FREE MAY 2021
First Lady
The Women’s Issue
Elee Reeves Faith, family, and life at the Governor’s Mansion
5G Fast. Fiber Fast.
C Spire Fast. At C Spire, we only have one speed: Fast. Over the next three years, we’re investing $1 billion to expand 5G in Mississippi and bring gigabit fiber internet across Mississippi and Alabama. That means faster phones. Better connected homes. Smarter schools. More competitive companies. And the infrastructure to fuel growth for years to come.
That’s how C Spire does fast.
©2021 C Spire. All rights reserved.
contents MAY 2021 VOLUME 15, NUMBER 11 PUBLISHER
MS Christian Living, Inc. EDITOR
Katie Eubanks katie@mschristianliving.com MANAGING EDITOR
STEGALL IMAGERY
Suzanne Durfey
Just weeks before COVID-19 hit last year, Elee Reeves and her family moved into the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion. It’s been an odd year, she says, but “I definitely think there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.” See cover story on page 18.
ART/GRAPHIC DESIGN
Sandra Goff SALES
Suzanne Durfey, Ginger Gober CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Chris Bates, Libbo Crosswhite, Lisa Owens, Dr. Catherine Phillippi, Michael Hicks Thompson, Dr. Dolphus Weary, Brenna Weaver COVER PHOTOGRAPHY
columns 8 Outside In Living your purpose The Meador family of Jackson has learned a lot through foster care — including just how big the need is. Read their story on page 24.
10 Modern Motherhood
Why taking care of yourself is not unspiritual
cover story
1 4 Mission Mississippi Moments How Mission Mississippi made me willing to disagree
Faith, family, and life at the Governor’s Mansion
16 This Is My Story Where would we be without praying mothers?
feature
27 Let’s Talk It Over How to fight for your child in a cancel culture
24 Fostering hope How foster care has changed this Fondren family’s life
28 Food for Thought One mom’s favorites
32 Author Q&A Jackson native’s book can help you learn a new song
33 Tough Questions How do I handle continued anxiety over COVID-19?
in every issue 6 17 34 34
Coming Next Month Johnny and Stacey Donaldson Serving God together
Editor’s Letter The Roman Road Quips & Quotes Advertiser Index
CONNECT WITH US: facebook.com/MSChristianLiving 4 MAY 2021 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living
DISTRIBUTION ASSISTANTS
Michelle and Randy Fortenberry, Rachel and Nettie Schulte, Jerri Strickland, Bob and Rachel Whatley
Hope for when you strike out as a mom
12 Health & Wellness
18 Elee Reeves
Stegall Imagery
instagram.com/mschristianmag
Mississippi Christian Living 3304 North State Street, Suite 201D Jackson, MS 39216 Phone 601.790.9076
mschristianliving.com
Mississippi Christian Living is committed to encouraging individuals in their daily lives by presenting the faith stories of others and by providing information that will point every person, at every stage of life, to a deeper, authentic, personal, and life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ. Views expressed in Mississippi Christian Living do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. Every effort has been made by the Mississippi Christian Living staff to insure accuracy of the publication contents. However, we do not guarantee the accuracy of all information nor the absence of errors and omissions; hence, no responsibility can be or is assumed. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2021 by MS Christian Living, Inc. Mississippi Christian Living is published monthly and is available for free at hightraffic locations throughout the tri-county area. Subscriptions are $29 a year. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to Mississippi Christian Living, 3304 N. State St., Ste 201D, Jackson, MS 39216.
mschristianliving.com ❘ MAY 2021 5
EDITOR’S LETTER
Why it’s good that life is hard
“T
Happy Mother’s Day to Debby Eubanks, one of my favorite travel companions on life’s journey!
6 MAY 2021 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living
he journey is too much for you.” I heard this in a sermon a couple months ago, just a few hours before making a difficult phone call to a friend. I knew I had to make the call, but I just wanted to enjoy my Sunday afternoon. Why did life have to be so hard? Why did the journey have to be too much for me? The preacher said it better than I can, but life’s difficulties are actually good news. Why? Because they lead us to seek God! “And he said unto me, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) Paul wrote this after begging God three times to remove a “thorn in his flesh.” God said no, the thorn (whatever it was) would stay. That way Paul wouldn’t be tempted to think he could do life in his own strength. He’d have to rely on God’s strength — which is infinitely greater, and helped Paul continue sharing the gospel with the world. Most of us will never endure what Paul did for Jesus. We live in a country that lets us serve Christ in relative freedom (for now). But sometimes we feel like Paul. Or Elijah. In 1 Kings 18, God uses Elijah to defeat 450 false prophets on Mount Carmel. Then Israel’s evil queen Jezebel, the “sponsor” of the false prophets, sends a messenger telling Elijah, basically, “You’re dead.” Imagine receiving this message. This is far worse than an aggressive Facebook comment. Jezebel has the means and the intent to fulfill her words. So Elijah runs away into the wilderness — then he asks God to take his life. Even after the victory on Mount Carmel, the queen’s threat is too much for Elijah. He doesn’t have the spiritual, emotional or physical strength to handle it. He thinks he’s failed. So he asks for death, and then he goes to sleep. Instead of granting his request, God sends an angel, who wakes Elijah twice with food and water. The second time, the angel says, “Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.” After his second snack, Elijah travels 40 days and 40 nights to Mount Sinai without another bite. That’s where God tells him about 7,000 Israelites who haven’t worshipped false gods. That’s where God tells him about three men
who will help turn his country around. That’s where Elijah learns he’s not alone. The journey absolutely was too much for Elijah. He couldn’t avoid assassination, or hike 40 days through the desert without food, in his own power. If he could have made the trek safely on his own, he might not have been desperate enough to listen for God’s instruction and encouragement when he reached his destination. Here’s a literary example of a journey being “too much” for someone. This is what happens in J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Fellowship of the Ring” when Frodo realizes he’s the one who needs to take the ring into Mordor: “A great dread fell on him, as if he was awaiting the pronouncement of some doom that he had long foreseen and vainly hoped might after all never be spoken.” In other words, as Frodo later tells another character, “I know what I should do, but I am afraid of doing it.” Ever felt that way? I have. Fun fact: There is an unnamed “God” figure in “Fellowship of the Ring,” but Frodo doesn’t have an intimate relationship with him. Maybe that’s why (spoiler alert) Frodo later fails in his quest. Real-world Christians have an advantage over Frodo: We can call on the One true God 24/7, and He will meet us in our fear and give us power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). When I finally made that phone call to my friend (with fear and trembling, but relying on God), she told me the timing was perfect, as she’d been going through a really hard season. I was actually able to point her to Christ over the phone — but I only did it by God’s grace. What would’ve happened if I’d thought I could do that on my own? I’m happy not to know. I’m so glad God reminds me that I can’t follow Jesus in my own strength. Because when I cry out to God for help, He doesn’t just provide that help: He draws me closer to Himself, the Father who made me and loves me best. He is better than anything! If we’re afraid like Frodo, frustrated like Paul, or exhausted like Elijah, it’s because the journey is too much for us. And that’s OK. Praise God. Y
Katie Eubanks katie@mschristianliving.com
3LQH *URYH LV NQRZQ DV RQH RI WKH QDWLRQɠV PRVW FRPSUHKHQVLYH WUHDWPHQW FDPSXVHV DQG ZH DUH FRPPLWWHG WR KHDOLQJ DQG FKDQJLQJ OLYHV IRU WKH EHWWHU )RU \HDUV
3LQH *URYH KDV SURYLGHG WKH KLJKHVW TXDOLW\ EHKDYLRUDO KHDOWK FDUH VHUYLFHV DQG DGGLFWLRQ WUHDWPHQW DYDLODEOH
+23( %URDGZD\ 'ULYH +DWWLHVEXUJ 06 ZZZ SLQHJURYHWUHDWPHQW FRP
OUTSIDE IN
by CHRIS BATES
Living your purpose
P
eddling a road bike 500 miles over a six-day period had never been on my list of aspirations. When my friend,
mentor and rector, Christopher, asked if I wanted to join their training group from our church and take the cycling trip across upstate New York for this venture, I could only imagine taking my regular several-mile rides to that level. The process included a multi-month training period that taught us all a great deal about physical preparation, stamina, nutrition and riding equipment. Not only was there the challenge of never having ridden that far, but also learning to balance my Type 1 diabetes through physical extremes was fear-inducing and demanding. The biggest takeaways from the experience turned out to be about purpose. Riding across breathtaking countryside mile after mile was not ultimately about completing the cycling distance itself, however. The lessons about purpose that are vivid memories these many years later are more about the teamwork, the sharing and support of others, and the unexpected roles that we each needed to fill to make it all work. Each member of the group had to, in addition to cycling the distance each day, be responsible for food prep, equipment repairs or injury nursing. Without each person fulfilling their role, the group could not have succeeded. Some of the content of Proverbs teaches us about fear and purpose. Solomon tells us in Proverbs 22:13, “The sluggard says, ‘There’s a lion outside! I’ll be killed in the public square!’” We can take this to mean that the lazy and apprehensive man does not go take action for fear of an imaginary lion. Each of us faces lions of challenges, hurt, and tough things in life. Rather than going out with purpose, this man instead lacks faith, stays inside and accomplishes nothing. By not facing each of our real and imagined lions, we can miss out on our purpose. Ananias is a personal favorite in the Bible, and his story could easily
be missed. Ananias (a disciple at Damascus, not to be confused with Sapphira’s husband) appears but one time in the Bible, for one profound purpose: Jesus appears to him and directs him to go visit and instruct Saul, who at that time was a well-known killer of Christians. Saul had been struck blind. Ananias was given this single task, and despite fear, he went and did just that. Saul’s vision was restored, and then Saul became Paul, an epic disciple who spread the Word abroad and wrote much of the New Testament. It all resulted from Ananias’ one thing. He had a purpose and carried it out. That is beyond amazing. The takeaway from the Proverbs verse and the story of Ananias is to never doubt our purpose. It is true that we often do not understand or know our purpose. We may never know the impact and reach of each purposeful step we take. We are not sure whether Ananias ever knew how impactful his action really was. Odds are, though, you probably have not fully served your purpose yet either, and there is much to do. The challenge put out to us is to listen, follow and serve. It is human that we feel fear and doubt. Another mentor of mine often said, “We cannot always control our thoughts and feelings, but we are entirely responsible for our actions.” Our actions become our purpose. Be moved, and deeply trust God more fully about His plans and purpose for each of us. God can direct and guide each of us, sometimes to very profound impacts about which we may have no idea. Y
Chris Bates is CEO and co-founder of AgoraEversole a full-service marketing agency in Jackson, and can be reached at Chris@AgoraEversole.com. He and his wife, Stacy, and their children live in Madison.
Accepting new clients – call today! PROFESSIONAL SOLUTIONS, PERSONAL CARE
covenantcaregivers.com
601.856.5660 Serving Metro Jackson and Hattiesburg
8 MAY 2021 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living
I FOUND
RENEWED OPTIMISM
LIFE PLAN COMMUNITY
The spring season brings fresh opportunities to enrich your life at St. Catherine’s Village, Madison’s preeminent all-inclusive Life Plan Community. Whatever your senior living needs are, you’ll find the right care at the right time—right now.
Find your peace of mind today! CONTINUING LIFE CARE ™ Independent • Assisted Memory • Skilled
Proudly CARF-CCAC Accredited
(601) 856-0123 www.StCatherinesVillage.com
.
mschristianliving.com ❘ MAY 2021 9
MODERN MOTHERHOOD
by LIBBO CROSSWHITE
Hope for when you strike out as a mom “I TRIED MY BEST!” she said through tears as the softball game ended. Last inning, down one, two outs, bases loaded, full count, all the things that set up for a moment of heroism or magnified defeat. And yes, I’m describing a 7year-old’s softball game, but also maybe this entire school year for many of us. Moms, we’ve made it to May. In what feels like (and, for many of us, was) a two-year school year, we are in the bottom of the ninth. Most of us stopped keeping score a while ago and have struck out a time or two. Shoot, if I am honest, I feel like I got smoked by a fastflying foul ball a few times this year. I have reached a new stage in my motherhood where I must ask permission to share stories each month, because now my oldest daughter can read, so this is all I can share of our most recent softball game. You can imagine if there were tears, it probably wasn’t a moment of heroism in the last inning. I also have been forbidden to mention the snow cone that she got her friend to order her in the dugout in the middle of the second inning. So, I WILL NOT mention that. In a world that is constantly teaching us that failure is bad, baseball teaches us that failure is inevitable. As believers and as moms, I think we can find ourselves so afraid of failure that we can easily be entrenched in living a life consumed by fear. I’ve recently been walking through a study of living in fear versus living life through a lens of faith, and I’m sure I’m not alone in having to fight the urge to let fear consume my thoughts, with all that we find ourselves living through each day.
Whether you’re sending off your senior to college in August, trying to make it through potty training, or any stage in between or after, as mothers we often find ourselves playing out worse-case scenarios as we raise our humans. We often see the responsibility and weight of raising our children through the lens of earthly brokenness and pressures of the world. As moms, we find ourselves on the verge of
Most of us stopped keeping “score a while ago and have struck out a time or two. Shoot, if I am honest, I feel like I got smoked by a fast-flying foul ball a few times this year.
”
tears often, all saying some version of “I TRIED MY BEST” on the days when it feels like we struck out more times than we can count. God offers us refuge in His Word to remind us that living in faith is less about our own ability and more about His sovereignty. God’s Word shows us ways in which we can fully rely on God to help us in the decisionmaking process as mothers. His Word is both the playbook and the ultimate source of comfort as we build a relationship with God that gives birth to living a life of freedom found in faith alone.
Paul reminds us in Philippians 1:9-11 that the fruit of our decision-making can be found in growing in the knowledge of who God is: And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God. If we believe the Word of God, we believe these things to be true and begin to live in this truth: God created us. God knows us. God is with us. Psalm 91:9-16 says that if we know and love God, He will rescue us, protect us, answer us, be with us in trouble, honor and deliver us, and show us salvation. These promises need to be written on our hearts and the doorframes of our homes. God tells us He will rescue and protect us because He knows we’ll need to be rescued and protected. God knows what we need before our first breath. As we finish this school year, may we rest in God’s promises and in the relationship that He is calling each of us into. In the month of May, may we celebrate the gift of motherhood and the gift of faith that He has graciously given us. Y
Libbo Haskins Crosswhite and her husband, Clay, live in Madison and attend Pinelake. They have one daughter, Mary Thomas, who is 7 years old, and a son, Russell, who is 5 years old. She is the high school guidance counselor at Madison-Ridgeland Academy and can be emailed at lcrosswhite@mrapats.org.
Mississippi’s Premier Caregiving Service Caregivers for home and hospital specializing in eldercare, adult care, and children. Locally owned and trusted for 21 years. LICENSED & BONDED
Caregivers for Home and Hospital — Metro Jackson, Oxford, Tupelo
CINDY M. YELVERTON, Owner
601.981.3661 | If no answer, 601.291.6555 sittersllc@bellsouth.net •
WE ARE IN A NEW LOCATION! 10 MAY 2021 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living
sittersllc.com
120 Village Boulevard, Suite A • Madison, MS 39110
MISSISSIPPI MANUFACTURED HOUSING ASSOCIATION
We Salute Our First Lady
Elee Reeves
MSMMHA.COM
mschristianliving.com ❘ MAY 2021 11
HEALTH & WELLNESS
by LISA OWENS, LPC
Why taking care of yourself is not unspiritual
A
s a counselor and mental health therapist, I often see the
effects of unrealistic expectations that have been placed upon women. Our perception of how others see us impacts our selfimage. We find ourselves wanting to be respected, appreciated and valued, but at times struggle with doubts and insecurities. This is complicated by the rules of our human tribe. Our lifestyle often puts us at odds with others who disapprove or don’t understand. This is true regardless of where we are on the political spectrum. For those who embrace faith, we encounter a myriad of perspectives on what is respected, admired or expected. Because of the pandemic upending our normal routine, this might be a good time for women to work on their mental health. With women who are married or parents, I often find that “mom guilt” and/or concern about “marital health” is a priority concern. Career pressures can add to an already full plate of responsibilities. Another area that commonly affects our mental health is financial stress. This often shows up in feeling the pressure to maintain a lifestyle in keeping with our social circle but beyond our means. Self-awareness is extremely important. That is simply being aware of what you’re thinking and feeling, and being sure you’re not ignoring signs of instability, shame, guilt, exhaustion, anxiety, depression or mental confusion. Brain fog often comes in seasons of prolonged stress. Many people don’t realize that physical health and mental health are linked. It’s important to make sure you’re taking care of yourself: going to the doctor, exercising, eating right, getting enough sleep, and not using destructive escape mechanisms. These mechanisms might include overeating, emotional eating, restricting food, overindulging with alcohol or other substances, isolating or never being alone, over-exercising, overcompensating in various ways, passive aggressiveness, being overly dramatic, being obsessive compulsive, and a multitude of other out-ofbalance behaviors. Social interactions affect our well-being. It’s important to be cognizant of our personal and social interactions and make sure we have good communication, healthy interactions and healthy thoughts. We’re often influenced consciously and unconsciously by the company we keep. Toxic
j
“She is clothed with strength and dignity.”
Ha ppy M othe r ’s Da y!
j
FRESHWAY PRODUCE FAMILY-OWNED AND OPERATED • ESTABLISHED 1989
6900 Old Canton Road • Ridgeland • freshwayproduce@att.net • 12 MAY 2021 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living
601.956.3727
relationships can cause insecurity, anxiety and depression. recognize what is important, as opposed to something that seems urgent We’re still learning about the mental impact of social media, good and but actually is insignificant. bad. We know social media at times can cause us to become quickly Prayer and spiritual guidance can bring wisdom and peace. This can triggered or depressed. It’s important to monitor how much we look at help us to regain perspective, put things in context and understand the other people’s lives and not our own. bigger picture. Comparison can and often will cause envy, Everyone experiences emotional ups and frustration and discontentment. downs in normal life. However, out of those (Self-awareness) is simply being Women are required to constantly juggle ups and downs, mental health problems can aware of what you’re thinking roles, responsibilities and emotions. We’re develop. To recognize the need for support and feeling, and being sure you’re presented with a myriad of choices daily, and it and help is not a personal failure. It might not ignoring signs of instability, can feel overwhelming. If a woman has a take humility and courage to reach out for career, is married, has children, or has other help, but this shows we’re wise enough to shame, guilt, exhaustion, anxiety, time- and energy-consuming commitments, recognize our need for self-care. depression or mental confusion. then tasks such as dishes, laundry, cleaning the For those guided by a moral and spiritual house, etc., can become frustrating, irritating compass, remember that the biblical pattern or overwhelming. Husbands often don’t realize that a woman’s perspective, for our lives includes like-minded people and mentors. We’re not created feelings and needs are often different than his. In marriage counseling, this to go it alone. Self-reliance is not spiritual. Taking care of yourself is not is one of the first areas to consider. unspiritual. A person who lives a well-balanced, mentally healthy spiritual Ideally, a woman can sort through many areas of her life and maintain life is an example to follow. Take care of yourself! Y a balance that works for her. Because unexpected or unanticipated events present themselves daily, it’s difficult to have a simple, orderly schedule. To Lisa Owens is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) with have a healthy outlook, it’s important to prioritize and evaluate what Cornerstone Counseling in Jackson, has a master’s in marriage should or shouldn’t, or can or can’t, be done in a healthy way. and family counseling, and is national board-certified in teleAt times, a chat with a friend, spouse or significant other can help. mental health (BC-TMH) and clinical mental health (CCMHC). Sometimes it’s helpful to seek counseling or other professional help. She has been married 47 years, and has two grown daughters and Gaining a new perspective can make a difference. It’s also helpful to six grandchildren.
“
”
mschristianliving.com ❘ MAY 2021 13
MISSION MISSISSIPPI MOMENTS
by DR. DOLPHUS WEARY
How Mission Mississippi made me willing to disagree
I
Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” The Bible talks a lot about encouraging one another. From time to time, we all need someone to come beside us and encourage us in our Christian journey. The work of Mission Mississippi, founded in the early 1990s, has always encouraged Christians to live out their faith across racial lines. In 1998, I had the privilege of becoming executive director of the group. Lee Paris, a white businessman, was chairman of the board. We had a fairly good relationship, yet we had a lot to learn about encouraging one another to be open and honest. Lee grew up in a white community, attended First Presbyterian Church and Ole Miss, and became a successful businessman. I grew up in a segregated community, attended a segregated school and church, and learned early in life what my place was. I was to say “Mr.” and “Mrs.” to white people, never look them straight in their eyes, and step off the sidewalk to let them by when I met them. I was taught to stay in my place. In 1967, God opened a door for me to attend an all-white Christian college in California. During those years of college and seminary, I was able to move a little outside my “black box.” I spent almost 30 years working with a ministry in Mendenhall, which allowed me to travel and speak in churches, white and black, around the country. I had a number of white Christian friends — but all were outside of Mississippi. Therefore, leading Mission Mississippi, a movement that encouraged Christians to build relationships across racial lines in Mississippi, was challenging. I understood the body of
Left: Dr. Dolphus Weary welcomes attendees to a Mission Mississippi event. Above: Dr. Weary, far right, and Lee Paris, center, speak at a Mission Mississippi event.
Christ was made up of different races, but when we’d drive through a community, we’d quickly identify a church as black or white. One of the strategies God put in my spirit was to preach in a black church one Sunday and a white church the next Sunday. I received an invitation to speak at a large white church in Jackson in 1998, and on the Sunday morning I was to speak, I got up early to review my notes. As I did, I began to cry, because I knew I could preach this sermon in New York, Chicago or California, but not in Jackson, Mississippi. I’m so glad God used me that morning to move a little more outside my racial box. That experience opened many doors for me to speak
Sunnybrook Estates is a strictly rental independent living retirement community offering spacious apartment living. Low monthly rates with NO long-term lease or buy in required. Rent includes meals, housekeeping, transportation, activities, on-site movie theatre, central heat and air in each apartment and more!
Fabulous Activities ✻ Beautiful Surroundings New Found Friendships ✻ Fine Dining 200 SERENITY LANE, MADISON, MS 39110
sunnybrookestates.net 14 MAY 2021 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living
CALL 601-856-4050
To inquire about Sunnybrook Estates
“
Looking a white businessperson in the face and learning how to disagree with him was hard. A number of us, black and white, have learned how to say what we think the other person wants to hear; therefore, the relationship remains shallow.
”
in white churches around Mississippi with greater liberty. Lee Paris offered a different kind of challenge for me. Preaching from the pulpit was one thing, but looking a white businessperson in the face and learning how to disagree with him was hard. A number of us, black and white, have learned how to say what we think the other person wants to hear; therefore, the relationship remains shallow. Lee taught me how to look him in the face and disagree with him. We maintain a relationship that, over time, has allowed us to go deeper. He encouraged me to be open and honest in our relationship. As board chairman, Lee was accustomed to making decisions. The first year, that is how we operated. Coming from my mentality of inferiority, I didn’t say anything. Gradually, I saw Lee was serious about building a deeper relationship with me. We began seeing our relationship as brother to brother, not a black brother and a white brother with all the historical baggage. As we worked together, Lee never hindered our relationship. I shared with him that blacks
were not accustomed to challenging, questioning or disagreeing with whites, especially white men. Relationship building is difficult, especially if we want to be authentic. Many of us, Dolphus Weary included, have a lot of shallow relationships based on old “paradigms” of tolerations. We have not arrived yet, but we’re making progress. Mission Mississippi challenges us to go deeper in our relationships, and I am so glad Lee Paris helped me do so. I encourage you to get one person of a different race, commit to encouraging each other, be open and honest, and learn how to disagree and keep loving each other. #EncouragingOneAnother Y Dr. Dolphus Weary has worked to address racial reconciliation and poverty in Mississippi for over 30 years, including serving Mendenhall Ministries (27 years), Mission Mississippi (10 years) and the REAL Christian Foundation (20 years). Dr. Weary and his wife, Rosie, have three children (their oldest son passed away in 2004), and three grandchildren.
“Over 30 years of providing statewide services”
HOME & HOSPITAL SERVICES
• Owned and operated by nurses • We understand caregiver needs • Services for all ages CALL US 24-HOURS A DAY
601.977.8484 • 800.844.4298 pcnursing.com
Hiring qualified and caring staff! mschristianliving.com ❘ MAY 2021 15
THIS IS MY STORY
by MICHAEL HICKS THOMPSON
Where would we be without praying mothers?
C
ity girl Olga Wright Thompson never made it to the Big Apple.
She became a farm bride. She raised four strapping boys on a small farm, in a tiny farmhouse — think 1,400 square feet on a hill with two acres of open, sloping front yard and a small pond. Behind the house was a forest in the black hollow where I explored most every day on my horse, Missy. It was an idyllic life. I just didn’t realize it at the time. Mama grew up a city girl in Jackson, the middle of six brothers, one sister, and an imposing, strict, and city-wide respected father who founded one of the largest and most revered funeral homes in America — Wright & Ferguson Funeral Home. Even as a young girl, and throughout her life, Mama was known as a “genuine lady.” Never once did I see her act haughty toward anyone — house maids, farm men or their wives, not even the local town drunk. She had a heart of gold and natural good looks, with a Olga Wright wanted to be a model — but then personality and a twinkle in her eye that she met WWII pilot Frazier Thompson. exacted genuine respect. She had morals that never wavered, which is why I suppose she was respected and adored by everyone she knew or encountered. In high school, she was a baton twirler, and voted Most Popular Girl. Many days after school, she’d model for Kennington’s — then Jackson’s equivalent of Saks 5th Avenue. Surprisingly, her strict parents offered to pay her way to New York if she truly wanted to become a serious model. But then war and love intervened when she met a dashing WWII pilot at a dance in Jackson during his two-week leave. Frazier Robinson Thompson, Jr., also happened to be a farm boy. Olga with her boys in 1985. Clockwise from top left: Frazier III and Will were born in Walter, Frazier III, Will, Olga and Michael Thompson. Monroe, Louisiana, near Selman Army Airfield. Walter, the next oldest, and I were old wooden shed. The early easterly sun born in Mama’s own bed outside Bentonia, magically created thin rays of particle-filled Mississippi, in Yazoo County. light rising ever more bright yellow as the sun I often went with Mama to the chicken rose through the narrow slats, leaving the coop at sunrise to gather fresh eggs for breakfast. She had about a dozen laying hens, a sunlight to mix with pixie dust and floating tiny feathers. It was a “Prairie Home rooster, yard chickens (who had another Companion” atmosphere. purpose in life), even sheep she sheared every Maneuvering with purpose through the hen year for the wool. house, she would shoo the hens off their nests, To this day I can see the chicken coop — an
16 MAY 2021 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living
gather up a dozen or so eggs, stack them in a wicker basket, and thirty minutes later have fried eggs, bacon, grits, and cornbread pones on the table for her four boys and man. One afternoon I watched her chase down two of those yard chickens, the ones with the “other purpose in life.” She wrung their necks, plucked them, washed them, cut them into parts, and dusted them with her cornmeal recipe for cast iron skillet frying. Supper! She made sure we were in church every Sunday — spit shined and all. She cared how we presented ourselves. More importantly, she prayed for her four boys’ salvation every day for 46 years of her life — from the time the oldest was born, till the day she died at age 67. God answered her prayers. All of her four boys became God’s adopted born-again children. And I’m convinced all — or most all — of her grandchildren, and now even great-grandchildren, have become God’s children. Without Mama’s fervent daily prayers, I’m convinced heaven would have a lot fewer Thompsons. The way I write about my mother, you’d think I’m a mama’s boy. I’m anything but. I have the scars to prove it — 23 broken bones, eight alone from one Harley-Davidson massage. Twenty-three fist fights. At least a half dozen car wrecks. College drugs. A night in jail. A fight in the largest Las Vegas casino. And more that I’m not willing to confess here. No wonder she prayed so fervently. Maybe I’ll write about Daddy next time. Whew. That’d be a story. What a man! He died far too young at 57 from an aneurysm. We all wished we could’ve gotten to know him better. He reminded me of Humphrey Bogart. Now all my brothers are at home in heaven. And that leaves only me. Oh, well, I’ll see them all soon enough — Mama, Daddy, Frazier III, Will and Walter. Y
Michael Hicks Thompson is a husband of 49 years, father to three sons, grandfather, novelist, writing instructor, and former owner of a nationally recognized creative ad agency. His upcoming plausible science fiction novel, “Clouds Above,” will be released June 1, and Amazon encourages pre-orders.
If you aren’t sure whether you have a relationship with God or where you’ll go when you die, please don’t put this magazine down until you’ve read the following:
✝ THE PROBLEM
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. – Romans 3:23 For the wages of sin is death… – Romans 6:23a The natural result and consequence of our sin is eternal death, or hell (Revelation 20:15), separated from God. This is because God is completely perfect and holy (Matthew 5:48), and His justice demands that sin be punished (Proverbs 11:21).
✝ THE SOLUTION
…but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. – Romans 6:23b But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:8 Jesus Christ died in our place on the cross and took on the punishment for all our sins (Isaiah 53:4-6). Then God raised Him from the dead (John 20)!
✝ HOW TO RECEIVE SALVATION
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. – Romans 10:9 Trust in what Jesus has done for you — His death for your sins and His resurrection — and trust Him as Lord.
✝ IS IT FOR ANYONE?
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. – Romans 10:13
✝ THE RESULTS
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. – Romans 5:1 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38-39
✝ WHAT TO DO NEXT
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. – Romans 10:17
If you decided to trust in Jesus, grow in your faith by reading more of God’s Word in the Bible. We recommend the gospel of John (it comes just after Luke) as a good starting point — or Romans! Finding a church close to you that teaches faith in Christ is another important step. It’s crucial to spend time with other believers so we can encourage each other in our faith. If you have questions about anything on this page, please contact us at 601.896.1432, or send us a message on Facebook @MSChristianLiving, Instagram @mschristianmag or Twitter @MSChristLiving. mschristianliving.com ❘ MAY 2021 17
COVER STORY
D
by KATIE EUBANKS
owntown Jackson is a beautiful place to be on a Sunday, “because of all the church bells,” says Mississippi First Lady Elee Reeves. “They all have different melodies.”
One of those churches is Galloway United Methodist, where Elee and her husband, Gov. Tate Reeves, attend with their three girls. Easter was the family’s first Sunday back at Galloway since COVID-19 hit in spring 2020. Like most of us, their lives have been upended over the last year or so. Even now, attendance at Galloway is limited to 125. “I’ll be happy when we can all be together again,” Elee says. “I definitely think there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.” Elee’s friendly, open demeanor and easy smile reflect that optimism — something church and state both could use after a tough 14 months.
First Lady
Elee Reeves Faith, family, and life at the Governor’s Mansion
Questioning and confirming Elee (pronounced EE-lee) grew up in Tylertown (pop. 1,845), where her grandfather ran a furniture store and a hardware store, and her mom was related to just about everybody. When Elee was young, her parents divorced. Though they remain friends to this day, no divorce is fun for a kid: Elee wrote a letter to Tay Gillespie, founder of Strong River Camp & Farm in Pinola, and asked if she could live there. Elee didn’t move to Strong River, but she did go to camp there, and took her memories with her to Millsaps College in Jackson, where she met Tate as a freshman. “A bunch of people at Millsaps went to Strong River. His group of friends and I would sing all the songs, and he thought we were crazy,”
3 QUICK QUESTIONS What’s your favorite Bible verse? “I think Philippians 4:13 (‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me’). You know, He’s with you in the good and the bad.” Where do you get your clothes? “Everywhere. My friends will take a snapshot of something online and say, ‘You need this,’ or ‘This looks like you.’”
STEGALL IMAGERY
What’s the most surprising thing about being first lady? No matter how mean people are to her husband in the thick of political battles, Elee says, “As first lady, everybody loves you!” Personally, this writer thinks that’s an Elee thing, not a first lady thing.
18 MAY 2021 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living
Elee, second from left in top row, with Kappa Delta sorority sisters. Elee now serves on the national investment committee for KD.
Elee, left, with Barbin Riche (now Lewis) at Strong River Camp & Farm in Pinola.
Elee and Tate married in November 2001. Two years later, Mississippi's state treasurer resigned, and their lives changed forever.
she says. “(He’d joke), ‘That’s a cult.’” But the future governor, who was raised Baptist, and Elee, who was raised Methodist, were drawn together: “When he played basketball at Millsaps, his coach was Methodist and made all of them come to Galloway,” Elee says. For her part, the big spiritual and practical influences in her life were her Girl Scout leader, Sunday school teachers, and the pastors who helped confirm her belief in Christ. “In the Methodist church you have confirmation class in sixth grade. The Methodist conference moves preachers around, but one of my best friend’s dads was our preacher, David Price. That (confirmation class) was the first time I really thought about things,” she says. “The next time was at Millsaps, in the Heritage course. They were trying to make you think outside the box. I called my pastor (at the time, due to questions raised in the class). It really made me question things, but it also confirmed, yes, Jesus is my Savior.” In November 2001, after Elee and Tate graduated Millsaps — she with a bachelor’s and master’s in business administration, he with a bachelor’s in economics — they got married at Galloway. Two years later, state Treasurer Marshall Bennett resigned. That’s when the new phase of Elee and Tate’s life started. ‘Do you think I should run for treasurer?’ Tate’s friends started calling him and asking if he would run to fill Bennett’s position. “(Tate asked me), ‘Do you think I should run for treasurer?’” Elee recalls. “I grew up in a family where we participated in
Elee with her former Girl Scout troop leader, Janet Stewart, left.
Elee, Maddie and Emma recently sat on the front steps of the Governor's Mansion to scope out the filming of a movie downtown.
Elee made Christmas cookies with Girl Scouts in December.
Easter 2021 was the Reeves family's first Sunday back at church since the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
the political process, but never campaigned,” she says. “(Tate and I) talked about what if we win, what if we don’t win. There was never a time when it was like, ‘Are you going to do this and I’m going to be mad?’ I’ve always been his cheerleader.” At the time, “I worked for a hedge fund, and he worked at Trustmark,” she says. “We quit our jobs and worked out of an extra office that his dad had. We had one volunteer (on the campaign).” That very first race for state treasurer was Elee’s favorite, she says, because “it’s my most fond memory of campaigning. We were road
tripping together for six months.” After Tate became the first Republican ever to serve as Mississippi’s treasurer, Elee went back to her job. In Tate’s first year in office, he and Elee’s oldest daughter, Tyler, was born. The following year, when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Elee’s mother had 2 feet of water on the second floor of her home in Ocean Springs, “so she came and lived with us,” Elee says. At the same time, “we were building a house,” and Tate “was so busy because you’re trying to mschristianliving.com ❘ MAY 2021 19
maintain your state’s bond rating (after a disaster like that). He was on the phone with all the bond rating agencies.” Balancing family, work and politics has been the norm for Elee and Tate for 17 years, as Tate served two terms as treasurer and two as lieutenant governor before taking office as governor in 2020. Their daughters have never known life outside of politics. Elee laughs when she remembers the state fair coming to town, and Tyler (16), Emma (14) and Maddie (9) asking, “Do we have to give out those push cards (for Dad’s campaign) again?” But between track, basketball, soccer and Girl Scouts, the Reeves girls experience plenty of normal life — though the definition of “normal” has changed for everyone recently. COVID, quarantine and the Governor’s Mansion In March 2020, the Reeves family spent spring break in Spain, where Emma played competitive soccer. “That was right around the time we were first hearing about COVID,” Elee says. “We thought, ‘Maybe we should bring a mask.’ My doctor had given me five paper masks (one for each of us). We had a great time.” That Wednesday night, President Donald
Elee has been a Girl Scout troop leader for 22 years, and is currently the leader of youngest daughter Maddie’s troop. Elee, Tate and Maddie are at top left.
Trump announced the closing of the U.S. border. “It wasn’t closed to U.S. citizens, but that didn’t translate,” Elee says. “I moved our flight up. It was at 10 a.m. We got there at 6:30, and the line was out the airport door.” Tate, of course, had to handle the state’s
official response to the virus. Meanwhile, he and his family had just moved into the Governor’s Mansion. “We were still getting settled,” she says. “We kept thinking (we were) about to turn the corner, but (COVID) just kept going,” she says. “We sold our home in Flowood. It’s been very odd being downtown (during a pandemic), but it’s made us appreciate the beauty of the house.” The Mississippi Governor’s Mansion is the second oldest continuously occupied governor’s residence in America. Continuously occupied, yes — but by people under 18 years old? It’s been awhile. “We were trying to figure it out the other day,” Elee says. “Maybe (former Gov.) Ray Mabus (had his kids here)?” An Instagram post from January shows Maddie throwing a rare Mississippi snowball, scooped up from the mansion lawn, at Elee, who groans in mock pain upon impact. A soccer goal, a basketball goal and dog toys adorn the grounds. Two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Belle and Hazel, keep the family company. And yes, there are sleepovers at the Governor’s Mansion. The family has private quarters upstairs, tucked away from the period furniture of the “historical” rooms that are open to the public for tours.
Subscribe for home delivery!
HAVE 12 ISSUES OF
delivered to your door for $29!
601.790.9076 mschristianliving.com C H E C K ~ C R E D I T C A R D ~ PAY PA L 20 MAY 2021 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living
BLADE FREE LASIK • LASER CATARACT SURGERY • EYE DISEASE TREATMENT • ROUTINE EYE EXAMS & WELLNESS CHECKUPS
Best-In-Class Eye Care Is Just Around the Corner
See the difference
EyeCare Professionals Is Proud To Announce The Opening Of Our Second Location At 240 Belle Meade Pointe In Flowood. To Schedule An Appointment, Call 601-366-1085 or Visit EyeCare4MS.com.
MISSISSIPPIFRW.ORG
Leading by Example Thank you, Elee! mschristianliving.com ❘ MAY 2021 21
In 2020, the Center has assisted over 105 human traf cking victims in Mississippi.
Tyler Reeves, right, was a Magnolia Princess at the 2016 Miss Mississippi pageant.
Emma Reeves was all smiles in 2019 after her Rush Select regional soccer team won a tournament in Sarasota, Florida.
TRAFFICKING VICTIMS 105 HUMAN 67 ADULTS / 38 CHILDREN
Maddie Reeves also has gotten in on the soccer action!
Thank you to our First Lady for serving on our Advisory Board and supporting our mission to help victims of human traf cking!! We are so proud of you and your commitment to the people of Mississippi!
MSCVP.ORG @MSC4VP 22 MAY 2021 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living
Speaking of the historical rooms, Elee has resurrected the Friends of the Mansion committee, started in 1974 by former Gov. William and Elise Winter. The committee will raise money to reupholster furniture in the gold and rose parlors and foyer downstairs, and the four bedrooms, sitting area and landing upstairs. People actually sit on the parlor furniture, including the yellow sofa featured on the cover of MCL. “Our plan is to redo everything in these same types of fabrics. (Somebody) was actually supposed to come get some furniture from the rose parlor this week,” Elee says. The Mississippi Department of Archives and History is in charge of the project, but she gets to head up the fundraising. “It’s $50 to join the Friends of the Mansion committee, and we plan to have a garden party every year, hopefully.” At press time, the 2021 garden party was to be held on the mansion grounds on April 27. Staying home during quarantine also allowed the Reeves family to focus on the Word of God. And if you ever think your kids aren’t watching what you do, take note: “For a while, Tate was doing those Facebook Lives (in which he read scripture, prayed and shared the gospel). I would cook brunch, and I would come in, and literally all three girls would have their Bibles out and highlighting the verses he was going to be speaking on,” Elee says.
Track meets, nail appointments and board meetings The biggest challenge of serving as first lady is time, Elee says. For instance, her photo shoot and interview with MCL was sandwiched in between two of Emma’s track and field events: the 3200-meter relay in the morning, and the 1mile in the afternoon. “One thing Tate has always done a very good job of is prioritizing our family,” Elee says. “Like today, he had a bunch of meetings, but one minute before Emma ran (this morning), he texted me and said, ‘I’m here.’” Even as first lady, Elee still works as an investment advisor at Coker Palmer in Jackson. “My bosses are amazing,” she says. “I generally come home at lunch and do whatever Ann (Beard, my chief of staff at the mansion) has for me in the afternoon.” That could include anything from ribbon cuttings to receptions (which are starting to be held at the mansion again) and board meetings. Elee already served on a number of boards, and then some board memberships came with the first lady territory, such as the International Ballet Competition (the competition is scheduled for next year!). Elee’s other board memberships include:
◆ Mississippi Programs of HOPE (Housing, Opportunities for treatment, Parental supports, Economic security) — co-chair ◆ Mississippi Family First Initiative – co-chair ◆ Investment Policy Board, General Louis Wilson Fund, Millsaps College ◆ Marsha McCarty Wells Endowment Fund, Millsaps College
“(With some organizations) it’s nice that I knew what was going on at the (state) Legislature,” she says. “It’s funny, things I was invested in outside of politics, it’s kind of a bridge and ties together.” She recently rolled off the Girl Scouts of Greater Mississippi board, but she’s been a troop leader for 22 years, largely due to the influence of her own childhood troop leader, Janet Stewart. “She instilled in you a right and wrong way of doing things, a right way of making friends, not leaving anybody out. And she taught us how to do things for yourself. We went camping … I learned there were things I could do that I didn’t realize,” Elee says. So as an adult, when she heard that St. Richard Catholic School in Jackson didn’t have enough troop leaders, she called Girl Scouts and volunteered. Then she started troops for Tyler, Emma and Maddie when they each reached kindergarten. Elee is currently Maddie’s troop leader. “Hopefully I am the mentor to (my Girl Scouts) that my leader was to me.” In addition to leading Girl Scouts, attending events and serving on boards, Elee reads to schoolchildren and hosts the occasional dignitary, including an ambassador from Uzbekistan, who visited in early 2020 before the pandemic. “I’m not very into the politics,” she says. “I do the more fun things.” Elee also tries to grant every speaking request. It just depends on time, she says. “If (the event is) at 7 p.m. on the coast, and the girls have school the next day,” she says, that might not work. Technically, she doesn’t have to do any of the above. When asked about the first lady’s “official” duties, it’s clear this thought hasn’t crossed her mind. “I guess you could be first lady and not do anything,” she says with a shrug. But what would be the point? Between Ann Beard at the Governor’s Mansion, an assistant at Coker Palmer, and a Google calendar, Elee stays pretty organized.
(Of course, Tyler and Emma have cell phones and can access said calendar, so they might horn in on their mom’s nail appointments.) But the day rarely follows the calendar to a T. That’s normal for anyone. Add a pandemic and state government to the mix, and … well, how do you de-stress? “We take walks from here to the Capitol,” Elee says. “I read a lot, and Tate does too. When I get home and Tate’s already upstairs with his book, I know, ‘Oh, he had a bad day.’” Adapting The best part of being first lady? “I would have to say the people. We have gotten to know so many different types of Mississippians and what matters to them,” Elee says. “I hope that’s one thing my girls will learn through this, to be a people person. They’ve (also) had to adapt, become self-sufficient.” Adapting has been the name of the game for all Mississippians over the past year, but the outlook is good, Elee says. “My hope is that the kids can start school next year without masks.” Either way, the Reeves girls should be able to keep adapting and taking care of business — just like their mom.Y
STEGALL IMAGERY
◆ Investment Committee, Mississippi Museum of Art Foundation ◆ UMMC’s MIND (Memory Impairment and Neurodegenerative Dementia) Center ◆ Advisory Board, Center for Violence Prevention ◆ Investment Advisory Committee, Kappa Delta National Leadership Team ◆ Keep Mississippi Beautiful ◆ Jackson Futbol Club ◆ Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park
Thankful for our First Lady Prayers and blessings for you and your family as you serve our state.
601.353.9691 gallowayumc.org mschristianliving.com ❘ MAY 2021 23
FEATURE STORY
by KATIE EUBANKS
FOSTERING HOPE How foster care has changed this Fondren family’s life
W
hen I ask 10-year-old Octavius why he was sad to leave his previous foster families — even the ones he didn’t like — he gets quiet. Just a few minutes ago, when he learned he was going to be in a magazine, he jumped up, pumped his fists in the air, hugged his current foster mom (whom he adores) and said, “I’m gonna be famous!” Now he says, “Well, sometimes (the other families) would do good things and buy me stuff, but sometimes they were mean to me.” One foster mom, in his words, “just sat on the couch” and was mean to him. Nobody likes being carted off from one home to the next, even when the home you’re leaving isn’t great. Octavius says he’s had seven previous foster families. He remembers most of their names as he lists them aloud. Thankfully, he’s spent over nine months now with the Meador family in Jackson’s Fondren neighborhood. Chuck and Katie Meador, who also have three biological children, are licensed through Methodist Children’s Homes of Mississippi (MCH). At first the Meadors took Octavius temporarily. Then “I had to come back (here), and I was pretty sad, but now I’m happy because I have a Christian family and they’re nice and kind and wonderful,” he says. “They enjoy having me here. They say I’m a very nice person.” “You are,” say Katie and her son Jonathan, 8,
24 MAY 2021 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living
been a valuable adventure for everyone in the Meador house.
Clockwise from top left: Chuck Meador with daughter Lindsay, son Nathan, foster son Octavius, and son Jonathan. (Octavius’ face cannot be shown due to privacy restrictions.)
who are also in the downstairs den where the kids do schoolwork. “I am a very nice person,” Octavius says. Two things are clear: 1. Octavius has never met a stranger. 2. The past nine months have
‘We’re to care about orphans’ Chuck and Katie met in a college Sunday school class while they were both attending the University of Southern Mississippi. Even before they were married, they supported MCH when they could, Chuck says. The Meadors moved to the Atlanta area for a while, and loved Georgia, “but we felt God leading us back to Mississippi,” he says. They’ve been back in the Magnolia State, mostly in Jackson, for more than 20 years now. Katie’s background is in special education, and Chuck’s is in psychology. At one point, the couple started a house church that wound up turning into a ministry for at-risk children. “We’ve always had a heart for kids,” says Chuck, who is now senior pastor at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Fondren. “We had talked about (fostering), then had (our) older two (biologically — Lindsay, now 15, and Nathan, now 14). We looked into fostering and adopting through Mississippi Families for Kids. Then we got pregnant with Jonathan and we backed off,” Chuck says with a laugh. “We started pursuing fostering again five years ago when we were in Meridian, and then moved here and got licensed through MCH. “Then you wonder, should we wait? You think about your kids’ ages. (We thought) ‘When the kids go off to college, we’ll foster.’”
Many parents of younger kids feel a similar hesitation about fostering, because “it (changes) your routine,” Katie says. “But the big determining factor was, God’s very clear in scripture, we’re to care about orphans. And we had the means and the ability,” Chuck says. 1 day at a time Young Jonathan Meador says he was nervous when he first heard that Octavius would be living with the family for a couple weeks. “It was the first time we’ve had someone stay with us that I hadn’t known for the first seven years of my life. But by the end of the first week, I started really liking him,” Jonathan says. When he found out Octavius was coming again to stay longer, “I was actually very, very excited about it,” Jonathan says, talking faster now. “We were sitting at our desks, and Mom said, ‘How would y’all like it if Octavius came and stayed with us for a longer time?’ and we were like, ‘Yes, yes, yes!’” Octavius shares his side of the story: “When I got here, I saw you in the window,” he says, laughing. Older brother Nathan doesn’t talk a lot, but he says life with Octavius has been “fun,
interesting (and) different. When we go on trips and all, stuff that we’ve done a bunch, he gets very excited about it.” For instance, Octavius now has experienced his first hike, his first big city (New Orleans), and his first roller coaster. He has loved it all — well, except maybe the roller coaster. Nathan’s advice for teens about to welcome a foster sibling? “Be ready for a big change,” he says. While navigating those changes is hard for everyone, including the foster child, Octavius “laughs a lot,” Nathan says. “He’s very optimistic.” Katie says the family’s New Orleans trip a couple weeks ago was “a fun thing to watch a child (experience). Fun things we get to experience with new eyes.” If Octavius is gaining new experiences, his foster family certainly is, too. “There are cultural differences,” Chuck says. “We want to honor that. … I’ve learned to cut a black boy’s hair. I cut my own hair and the boys’ hair, and we got to the point of being like, ‘We’re going to figure this out.’” The Meadors are also figuring out how to show love to Octavius when other families and experiences have made him sad. “When we first got married and moved to Georgia, (Katie) worked in the Oakland
Center, a special education center, and (her) coworker and his wife had fostered and adopted,” Chuck says. “They gave us strong encouragement to (foster), but they were quick to remind us you can’t undo what’s (already) been done,” Chuck says. “(Foster children are) going to have struggles and get mad.” Chuck feels strongly about being honest with Octavius and talking out conflicts as they arise. But sometimes, “you’ve got to let it go (for the time being),” Chuck says. “Take it one day at a time.” “(Fostering) has helped us focus on the day to day, and not try to predict the future,” Katie adds. And sometimes, when life gets frustrating, “(Octavius will) say, ‘I’m going to go run,’ and he’ll run down the street,” Chuck says. “We run a mile and a half every morning, and he does it,” Katie says. “He didn’t at first, but now it’s an outlet,” Chuck adds. The best part? “When he’ll really get open and honest and talk and share, and you realize … you’re making a difference in providing a place of safety and support,” Chuck says. In fact, the Meadors are so committed to providing that safe, supportive space, they’ve told
mschristianliving.com ❘ MAY 2021 25
Ha
y!
Mother’s D y a pp
CELEBRATE MOTHERS! Ep
The Meador family and Octavius on vacation in New Orleans (top left) and Vogel State Park in Georgia. Katie Meador is in the bottom right photo, at the far left of the frame.
h esia n s 3:2 0
MCH “we’d be open to having an additional child in the home,” Katie says.
Capitol District 601-956-8636 prolifemississippi.org 26 MAY 2021 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living
‘Jesus was keeping me safe’ Another major lesson the Meadors have learned from being foster parents: Government agencies and programs often form “a system that’s hard for children to manage and thrive in,” Chuck says. “We’ve come to the realization of how big the need is.” That’s why he and Katie are so thankful for MCH. “The support from Methodist Children’s Homes has probably made the difference in us being willing (to foster). There would be someone to call in the event of a critical issue,” Katie says. “We haven’t had any critical issues, but — ” “It makes it kind of a team effort,” Chuck finishes, saying MCH has been “a gift.” “We still had concerns, but … we were like, we can try this,” Katie says. Meanwhile, even before Octavius came to the Meadors, God was protecting him. And he knows it, Katie says. “He can see God’s hand in his life. He’s said, ‘When I was little, Jesus was keeping me safe, even before I came here.’”
‘I want to be a dad’ All but one of Octavius’ previous foster placements were with single mothers. “(That’s) great, but I think it’s also good for him to be in a home with a family,” Katie says. Chuck says Octavius “didn’t know what to do” with a foster dad at first. “He’s gotten used to me. Now he says, ‘I want to be a dad … and take care of my family.’” Despite the challenges of adjusting to a foster dad, family dinners, a pandemic, and virtual classes at Casey Elementary (all MCH kids attend public schools), Octavius is grateful, Katie says. “He’s so excited to get to go to church and read the Bible and get to listen to Christian music.” He didn’t get to attend church at first, due to COVID-19 restrictions. Once the family went back to worship at St. Luke’s in person, “he realized I was the pastor,” Chuck says. “(He said) ‘We’re going to go every week? Wow!’ And he got excited.” “These are formative years of a child’s life to be void of any Christian influence,” says Katie, who adds that Octavius has marveled at being able to attend both Sunday school and church. That gratitude translates into action — or it will when Octavius is able, at least. Once this article brings him fame and fortune, he says, he could buy his foster dad an RV. Y
LET’S TALK IT OVER
by DR. CATHERINE P. PHILLIPPI
How to fight for your child in a cancel culture ow many followers do I have? Every grade I make is critical. What if I don’t make the team? Why am I so fat? What is everyone saying about me? Can anyone see me? What if everyone finds out? These are some of the questions spinning around in the heads of my patients. As a pediatrician and a mother of three teens, I feel compelled to be vocal about these issues and offer families a helping hand. Add all those concerns to the “cancel culture” that we live in, and it is no wonder that mental health statistics are staggering in young people in the U.S. Even with underreporting in 2020 due to COVID-19, clinical depression is reported at around 20 percent in teens. Significant anxiety is reported at 30 percent.
H
A cancel culture does not “ allow someone to apologize and learn from their mistakes. This is the opposite of what Jesus taught. … we must be an oasis for people who have messed up, including our children.
”
The percentages are higher in my practice. If I take time to look past a teen’s veneer, I can often tease out the burden of so many fears. Economic strain, marital instability, parental depression, fear of an unseen virus, skepticism, political and racial unrest, division and death are like a dark fog oppressing our young people. Instead of being hopeful, many teens are hopeless. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, cancel culture is a “way of behaving as a society or group in which you completely reject or stop supporting someone because they have done something to offend you.” A cancel culture does not allow someone to apologize and learn from their mistakes. This is the opposite of what Jesus taught.
If we are going to reflect Jesus, we must be an oasis for people who have messed up, including our children. This does not mean we water down our convictions or erase consequences. What it does mean is that true repentance and forgiveness are possible. Jesus came for that very reason. Even churches today have become so polarized that what our kids learn is to hide and mask up, leading to more mental health issues in the future. Technology and social media have made it possible for our mistakes to reach a wide audience in a matter of hours. Once this occurs, the child is at the mercy of their peers as judge and jury. The punishment, often, is to be “canceled.” How anxiety-provoking is that? We know that childhood anxiety and depression are more likely to persist into adulthood if they’re not addressed and treated in a timely manner, so we must act now. We have to identify and treat children before the inner turmoil speaks loud enough to influence suicidal thoughts or self-medication with alcohol, drugs, porn, food, cutting, and whatever else Satan can offer. We as believers know this, but let me be clear: THIS IS WAR. It is more important than an ACT score or a prom date. It is just as important as food, water and oxygen. Not only must you be armed and ready, but you must equip your child for battle. In any battle, identifying the enemy is step one. So often we are manipulated into focusing all our energy on the symptom and not the source. In my opinion the source is a raging lion prowling around seeking to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). So start now! Identify the enemy and boldly teach that to your child or teen. Open the Bible, read it, and use it. It is a doubleedged sword (Hebrews 4:12). Talk about it when you sit in your home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up (Deuteronomy 6:7). Put on the FULL armor of God every day (Ephesians 6:10-18), not just the helmet of salvation. Let’s face it, we are all distracted and busy. Don’t read this and become overwhelmed and defeated. Be empowered and reminded that God gave us the tools to win. Partner with the
Creator of the universe who already overcame this world. Surround yourself and your children with other believers who can mentor and disciple them alongside you. And ask for help. Your pediatrician can help. This is not a time to ignore the signs of depression and anxiety in yourself or your children. Your pediatrician can guide and direct you with options for counseling, different types of therapy, and even medications if needed. It is one of my greatest joys to see my patients come out on the other side of darkness. God is at work. Trust Him. Y
Dr. Phillippi joined TrustCare as a pediatrician in 2021. Prior to that time, she practiced at Children’s Medical Group in Jackson. She is married to Dr. Mark Phillippi, a nephrologist at Central Nephrology Clinic, and they have three children.
WENDY MAXWELL COUNSELOR
LC SW
Women’s Issues Adolescents Depression Anxiety Conflict Resolution wmaxwell@restorationcounselinggroup.com
601.832.7450 restorationcounselinggroup.com mschristianliving.com ❘ MAY 2021 27
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
recipes by JAY MORGAN
One mom’s favorites
PHOTOS COURTESY FRIDAY NIGHT PORCH PARTY
In honor of Mother’s Day, we asked Friday Night Porch Party’s “better half,” Lou Anne Morgan, which dishes she liked best. These were three of her favorites, and they’d all make great appetizers for your next Friday Night Porch Party! Y
MISSISSIPPI DELTA CATFISH BREAD
Since Belzoni, Mississippi is known as the Catfish Capital of the World, catfish was served at almost every gathering in some form when we lived there. Many versions of this recipe are floating around. 1 loaf French bread, sliced in half lengthwise 4-5 catfish filets Liquid Smoke Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning 1 stick butter, softened ½ cup mayonnaise 6 green onions, chopped 1 small can sliced black olives 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
Preheat oven to broil. Place catfish filets on a baking sheet and season with Liquid Smoke and Tony's. Broil fish about 4-5 minutes until flaky. Remove fish from oven and set aside to cool. Reset oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine butter, mayonnaise and garlic powder before adding remaining ingredients. After fish has cooled, take a fork and flake fish into small pieces. Fold fish in with other ingredients. Spread fish mixture onto both pieces of French bread and place on a baking sheet. Bake bread about 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted. Remove bread from oven, let cool a bit, and slice to serve.
28 MAY 2021 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living
SWISS ALMOND DIP
RED NECK PRETZELS
This recipe belongs to our old friend Alison Wade. Alison is a character! She always has a smile on her face and a story to tell. She is a wonderful cook and owned the local restaurant, Alison’s, in Belzoni for many years. At first I was hesitant to include this recipe because it’s so old, but I have many young friends that may have never had it.
If you’ve known me for very long, you know I love to jazz up typical snack foods. My friend Laurie Champion shared this recipe with me. I really don’t like pretzels, but I love these!
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened 1 6-ounce package Swiss cheese, chopped ½ cup Miracle Whip 2-3 green onions, finely chopped Dash of nutmeg ½ cup sliced almonds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine everything except almonds in a mixing bowl. Transfer mixture to an 8x8” baking dish and top with almonds. Bake 20-25 minutes until it's bubbly and the top has browned a bit. Serve with sturdy crackers like Melba rounds or Wheat Thins.
1 cup vegetable oil 1 package dry ranch mix ½ teaspoon garlic salt 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients except pretzels in a large mixing bowl. Add pretzels and toss to coat. Transfer to a large cookie sheet and bake about 15-20 minutes. Pretzels will darken a bit. Remove from oven and cool. I store mine in a Ziplock bag. . Jay Morgan and his wife, Lou Anne, have been hosting Friday Night Porch Parties for 25 years, including at their current home in Madison since 2004. Jay invites whomever God puts on his heart during the week, and cooks like a crazy person! Follow them on Instagram @fridaynightporchparty and check out the recipes at FridayNightPorchParty.com. (Headshot by Kyle Hancock Photography.)
SAY GOODBYE TO JOINT PAIN &
SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT OR WALK IN TODAY! CAPITALORTHO.COM 601.987.8200
mschristianliving.com ❘ MAY 2021 29
EXPLORE
THE CITY WITH
& GET A FREE TEE, WITH THE NEW
METRO JACKSON PASSPORT Collect six stamps from participating attractions, restaurants, and hotels to redeem your prize. For more information, go to visitjackson.com/ safertravel
Open Doors to Curiosity. Discovery. Belonging. Step through our doors today. Come explore the many stories that connect us all as Mississippians.
222 North Street, Jackson twomississippimuseums.com
601.200.3090 • 800.632.5907
mschristianliving.com ❘ MAY 2021 31
AUTHOR Q&A
Jackson native’s book can help you learn a new song (In the book) we look at what I call songs from scripture. Some of them are songs, some are laments or prayers. We look at those for how to discover our own songs of hope in whatever circumstances. The reason I think of it in terms of singing is because most of us, we love music to the degree that it requires something of us: We sing when we hear music, or we move to the beat. We remember the songs. We have “songs” on repeat (in our heads). Whether those words are words of doubt or failure, there’s something on loop ... The only way to have something else in our head is to learn a new song. Each chapter we go through a different type of song. A song of inner peace, a song of praise. I share my own story … And then at the end of each chapter is a place for people to write their own songs if they want — which doesn’t have to be a song, but just whatever is on their heart.
Ginny Owens was born and raised in Jackson, attended Murrah High School and the Mississippi School for the Blind, and has developed a career as an award-winning Christian musical artist and speaker. Now she’s written her first book as sole author, “Singing in the Dark: Finding Hope in the Songs of Scripture,” releasing May 1. MCL Editor Katie Eubanks spoke with Ginny about how the book can help readers grow closer to Christ.
Katie Eubanks: What is the idea behind “Singing in the Dark”? Ginny Owens: We all face some kind of darkness. For me (there’s been) a sense of knowing, especially as a child and a young person … that you’re different. But we all face darkness in our lives. I lost my eyesight when I was 3 years old due to a degenerative eye condition. … my parents were great at making sure I got to do all the normal kid things. I climbed trees and rode my bike and roller skated. So I really didn’t realize I was different until I got to school ... A lot of my songwriting (early on) was about that.
32 MAY 2021 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living
KE: What are some of the specific biblical songs in the book? GO: The song of praise is the story of Leah in Genesis 29. … Hannah sings a song of strength in 1 Samuel 1-2. We look at the song of Deborah and Barack in Judges 4-5. And then David, he has lots of songs. (There are a few) that are less songs, but one is from Paul, in Philippians 4, and we think of Paul and Silas singing in prison. And Paul is in prison in Philippians 4, so I think of him singing these words about not being anxious.
KE: Many of the songs in the book are prayers. Lots of Christians feel unable or unworthy to pray. How would you say we can overcome that? GO: (Look at) anyone in (the Bible) who is talking to God. … they hold nothing back. The Psalms so often say, “Why are You doing this, Lord?”
So there is a sense in which we always have to go to God where we are. And I think if we start where we are, then we’ve made the first step. I also find it very helpful to write down prayers … and things I’m thankful for. Because the more we write those things down and how God has answered them, the more we can see how He’s worked. And then I think it’s partly how we look at God. … For our closest friends, we want to spend time with them, know what’s important to them, hear their advice, and be in their space. How much more with the God who made us? Instead of thinking of ourselves as having to fix ourselves up and go to Him, to look at Him as the Father who wants to hear from us.
KE: How have you been able to replace harmful “songs” in your head with God’s voice? GO: (That has) worked out in memorizing scripture, and really having verses that I can pray when I’m not thinking straight. And even just praying, you know. Just knowing that that is a safe place. You have to combat those voices, or they don’t let up. So whether it’s in remembering and repeating scripture, or whether it’s in prayer, or whether it’s even just hearing positive physical voices, so friends and community that care and that you can be honest with — because (the voices in our head are) so much louder for us when we’re alone. … So sometimes even when I don’t want to, I put myself in people’s space who can speak into my life. (All of) that takes a little bit of effort, but it’s totally worth it. Y “Singing in the Dark” can be purchased via Barnes & Noble, Amazon, ChristianBook.com and Mardel.com.
TOUGH QUESTIONS
by BRENNA WEAVER, LPC
Attorney Job: The Adventures of a Great Lawyer! “A Masterpiece in Jurisprudence!”
QUESTION:
Although things are opening back up, I continue to have anxiety related to COVID-19. How do I manage it? ANSWER: The COVID-19 pandemic has been such an odd and stressful time for so many — wearing masks, socially distancing, quarantining, losing loved ones. There is great grief that comes along with living during this unprecedented time. School terms were cut short and virtual learning became the norm. Proms and graduations were canceled. People were no longer going to the office, and instead working from home. Toilet paper, Lysol, and Clorox wipes became hot commodities. These dramatic shifts happened in a matter of weeks, sometimes days. No one can fully prepare for such change. It was and still is hard. Even though things are opening back up, the pandemic has not been declared over by the World Health Organization — the organization that declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic on March 11, 2020. So it makes sense that, a little over a year later, you continue to feel anxious about it. I am curious about your anxiety. Do you avoid leaving your house for fear of contracting the virus? Are you easily irritated and snappish when others are not socially distanced near you? Do you monitor any and every physical health sensation for signs of COVID-19 — cough, headache, runny or stuffy nose, etc.? Anxiety can present in different forms. The first step is being aware of what you are feeling and the possible cause(s). If leaving the house is a cause for concern, most stores and restaurants now allow ordering online or via phone. Some include contactless delivery with purchases, too. Is that a reasonable option? If not, making sure you have hand sanitizer, gloves and masks packed in your purse or car
“Even though things are
opening back up, the pandemic has not been declared over by the World Health Organization ... So it makes sense that, a little over a year later, you continue to feel anxious about it.
”
No other set of books, except the Bible, will prepare the reader for an abundant life NOW and for a glorious ETERNITY better than Attorney Job, Hallelujah, Love & War and The Sound of Glorious Marriage Music. These books can be reviewed and purchased at amazon.com. Select Books and type in “by Joe Ragland.”
ATTY JOE RAGLAND, J.D., LL.M., LL.D. Personal Injury Trial Attorney/Workplace Injuries Tel. 601-969-5050 • Info: www.raglandministries.org Click CONTACT to subscribe to Ragland Newsletters
before leaving is one way to alleviate stress. If the lack of social distancing is a concern, arrive at a store when it first opens and avoid the crowd. Sit on the patio at a restaurant. Politely ask someone for space if he or she is crowding you. If you are obsessively monitoring yourself for symptoms, it is a good idea to have the necessary cold and allergy medication and Center for Disease Control guidelines on hand. Taking a Tylenol and/or Benadryl as directed, and knowing protocol for contacting a doctor, may help you feel more in control. Also, remember that it is springtime and pollen is lurking! Do not forget that praying and seeking the Lord’s face is always a great resource. As Psalm 94:19 says, “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.” I am also reminded of Psalm 119:50, “My comfort in my suffering is this: your promise preserves my life.” Y
Brenna Weaver is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Ridgeland working with clients 18 years and older. She has experience as a secondary education teacher and children’s therapist. When not working, she enjoys reading, eating good food, and traveling. mschristianliving.com ❘ MAY 2021 33
QUIPS & QUOTES ADVERTISER INDEX
✂
{
CUT OUT THE SCRIPTURES AND QUOTES AND PLACE THEM AROUND YOUR HOME FOR DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT!
}
ADVERTISING PARTNERS
PAGE
Belhaven University...................................................2 The Book Rack ............................................................15
Do not let your adorning be external — the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, nor the clothing you wear — but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. ~ 1 PETER 3:3–4, ESV
C Spire..................................................................................3 Capital Ortho ...............................................................29 Center for Violence Prevention .....................22 Choose Life Mississippi ..........................................5 Cornerstone Counseling......................................13 Covenant Caregivers................................................8
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. ~ 1 JOHN 1:4, ESV
Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. ~ PROVERBS 31:28, ESV
EyeCare Professionals ..........................................21 Freshway Produce....................................................12 Galloway United Methodist Church ...........23 Insight Group Real Estate .................................24 Jackson Prep ..............................................................20
The fact that I am a woman does not make me a different kind of Christian, but the fact that I am a Christian makes me a different kind of woman. ~ Elisabeth Elliot, “Let Me Be a Woman”
[Older women] are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. ~ TITUS 2:3–5, ESV
The only thing that will make a woman strong is to lay a hold of her great God and become strong in him. ~ John Piper
Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work. ~ C.S. Lewis
Nothing is more beautiful than a woman who is brave, strong and emboldened because of who Christ is in her. ~ Anonymous
God’s love isn’t based on me. It’s simply placed on me. And it’s the place from which I should live... loved. ~ Lysa TerKeurst, “Uninvited”
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. ~ GALATIANS 6:9
Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. ~ PROVERBS 31:25–26, ESV
Joe Ragland .................................................................33 Mascagni Wealth Management ...................36 Methodist Children’s Homes of Mississippi............................................................25 Mississippi Federation of Republican Women..............................................21 Mississippi Manufactured Housing Association.............................................11 Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum .............................................................31 The Orchard .................................................................29 Pine Grove Treatment Center ............................7 Prime Care Nursing .................................................15 Pro-Life Mississippi................................................26 Rankin County Republican Party ................23 Sitters, LLC .....................................................................10 Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company..............................................9 St. Catherine’s Village...............................................9 St. Dominic’s ................................................................35 St. Dominic’s Behavioral Health Services .......................................................31 Stegall Imagery .........................................................29 Sunnybrook Estates ...............................................14 Twin Lakes........................................................................11
Sacrifice your peace for their fun, your clean kitchen floor for their help cracking eggs, your quiet moment for their long retelling of a dream that a friend of theirs allegedly had. Prioritize your children far and away above the other work you need to get done. They are the only part of your work that really matters. ~ Rachel Jankovic, “Loving the Little Years” 34 MAY 2021 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living
Two Mississippi Museums..................................31 Visit Jackson................................................................30 Wendy Maxwell, Counselor ...............................27 Written in Stone, LLC.............................................33
MASCAGNI WEALTH MANAGEMENT, INC. IS A REGISTERED INVESTMENT ADVISER REGISTERED WITH THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION.