River Region's Journey March 2020

I would rather be able to run the bases after my home run hit than have to stop to catch my breath by 2nd.

- Josie, 7th grade

For more information visit AlabamaHealthyTeens.com

Volume 21, Issue 12

Feature Articles

MARCH 2 0 2 0 Columns page 2

Publisher’s Note Jason Watson

page 12

Faith @ Work: Larry Chapman

page 4

Pastor's Perspective Fr. Andrew Rowell, Christchurch Anglican

Local husband, father and businessman Larry Chapman shares about his journey to true faith in Christ, how he hopes others see that faith in the workplace and what he does to keep Christ at the center of his life.

page 10

Pondering the Journey Sam Whatley

page 17

Women Arising Pastor Kemi Searcy

page 18

The Intersection

page 14

Bob Crittenden

Ministry Spotlight:

The Shepherd’s Staff

page 23

Counselor’s Corner

by Katie Blair

Dr. Kim Hamblin

Linnie and Debbie Dickson have been working with their Shepherd’s Staff team to bring hope to the hopeless since 1985. Find out how you can support their ministry, including current volunteer opportunities.

page 28

Dave $ays Dave Ramsey

In Every Issue page 20

page 6

Co-Parenting for Your Child’s Future

page 8

by Patrick Tidwell, Ph.D. LMFT

Find advice for working together and putting your childrens’ needs first after a divorce.

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Books to Read Around Our Community page 12

Faith @ Work page 24

Support Groups March 2020

River Region’s Journey

Our Mission...

We believe the Good News concerning the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is worth sharing with our friends and neighbors in the River Region. Each month we deliver this life-changing message to the centers of activity across our community in a user-friendly and relevant way to empower and equip all those seeking to grow closer to God. Join us in this mission by sharing a copy with your neighbor or by becoming an advertising partner starting next month.

From the Publisher Did you know you’re always selling some-thing to some-one?

We sell recipes, pillows, destinations, books, political candidates and even character traits, like gratitude, humility, and pride. Take a seat in a booth at a crowded lunch spot and listen to people’s conversations. Everyone’s selling something.

You may only think about selling in terms of a business selling goods and services, but making an offer to encourage, persuade and influence (a.k.a. selling) is the way we humans help each other solve our problems - or create new ones depending on what you’ve bought in to.

We do a lot of selling here at Journey. Each issue is published because of our advertising sales, but besides offering excellent advertising opportunities, more importantly, we offer the absolute greatest life-change opportunity ever made available to mankind. That is...

Editor DeAnne Watson deanne@readjourneymagazine.com

Publisher

Jason Watson jason@readjourneymagazine.com

Associate Publisher Gena Hill

Research Editor Wendy McCollum

Contributing Writers Bob Crittenden Dr. Kim Hamblin Dave Ramsey Fr. Andrew Rowell Kemi Searcy Dr. David Steele Patrick Tidwell Sam Whatley

To live at peace because you are fully known, perfectly loved, and completely accepted by your Maker, the God of the Universe, without shame or guilt... no matter your past or future failings because of the atoning death and resurrection made by God’s Son on your behalf, if you repent and believe.

Advertising Opportunities

Gluttons, gossips, adulterers, liars, homosexuals, cheats, racists, drunks, legalists, whoever and whatever, let’s join in God’s party because His Son has made a way for us to find peace on earth! God is waiting to restore you to a level of humanness only known by those who come to Him through His Son. What are you selling? What are you buying?

When we’re having a meal with friends at that busy lunch spot we can forget to sell the most valuable thing we have to offer. Truthfully, I even sometimes forget it’s the reason I’m sitting in church on Sunday morning.

“Lord, help us! Open our hearts to the life you offer and help us share it with our friends.”

Stop! and re-read that offer.

Jason Watson ads@readjourneymagazine.com (334) 213-7940 ext 702

Digital Manager Scott Davis

Ad Design

Tim Welch, Welch Designs

Distribution Manager Charles Silliman

River Region’s Journey is published monthly by Keep Sharing, P.O. Box 230367, Montgomery, AL 36123.

For information, call 334-213-7940. River Region’s Journey is copyrighted 2020 by KeepSharing. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.

The opinions expressed in River Region’s Journey are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the owners, nor do they constitute an endorsement of products or services herein. River Region’s Journey has the right to refuse any content that is not consistent with its statement of faith.

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Maundy Thursday | April 9 | 6:30pm Good Friday | April 10 | 12:00pm

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Holy Saturday | April 11 | 8:00pm Easter Sunday | April 12 | 6:00am

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Pastor’s Perspective

by Fr. Andrew Rowell, Christchurch

Why Should We Lament?

One of the great traditions of the church is that of lament. In the spiritual discipline of lament, God invites us to cry out to Him over the things of our lives that break our hearts. The entire book of Lamentations, all of the prophetic literature, and many of the Psalms are full of tears shed over this world, which, by sin, has been left twisted and groaning. In the face of chaos, God invites us to call out to Him to intervene and set things right.

In today’s age of entertainment and consumerism, we have largely forgotten how to lament. Church has too often become about showing the congregation a good time, leading them in rousing worship and giving them a safe and stirring inspirational talk. Recent generations have forgotten that Scripture is full of mourning, of crying, and of men and women beating their breasts before the Lord, asking Him to

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forgive us, to act, and to save us in our time of trial.

Do I need to list the things about which we are groaning? Maybe it’s just me, but it does seem like things are particularly on edge right now. We just experienced only the fourth impeachment proceeding in our national history. We are seemingly irreversibly divided as Americans. Every time we turn on the TV, we learn of new diseases, new impending disasters, and stark evidence for the bottomless depravity of the human soul. We have seemingly forgotten what it means to be male and female made in God’s image; the oceans are rising; and, as much as any time in history, we need God to save us.

Perhaps that’s enough doom and gloom, because Holy Scripture responds to our breaking hearts with words of confidence and hope in the midst of human sadness and need.

Indeed, Scripture is full of affirmations of God’s goodness in the face of human sorrow. I always think of Jesus’s Beatitudes in Matthew Chapter 5 as an extended response by God in the Flesh to our cries of lament. Are you poor in spirit because of the state of this broken world? You will be blessed. Are you mourning with sickness and sorrow? You will be comforted. Are you meek and needy, rather than boastfully sure that mankind can figure all of this out on our own? Then God promises to give you the whole world.

Are you hungry and thirsty after righteousness in the midst of a world convinced that human progress and 4

wisdom will save the day? Then you will be satisfied.

I was struck recently by our national moment of sorrow over the death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and the others in that helicopter crash. That sorrow was appropriate – for it is a terrible, mournful thing when any of God’s creation dies. But did you notice how the newscasters didn’t know what to say to the truth that even 41-yearold sports heroes can be cut down in the flower of their lives? But we know what to say, for we know the Gospel – that God so loved the world that He came to die on the Cross for us, bearing the consequences of human sin upon His own perfect shoulders.

Foolishness! says the world. But we don’t care what the world says. We lament our own sins and the abject brokenness of the world – we weep and mourn, we hunger and thirst for righteousness. And we know that all of our tears will have an answer – for God will save those who trust in Him. My friends, there is much to lament, much to mourn over. But our Savior says His Kingdom is surely coming in fullness – so be confident in God! And with that heart of confidence we can show mercy; we can be pure in heart; we can be peacemakers; we can stand up for what is right no matter what. Our tears will all be wiped away on the Last Day. We can and should lament over the evil in this world – but Jesus calls us not to lose hope – for He will bring the good things He has promised to pass when He returns to make all things new.

Fr. Andrew Rowell is Rector of Christchurch Anglican, 8800 Vaughn Road. He and his wife Mimi, an ICU nurse at Baptist South, have two sons, Eben and Zeke, and are delighted to make the River Region their home. They invite you to come experience the rich worship and bold Gospel proclamation happening among the warm people of Christchurch!

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Spurgeon’s Sorrows

Center Church

Realistic Hope for Those Who Suffer From Depression

Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City

Zack Eswine (2020)

Timothy Keller (2020)

I have a friend who was born in 1834. That would make him 183 years old. He went home to be with Jesus in 1892 – at the peak of his ministry and in the prime of his life.

I have been learning from my friend, C.H. Spurgeon for nearly 25 years now. He has taught me many lessons. He introduced me to Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan, a book he read over 100 times in his short life. Spurgeon has taught me the importance of expositional preaching. On many occasions, he has reminded me about the importance of the role of the Holy Spirit in preaching, not to mention living the Christian life. He has inspired courage and conviction and prompted me to be unwavering, even in the darkest of days.

But one of the greatest lessons I’ve learned from my British friend is how to deal with melancholy. Zack Eswine helps highlight some of those lessons in his book, Spurgeon’s Sorrows.

The subtitle accurately reflects the basic theme of the book, Realistic Hope for those who Suffer from Depression.

Spurgeon’s Sorrows is arranged in three parts. Part One walks readers through the basics of depression. What is it? How can one recognize it? What is spiritual depression? Part Two presents a path for helping people who suffer from depression.

And Part Three is a practical section that offers practical assistance for dealing with depression.

Chapter nine is worth the price of the book as the author directs readers to the promises of God and shows how Spurgeon utilized this habit of claiming the promises of Jesus in his daily walk with God. Spurgeon’s Sorrows is a short book filled with biblical counsel for people who battle depression and provides help for anyone who is reaching out to folks who are wading through the Slough of Despondence. In the final analysis, readers are encouraged to cling to their Savior who promises to walk with them through every valley.

I have been reading books about the church for almost thirty years now.

Most of the best material is being churned out by Mark Dever and the boys at 9Marks. Tim Keller’s, Center Church is a welcome guest in the growing list of books on ecclesiology.

Keller sets out to communicate one central message which is summed up in the subtitle: Doing Balanced Gospel-Centered Ministry in the City. Center Church is encyclopedic in nature. It covers every subject conceivable and is a helpful tool in every pastors prospective tool chest.

The discussion about gospel contextualization (chapter 7) is deeply encouraging and highly instructive. The author notes, “Contextualization is not – as is often argued – ‘giving people what they want to hear.’ Rather, it is giving people the Bible’s answers, which they may not at all want to hear, to questions about life that people in their particular time and place are asking, in language and forms they can comprehend, and through appeals and arguments with force they can feel, even if they reject them.”

Keller warns against the temptation to use contextualization as a clever means of compromise (which I find many pastors doing). He adds, “The call to contextualize the gospel has been – and still often is – used as a cover for religious syncretism. This means not adapting the gospel to a particular culture, but rather surrendering the gospel entirely and morphing Christianity into a different religion by over adapting it to an alien worldview.”

Center Church is filled with helpful instruction on doing gospel ministry in the city. It is a long read but worth plodding through for the treasures along the way.

I highly recommended this book for pastors who love the gospel!

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APRIL 18

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WE’VE HELPED OVER 95,000 GET SCREENED ONE STEP AT A TIME. REGISTER NOW AND HELP US KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING! The Walk of Life creates awareness for breast cancer, celebrates survivors, and raises money for those who cannot afford mammograms and breast cancer screenings. Bring the family April 18 and run, walk, donate or volunteer with us at 8:30am in Downtown Montgomery!

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UNCHAINED Women’s Conference

April 16-18 at Fresh Anointing House of Worship 6000 Monticello Drive, Montgomery Hosted by Bishop Kyle and Apostle Kemi Searcy Speakers include Dr. Marina McLean, Rita Springer and Shelly Sheehan. Price is $35 and you may register at anointedchurch.org.

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2020 Ping Pong Tournament Benefitting Renascence For all ages and abilities.

Teams are welcome.

Saturday, March 7, 9 am to 1 pm, at Alcazar Center, 555 Eastern Blvd.

Register at www.halfway-home.net.

Renascence provides safe housing and structured, ongoing support to men released from prison on parole.

TOBYMAC: The Theatre Tour

Saturday, April 25 at 7:00 PM Montgomery Performing Arts Centre, Montgomery, AL. Visit itickets.com

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OUR Montgomery Prayer Walk

Saturday, March 07, 10:00 AM There will be an OUR Montgomery Prayer Walk in Graetz Neighborhood beginning at E.D. Nixon Elementary School, 1000 Edgar Nixon Avenue. Everyone is invited!

Hip Hop Revival with Kingdom Muzic

Saturday, March 14, 2:00 PM The Hip Hop Revival with Kingdom Muzic will be at Montgomery Riverwalk Amphitheater. Admission is free. The event sponsors are That’s My Child, Flatline Church of Chisholm, New Walk of Life Church, and Common Ground Montgomery.

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APRIL 5

Unto The Lamb Night of Worship

APRIL 10

Good Friday Service

Awaken Community Wide Service

Saturday, March 28, 6:00 PM The next Awaken community-wide service will be at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery on Saturday, March 28 at 6:00 p.m.

For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/Awakenas1/.

Email church or ministry news to deanne@readjourney magazine.com.

APRIL 12

Easter Services

FBCPRATTVILLE.ORG/EASTER 9

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Leaving It All Behind You may have read the classic Christian devotional entitled My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. It’s a collection of passages that his wife copied a hundred years ago from Oswald’s sermons and lectures. Those little essays are still powerful nuggets of truth about God’s Word and the Christian Life.

I found a companion book, a biography by David McCasland called Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God. It tells how Oswald, in his early twenties, did not want to be a minister at all, but a professional artist and art teacher. At nineteen,

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his charcoal and pen-and-ink portraits and landscapes won him a place at the National Art Training School (later called the Royal College of Art) in London. He received his Art Master’s Certificate in 1895 and was awarded a two-year scholarship to study art abroad in the great capitals of Europe.

But Oswald refused the offer. He had seen the decline in the morals and spiritual lives of other students who had pursued this kind of study. He chose instead a two-year art course at the University of Edinburgh. He wrote in a letter that he wanted to be a “man of God artist to enter this aesthetic kingdom and live and struggle and strain for its salvation and exaltation.”

But God had other plans for him.

In his second year, Oswald ran out of money and left the university. The Lord began to urge him to give up art and enter the ministry. That was a staggering concept for the young artist.

He wrote to a friend, “I shall never go into the ministry until God takes me by the scruff of the neck and throws me in.”

That’s about what happened. God asked him to sacrifice even more. Oswald felt burdened to give up his attachment to 10

Chrissie, a lady he had hoped to marry.

For years she had been waiting for him to finish college and establish his career. In one of his last letters to her he wrote, “I hear the imperative command of my own soul, cut every tie and wait.” Both of them were broken-hearted, but Oswald was obedient to God. He was ordained into the ministry the next year, 1899. Years later, he would meet “Biddy,” the woman God had chosen for him to marry, the one who would compose My Upmost for His Highest.

Why would God give Oswald Chambers this extraordinary talent and then forbid him to develop it? We usually assume that our vocations are to follow where our talents lead them. But surprisingly, that’s not always God’s plan for us.

In our weakness He shows His strength.

Jesus told his disciples, “Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it,” (Luke 17:33) NIV. There are many examples of such sacrifice in scripture. Peter and his brother Andrew were fishing partners with John and James, the sons of Zebedee.

Acting on instructions from Jesus, they lowered their nets and brought in such a catch of fish that their boats started to sink. They had a big day of selling fish ahead of them. “Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.’ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything, and followed him,” (Luke 5:10) NIV. That was a radical change of vocations. But Jesus would ask the same of others.

“After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. ‘Follow me,’ Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him,” (Luke 5:27-28) NIV.

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Our Statement of Faith In keeping with Protestant theology, we believe that the Bible, as contained in the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, is fully inspired by God and therefore inerrant in the original manuscripts. The Bible is the only essential and infallible record of God’s self-disclosure to mankind. The Scriptures are the authoritative and normative rule and guide of all Christian life, practice, and doctrine. They are totally sufficient and must not be added to, superseded, or changed by later tradition, extra-biblical revelation, or worldly wisdom. The Bible is perfect in every way and shows us how to become and live as Christians.

The way of becoming a Christian is by faith alone in Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, who came to us, born of a virgin, in full human form while remaining fully God. Jesus was, and is, perfect, and was crucified so that others could live. Three days later He rose from the dead, never to die again.

He ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God the Father, where He, the only mediator between God and man, continually makes intercession for His own.

Those who have faith in Jesus as their Lord in this life, and Savior from damnation in the next life, now live by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, becoming more like Jesus everyday.

We believe that God is one God. The one God has three persons: the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Just as God is one, so also, all believers are to be one. We believe in the unity and fellowship of all those that have faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. We are one in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, His Body, which is composed of all men, living and dead, who have been joined to Him through saving faith. *All editorial content published needs to be in agreement with our Statement of Faith

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spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.”)

Larry: I’ve experienced a season of brokenness. I wouldn’t have chosen it. Looking back, I’m grateful the Lord allowed me the broken season. That’s when we truly learn…less of me and more of Him. RRJ: Larry, you mentioned that you have a few favorite words. What are they and what do they mean to you?

Larry: My favorite word is Grace. We can’t possibly understand how much we are loved. Number two is Hope. Hope is the confident expectation of what God has promised. Be confident He will do it. Number three is Joy. The settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.

RRJ: God has unique timing, doesn’t He? He began watering seeds that were planted in you when you were in 3rd grade. But it wasn’t until adulthood that those seeds really began to reach full bloom. What was your reaction to that “bloom”?

Larry: As a young person, I was active and involved in church, but never really got it. Then, the Lord flipped me upside down in 2012. As a result I went through a desert walk, became hungry for the scripture and continued to fight to stay focused every day. I wake up every morning and go straight to quiet time. I’m thankful He taught me the value of prayer and time with Him. RRJ: How does Psalm 51:17 speak to you? (“My sacrifice, O God, is a broken River Region’s Journey

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RRJ: How does your Christian faith shape the way you approach your job as an insurance agent?

Larry: It gives me the blueprint of how to serve each customer. The Golden Rule…I won’t do anything I wouldn’t want done to me or my family. I love this quote: “Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them.”

RRJ: The Scriptures say that if we want to bear fruit we must remain in Christ. What are specific things you do to remain in Christ?

Larry: There are several things we must do to stay on solid footing. One that stands out is understanding the company we 12

keep. The people we spend time with will shape and reinforce who we are. What we read, the music we listen to, the podcasts we hear. All of these things program our thoughts.

RRJ: Our world is caught up in “political correctness”, which can make living “loud” for Jesus difficult. How do your employees and coworkers know you are a Christ follower?

Larry: I hope the people I work with see how I live. I hope they believe that I truly want the best for them.

RRJ: What are some key things that have sustained your faith during the tough days?

Larry: I start each day with thankfulness. It is impossible to be discouraged and thankful at the same time. Also, my family and friends help sustain me during the tough times.

RRJ: If you could give your younger self a piece of advice, what would it be?

Larry: I love this question. There’s so much I’d tell a young Larry Chapman.

My first thought is to tell him about all the mistakes, and try to tell my younger self to NOT do those things. I’d tell my younger self, it’s not about YOU. I’d tell my younger self, don’t live in regret or guilt. But, here’s the main thing I’d tell a younger me…it’s all about HIS kingdom!

Photos by Colorbox.

Larry Chapman has been married to wife Suzanne for 24 years. They have two daughters: Caroline, 20, and Cate,11. Larry and his family attend First Baptist Church in Montgomery where he has served as a deacon since 2005.

He has been teaching Sunday school since 2000.

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by Katie Blair

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Debbie and Linnie Dickson know first hand that a loving, healthy family can make a big difference in a child’s future. Through their work they have parented over 100 children and families since 1985. Now, their work continues as the Directors of The Shepherd’s Staff Ministry, located in Montgomery, Alabama.

Originally from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, the couple responded to God’s call when they discovered that their home was drawing people in “whose only hope was the message of the Cross presented in a compassionate, tangible way,” describes the couple on their ministry’s website.

“Battered women with children in tow, bitter runaways carrying all their earthly possessions in paper bags, young women with broken dreams and unplanned pregnancies, broken people ready to give up made their way to (our) door,” the couple shares.

Equipped with education in Biblical Studies and experience in social work, outreach missions, and jail ministry, the seeds for what would become known as The Shepherd’s Staff Ministry were planted. The Dicksons made the move to Alabama for what was supposed to be a two-year commitment to minister to the needs of 10 young men.

“What began as a work to provide a loving family for 10 young men became a lifetime of labor of family building and restoration,” the Dicksons explain.

Today, The Shepherd’s Staff is a total family ministry serving through hands-on assistance and volunteer networking.

The Shepherd’s Staff serves as a resource link, partners with numerous service agencies, and utilizes a dedicated group of outstanding servants/ volunteers. Whether equipping foster/ adoptive families; furnishing a tutor to improve a third grader’s reading scores; sharing Biblical truths with the elderly; or transporting an addict to rehab, the message of The Shepherd’s Staff is the same: Jesus offers life, fulfilled & eternal.

Longing to meet the needs of hurting families in the area and knowing the impact that wise and caring guidance makes has been the goal of the ministry from the beginning.

“Our aim is to make a positive impact on the family, the fatherless, and the forgotten,” says Debbie, who along with her husband, continues to serve in the place they have now called home for over 30 years.

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“It’s about connecting with people and letting them know that they are not forgotten or invisible,” she says. “People, no matter their life circumstances, need to know that they matter.”

Linnie Dickson has a deep connection with overcoming obstacles early in life that he shares on the ministry’s website.

It’s a story of a difficult path made even more challenging by some poor early life choices.

Linnie shares, “Alcohol and other drugs were my chief companions. My hellish, no care view of life and fast lane mentality echoed the only truth I had ever known: there is no hope and no way out! The drug use was constant; a vicious, numbing cycle to take away the pain life had dealt me. Yet, there was still some small trace of the positive values that my parents had left me. A strong work ethic was at the top of the list. One of my jobs took me across the path of a kind, Christian lady who saw through the rough facade. She lovingly shared the TRUTH.” The woman said to him, “Linnie, you don’t have a drug problem, you have a “heart” problem. You need Jesus.”

“Jesus was using this sweet lady to “draw” me to Him. The Word of God and her loving conversation was breaking my heart and my will. God graciously gave me the faith to believe Him and trust Him. I was “birthed” into the family of God and transformed. Sex, drugs and degradation went one way and I went the other.”

The compassion and words spoken were never forgotten and began the transformation of his life, a transformation that would become far reaching to the individuals and families served and currently being served through The Shepherd’s Staff Ministry.

“We exist to make an investment in individuals, families and communities that will make a remarkable difference in the

present and impact future generations by presenting the restorative message of Jesus Christ in word and action.”

The Shepherd’s Staff Ministry continues to do the work that has been set before them. The couple explains, “The mission of The Shepherd’s Staff is to share the truth of Jesus Christ with individuals and families whose lives are mangled by poor choices, difficult circumstances or generational misinformation.

Believing that our ‘window of time’ is limited, efforts begin with the needs of the children and transition to the needs of the family. The Shepherd’s Staff recruits, trains, and mobilizes volunteers with like hearts and vision.”

Through their tireless efforts, the ministry has been recognized by numerous local agencies for the work being done, but there is always more work to be done each and every single day, Debbie notes. It is work that can not be done alone.

“Readers can help by praying, giving and volunteering,” she says.

Servant/volunteers are vital to the ministry of The Shepherd’s Staff. They currently have volunteer opportunities for the following: Transportation, Room or Household Setup for families in transition, Painting, Yard Work and Mowing. While the time commitment varies for each job, ranging from one hour for school pick up to as needed for other various tasks, the need for hands and feet to carry out the ministry’s mission is there.

If you are interested in helping or learning more, you can find them on Facebook or at Shepherdsstaffministry.org.

Katie Blair is a graduate of Auburn University in Montgomery with a degree in Elementary Education. She currently serves as a Children’s Ministry Partner with Frazer United Methodist Church. She is a freelance writer and blogger who writes about family life. She resides in Montgomery, Alabama with her husband, two children, and their dog, Rosie.

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• Riding - English, Western, and Jumping • Swimming • Heated Pool • Ropes Course • Climbing Tower • Outdoor Nature Skills • Sports • Soccer • Basketball

-winning, rd a w a n a n o t u o Don’t miss mp for your Christ-centered ca mmer! daughter this Su On Top of Lookout Mountain in Historic Mentone, Alabama

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• Beach Volleyball • Tennis • Canoeing • Golf • Archery • Gymnastics • Cheerleading • Dance • Chorus • Drama • Arts & Crafts • CIT Program • Campfires every night • Optional trips & more!

REGISTER ONLINE TODAY! Choose from 1- and 2-week Sessions and Mother-Daughter Weekends!

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Bloom!

My husband has memorialized his love for me on special occasions with beautiful bouquets of flowers. I enjoy their color and the scent I receive every time I walk by them, especially when the vase contains lilies or roses, my favorites. But in each bundle, there are some flowers that are still buds. These have the potential to bloom, but never open up. Even if I add the plant food that comes with the bouquet into the water, they stubbornly refuse to open. When it’s time to throw the dead flowers away, the buds have remained closed. They seem wasted.

All flowering plants need the process of photosynthesis to bloom. They absorb the carbon dioxide in the air, receive water and nutrients from the soil and utilize the energy from the sun to burst out of their tight buds. Aha! This is why the buds in my husband’s bouquets didn’t bloom.

They were inside on my dining room table, where this process could not take place.

God created flowers to display the splendor of His glory. Isaiah 35:2 says, “Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon. There the LORD will display his glory, the splendor of God.” I love the wonderful variety of flowers God has made, and I have met many different women that also represent the variety of God’s creation. Each one is here on the Earth to bloom fully, displaying the beauty of what God has placed inside of her.

Unfortunately, many women don’t bloom to their full beauty. I am talking here about the beauty that runs deep within and is exposed on the outside through using their gifts and spreading God’s love.

training, or experience needed for you to grow and foster.

The Bible is filled with the importance of becoming your best self. Psalm 92:12 promises, “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree.” In Proverbs 11:28 we read, “The righteous will thrive like a green leaf.”

Who among us doesn’t want to thrive and flourish?

Perhaps you are feeling like spring may never come to your life. You may have found yourself tucked into a tight bud of regret or disappointment. Perhaps fear or anger have pasted the petals of your life tightly shut. Just as I know that March will produce the winds to take away winter and prepare the Earth for April’s rain, so I am sure that God is ready to blow His wind over your life to bring you to a wonderful new place in Him. But you first must know how to bloom.

1. You need to be planted early. Spring bulbs are planted in autumn. They remain dormant to the naked eye during the winter, but the soil is preparing them for growth. Early daffodils are quick to bloom by just a few beams of spring light. What a welcome sight they are in the spring. Other perennials need more heat to pop out of the ground in later months. Invest in who God has made you to be. Receive the nutrients of His purpose and truth so that you are prepared to bloom in His timing.

2. You need to grow your roots well.

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3. You need the warmth of the sun.

Your relationship with God needs to be a warm one…one that has much more depth than a few quick prayers for needs and a thank you now and then.

4. You need to let the process of working your character take place.

Engage the Holy Spirit to give you a sort of spiritual photosynthesis that is needed to bloom.

5. You need to never disdain what stage you are in. While they are mere buds, peonies produce a sugary substance that draws ants. The ants eat the sugar and protect the delicate peony petals from other insects.

This allows the peonies to bloom.

6. You need to expect reproduction. If you are short sighted about who you can be or what you can do, you will limit the potential God sees in you. You should prepare to produce seeds. These seeds will become part of the people you touch. Your gifts and work will spread as you open up to changing others, who in turn will bloom.

I have never met an ugly woman that was truly blooming according to God’s plan. No matter how old, how disfigured, or how plain a woman may seem, His inward work affects the features of the face and the posture of the body. Blooming in God’s personal plan for you is the best cosmetic a woman can have! Be a beauty! Bloom!

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Elites and Fairy Tales The steady drumbeat of criticism of Christians continued on a Sunday morning recently; that’s right, on Sunday, a day that is held with great reverence by Christian believers worldwide.

On the throne of the legendary talk show, Meet the Press, Chuck Todd, according to the website of a rival network, FoxNews. com...

...pointed to a letter to the editor of the Lexington Herald Leader from last January, something Todd thought was a “fascinating attempt” to explain why so many Americans support President Trump.

The letter read, “[W]hy do people support Trump? It’s because people have been trained from childhood to believe in fairy tales... This set their minds up to accept things that make them feel good... The more fairy tales and lies he tells the better they feel... Show me a person who believes in Noah’s ark and I will show you a Trump voter.”

NewsBusters managing editor Curtis Houck called Todd out on it, saying, “On a morning after an attack on people of faith, @ ChuckTodd uses an ugly Letter to the Editor to mock religious people...”

The Washington Examiner reported that Brit Hume, who provides commentary for Fox, responded on Twitter by saying: “I wonder if Chuck Todd also thinks this is a ‘fairy tale,’” Hume tweeted Monday night, along with a picture of CNN reporter Jake Tapper’s Hanukkah celebration.

Tapper’s tweet captured the essence of the Hanukkah story, in which the oil to light the Temple candles miraculously lasted for eight days.

Todd’s comments are a slam toward supporters of the President, to whatever degree, including perhaps just those who merely cast a vote for him. Whether or not a Christian supports Trump, this still has River Region’s Journey

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become a disturbing display of elitism toward people of faith.

As it was pointed out in another Examiner piece, this host described a story woven into three religious faiths - Christianity, Judaism, and Islam - as a “fairy tale.” That’s horribly insensitive. It came after a machete attack at a Hanukkah celebration in New York.

Certainly, Todd and his media elites seem to try to take every opportunity to take potshots at the President and those who stand with him, including a number of Christians. The Bible has something to say about showing partiality, and there just seems to be a lot of people in our culture who believe that they know more than others.

Jim Denison, in an article on The Christian Post website, reminded Christians that we will face opposition. He says:

While American Christians should note and respond to those who demean or attack our faith (1 Peter 3:15–16), we should also remember those who are facing far worse persecution than we experience.

He also adds:

Persecution is inevitable for true followers of Jesus (cf. John 16:33). Those who hate our Father will hate his children (John 15:18–21).

Paul was blunt: “All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12).

Here we learn that if we are not facing opposition for our faith, we should ask whether our faith is as public and uncompro-

mising as it should be. I’m not suggesting that we need to seek to be persecuted. But I am suggesting that we should not be surprised when we are.

One takeaway here: Jesus said to “be of good cheer,” because He has overcome the world. There will certainly be trying times and we may even face ridicule for our faith.

And, when we face hostility, we can consider whether or not our witness is not what it should be.

While the Bible says that we are blessed if we’re persecuted for doing good, we also have to make sure that we are not facing opposition because of what we’ve done in a bad way. We have to continue to stay humble before the Lord.

Elitism is certainly not an expression of that. We have to make sure that we do not possess the attitude that we are better than someone else - a better Christian, a more “enlightened” believer, a more deserving person. We have to stay away from elitism. There will be those who think they are superior to us, and we have to reject the notion that somehow we are exalted above someone else.

By virtue of a network news anchor characterizing the story of Noah’s Ark as a “fairy tale” is just one more indicator of the lack of appreciation for solid Biblical stories, much less the deep truths of Scripture. It could be a lack of understanding or an outright rejection of the Word of God, which also translates to a rejection of the people of God. We can revere the Scriptures, show respect even toward those who despise us, and make sure that we remember to whom we belong.

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The latest edition of the Faith Radio Ministry Magazine features the topic of prayer.

To subscribe to our Magazine, please contact us.

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Faith Radio believes in the power of prayer and the special opportunity that corporate prayer provides.

Coming before the Lord with other believers in a time of confession, adoration, thanksgiving, or supplication is a powerful, faith-building experience. This is one of the reasons the Faith Radio staff prays together every weekday morning for you, our listeners, and any needs that we know of in our community. We encourage you to send us any prayer requests you have and know that we will be praying for you.

Contact us: Mail@faithradio.org | 800-239-8900 | PO Box 210789, Montgomery, Al 36121

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Listen Live Now • www.faithradio.org • Montgomery WLBF 89.1 FM 19

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We all want to see our children succeed and make positive choices. Life is confusing for our children now more than ever with social media’s influence. They will need someone to help guide them through the labyrinth of choices which they must make on a daily basis. This guidance can be harder to come by if parents aren’t putting their childrens’ needs first, which can sometimes be more difficult to do after a divorce.

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The balancing out of rules, decisions, preferences and rituals (such as holiday arrangements) can be troubling to work out, especially after things have ended with the divorced spouse. God desires parents to work together for the good of the children, just as He does with us. Let’s consider two verses of God’s wisdom to help us, in the Message version of the Bible: Ephesians 5:1-2 (MSG): “[Wake Up from Your Sleep] Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.”

Ephesians 6:4 (MSG): “Fathers don’t exasperate your children by coming down hard on them. Take them by the hand and lead them in the way of the Master.”

Children need to learn “proper behavior” from their parents. In other words, they need to know how to make the correct choices in their relationship with Jesus, their relationships with their friends, their academic pursuits, their extra-curricular

activities, their time on social media, and their time with you.

If parents choose to love sacrificially like Jesus did, for the benefit of the child’s future, then the child can learn how to make choices that benefit their spiritual, physical, mental and emotional growth in a positive manner. With these two scriptures in mind, let’s highlight some positive ways that parents can choose to work together to help children adjust after a divorce.

First, it is important to establish healthy communication between parents for the care of the children.

Healthy communication patterns will help the children learn to emulate that in their own relationships. It is important to establish who’s doing what, such as take the children to doctor or dental appointments.

Model the behavior that you want them to have.

Communication must be in the best interest of the children. It shouldn’t include any overtures to “win” a child over to one parent’s side or the other. This only creates chaos for the parents and can make children feel insecure and untrusting.

Fathers in particular need to work on this issue. Fathers are called “to take them by the hand and lead them in the way of the

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Master” (Ephesians 6:4). A son needs to know how to communicate with and respect women. A daughter needs to see how a man who loves God looks and acts.

Being a parent is a mission given to us by God to “train up a child in the way he (she) should go” (Proverbs 22:6). It is important to remember that parents are often called upon to sacrifice for their children. In this case, holding back negative comments about the divorced spouse is needed. No matter what caused the divorce, it is important to remember that families are systems.

Behaviors that are reflected in one generation are mirrored to the next, who are likely to repeat it. So, if you want your children to have healthy relationships with their future spouses, you must model the behavior that you want.

Seek help for yourself even if the divorced spouse isn’t ready to see a therapist or counselor.

The biggest, most frequent mistake that people make here is to not allow themselves time to heal from such a personal, hurtful wound. It can be very helpful to talk out your emotions and manner of thinking with a therapist. It is a wise decision to use the time with your counselor to get those negative emotions and thoughts out into the open in

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a safe environment where they can be processed. Having a good therapist/counselor is indeed a good idea, but having one that you know has a Christian point of view is more important.

Rapport with your counselor is paramount. You wouldn’t take your car to a mechanic you didn’t trust to do the job right. So, don’t seek help from a counselor/therapist who doesn’t share your faith.

The future for your family is too important. A Christian counselor will make sure to discuss how your feelings, choices, emotions and decisions reflect upon the relationship with Jesus that you want to have.

Make the rules fair.

Children need consistency and follow through of consequences. It is important for the parents to sit down and agree on the rules of bedtime, how to do homework, what films can and can’t be watched, diet habits of the children and rules for the friends of children among others. It is vital to agree on consequences for the children that are age appropriate for each child and to follow through on the duration of the consequences (for example: a week without internet access should actually last 7 days).

Love children extravagantly.

Take time to be involved in their lives. Take time to listen to their cares and to problem solve with them in partnership with the divorced spouse. Show them that you can be an adult and compromise. You only have them young for a limited time. Ask for God’s help, pray for His guidance and accept your mission… to be a good parent.

Patrick Tidwell, Ph D., LMFT is a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist who has been blessed by the Lord with a loving wife and daughter. He has worked with clients for the past 18 years, has presented at various conferences, currently teaches counseling classes online and writes hopefully helpful articles freelance.

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Understanding Self Harm The Bible tells us that we are created in God’s image. Jesus carried out his role on Earth in a human body like the one with which we are all born. Despite being told that we are created in God’s image, not all of us are at peace with the body given us. Dissatisfaction with one’s appearance leads some people’s decisions to alter their appearance in ways. Some are more extreme than others; in some cultures these alterations appear grotesque to our culture. We result to more sociably accepted plastic surgery or piercings. These do not necessarily harm the body and may help us feel better about ourselves.

There are ways in which some people treat their bodies that go beyond altering the body’s appearance and indicate much deeper wounds than dissatisfaction with their appearance. These alterations may not be visible; they reflect dissatisfaction with who they are rather than how they look. Often the purpose is to make them feel better about themselves or to help them cope with psychological wounds.

Self-harm ultimately damages the body without healing the psychological wounds.

It is these underlying wounds that must be addressed.

In strict clinical terms, self-harm is defined as intentional, direct injury of body tissue without the intent to commit suicide.

The most common methods used in selfharm are cutting, burning, or scratching oneself; one source reports that about 80 percent of self-harm is by cutting.

It is important to understand that using a razor blade to make several cuts somewhere on the body is not an effort to commit suicide, nor is it attention seeking behavior. People who self-harm usually go to great lengths to conceal their cuts or burns. Shallow razor blade cuts on the wrist may be concealed under a wide watchband or with a long-sleeved shirt.

Cuts just below the shoulder can be concealed under the sleeves of a T-shirt. Cuts on the thigh can be covered by a skirt, short pants, or slacks. Cigarette burns are usually concealed under a long-sleeved shirt.

Depending on the source of information reviewed, self-harm varies between 1 percent and 20 percent of the population. There seems to be general agreement that self-harm begins in teen years, usually at age 14 or 15, but sometimes as young as 11 or 12. Females seem to be more likely to self-harm than males, but this may be an artifact of reporting.

Self-harm is a maladaptive coping mechanism. There is no single explanation for how self-harm serves as a coping technique because the specific reason or effect varies from person to person. It may help deal with feeling numb or disconnected by helping giving a sense of feeling real or alive.

“It feels good to allow the blood to run down my arm. It feels warm and I know I am alive.” It gives others a feeling of control. “I don’t seem to be able to control anything else in my life, but I have control over whether I cut (or burn) myself.” For some it brings a feeling of relief during the time of great stress; it is a way to escape from unwanted thoughts or emotions.

“When I am cutting, my attention is com23

pletely on what I am doing and I can block the memories of my stepfather’s abuse.”

Cutting or burning can be a way to self-soothe; it can resemble the experience of a self-induced hypnotic trance.

Some cutters become so focused on what they are doing that they do not think of anything else or feel any pain. Cutting or burning can serve as self-punishment for someone suffering from guilt or shame. It’s almost as if the pain is deserved for some wrong. I have once interpreted the selfharm as a substitute for inflicting harm on the target of intense anger with a spouse.

Long standing inability to tolerate conflict and fear that resistance to the abuse would not make a difference or even make the situation worse helped relieve the tension felt from anger that could not be expressed.

Because self-harm relieves stress, it can sometimes resemble addictive behavior.

Resorting to self-harm when the stress is almost constant can lead to a need to selfharm frequently. Stopping the behavior can bring about something like withdrawal symptoms that only go away with another episode of self-harm.

Reasons for self-harm vary so much from person to person that it needs to be addressed in therapy that is specific to the individual. Untreated, self-harm can persist for many years; treatment is not simple and often a long-term process. Since self-harm functions as a coping technique, it needs to be replaced with a healthy coping technique and hope for a better life.

Dr. D. Kim Hamblin is a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of Alabama. He received a B.A. in Psychology from Mississippi State University and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. He maintains a fulltime private practice which specializes in adult individual therapy. Special interests include depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorders and ADD/ADHD.

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Adoption

Location: Vaughn Forest Church, 8660 Vaughn Road, Montgomery APAC, Alabama Pre/ Post Adoption Connection Support Group: This group provides education and social interaction for adoptive families. Meets 3rd Tuesdays, 6-7:30 p.m. For more information call Jill Sexton at 409-9477.

Alcoholic / Addiction Location: Caring Center of FBC, 52 Adams Avenue CrossRoads Support Group is for addicts/alcoholics and family members. Meets at 6 p.m. Tuesdays and follows a Christ-centered 12-step program. Call 264-4949.

Location: Dalraida United Methodist Church 3817 Atlanta Highway, Montgomery An Alanon meeting is held at 9 am on Saturday mornings. Call 272.2190 for details.

Location: Grace Presbyterian Church, Corner of Bell Road and Atlanta Hwy. Alcoholics Anonymous and Alanon meetings are held Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, at 6 p.m. An Open AA Speaker meeting is held on Saturday at 6 p.m. An Alanon & AA held on Sundays at 2 p.m.

Location: Grace Point Community Church, 78223 Tallassee Hwy (Hwy 14), Wetumpka Celebrate Recovery- every Tuesday night- 6:15pm.

All are welcome! These meetings are a safe and loving environment for individuals seeking to conquer their hurts, habits and hang-ups! gracepoint.info.

Location: Heritage Baptist Church 1849 Perry Hill Rd, Montgomery, AL Route1520 is a Christ-centered recovery movement dedicated to showing the way home for men impacted by sex and pornography addiction. Meets: Mondays, 6:30 – 8:00 PM CST. No Childcare Provided. Email montgomery@route1520.com, visit http://www.route1520.com/ men/groups-for-men/ or call 877.200.1520.

Location: Journey Church, 435 Sheila Blvd, Prattville Celebrate Recovery - Christ-centered 12-step for

NOT A CLUB...

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Fitness for Everyone • Summer Camp • Youth Sports • Ability Programs

prattvilleymca.org • (334) 361-0268 River Region’s Journey

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anyone struggling with addiction or life-challenging issues.

Mondays beginning at 6:15 pm.

Childcare available. Call John Pearse at 303-243-4308 or visit myjourneychurch.com.

Location: Landmark Church, 1800 Halcyon Blvd.

RSVP- This is a 12 step spiritual recovery program for overcoming addictions. Using the steps and Bible we help build self-esteem, responsible behavior, the making of amends for our destructive actions, and to fill the void in our hearts in a loving relationship with God. Wednesday @ 6:30pm in Rm. 121 of the Life Center.

Location: Prattville Church of Christ, 344 E Main St. CASA - 12 step (Christians Against Substance Abuse) spiritual recovery program, for overcoming addictions. Class begins each Wednesday evening @6:30 PM. Please call 334-365-4201 for additional information.

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Location: St. James UMC, 9045 Vaughn Road Celebrate Recovery meets every Thursday night from 6-8 pm in the Youth Room. This is a Christ-centered 12-step group for anyone struggling with an “addiction or life-challenging issues.” For information, call Chris Henderson at 334-215-0427.

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Location: First United Methodist Church, Wetumpka 306 W. Tuskeena Street ‘Fresh Start’ Recovery meets every Thursday, 6-8pm (meal included). In 2011, Fresh Start Motorcycle Ministry (FSMM) began when God laid it on the heart of a lifetime biker to minister to those with his background.

All are welcome, not a requirement to own/ride a motorcycle. For any information contact ministry leader, Paul Henderson, 334-201-5428.

Location: Trinity Presbyterian Church, 1728 S. Hull Street, Montgomery Route1520 is a Christ-centered recovery movement dedicated to showing the way home for men impacted by sex and pornography addiction. Meets Wednesday from 6:30-8 pm. For more information email riverregion@ route1520.com, visit http:// www.route1520.com/men/ groups-for-men or call 877-2000-1520.

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Alzheimer’s / Dementia

Location: First UMC, 2416 W. Cloverdale Park, An Adult Parkinson/Alzheimer’s respite ministry meets from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Lunch is served. Contact Daphne at 834-8990.

Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy An Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregivers’ Support Group meets on the first Thursday of each month at 10:30 a.m. in Room 3103. Call 495-6350 for more information.

Cancer

Location: Aldersgate UMC, 6610 Vaughn Rd Cancer Survivors Support Group is sponsored by Samaritan Counseling Center. We would love to have anyone (patient or family member ) join us.

Thursdays at 1 pm. Please call before attending just to make sure we are meeting that week. Please call Debbie D at 467-4578 or Ben W at 202-1912.

Location: ChristChurch, 8800 Vaughn Road Cancer Support Group for general cancer. Tuesday afternoons at 1 pm. For more info, please call Christy Holding at 531-1390 or Debbie at 467-4578.

Location: Frazer UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy. Central Alabama Multiple Myeloma Support Group meets from 10 a.m. to noon the second Saturday of every month in Room 3105. We have guest speakers, video presentations, printed information and a group that welcomes sharing their journey with myeloma in an informal setting. Refreshments are provided. Contact Joe Crowley at 334-207-4385 or jpcrowl46@ yahoo.com Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy. Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy. Women of Hope Breast Cancer Support Group, providing education, awareness, and mentoring for breast cancer patients/survivors, family and friends, meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in Room 8114. Call 220-4599 or e-mail womenofhope@charter.net

Divorce

Location: First Baptist Church, 305 S. Perry Street Divorce Care Wednesday nights @6:30-8:00 pm in Room 405B. Child care is available. Contact Kathy

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Cooper at 241-5125 for information.

Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy Divorce Care meets each Tuesday from 6 – 7:30 p.m. Come to the Library area.

This group will provide support & guidance to assist you in working through the issues, pain & pressures surrounding divorce. Call 495-6350 or e-mail jan@frazerumc.org.

Gambling Location: Cedarwood Community Church, 10286 US HWY 231 in the Wallsboro/Wetumpka community. The church is 1 1/2 miles past Tutweiler prison.

Gamblers Anonymous, Saturdays at 6 pm. and Mondays at 6:30 pm. Call 567-0476.

Location: Mental Health of America, 1116 South Hull Street, Montgomery. Sundays @ 5 pm.

For more information about the GA meetings call 334-399-6918. For information about counseling services or to request a guest speaker please call the Alabama Council on Compulsive Gambling at 334-277-5100.

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Grief Location: Cornerstone Christian Church, 301 Dalraida Road River Region Survivors of Suicide meets on the second and fourth Thursday of every month (excluding holidays) from 6:30-8:00 PM. This is an open group for those who have lost a loved one to suicide and welcomes anyone regardless of their religious beliefs. Contact Cheryl Vinson at riverregionsos@gmail.com with questions or for more information.

Location: Eastmont Baptist, 4505 Atlanta Hwy. Compassionate Friends is a national self-help support organization for families grieving the death of a child meeting first Tuesdays at 7 pm.

Call (334) 284-2721 for info.

Location: First UMC, 100 E. Fourth St, Prattville Grief Share, Wednesday evenings at 6 pm in the church parlor. Led by Michael Beatty. Call 3655977.

Location: Frazer UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy Grief Recovery Support Group meets Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m., Rm 3105. Call 495-6350 for more info.

Location: Grace Baptist Church, 304 Old Montgomery Highway, Wetumpka Mourning to Morning is a Christian growth group

for mothers who have lost a child, from before birth through adulthood. Meets the last Thursday night of each month. For info, contact Alice Scarborough (334) 462-4775 or Gwen Ellis (334) 567-8754 or e-mail mourningtomorning@gmail. com. Join us on Facebook.

Location: Millbrook FUMC, 3350 Edgewood Rd Grief Share meets Sundays from 5-7 p.m. For more information or to sign up, please call the church office at 285-4114 or email churchoffice@ mfumc.org.

Location: Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church 1550 E. Washington Street Grief support group meets every Monday at 6:00 P.M- 7:00 P.M. For additional information, please contact Alice Glover at (334)281-2754.

Mental Health Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy Mental Health - NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) meets 2nd Monday of each month from 6:30 – 8:30 pm in Room 7205. Group provides understanding, education & information to family members & friends of those who suffer mental illness, Call Pat Cobb at 334-2798331 for more info. NAMI Connection Support Group for individuals with mental illness meets every Thursday evening, 6:30 – 7:30 pm, room 3104. Call Pat Cobb at 334-279-8331 for more information.

Parenting Location: First Baptist Prattville, 138 S. Washington Moms LIFE (Living In Faith Everyday) meets twice monthly from 8:30 - 11:45 am in the chapel at the Church from Aug - May. We offer a time of fellowship, Bible study, musical guest, special guest speakers and a lot of fun!! Cost is $5 per meeting. For moms of all stages and ages of life. Childcare provided by reservation. Call April Scott at 828-446-6666.

Location: First Baptist Church, 305 S. Perry Street MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) is a place you can share a good meal, make new friends, and find encouragement as you face the everyday challenges of raising your little ones. We have educational speakers, great conversation, and fun activities. Free childcare is provided. Meetings are every 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, 9:30-11:30 a.m., September through May. Contact Tiffany Alewine at 241-5165.

Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy Frazer mom2mom is a playgroup to connect mothers of ages birth to 5 at Frazer UMC to share fun and inspiration in our journey together, with our children, and with Christ. Email Mom2mom@ frazerumc.org for more information.

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Location: Landmark Church, 1800 Halcyon Blvd.

Single Moms Support Group, Wednesday nights at 6:30 p.m. in classroom 118. For information call 277-5800.

Location: Perry Hill UMC, 910 Perry Hill Road Single Moms’ Care and Support Group meets 2nd and 4th Thursdays from 6:15 - 8:00 PM. December meeting will be on the 11th. Free snack supper provided to moms and children. Child care for infants -16 years. Call 272-3174.

Location: Redland Baptist, 1266 Dozier Rd, Wetumpka A MOPS group will be held 1st and 3rd Tuesday’s of every month during the school year, and has scheduled play dates and moms nights out through the summer and beyond. While moms are in a MOPS meeting, their children are lovingly cared for in the MOPPETS program. Email Denise Braswell at deniseorscott@yahoo.com.

Children born into all kinds of circumstances have dreams and dreams are powerful.

WE DO WHAT WE DO BECAUSE CHILDREN HAVE DREAMS.

Location: St.James UMC, 9045 Vauhgn Road Moms in Prayer International: This is a Christ centered interdenominational prayer ministry made up of moms, grandmothers, aunts or any woman who wants to gathers to pray for their children and schools. Meets every Sunday afternoon from 3:004:00. Call Annette Jones for more information on joining us or training to start your own group. 850529-4730 or email Montgomerymipac@gmail.com

Physical Challenges Location: Aldersgate UMC, 6610 Vaughn Road Visually Impaired Support Group – Meets monthly on second Thursday 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. The group is called Outward Sight - Inward Vision and is for those with vision loss and their caregivers. Our mission is to assist those experiencing vision loss to maintain their independence. Call 272-6152.

Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy. Parkinson’s Support meets 4th Thursdays at 6 pm in Room 8114. Call 495-6350 for more info.

Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy. Ostomy Support meets every other month on the 2nd Sunday at 1:30 p.m. in room 3101. In 2018: Feb., April, June, Aug., Oct., Dec. Call 495-6350 for more info.

1 6 0 0 7 T H AV E N U E S O U T H BIRMINGHAM, AL 35233 (205) 638-9100

ChildrensAL.org

Location: Vaughn Park Church, 3800 Vaughn Rd. Montgomery Area Down Syndrome Outreach Group meets 2nd Friday of each month from 6:308 PM. We have activities, speakers and special events throughout the year for the parents, siblings and children with Down Syndrome. Childcare is provided. Please visit www.montgomeryareadownsyndrome.com or our Facebook page (MADSOG) for information. Please contact MADSOG at montgomeryareadownsyndrome@gmail.com.

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March 2020

River Region’s Journey

Tighten Up!

Q. I’m beginning to think we got in over our heads with our house. My wife and I make about $125,000 a year combined, but we’ve never been able to put anything aside for an emergency fund. Our mortgage payment is 35 percent of our take home pay each month. We have two young children, so we eat out a lot, but we have no debt other than our house. Do you think we should refinance our home?

A. You two are making good money, and you’re debt-free except for your home. You can’t tighten up your budget enough to save up an emergency fund? Stay out of restaurants, dude!

There’s no law stating you have to eat out a lot just because there are kids in the house.

You guys need to get on a written, detailed plan, and start hitting your goals. I’m talking about a strict, monthly budget. Now,

I’ll admit your mortgage payment isn’t exactly what I would’ve signed you up for. Your house payments, or rent, should be no more than 25 percent of your monthly take home pay. But your house payment isn’t what’s holding you two back. What’s holding you two back is the fact that you haven’t been willing to tighten up the finances in other areas of your life to offset biting off more than you could chew in terms of a home.

No, I wouldn’t refinance. You’re fairly close where the mortgage payments are concerned, so I think you can make it through this by looking at ways to increase your income and selling stuff you don’t need to build an emergency fund. You two have been smarter than some, but you’re really going to have to buckle down and rearrange your priorities to make this happen!

Cash out my Roth IRA?

Q. I have around $15,000 in a Roth IRA. I recently started studying your advice, and I was wondering if it would be a good idea to cash it out and put the money toward debt.

A. I teach people to stop investing temporarily while they attack their debt. So, I wouldn’t add anything to it at this point, but the worst thing you could do is cash it out. If you do, taxes and penalties will steal a huge chunk of that cash. The only time I take money out of a retirement account to pay off debt is to avoid bankruptcy or foreclosure.

Start working the Baby Steps from the beginning. Baby Step 1 is saving up $1,000 for a starter emergency fund. Baby Step 2 is paying off all debts from smallest to largest, except for your home, using the debt snowball method. This will free up a ton of money!

Then you’re ready for Baby Step 3, which is increasing your emergency fund to three to six months of expenses. Now you’re ready for Baby Step 4, which is 15 percent of your income going into retirement!

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