaves drop down.
HealthMarkets with Chris Young
There’s a reason HealthMarkets is a leading independent insurance marketplace. Actually, there are three reasons: convenience, choice, and counsel.
Convenience
HealthMarkets operates on your schedule with 24/7 service. If you like to shop online, over the phone, or faceto-face with a local agent, or a combination of the three, HealthMarkets has you covered.
Choice
People come in all shapes and sizes, and so should their coverage options. This organization has researched and selected insurance plans from over 200 companies to let you be as choosy as you want. When you need help with insurance or insurance-related decisions, Cleveland’s Health Markets is here for you. This is evident with a 95% customer satisfaction rating and an A+ rating from the BBB. This agency has created a portfolio of products from more than 200 national and regional insurance companies to meet the needs of individuals and families.
This is a leading technology-enabled, national health insurance marketplace where individuals can compare, purchase, and enroll in a large and diverse offering of health, supplemental, and other insurance products.
The HealthMarkets’ supplemental business offers the single broadest supplemental insurance portfolio in the individual market including such products as dental, vision, accident, critical illness, cancer, and other income protection products.
Counsel
You don’t have to be intimidated by complex insurance jargon. HealthMarkets agents love to break it down for you, translate, or make shopping for plans as simple as it should be. In fact, that’s how Cleveland agent Chris Young got started in insurance.
He shares how the journey began, “When you were a child, and someone asked you, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ very rarely (if ever) do you hear a health insurance agent! For the record, my answer was an
astronaut. The opportunity to help people with their insurance needs came much later and practically just found its way to me.
My previous career was in managing hotels, where I had been for the better part of 10 years. Part of management was for me to help my associates choose their health care during their annual enrollment period every year. Needless to say, at that time I could manage a hotel, but to explain which insurance option someone should enroll in was not in my wheelhouse.”
Need affordable that’s in step with
Chris describes further, “The idea of helping individuals with their insurance options quickly intrigued me as it occurred to me that if I didn’t know what was going on, maybe there were others that didn’t either. It quickly became my mission to help families, individuals, and businesses find the most affordable option for healthcare and life insurance, so that way they can be confident in their health and financial protection. Anybody can tell someone to enroll in a health plan. At our agency, we take the time to find out what it is you really need to recommend plans that are more in line with your needs.”
Chris or Angela are easy to reach. You can contact Chris or his assistant Angela at HealthMarkets through Facebook at www.facebook.com/healthmarketschatt/ or call (423) 3137987 or go by to see them at 4160 North Ocoee Street #6, Cleveland, TN.
Choosing the right Medicare coverage can be confusing.
I can help you find a plan that’s right for YOU and YOUR BUDGET.
We sell gently used and new furniture, building supplies, and appliances at a fraction of the retail price.
ReStore of Greater Dalton functions on donations made by individuals and businesses within our community. All of our proceeds go back into funding our mission of building homes for hardworking, low-income families in need.
DONATE & SHOP TODAY!
ReStore Hours Donation Information
Tuesday 10am - 4pm contact@habitatdwm.org
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Saturday 10am - 2pm
Since 1904, Builtwell Bank has strived to be the local economic engine in the communities we serve. This year, we are honored to be ranked #21 in the country in the Annual Listing of Independent Banker’s Best-Performing Community Banks.
for Health & Fitness
The Most Important Exercise for Fat Loss
by Thomas Morrison
Many believe that plenty of “fat burning” cardiovascular exercise is the best way to take off weight fast—and while that can have some value, it would not be the best exercise for that purpose. The best exercise to do while on a weight loss diet is actually weight training! Let me explain why.
Weight Training Prevents Muscle Loss While Dieting.
The reality is that most people can only burn an average of about 5-10 calories per minute in any form of exercise. With over 3,500 calories stored in every pound of fat, it is necessary to put in an average of 6-11 hours of exercise just to burn one pound! This is why the primary method to burn fat is your diet—NOT your exercise program. The main purpose of your exercise program is NOT to burn calories— it is to preserve muscle!
In general, without weight training, you will lose at least three pounds of lean weight out of every 10 total pounds you lose. And doing aerobic exercise like walking, jogging, and the like does not help. Back in 1999, researchers put overweight men on a 1500 calorie a day diet, and divided them into three groups—one that didn’t exercise, another that performed aerobic exercise three days a week, and a third that did both aerobic exercise and weight training three days a week. The results: Each of the groups lost almost the same amount of weight—about 21 pounds. But the lifters shed 5 more pounds of fat than those who didn’t pump iron. Why? Because their
weight loss was almost pure fat, while the other two groups lost just 15 pounds of fat, along with several pounds of lean body mass (aka muscle).
Just because your scale weight may show similar results whether you exercise or not, don't assume that the right kind of exercise isn't providing a significant benefit. The diet + weight training group lost 25% more fat than just dieting alone, or even dieting + aerobic exercise! Remember, muscle burns fat. And one pound of muscle takes up 18 percent less space on your body than a pound of fat. Hear that ladies? Hit weights when you diet—they’ll make you smaller, not bigger!
Weight Training Helps Preserve Your Resting Metabolism
Dieting and weight loss, by its nature, will cause your metabolism to drop—so anything that you can do to keep it burning hot is a step in the right direction. In fact, your resting metabolism will account for at least 2/3rd of all the calories you burn! And there is no more time efficient way to boost your metabolism than by weight training. Even training as little as three times a week for 20-30 minutes each time can help boost metabolism close to an additional 100 calories per day! The typical woman would have to walk a couple miles daily to get the same net calorie burn, and yet, she still wouldn’t lose as much fat without weight training!
Weight Training Improves Your Body Shape
The primary reason most people diet or try to lose fat is not simply to record a lower number on the scale—that is quite incidental. No, what most people want is to look better and be happier with their physique. As we have seen, simply dieting or doing cardio will cause you to lose both fat and muscle so that the end result is just a smaller fat person. At best you will be “skinny-fat”— smaller and thinner than before, but still soft and flabby rather than hard and lean. Weight training helps you to optimize body composition rather than just losing weight indiscriminately. Instead of just becoming smaller, you actually get leaner. So don’t wait to get lean, use weights!
Thomas Morrison is the fitness coordinator and a personal trainer at Bradley Wellness Center in Dalton, Georgia, where he has served for the past 23 years.
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Habla Español (Speak Spanish)
Seasons: Securely Stepping Ahead
by Dorothy Teague
This time of year, when summer slips into fall, I feel like it’s a reset, a new beginning. It reminds me of my school days, starting back with a new notebook full of blank, crisp pages where I would write new lessons and stories. The smell of new leather shoes and bookbags was carried along with the autumn air and the anticipation of making new friends was like a crackle of electricity when we gathered in our new room.
In nature, the turning of seasons brings visible changes. During fall, the trees start going through their metamorphosis of changing from greens to golds and reds.
know their way to the garden on their own. Those boots have tread up and down the many rows of vegetables and flowers I have lovingly planted and tended year after year. Even though I might cover it well, I really get “out of whack” if I’m pushed out of my regular routine. Sometimes, God has to work on me to “let go and let God.” I want to hang on for dear life to what I usually do instead of stepping out of my comfort zone to let Him stretch and mold me to be more like Him.
We, like nature, go through seasons and cycles in our lives. Some seasons are challenging while others seem to go smoothly. There is always something to be learned in each new season of our lives. For every end, there is always a new beginning; the secret is to learn to step forward out of each one.
As a creature of habit, I cling to the familiar and the comfortable. I am one of “those” people who pull out the same comfy, well-worn jeans and oversized fleeces, even though I have twenty other items I could wear. When I pull on my muck boots by the back door, it feels as if they
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 KJV says, “To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the Heaven…” Just as each season has its time and place, so we have purposes to fulfil in each season of our lives. We need to be pliable in God’s hands so we can grow to be more like Him, “being transformed… from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18 KJV). When we continually gravitate to familiar pathways, it’s hard to find the way forward. The road ahead can seem scary, but we can always depend on Him to light the way. He tells us in Psalm 32:8 ESV, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.” We travel through this world, not as nomads wandering with no purpose, but as children of God with a heavenly purpose and plan from the Lord. We need not be anxious or worried because He knows the way forward and will lead us if we will only lean on Him. So, no matter the seasons of life that we step in and out of, the Lord will surely be with us. “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9 NKJV). When I follow Him and stay close by His side, I don’t need to worry about where the road leads or what new adventures may be around the next bend! I just step into my old boots and start walking, my hand in His.
Dorothy Teague
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Sovereign God, Where Is My Free Will?
by Filip Brunner
As our Father, God is interested in us on a very personal and intimate level. As our Father, God will let us mess up. The prophet Jonah was told by God to go to the city of Nineveh and cry out against it, warning them to repent or be overthrown.
Jonah hated the Ninevites, and rightfully so. They were a bunch of angry, sadistic sinners. And yet God loved them enough to warn them to repent. God’s sovereign will was for the Ninevites to repent and to turn to Him. Jonah’s will for the Ninevites was literally to: “…go to hell Nineveh, with my blessings.”
God wants to see lives changed. Jonah wants justice to be done.
Sound familiar?
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 KJV
“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”
What is the will of God for my life?
God wants:
● Abraham, the liar, to be the father of a nation.
● Moses, the murderer, to be the leader of a nation.
● David, the adulterer, to be the father of Solomon.
● Saul, the mass murderer, to become Paul, the writer of most of the New Testament.
● Gideon, the coward, to be a mighty warrior.
Let me invite you to consider this. My will is to do my thing, to go into the far country and live with the pigs. The Father’s will is for me to see His love, His goodness and to come to my senses and come back home. Then and only then can I enjoy the freedom and the gifts of the new clothes, the signet ring and the food at the Father’s table. It is only when I surrender to the will of the Father that I can have true freedom. Not to do my best but to do His best for my life. It is here, in the Father’s house and in the company of Jesus that we can be free not to sin. We gain the power of the Holy Spirit to bask in the presence of the Sovereign God. And so, it is the foreknowledge of God which bridges the age old question, “Is God Sovereign or do we have free will?” Because God is all knowing, we have the freedom through Christ to do God’s Sovereign will. Just like Esther, we were born for such a time as this. Readers, here you have something to think about.
Filip Brunner is married to his wife, Dr. Kim Brunner and together they have six children. He is a writer, author, and artist.
Dalton Church Directory
Assembly of God
Christian Fellowship Assembly
3656 Chattanooga Road, 30755
706-280-7594
The Sanctuary 515 Reed Rd NW, 30720 706-270-2088
The Healing Center Church 515 Reed Road, 30720 706-229-9456
Baptist
Abundant Life Baptist Church 811 J and J, 30721
706-278-5289
Antioch Baptist Church
1205 Antioch Road, 30720 706-278-1305
Beaverdale Baptist Church 2496 Beaverdale Rd NW, 30721 706-259-7089
Calvary Baptist Church 2115 Chatsworth Rd, 30721 706-278-6324
Carolyn Baptist Church 2305 Cleveland Highway, 30721 706-259-8142
Centerpoint Baptist Church 420 Centerpoint Drive SE, 30721 706-277-2100
Christ Reformed Baptist Church 1378 Dug Gap Rd, 30720 706-226-3026
Concord Baptist Church 1054 Hopewell Rd, Cohutta 30710
706-694-8618
Cove Baptist Fellowship Church 461 Carbondale Rd SW, 30721 706-277-3484
Crown View Baptist Church 502 West Tyler St, 30720 706-278-7422
Deep Springs Baptist Church 1660 Beaverdale Rd NE, 30721 706-259-3255
Dug Gap Baptist Church 2031 Dug Gap Rd, 30720 706-278-2377
Eastbrook Baptist Church 204 Hill Rd, 30720 Eastside Baptist Church 913 East Morris St, 30721 706-278-8553
Eleventh Avenue Baptist Church 2550 South Dalton Bypass, 30722 706-278-7020
Emmaus Baptist Church
4268 S. Dixie Rd, 30735 706-483-5251
First Baptist Church
802 Kenner St, 30721
706-226-9681
First Baptist Church of Dalton 311 North Thornton Ave, 30720
706-278-2911
Grace Baptist Church 2049 Lower Kings Bridge Rd, 30721
706-537-6884
Good Hope Baptist Church
2525 Lake Francis Rd, 30721
706-259-3719
Grove Level Baptist Church
2802 Cleveland Highway, 30721
706-259-8519
Good Samaritan Baptist Church 3137 Cleveland Rd, 30721
706-259-7239
Gospelway Baptist Church
336 Jupiter Cir, 30721
706-278-1424
Grace Baptist Church
2049 Lower Kings Bridge Rd, 30721
706-537-6884
Harmony Baptist Church
187 Lower Dawnville Rd, 30721
706-226-5521
Harvest Baptist Church
3986 Cleveland Hwy, 30721
706-694-8951
Hill Crest Baptist Church
1901 Cityview St, 30720
706-279-1267
Hopewell Baptist Church
3527 Airport Rd, 30721
706-226-5987
Kinsey Drive Baptist Church 2626 Kinsey Drive,30720
706-277-3505
Lakeshore Park Baptist Church 12 Crescent St, 30720
706-275-6050
Liberty Baptist Church 506 South Pentz St, 30720
706-226-5535
Lindsey Memorial Baptist
706-673-7650
3503 Lindsey Memorial Rd.
Rocky Face, Ga. 30740
Macedonia Baptist Church
1355 Dawnville Rd NE, 30721
706-259-9220
Maple Grove Baptist Church
347 Maple Grove Rd, 30721
706-483-6300
McFarland Hill Baptist Church
307 Brickyard Rd, 30721
706-277-5521
Mount Rachel Baptist Church
332 Haig Mill Lake Rd, 30720
706-278-5192
Mount Ridge Baptist Church
1401 M L King, Jr. Blvd, 30721
706-278-0335
New Hope Baptist Church
900 Roan St, 30721
706-226-2093
New Hope Baptist Church
706-673-8050
2105 Tunnel Hill-Varnell Road
Tunnel Hill, GA 30755
New Life Baptist Church
2620 Old Grade Rd, 30721
Northwest Georgia Baptist Church
222 North Pentz St, 30720
706-463-3490
Olivia Baptist Church
1817 Guy St, 30720
706-278-3507
Pine Grove Baptist Church
4004 Airport Road, 30721
706-264-8630
Poplar Springs Baptist Church
897 Poplar Springs Rd, 30720
706-259-8727
Reformation Baptist Church
244 N. Hamilton St, 30720
706-314-8711
Rocky Face Baptist Church
1544 Rocky Face Railroad St, 30740
706- 226-5751
Salem Baptist Church
1448 Pleasant Grove Dr, 30721
706-259-7045
South Dalton Baptist Church 498 Lakemont Drive, 30720
706-278-4946
Shiloh Baptist Church
2014 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, 30721 706-226-5981
Temple Baptist Church 2310 South Dixie Hwy, 30720
706-226-6785
Valley Baptist Church 2907 Old Rome, 30720
Welcome Hill Baptist Church 2772 E Welcome Hill Circle, 30721 706-278-0368
Whitfield Baptist Church 2134 Dug Gap Rd, 30721 706-278-6776
Bible
Fellowship Bible Church 2044 Dug Gap Rd, 30720 706-278-6269
Catholic
Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church 968 Haig Mill Lake Rd, 30720 706-278-3107
Christian
First Christian Church 1506 Dug Gap Rd, 30720 706-278-7244
Church of Christ
Central Church of Christ 515 N. Tibbs Rd, 30720 706-278-8051
Riverbend Church of Christ 2218 S Riverbend Rd, 30721 706-226-0819
Church of God
Church of God of Union Assembly 2311 South Dixie Rd, 30720 706-275-0510
City View Church of God 3688 Chatsworth Hwy, 30721 706-226-6686
Crosspointe 2681 Underwood Street 30721 706-278-2649
Lifegate Church 2744 Cleveland Highway, 30721 706-259-0016
Valley Brook Church of God 1474 Mineral Springs Rd, 30720 706-279-3296
Community
Church on the Hill 1035 Abutment Rd, 30721 706-278-9208
Community Fellowship Church 409 North Fredrick St, 30721 706-278-3204
Freedom Community Church 908 Elk Street, 30720 706-463-2690
The River Community Church 2410 Cleveland Hwy, Suite 112, 30721 678-314-7994
Rock Bridge Community Church 121 W Crawford St, 30720
Episcopal
Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church 901 West Emory St, 30720
706-278-8857
Jehovah’s Witnesses
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses 1309 Applewood Drive, 30720 706-529-0192
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses 1817 Dug Gap Rd, 30720 706-270-0156
Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 610 Shugart Rd, 30720 706-278-5295
Lutheran
Christ the King Lutheran Church 623 S Thornton Ave, 30720 706-278-3979
Methodist
Bethel AME Church 620 Spring Street, 30720 706-226-2714
Bethel Methodist Church 123 Bethel Church Rd, 30721 706-278-3309
Dalton First UMC 500 South Thornton Ave, 30720 706-278-8494
Fairview Church 1735 Riverbend Rd, 30721 706-996-5057
Five Springs Methodist Church 2823 Five Springs Rd, 30720 706-277-3928
Mineral Springs UMC 4079 Airport Road, 30721 706-517-0200
Mt. Vernon UMC 597 Lafayette Road Rocky Face, GA 30740 706-673-4667
New Haven UMC 4040 South Dixie Highway, 30721 706-217-1879
Pleasant Grove Methodist 2701 Cleveland Highway, 30721 706-259-3141
Trinity UMC 901 Veterans Dr, 30721 706-278-4042
Varnell Church 3485 Highway 2 Cohutta, 30710 706-694-8023
Wesley Chapel UMC 808 Jamestown CT, 30721 706-270-2331
Nazarene
First Church of the Nazarene 2325 Chattanooga Rd, 30720 706-278-8428
Grace Church of the Nazarene 1111 Nelson St, 30721 706-278-1171
Non-Denominational
Abundant Life Bible Church 901 Chester Road, 30721
706-270-9733
Bridging the Gap Ministries 514 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, 30721 706-277-7575
Relentless Worship Center 210 Robinwood Dr, 30721
706-313-1129
Dalton House Of Prayer
897 College Dr, Conference Rm 3, 30720
706-915-6545
Dawnville Community Church 1409 Dawnville Rd NE, 30721
706-259-5342
Good Neighbors Church
910 South Thornton Ave, 30720
706-226-0846
Gospel Light Tabernacle 804 Sheridan Ave, 30721
Grace Fellowship Ministries 620 N Glenwood Ave 2&3, 30721
706-280-1375
Northwest Christian Fellowship 272 Main St, Varnell, GA 30756
706-694-9830
River of Life Church of Dalton
2919 East Walnut Ave, 30721
706-965-6683
Saint James Overcoming Church
400 North Fredrick St, 30721
706-278-0319
Tunnel Hill Community Church
706-673-4022
121 North Varnell Road
Tunnel Hill, GA 30755
Pentecostal
Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal Fuente de Agua Viva 1007 Underwood St, 30721
706-278-4963
La Senda Antigua 308 East Matilda St, 30720
706-270-8826
True Gospel Pentecostal Church
109 South Henderson St, 30721
706-278-5696
Shadow Ridge Worship Center 122 Wheat Drive Varnell, GA 30721
706-280-4546
Presbyterian
ChristChurch Presbyterian 510 South Tibbs Rd, 30720
706-529-2911
First Presbyterian Church 101 S. Selvidge St, 30720
706-278-8161
Grace Presbyterian Church 2107 Threadmill Rd, 30720
706-226-6344
Salvationalist
Salvation Army 1109 N. Thornton Ave, 30722
706-278-3966
Seventh Day Adventist
3 Angels Hispanic SDA
701 E Morris St, 30721
706-618-1182
Dalton Hispanic SDA 112 W Long St, 30720
706-275-0523
Dalton SDA Church
300 South Tibbs Rd, 30720
706-226-2166
Chatsworth Church Directory
Baptist
Blue Ridge Primitive Baptist Church
706-517-9849
134 Hyden Tyler Road
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Calvary Baptist Church
706-695-7747
Highway 225 North
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Center Hill Baptist Church
706-695-7988
65 Berry Bennett Road
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Cisco Baptist Church
706-695-9270
Highway 411 North
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Cool Springs Baptist Church
706-517-5388
Holly Creek Cool
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Fellowship Baptist Church
706-695-2626
4396 Highway 52
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
First Baptist Church
706-695-2112
121 West Market Street
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Flat Branch Baptist Church
706-695-2663
3443 Highway 286
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Free Hope Baptist Church
706-695-3717
4176 Highway 76
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Holly Creek Baptist Church
706-695-8522
422 Holly Creek
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Liberty Baptist Church
4221 US-76, Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Little Consauga Baptist Church
706-517-5733
1100 Sugar Creek
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Maranatha Baptist Church
706-695-6330
Highway 225 South
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Mount Pisgah Baptist Church
706-517-8944
2309 Old Highway 411
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
New Hope Baptist Church
706-517-3089
1273 New Hope Road
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
New Prospect Baptist Church
706-629-9521
7629 Highway 225
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Old Fashion Baptist Church
706-695-5420
885 Ben Adams Road
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Open Air Ministries
706-386-484
1058 Mtn Crest Dr.
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Prayer Baptist Church
706-624-9216
10859 Hwy. 225 South
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Shinning Light Baptist Church
706-517-1739
801 North 5th Avenue
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Smyrna Baptist Church
706-695-5815
1913 Smyrna Church Road
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Spring Place Baptist Church
706-695-5532
441 Highway 225 South
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Total Praise Baptist Church
706-695-6441
1461 Greeson Bend Rd,
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Zion Hill Baptist Church
706-517-5913
Highway 225 North
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Bible
Grace Bible Church
2599 Leonard Bridge Rd.
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Church of Christ
Woodhaven Church of Christ
706-847-7400
508 West Peachtree Street
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Church of God
Chatsworth Church of God
706-695-9388
Highway 411 South
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Central Community Church
706-695-4242
60 Pine Hills Drive
Chatsworth, GA 30705
Spring Place Church of God
706-695-8000
717 Tibbs Bridge Road
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Full Gospel
Faith Worship Center
706-695-6866
189 Hyden Tyler Road
Chatsworth GA 30705
House Of Prayer
616 Jenkins Road
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Methodist
Casey Springs
7250 Chastworth Highway South
Chastworth, GA 30705
Center Valley Methodist Church
706-971-4646
5394 Highway 225 North
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
First Methodist Church
706-695-3211
107 W Cherokee Street
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Fullers Chapel UMC
2144 Fuller’s Chapel Rd
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Spring Place UMC
706-695-5143
Po Box 248
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Non-Denominational
God’s Light House
784 Smyrna Church Road
Chatsworth, GA 30705
The Church of God of the Union Assembly at Chatsworth, GA
706-695-7335
Highway 52 Alternate
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Liberty Tabernacle
706-517-3140
2196 Smyrna Church Road
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Living Word Christian Fellowship
706-695-5005
960 Cherokee Drive
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
New Beginnings Ministries
706-695-6067
646 Floodtown Road
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
North Gate Church
706-548-4967
7727 Highway 225 South
Chatsworth, GA 30755 US
Tabernacle of Praise
706-517-0377
1435 Leonard Bridge Road
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Wings Of Faith Ministries
706-695-1527
1122 North Holly Drive
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US Pentecostal
Victory Tabernacle
706-517-1458
355 Ellijay Street
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
A Place to Worship
706-517-8568
259 Old Landfill Rd
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US Presbyterian
Sumach Presbyterian Church
706-695-4773
2089 Sumach Church
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Seventh Day Adventist
Seventh-Day Adventist Church
706-517-5124
1115 Highway 52
Chatsworth, GA 30705 US
Gò0dNews
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