Mississippi Christian Living: January 2026

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JANUARY 2026

y p p a H New ! r a e Y

Rebecca and Dalco Turner Faith, family, and other Good Things ● A check-up from the neck up ● How God met me in my struggle with food and weight

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JANUARY 2026 VOLUME 20, NUMBER 8

PUBLISHER

MS Christian Living, Inc. EDITOR

Katie Ginn katie@mschristianliving.com ART/GRAPHIC DESIGN

Sandra Goff SALES

Teresa Howell CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Mississippi College turns 200 this year! The celebration starts this month, with several events lined up for Founders Week. See page 33.

Rebecca and Dalco Turner (pictured here on their wedding day in 2007) share their story of spiritual growth and fun physical challenges in this month’s Cover Story. See page 18.

columns 8 Modern Motherhood Do you have hurry sickness?

10 Redefining Retirement A check-up from the neck up

12 This Is My Story How God met me in my struggle with food and weight

Lori Burt, Erin Kate Goode, Shay Greenwood, Courtney Ingle, Laura Lee Leathers, Molly Staley, Jade Whitehurst COVER PHOTOGRAPHY

Joe Ellis Photography DISTRIBUTION ASSISTANTS

Linda Roberts, Jerri and Sammy Strickland, Rachel and Bob Whatley

Mississippi Christian Living P.O. Box 1819 Madison, MS 39130

601.345.1091 mschristianliving.com

14 Faith, Fashion & Fitness Let your yes be yes

Lori Burt shares how God met her in her struggle with food — and helped her lose so much more than weight. See page 12.

30 Health & Wellness

cover story

32 Let’s Talk It Over

How our community lost 2500+ pounds in 2025 Why abortion is a gospel issue

18 Rebecca and Dalco Turner

33 What’s Going On

Faith, family, and other Good Things

feature stories

MC marks 200 years with Founders Week celebrations

in every issue

16 RezFit

6 31 34 34

Rankin County gyms nurture body, mind, and spirit

24 Health & fitness Tips & resources for 2026

Editor’s Letter The Roman Road to Salvation Quips & Quotes Advertiser Index

Coming next month Family financial pros talk money and stewardship

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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 ensure 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 2026 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.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

What story will you tell in 2026?

I

With author Scarlet Hiltibidal (left), who recently shared her story on “Oh My Word with Katie.”

n January 2025, I rang in the new year with hot tea, Tylenol, and Jane Austen’s “Persuasion.” I was

themes and literary depth. They might help us escape our world for a bit, but they also convict us about how to live when we re-enter sick with the flu, the consequence of sitting it. My default examples are C.S. Lewis’“The by a stranger in a waiting room.

Chronicles of Narnia” and J.R.R. Tolkien’s In my flu-ravaged state, I couldn’t stand “The Lord of the Rings,” but I would argue the idea of reading contemporary fiction.

“Crime and Punishment” can do the same.

Just imagining a page of snappy, slang-ridden There is hope for Raskolnikov in the end.

21st-century dialogue annoyed my already Christian nonfiction can be wonderful, feverish brain. Hence, I curled up with too. I recently read “Hopeful-ish” by Scarlet “Persuasion,” which I’d never read before.

Hiltibidal. But you know what impacted me I plowed through the book when I wasn’t the most in that book? Not Scarlet’s sleeping. Next, I reread Anna Sewell’s “Black exhortations to find our hope and comfort in Beauty.” Then I took on Henry Fielding’s Christ (though they’re all truthful and good), “The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling” but her personal stories, especially one about (not to be confused with the 1960s singer). a sprinkled donut. I’ll let you read it yourself Since then, I’ve “happened” to read other to find out why. classics, including “The Secret Garden,” “The Of course, the Bible is the ultimate story, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” and and Jesus taught in parables. He knew we “Crime and Punishment.” More recently, I could relate to stories. This is why MCL started “Wuthering Heights,” because there’s a doesn’t just print columns about “how to” do new movie version coming out soon. I’m xyz for Christ (though we do do that). Our super intrigued so far, but whoever called biggest article in each issue is a story, a living, that book a “great love story” was lying like a breathing narrative about real, sinful people dog. who are loved by our perfect, merciful God. I didn’t start 2025 aiming to read more To be sure, everyone’s testimony is classic British and Russian lit, but it different. This month’s cover story is more happened. I also unexpectedly read more lighthearted than the one from 2020 Christian fiction in 2025. featuring moms who’d lost sons to suicide.

When I decided last summer to narrow But everybody’s story can and should the focus of the “Oh My Word with Katie” proclaim the excellencies of He who called us podcast to Christian writers, I searched for out of darkness into His marvellous light (1 new Christian books releasing in early 2026. Peter 2:9).

In eight weeks, I read four Christian novels, This year, let’s ask ourselves: What stories which is probably more than I’d read in the are we consuming, and what stories are we previous four years. (You can hear from two telling? Are we skimming along the surface, of those authors on “Oh My Word” this entertaining ourselves and others with month!)

Netflix and small talk? (Ouch. Is the Holy Looking back on what I read last year, I Spirit using my own words to convict me?) notice that Christian fiction can remind me Are we reading lots of Christian how-tos of how good God is, while classic literature but forgetting the story of God’s mercy and often reminds me how bad we are (and thus faithfulness? Are we sharing good Christian how much we need Him). principles with others, but not sharing how I wept at the tenderness of Jesus in the we’ve learned those principles the hard way biblical fiction book “On Living Stone: — or how Jesus’ blood covers us when we fail Salome’s Story,” and I wept at Raskolnikov’s to live up to them? spiritual torment after he committed murder We are all part of God’s eternal story, in “Crime and Punishment.” (When he better than any book written by mere man. confesses his crime to a friend, she cries, What an amazing privilege! Let’s not take it “What have you done to yourself!” for granted. Y Raskolnikov’s sin kills him spiritually as much as it kills his victim physically.)

Of course, the best books show both of the above truths — how bad we are and how Katie Ginn good God is. They combine both Christian katie@mschristianliving.com

6 JANUARY 2026 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living

mschristianliving.com ❘ JANUARY 2026 7

MODERN MOTHERHOOD by SHAY GREENWOOD

Do you have hurry sickness?

Shay (far left) discusses busyness on Broadmoor Baptist Church’s “After the Message” podcast with Adult Discipleship and Missions Pastor Mark Evans (center) and Lead Pastor Josh Braddy (far right).

I

’m convinced many of us have hurry sickness and don’t

through your nose for four counts, and then slowly let it out for even realize it. four. This small act of stillness can make a huge impact on Hurry sickness is that chronic state of being overwhelmed, eliminating the hurry from our anxious hearts. feeling anxious, and constantly convinced you never have enough Jesus invites us into a more relaxed state when He says, “Come time. Do you feel exposed? Don’t worry, I’m right there with you. to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” John Mark Comer talks about this in (Matthew 11:28). Rest isn’t something his book “The Ruthless Elimination of we earn after a full day; it’s something Hurry.” we can receive at any moment because I feel it most when I sit down on I feel it most when I sit down on of the power that only He can provide the couch for a second and suddenly when we are plugged into a the couch for a second and suddenly feel that wave of anxiousness. Have relationship with Him. It’s important feel that wave of anxiousness. Have you ever had that feeling like you’re to be intentional. you ever had that feeling like you’re forgetting something major and If any of this resonates with you, I’d everything’s about to crash? That forgetting something major and love to invite you to listen to feeling of dread creeps in, fear follows, Broadmoor Baptist Church’s everything’s about to crash? and being still feels almost impossible “Messages” podcast. Start with Josh because the thoughts are just too loud.

Braddy’s “Holy Broken — Week 2” And moms get hit the hardest. Our sermon from October 6. Then join us lives are a never-ending highlight reel of activity. There’s so much on the “After the Message” episode released that same week, where to do and never enough time to do it. No wonder we feel Josh, Mark Evans, and I share more about busyness and how we overwhelmed. We’re living in a constant fight-or-flight state with a can step into a slower, more peaceful way of living. list full of things only we can do. It’s the season we’re in. Lord, And if it speaks to you, message me on Instagram or Facebook. help us.

I’d love to hear how God meets you in this season. Let’s keep What I wish someone had told me 25 years ago, when I had encouraging each other to step out of the hurry and into His four kids under 5, is this: Even when life is full and busy, you don’t peace. Y have to live in a constant state of hurry. I wish I had learned earlier how to slow my body down in the middle of all the Shay Greenwood is a Certified Kingdom Life Coach who loves activity. Scripture tells us, “Be still, and know that I am God” helping women live with more love, joy, and peace in their lives.

(Psalm 46:10). I didn’t know then how much my soul needed that She’s a wife to Roosevelt and mom to Bria (Cameron), 28; Chandler stillness in the midst of chaos.

(Bo), 26; Noah, 24; Jacob, 23; and Adam, 13. You can find her In the last couple of years, I learned that I didn’t know how to @shaygreenwood on Facebook and Instagram and take a deep breath. Have you tried it? Do it now. Breathe in @MommaJaywood on Tiktok.

“

”

8 JANUARY 2026 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living

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REDEFINING RETIREMENT by LAURA LEE LEATHERS

A check-up from the neck up

Y

ears ago, my pastor often used the idiom “a check-up from the neck up” in his sermons. Maybe

he heard Zig Ziglar use it. He also used the phrase “stinkin’ thinkin’.” Both were calls to action to examine our spiritual heart and mind health.

If you are over 65, you probably have your 2026 Medicare physical on your calendar. Wisdom reminds us that prevention is the best medicine. We also schedule dental and eye exams and chiropractic visits.

As I thought about the idiom “a checkup from the neck up,” I found myself asking, How often do I go to the Great Physician and request a spiritual examination?

Would I learn that I might have the illness called “stiff-neckedness?”

The first mention of a “stiff-necked people” is found in Exodus 32:9, after the Israelites had created and worshipped a golden calf. But this isn’t the only time The metaphor is used 18 times throughout God calls His chosen people stiff-necked. the Bible.

The image means to be “stubborn; inflexibly obstinate, disobedient, and unwilling to be guided.”

In agriculture, it referenced a plow usually drawn by two oxen. Walking behind, the plowman needed one hand to guide the plow. With the other hand, he held an “ox goad,” a light pole, shod with an iron spike. When he needed the oxen to turn or stay straight, he used the ox goad on the animal’s neck. If the animal didn’t respond as required, it was deemed “stiffnecked.”

In other words, an attitude and unwillingness to be guided. Sorry, but you and I are no different. We all have our moments!

In his book “Aging is an Attitude,” Cecil Murphey begins by asking, “For you, what is the most positive thing you can say about getting older?”

Later in chapter two, he writes, “I chose to embrace aging. To embrace the aging process means not only to accept myself as I am, to look joyfully ahead, but the term also means to delight in the advantages of growing older.”

I believe that the last years of my life can be my best. It’s a matter of my attitude.

10 JANUARY 2026 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living

Yes, there will be challenges and fears, dependence on others, and facing death.

There will be days when we must fight the “stinkin’ thinkin’” that wants to cloud our minds, giving us a stiff neck.

How do we avoid this illness, or what is the treatment? We saturate our minds with scripture, confess our sin, pray, sing hymns, fellowship with believers, and have a daily attitude of thanks-living.

It’s time to make an appointment before the days of January slip away. Set aside a day or two of prayer and fasting to seek the Lord, asking Him to examine your heart (Psalm 51:10). You might be surprised as to what is causing the stiffness in your neck.

“The most essential determinant of successful aging is our attitude.” – Cecil Murphey. Y

Laura Lee Leathers is a writer and speaker. Imagine Lois Lane, over 65, living on a farm. Her metropolis is the area of freelance writing. Her primary love interest is the Word of God. She digs for information, interviews fascinating people, offers a cup of biblical hospitali-tea, and encourages, and helps others with the how-to’s of life. Visit LauraLeeLeathers.com.

THIS IS MY STORY by LORI BURT

How God met me in my struggle with food and weight

I

n May 2021, I retired after 28 years in education. I loved my students,

my colleagues, and the joy of shaping young lives. At home, I was blessed with a faithful husband, a wonderful daughter and son-in-law, and two precious grandsons. My life was full of family, service, and purpose.

But one area continued to defeat me: my struggle with food and weight.

For more than 20 years, I battled the same cycle: Start a diet on Monday, give up by Tuesday. I tried everything from low carb to liquid diets, and each time, I would lose weight only to gain it back. Every failure left me feeling more frustrated and ashamed.

By the time I retired, I was 56 years old and weighed 248 pounds, the heaviest I had ever been. I decided to try again and rejoined Weight Watchers. I promised myself I wouldn’t quit, no matter how long it took. I thought I was chasing a number on a scale, but God had something much bigger in mind.

Somewhere along that journey, He By the time I retired, I met me right where I was in my weighed 248 pounds, the weakness, my frustration, and my striving. He reminded me that my heaviest I had ever been. worth was not measured in pounds or I rejoined Weight clothing sizes. What I needed wasn’t another diet; I needed a heart change.

Watchers. … I thought I As I began to surrender this area to was chasing a number on Him, God started transforming more than my habits. He began renewing a scale, but God had my mind. I started to see food as a gift, something much bigger not a punishment. I learned to pause in mind. and pray instead of giving in to defeat.

Slowly, I began to experience a freedom I had never known before — not the temporary kind that comes from losing weight, but the lasting kind that comes from walking with Him daily.

Since that time, I’ve lost more than weight. I’ve lost the shame that used to hold me back. I’ve gained confidence, peace, and a renewed sense of purpose.

Today, I help other women find that same freedom through Christian wellness coaching, not by chasing perfection, but by partnering with God for progress.

If you’re reading this and feel stuck in the same struggle, please hear me: You are not alone. You are not a failure. The same God who met me in my brokenness will meet you in yours. Victory is possible, one surrendered step at a time.

Take a moment today to thank God for how far He’s already brought you.

Progress doesn’t always show up on a scale, but it shows up in every act of faith and perseverance. Because when we invite God into our struggle, He doesn’t just change our bodies — He changes our hearts. Y

“

Lori Burt before and after her weight loss.

”

Lori Burt is a Christian holistic wellness coach who helps women find lasting freedom from food and weight struggles through faith-based mindset and healthy living. Connect with her at LivingAndLosingWithLori.net, email her at livingandlosingwithlori@gmail.com, or follow her journey on social media @livingandlosingwithlori.

12 JANUARY 2026 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living

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ChooseLifeMississippi@gmail.com • ChooseLifeMS.com mschristianliving.com ❘ JANUARY 2026 13

FAITH, FASHION & FITNESS by JADE WHITEHURST

Let your yes be yes

H

appy New Year, friends! As we step into a brand-new year, many of us feel a renewed desire to grow stronger — both in our faith and in our fitness goals. This season invites us to realign our priorities, reset our routines, and recommit to the habits that draw us closer to God while learning to steward the bodies He entrusted us with. It is my greatest joy to encourage you to experience God and create disciplines that serve you and your fitness goals this year!

My favorite saying in our house is, “Choose your hard!” Meaning, a disciplined life is hard, just as much as an undisciplined life is hard. Therefore, choose the hard that reaps the reward that will honor God and your goals.

This year, the goals God has placed on your heart — and the discipline needed to pursue them — will challenge you beyond your comfort zone, as they should. It is in these moments we have to lean into the hard and trust the process. There are going to be days you want to quit. Moments when you think, “This isn’t worth it.” But I want to encourage you to engrave these two verses onto your heart and mind and let the Holy Spirit convict you with them on the hard days: “Let your yes be yes, and your no be no.

Anything else comes from the evil one.”

– Matthew 5:37.

“Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9.

When I want to throw in the towel, these verses remind me that I’m a woman of integrity who stays true to her word, and that in God’s perfect timing, I’ll reap the reward He sees fit to give me. As God’s creation, we are more precious than rubies, and it is important that we live a life that radiates it by doing what we say we will do through daily disciplines.

Here are three reminders that will help you stay disciplined and experience JOY in your faith and fitness goals this year:

✦ Let your yes be yes! If your goal is to run a 5K or read through the whole Bible this year, then be so determined that even when life happens, because it will, you dust yourself off, embrace a 14 JANUARY 2026 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living

little grit and grace, and see it through.

✦ Spend time with God daily! There is no better way to grow in your faith and discipline than gleaning from God’s Word. You cannot hate yourself to a godly self-love. Replace negative self-talk with godly truth so you can show up not out of obligation but out of a genuine love that motivates you to action!

✦ Invite God into your goals! This disarms the pressure of pleasing

others. Taking care of our bodies is not about vanity. It’s about stewarding our bodies well so we can be the hands and feet of Jesus. God cares about your goals, and He wants to be Lord over them! Y

Jade Whitehurst is a wife, mom, and certified Pilates instructor who focuses on faith-driven fitness. For more encouragement in your faith, fitness, and health goals, follow her on Instagram @pulsepilateswithjade.

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FEATURE STORY by COURTNEY INGLE

RezFit nurtures body, mind, and spirit

F

or Lee and Pamela Pickett, stepping into a gym changed far more than their fitness routine — it changed the trajectory of their lives. What began as an ordinary gym membership eventually became the foundation for something much larger: a thriving fitness community strengthening the physical body and growing the body of Christ.

Three years ago, when the longtime owners of RezFit047 expressed a desire to step away, the Picketts felt compelled to keep the gym and its community alive. “We didn’t want to see the gym fail,” Lee recalls.

“It was about the people.”

The couple took a leap of faith and bought the facility. Soon after, another gym in downtown Brandon was closing its doors. Not willing to see the community in that location separate, the Picketts bought their second gym.

“ We’ve always prided

ourselves on being a gym not just focused on physical health,” said Pamela. “We want a healthier you — physically, mentally, and spiritually.

”

“We didn’t go in there thinking we’d buy the place, just the equipment,” said Pamela. “But where were they (the people) supposed to go? We couldn’t let them split up.”

Those gyms, now known as RezFit 047 and RezFit 042, have grown into havens where physical health and a strengthened walk with Christ are fed in one space.

RezFit’s programming is grounded in functional fitness, offering multiple classes a day under Lee’s leadership as head coach.

But while the workouts challenge the body, the atmosphere nurtures something deeper. The gyms are places where people feel known, supported, and encouraged —

Longtime RezFit member and Pinelake Reservoir Campus Pastor Steve Parten baptizes RezFit owner Pamela Pickett.

no small feat in a world where loneliness and stress often feel overwhelming.

“We’ve always prided ourselves on being a gym not just focused on physical health,” said Pamela. “We want a healthier you — physically, mentally, and spiritually.”

This vision plays out in countless small rhythms woven into RezFit’s culture. After classes, members often take a “family walk” together, a simple cool-down that has become an anchor point for life updates, testimonies, and prayer.

Over time, RezFit has quietly become a place of spiritual growth for many.

16 JANUARY 2026 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living

Members have celebrated salvation and baptisms, reconciled relationships, and navigated personal crossroads with encouragement from their gym community. Though faith is never forced, it is deeply present — and, for many, deeply healing.

One contributor to that atmosphere is Pinelake Reservoir Campus Pastor Steve Parten, a longtime member whose steady encouragement has helped shape the culture of the early morning class at RezFit 047. After the workouts, he leads optional Bible studies, prays with members when

Pamela (second from left) and Lee Pickett (second from right) bought two gym locations as a leap of faith — and now their faith has grown, thanks to spiritual leadership from RezFit members like Steve Parten (center).

asked, and offers support during difficult seasons. His presence is one part of a larger tapestry of care that the Picketts intentionally nurture.

Pamela credits Parten’s devotion to the Lord and obedience to the Great Commission for the spiritual growth seen at RezFit. Steve has built relationships with numerous people in the gym, leading them to salvation and baptism — Pamela and her son included.

The Picketts, along with Parten, have molded a fitness experience that honors Christ and challenges gymgoers in body and spirit. Each Good Friday, RezFit hosts a Christ-centered Passion workout. Before major gym events, members pause to pray together. Bible studies often take place at the RezFit 047 location before and after workouts, with the community reaching out to Parten for prayer and insight regarding scripture.

The Picketts have intertwined the running of the gyms into their daily lives, and it’s no small task, especially while raising three teenage boys who are all in sports. The couple coaches, cleans, restocks, manages schedules, and often handles gym logistics from the sidelines of ballfields. But they consider the work a calling rather than a burden.

“God is working in our gym,” Pamela says. “There is no doubt in my mind.”

Before major gym events, RezFit members pause to pray together.

At RezFit 047 and RezFit 042, physical strength is only the beginning. These gyms have become places where community flourishes, faith grows, and people discover resilience they didn’t know they had. For the Picketts and their members, the gyms are proof that health is richer and more meaningful when the whole person —

body, mind, and spirit — is strengthened.

Y Courtney and her husband, Jeremy, live in Brandon and are members at Park Place Baptist Church in Pearl. They have a daughter, Taylor, and a son, Jacob.

Courtney is a full-time homemaker and can be reached at courtneyingle89@gmail.com. mschristianliving.com ❘ JANUARY 2026 17

COVER STORY by KATIE GINN • photos by JOE ELLIS PHOTOGRAPHY except where noted

Clockwise from top left: Dalco, Neely, Rebecca, and Emilee James “EJ” Turner.

Rebecca and Dalco Turner Faith, family, and other Good Things 18 JANUARY 2026 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living

MCL Editor Katie Ginn (far right) interviews the Turners at their Rankin County home.

Building a foundation Rebecca and Dalco were both believers when they paired up at Roper’s. Still, “we met in a bar in our early 20s — not exactly walking that particular walk (with Christ),” Rebecca says.

They dated for six months, then were engaged for two years. Rebecca’s parents would only pay for the wedding if she finished college beforehand — especially since she’d be the first in her family to earn

a degree. She did one better, graduating with her master’s in May 2007, and then she and Dalco married in October, with a little line dancing at the reception.

During their long engagement, “we grew up and matured together, which was a good thing,” Rebecca says. “As much as we were blindly in love at six months in, you just learn more about someone the longer you stay with them.”

Another good thing? Her signing up for a half marathon shortly after the wedding.

“It was on those long runs where I just reconnected with that still, small voice,” Rebecca says, “(and) my long runs on Saturday morning became more important than what we would normally do on Friday nights. (I) wanted to be well fed and fueled, and hydrated. (Dalco) never bucked that.

“We also just knew it was time (to grow in that way).”

Meanwhile, they started church shopping in Hattiesburg. “I was raised Church of God, and Dalco was raised Baptist,” Rebecca says. “He would’ve certainly gone down that (Church of God) road with me, if that had been super important to me — but us being comfortable together was more important.”

As Rebecca started her career as a dietetic intern, her coworker Lisa Case “had a super strong faith,” and she took Rebecca under her wing. The two of them started talking about the Bible and doing devotionals together, and Lisa invited the Turners to church.

“She was my first friend where I felt like faith was a part of the friendship,” Rebecca says.

After a couple years of trying, the Turners were pregnant with Neely, their first daughter. “It changed everything. We recognized (getting pregnant) was a miracle in itself, and we recognized that a lot of things had to change.”

After Neely was born, Dalco attended a men’s event where Will Primos shared Proverbs 22:6 — “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

“I came home that night and told Rebecca about that verse, and for some reason, that one just stuck with me,” Dalco

PHOTO COURTESY OF TURNER FAMILY

S

he was a junior at Southern Miss. He worked offshore. But on this night, they were both out on the town, at a place called Roper’s Rockin’ Country in Hattiesburg.

The petite, spunky blonde saw the dashing young man — tall, brown hair, bit of a dimple — line dancing. She decided he needed a dance partner. She walked up, tapped him on the shoulder, and said, “You think you know this (dance)?” As she recalled later, it was “fun at first sight.”

No, you didn’t just read a deleted scene from “Sweet Home Alabama.” It’s actually the start of Rebecca and Dalco Turner’s story. A little sheepish sharing their meetcute for a Christian magazine, Rebecca said with a laugh, “The Lord would know if I didn’t tell the truth.”

Twenty years later, the Turners are still together, now living in metro Jackson, with a lifestyle focused on faith and family.

Though a line dance wouldn’t be out of the question.

A lighthearted moment on the Turners’ wedding day in 2007. mschristianliving.com ❘ JANUARY 2026 19

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TURNER FAMILY

After dabbling in everything from marathons to CrossFit, Rebecca started strength training in earnest — and eventually landed herself a spot at the Natural Worlds Strongest Man and Woman competition in Ireland last summer!

says. “That would be kind of what got me back on track with the walk we needed to be in.”

By that time, the Turners had started attending Broadmoor Baptist Church in Madison, which became their first church home, where Rebecca was baptized on Christmas Day 2011. They had moved to Gluckstadt early in their marriage thanks to a job opportunity for Dalco.

They made church a regular habit and got involved in life groups — something Rebecca says she wishes they’d done earlier.

If she could give her younger self a piece of advice, it would be: “Pick good friends (even sooner). Especially as we got into parenting, we picked friends who embodied what we wanted to do.”

Gators and weights Second daughter Emilee James, or EJ, was born to the Turners in 2019 as a “surprise” and keeps the surprises coming, including a picture she colored for this writer during the interview. With two busy daughters, Rebecca and Dalco work hard to prioritize their family.

However, “we both have always enjoyed extracurriculars,” Rebecca says. “We don’t get everything right in our marriage … but I think one thing that has held pretty well over the last 18 years is respect for each other’s personal engagements, and teaching the girls to be proud of and encouraging to each spouse (in those hobbies).”

As someone who thrives on a physical challenge, her hobby of choice is fitness. His

is the outdoors, especially fishing, hunting, and archery. He supports her endeavors and vice versa — but not in a vacuum.

“With working all week, and the activities that I do mostly happening on

A member of the Magnolia Crappie Club, Dalco has been tournament fishing for three years and offers crappie guiding on the Reservoir.

weekends, I always try to keep in mind what the family has coming up,” Dalco says. “I like to spend as much time as I can with (the girls) on the weekends.”

A previous boss got Dalco into fishing.

“Then (came) the first boat,” he says.

“I was fishing for fun at first, and it got to where — I’m just competitive by nature. I did archery tournaments for a number of

20 JANUARY 2026 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living

years. That took a lot of weekend time. So fishing was a new outlet, being able to fish during the week, living close to the Reservoir.” (By then, the Turners had moved from Gluckstadt to Rankin County; they’re now members of First Baptist Brandon.)

Dalco joined the Magnolia Crappie Club, and now he’s three years into tournament fishing. He also offers crappie guiding on the Reservoir, gives back to organizations like Wounded Warrior through guided fishing, and even dabbled in gator hunting for several years.

The latter “stemmed out of my archery career,” he says. Some archery friends offered to take him on a gator hunt if he got a tag.

On his very first gator hunt in 2013, he caught a 13-foot, 6.5-inch monster that weighed 741.5 pounds — a state record.

“It went worldwide. It looked like a dinosaur,” Rebecca says. “We had Diane Sawyer calling the house.”

Rebecca’s fitness journey led to her own moment in the spotlight last summer.

First, after graduating from half to full marathons, she heard about CrossFit — and bought two memberships.

“CrossFit (often involves) lots of fit people who exercise with very little clothes on. I wanted (Dalco) to know, ‘I’m not going for that. Please come with me!’” And he did.

CrossFit friendships led Rebecca to training with Mississippi Barbell (Lee joined her in that for a bit as well). Then, ready for the next challenge, she heard about the relatively new Natural Strongman federation from a coworker.

As the name implies, Natural Strongman “emphasizes drug-tested, genetically gifted strength and power … providing a level playing field for non-enhanced athletes,” Rebecca says. (Strongman competitions involve functional movements, i.e., picking up heavy loads and moving them, rather than traditional powerlifting.)

Rebecca competed in a local event, the Red Brick Rumble in Clinton, and “got hooked,” she says. Then she heard there’d be a qualifier, also in Clinton, for Natural Strongman Worlds. She decided to take nine months and train for it. She’d be competing in the lightweight women’s over-40 division.

“My only goal was to go and do OK,” she says, adding that she probably wouldn’t have bothered if the event had been held further away.

At the January 2025 competition, she won her division, earning a bid for Worlds — which would be held in Ireland in August.

Rebecca recalls thinking, “As this sport grows (and more people get involved), the chances of me qualifying again (are slim).

This might be my only chance.”

Neely was going to turn 13 the weekend of Worlds and told her folks she’d be OK spending her birthday in Ireland. One would hope!

For his part, Dalco quips, “I’m not going to qualify for anything to go to Ireland, so I might as well ride my wife’s coattails. … She always has a crazy idea (for an adventure), and I’m along for the ride.”

From January to August, Rebecca trained and trained some more.

“I couldn’t have done it without Dalco’s support,” she says. “There were a lot of tears, a lot of feeling like an imposter … Most of those ladies had been at this sport for decades.”

She had no illusions of winning, but “I felt like I needed to do it (anyway), because I was so scared of it. I just felt like God was like, ‘Just step out and see,’” she says.

When she started training, she could only complete one of the seven events that would happen at Worlds. By the time she got on the plane to Ireland, she was completing six out of seven events.

In the end, the family had a fabulous Irish vacation. And Rebecca took second at Worlds in the Max Axle event, in which participants must lift a thick-handled barbell from the floor to overhead “by any means necessary.” She lifted 165 pounds.

“There’s this idea that once you turn 40,

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it’s just over. And for me and my journey, that is not true,” Rebecca says. “I’m the strongest I’ve ever been. I’m the fittest I’ve ever been. My faith is the strongest it’s ever been.”

The amount of support she received — and the number of people who were inspired by her Natural Strongman journey — showed Rebecca “it was bigger than me,” she says.

“My mom has osteoporosis at 70 ...

Strength training is one of the major ways we can fight back against signs, symptoms, and all the risk factors.”

That said, while Rebecca does have her eye on the 2026 Red Brick Rumble, at the time of this interview she was taking it easy — at least for someone who just competed on the international level.

“I’m getting back into more of (weight training) for enjoyment, versus trying not to die,” she says, laughing.

Running their race, living their call Maintaining a healthy lifestyle — spiritually and physically — requires

sacrifice. Rebecca wakes up at 4:15 a.m. and hits the gym at 5, while Dalco gets the girls ready for school. Dinners are as healthy and home-cooked as possible. (Rebecca is still a dietitian and also hosts the radio show “Good Things with Rebecca Turner” on SuperTalk. Dalco is operations manager at XPO in Richland.)

The Turners encourage their daughters to be active, too. EJ is a “dancing machine,” Rebecca says. Neely runs cross-country, and Dalco describes himself as an “intermittent runner” who stays fit enough for the occasional 5K — and to jog across shortcuts during Neely’s cross-country meets so he can cheer her on at different parts of the course.

More importantly, the Turners know they have a calling — though they each tend to focus on a different part of it.

Dalco wants to make sure he provides for his family financially, especially in case anything happens to him.

For Rebecca, “Right now my purpose is for our girls to see what true love and respect look like (in our marriage). I pray all

22 JANUARY 2026 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living

the time that they find someone that loves them the way their dad loves me. And we talk about that, openly, what a good and healthy relationship is and isn’t.”

On a day-to-day basis, “we try not to allow people to get into their own silos. We try to force family TV time,” Rebecca says, laughing. “We’ve made a habit of being highly involved with our kids.”

That involvement includes a lot of prayers that sound like, “Help me see what I need to stay on top of.” For instance, “Dalco is good about having conversations with Neely that are probably awkward, because boys do weird things these days that didn’t happen (when we were young),” Rebecca says.

“We’re trying to just navigate this world and get (our girls raised) as intact as possible.”

With a dad who kills monster gators, a mom who could lift them — and both parents following the One strong enough to carry all burdens — the Turner girls should be just fine. Y

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FEATURE STORY by LAURA LEE LEATHERS

HEALTH & FITNESS tips and resources for 2026 Need some ideas for how to jumpstart your health journey this year? On the following pages are plenty of health and fitness tips, encouragement, and resources you can use in 2026.

Active Rest: Prioritize sleep This year’s focus is sleep. Medical professionals suggest 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night, yet it’s rarely attained. Sleep has mental and physical benefits. It aids in memory and focus, while also lowering the risks of diabetes and high blood pressure. – Donna Ellis, lead fitness instructor

BlueHealth Baptist: Find out your family history The BlueHealth Baptist Care Team recommends beginning the new year with open communication between you and your doctor about family history. Did you

24 JANUARY 2026 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living

know that your family history might be one of the strongest influences on your risk of developing heart disease, stroke, diabetes, or cancer? Even though you cannot change your genetic makeup, knowing your family history can help you reduce your risk of developing health problems.

Family members share their genes, as well as their environment, lifestyles, and habits. Everyone can recognize traits such as curly hair, dimples, leanness, or athletic ability that run in their families. Risks for diseases such as asthma, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease also run in families.

✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦ Everyone’s family history of disease is different.

To learn about your family history: ● Ask questions ● Talk at family gatherings ● Look at death certificates and family medical records, if possible Collect information about your grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, siblings, and children. The type of information to collect includes: ● Major medical conditions and causes of death ● Age of disease onset and age at death ● Ethnic background Write down the information and share it with your doctor. Your doctor will: ● Assess your disease risk based on your family history and other risk factors ● Recommend lifestyle changes to help prevent disease ● Prescribe screening tests to detect disease early The BlueHealth Baptist team believes patients are individuals with unique needs and circumstances. The clinic’s multidisciplinary team takes a holistic view of your health, considering the bigger picture and working toward improvement.

You’ll feel less like a patient and more like a person.

BlueHealth Baptist in Madison is a primary care clinic dedicated to members of Blue Cross Blue Shield. The clinic establishes relationships with its patients and is providing a high-quality primary care experience that is specific and unique.

BlueHealth Baptist has one of the nation’s only drive-up labs, and it has onsite wellness classes as well as an outdoor walking track that is open to the general public. Call BlueHealth Baptist today at 601-664-4300 to schedule an appointment.

Capital Ortho: Keep moving As the new year begins, our number one health tip is simple but powerful:

Keep moving — intentionally and consistently. Movement doesn’t have to mean extreme workouts or drastic resolutions. It’s about building habits that support your body and protect your joints for the long run. Daily walks, strength training, stretching, and staying active in ways you enjoy all help improve mobility, reduce pain, and prevent injury. Just as important, listening to your body and addressing small aches before they become bigger problems can keep you moving with confidence all year long. At Capital Ortho, we believe movement is medicine … and the more you prioritize it, the better you’ll feel in every part of life. Start small, stay consistent, and make movement a nonnegotiable part of your routine. Your future self will thank you.

Mississippi Baptist Medical Center: Schedule an annual wellness visit Mississippi Baptist Medical Center has served Mississippi since 1911 as a Christianbased nonprofit medical center. More than a century later, we remain on our original downtown Jackson site as part of one of the nation’s largest nonprofit health systems. Our network includes a designated burn center and over 30 medical clinics across the tri-county area.

An annual wellness visit is one of the best ways to stay proactive about your health. During your exam, you and your provider can address concerns, review screenings, and detect potential issues early.

If follow-up care is needed, our specialty clinics are here to support your family’s needs. Plus, watch for our new Mobile Cardiovascular Unit, offering convenient heart screenings and education, coming early 2026.

Cornerstone Counseling: Don’t carry your burdens alone When life feels heavy, remember you’re not meant to carry it alone. God invites us to bring our burdens to Him and to trusted others. Counseling, paired with prayer and God’s Word, can be a sacred space where healing, wisdom, and hope take root. Learn more at cornerstone.ms.

Moore Dental Arts: Build healthy dental habits New Year, healthier smile checklist: ☐ Brush twice daily Methodist Rehabilitation Center: ☐ Floss every day Prioritize stroke prevention ☐ Drink more water At Methodist Rehabilitation Center, we ☐ Cut back on sugary snacks believe stroke prevention starts with ☐ Schedule dental cleanings education, healthy habits, and proactive Make dental hygiene a top resolution care that supports heart and brain health. this year. Consistent habits support Just as important is recognizing the healthier teeth, stronger gums, and a warning signs of a stroke and acting confident smile all year long! quickly — remember FAST: Face drooping, Two locations: Flowood and Carthage.

Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to mooredentalms.com call 911 — because prompt treatment can save lives and reduce long-term disability. mschristianliving.com ❘ JANUARY 2026 25

✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦ The Orchard: Move with purpose — every day As we welcome a fresh new year, The Orchard is proud to share our number 1 health and fitness tip for residents, families, and friends: Make movement a daily lifestyle, not an occasional activity.

Meaningful wellness doesn’t require intense workouts — just steady, intentional activity that keeps the body engaged and the mind joyful.

At The Orchard, purposeful movement happens in countless ways. Of course, our senior fit classes, chair yoga, and chair dancing sessions are wonderful for improving strength, balance, and flexibility.

But movement also comes from the activities that spark community and fun.

A lively game of mahjong, gin rummy, dominoes, or bingo keeps the mind sharp and encourages social engagement. Hymn singing, live entertainment, and movies lift the spirit. Bible study nurtures emotional and spiritual wellness. And creative outlets like our writers’ group and arts & crafts classes strengthen cognitive health while giving residents a sense of accomplishment.

Even everyday experiences — like chauffeured outings to local favorites or a peaceful walk through our courtyard — offer valuable opportunities to move with purpose. What matters most is finding activities you enjoy and weaving them into your daily rhythm.

Daily movement boosts circulation, improves sleep, enhances mood, and promotes independence. Even small steps add up, especially when shared with neighbors and friends who make wellness feel inviting and fun.

This year, let’s embrace activity in all its forms. Move with intention, stay connected, and celebrate every step forward at The Orchard.

Pine Grove Behavioral Health & Addiction Services: Express your feelings appropriately

By Ted Crawford, clinical therapist What would 2026 be like for you if you could actually tell people how you feel? I don’t mean popping off at them. I mean getting your feelings across without regretting the way you do it.

Many of us use this cycle: Stuff it … eat it … stuff it some more … don’t cause trouble — BOOM! Then, after a cool down, we return to fakey chit-chat like nothing happened and start a new cycle.

Others have mastered the art of suppressing feelings and rarely, if ever, lose it. BUT, ask them about their migraines, gastrointestinal troubles, addictions, panic attacks, and feelings of emptiness when they get quiet and still.

Let’s try something different. First, a feeling isn’t good or bad; it’s a fact, like having to use the restroom. Of course, there are times when keeping a lid on is a good thing, and situations where a sudden unleashing of emotion is necessary, like when you or another is in immediate danger. But stuffing feelings altogether is akin to avoiding the restroom when you need it, just as spewing “unfiltered” emotion is about as appropriate as soiling yourself.

The middle ground is in not letting feelings accumulate. Express, but be aware of, your non-verbal body language. As for your verbal, identify how another’s behavior makes you feel. Then try using this formula: “When you … I feel … Could you … ?”

Say your brother-in-law talks about himself a lot. Instead of finally spewing at him one day, take a couple of deep breaths, then say something like, “Jeff, when you talk about yourself without showing interest in others, I feel irritated. I’d appreciate it if you could pay more attention to this.”

Realness can be risky. Paired with respect, however, it becomes highly valued

26 JANUARY 2026 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living

authenticity. As a bonus for those who bottle things up, it could reduce the prescriptions needed for your various ailments.

If you or someone you know needs help with emotions, there is hope available. Please call 888.574.HOPE (4673) and visit pinegrovetreatment.com if you have questions about Pine Grove’s mental healthcare and addiction treatment services. Located in Hattiesburg, Pine Grove compassionately treats children, adolescents, and adults.

Prime Care Nursing: Build one small, sustainable habit Instead of setting big resolutions, choose a simple, manageable habit — like a short daily walk, a few deep breaths before bed, or adding one healthy food to your day.

Small actions reduce pressure, build confidence, and create momentum. Over time, these habits compound into meaningful, lasting change. Consistency matters more than intensity, and showing up imperfectly is always better than not showing up at all.

Red River Counseling: Resolve to play more!

As a counselor, I see play as sacred restoration for adults. Play reduces stress, strengthens relationships, and reawakens the joy God designed us for. When we engage curiosity and creativity, our nervous systems heal, resilience grows, and we remember we are beloved children — not defined solely by productivity.

Rochelle Thompson, fitness coach: Put your spiritual health first As you create your wellness resolutions for 2026, remember to prioritize your

DECEMBER EPISODES: Dr. Ben Gladd Connecting Scripture New Testament

(January 1)

Heather Kaufman On Living Stone: Salome’s Story

(January 15)

Sarah Sundin Mists Over the Channel Islands

(January 29)

● Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon Music ● Follow @ohmywordpod on Facebook and Instagram

Mississippi Baptist Medical Center will soon unveil our Mobile Cardiovascular Unit to travel the region, providing education and heart screening services. Our Mobile Cardiovascular Unit Coordinator will lead the program, traveling with the unit.

Types of low-cost, life-saving screenings include: ● Mobile Heart Basic ● Mobile Heart Premium ● Mobile Vascular Screening ● Atrial Fibrillation Screening

For more information about the screening packages or to request the Mobile Cardiovascular Unit at your business or organization, please call 601.968.1966. A member of our team will contact you within 2 to 3 business days.

Baptistheart.org/mobile mschristianliving.com ❘ JANUARY 2026 27

✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦ spiritual health. Plan to connect more deeply with God through prayer, fasting, and giving to those in need. Also, release your worries by trusting in God’s provision. “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” – 2 Peter 3:18a – Rochelle Thompson, public health advocate, fitness coach and instructor | 601.832.9112

St. Dominic’s Fitness Center: Sit less and move more God designed our bodies to move.

When movement is limited, physical and metabolic systems decline. Movement is

WENDY MAXWELL LCSW

COUNSELOR

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necessary to sustain life, reduce chronic illness, and preserve our ability to serve others.

Traditional guidelines suggest that adults get 150 minutes of moderate activity per week, plus strength training at least twice a week. According to the CDC, half of Americans do not meet these guidelines.

It’s important to remember that the guidelines should not be a barrier. Start where you are and focus on consistency. In fact, adults who sit less and do any amount of activity gain some health benefits. Put simply: Sit less and move more. This can be difficult with sedentary jobs, online shopping, etc. Therefore, we need to make a conscious effort to incorporate physical activity into our day.

For example, incorporate “exercise snacks.” This could include micro-breaks of five minutes each hour to stand up and stretch, walk around, or march in place; or one to two minutes of mini-squats and wall push-ups throughout the day.

Starting small helps build long-term habits. For some, this could mean the “exercise snacks” mentioned above. Others might swim for 30 minutes three times a week. Find something you enjoy and make it part of your day.

St Dominic’s Fitness Center is a medically based fitness facility with a personable, knowledgeable staff who would love to be part of your fitness journey. Members receive a free fitness assessment, including a medical-grade InBody scan for body composition analysis, plus a session with a personal trainer who will design a tailored program to help achieve your goals.

Other membership privileges include: ● Degreed and certified team ● Heated indoor pool ● Indoor track / outdoor walking trail ● Latest cardio and strength equipment ● Sauna and steam rooms ● Personal training ● Various classes including water aerobics, yoga, spin, boot camp, and Zumba This year, prioritize movement over sitting still. A healthy, mobile body enables us to work, remain independent, reduce

restorationcounselinggroup.com 28 JANUARY 2026 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living

our fall risk, help others, and engage in our communities.

Let St. Dominic’s Fitness Center be part of your health journey. Call 601.900.4925 for more information.

Summit Counseling at First Baptist Jackson: Include mental, spiritual, and physical health Taking care of your mental, spiritual, and physical health is optimal for a healthy lifestyle. How to stay healthy: Pray, talk to godly people, read the Bible, eat right, get enough rest, exercise, simplify and unclutter your life, make a daily gratitude list, talk less, listen more, slow down, laugh daily. God clearly says that nourishing your mind with the right things leads to good mental, spiritual, and physical health.

Wendy Maxwell, counselor: Don’t take everything so seriously!

Don’t take things so seriously. Be aware of the weight you give to things and even to some people.

Challenge the darkness and negativity of the world by putting first things first. God gives us the opportunity to live in joy and peace because we are His. Live in the truth of who God is and who we are as His children. This truth we should take seriously, being intentional in loving God, loving others, and seeking joy.

Don’t take other things so seriously: Stop doomscrolling, find a new hobby, and take time to laugh. Y

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mschristianliving.com ❘ JANUARY 2026 29

HEALTH & WELLNESS by MOLLY STALEY

How our community lost 2500+ pounds in 2025

A

s we step into a brandnew year, I’ve been

reflecting on something truly inspiring that happened across our Capital Ortho family in 2025. Last year, patients participating in our Prescribe FIT program collectively lost more than 2,500 pounds, a milestone that is more than a number. It represents renewed confidence, healthier families, and people experiencing life with less pain and more joy.

While I’m not a clinician, I’m focused on carrying out the mission of our team: helping our community understand that when people move better, they live better. That mission shapes everything we do.

According to our orthopedic providers, every 10 pounds of body weight adds around 40 pounds of pressure to the knees.

The reverse is also true; losing even a small amount of weight relieves a significant amount of stress on the joints.

When you think about it that way, healthier living becomes more

Supporting every step TOWARD PAIN RELIEF. NO REFERRAL REQUIRED SAME DAY APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE WALK-INS WELCOME

than a goal. It becomes a way to reclaim everyday moments: walking without pain, enjoying hobbies again, keeping up with our kids or grandkids, sleeping better, or simply feeling more energized.

One of the lifestyle tools that supported our patients on this journey last year was Prescribe FIT, a personalized virtual coaching program that focuses on movement, nutrition, accountability, and encouragement. It’s covered by most insurance plans and can be started with one simple office visit, making it an accessible and achievable step for many.

But Prescribe FIT is just one example of something much bigger — our commitment to helping patients take realistic, sustainable steps toward living healthier, stronger, more active lives. No perfection required. Just progress.

As Mississippians, we know how deeply our faith and our health journeys intertwine. We believe in showing up for our neighbors.

We believe in stewarding the bodies God gave us. And we believe in hope, even when life feels heavy or health goals feel out of reach.

All year long, I heard stories from patients who found that hope again: “I didn’t think change was possible at my age.”

“For the first time in years, I can stand without pain.”

“I feel like myself again.”

These victories might seem small on paper, but they are lifechanging for those who were brave enough to take the first step to a healthier lifestyle.

At Capital Ortho, we’re proud to be a locally owned orthopedic practice with deep Mississippi roots. We’re proud to invest in programs that help our neighbors thrive. But more than anything, we’re proud of the people who trusted us with their stories and took the leap to try something new.

2,500+ pounds lost.

Less pain.

More movement.

More joy.

As we begin a new year, let this be your reminder: Small steps make a big difference. You don’t have to overhaul your life. You just have to begin, and we’re here to cheer you on every step of the way!

Move Better. Live Better. It’s more than a tagline. It’s our commitment to you. Y Molly Staley is director of marketing, communications, and community relations at Capital Ortho. A longtime healthcare marketing leader, she is passionate about helping people access care, live healthier lives, and stay active in the communities they call home.

30 JANUARY 2026 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living

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 ❘ JANUARY 2026 31

LET’S TALK IT OVER by ERIN KATE GOODE

Why abortion is a gospel issue

P

regnancy has a way of pulling back the curtain of the soul. The

news alone of an unborn baby’s existence stirs up something holy in us, inviting questions about God, life, purpose, and the future. In that way, babies are the world’s smallest evangelists.

Contrary to what our culture wants us to think, it’s not our job to decide which human life qualifies for personhood and which does not. It’s not a question of healthcare. It’s not a question of women’s rights. It’s not a question of politics or complexity. And yet for decades now, these labels have dulled our national conscience and numbed our God-given discernment.

Unborn people are handcrafted by God and designed with a purpose that predates their parents’ thoughts and plans. And because the gospel speaks about the worth of every soul, the way we respond to the issue of abortion is a measure of how well we truly understand the Great Commission.

When Jesus said, “Go and make disciples passport to be obedient to God’s call — it just takes a heart willing to see and serve of all nations” in Matthew 28, the word “nations” is not limited to mere geographic “the least of these.”

To the rest of the world, CPC Metro is lines drawn by man. It doesn’t take a

32 JANUARY 2026 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living

WHAT’S GOING ON submitted by MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE

“just another nonprofit.” But we believe it is a gospel response to the intensifying injustice of abortion right here in Mississippi. The unfortunate truth is that it’s easier than ever to get an abortion, even with Roe v. Wade overturned and Mississippi’s only abortion clinic closed.

The abortion pill is now ordered through websites and discreetly shipped to all states, including those where abortion is illegal. It’s darkness. And we grieve that.

But we also have hope. Times like these are what the church is for: bringing light into darkness. So we will not stop defending the unborn just because the battle might seem impossible to win. We have seen God do impossible things.

We have seen God interrupt despair with hope. When Easton’s mom was considering abortion after previous abuse and didn’t know where to turn, she found CPC Metro on Google and walked through our doors. Here, she received love, encouragement, resources, and hope. Today, Easton is thriving in preschool, and his mom is a community college graduate.

We have seen God redeem decades of hurt through abortion wounds. Barb was 18 when she chose abortion and lived the next 43 years angry and broken. But God healed her wound and set her free through our abortion recovery ministry; today, Barb is a regular CPC volunteer, helping those going through abortion healing.

If the gospel is for all people — and the unborn are, in fact, people — then the killing of the unborn is not a political issue. It’s not a medical issue. It’s not a women’s rights issue. It’s a gospel issue. Y

Erin Kate Goode is executive director of CPC Metro Area. A Laurel native, she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Millsaps College. She began volunteering with CPC in 2012, joined the staff in 2013, and became executive director in 2017. Erin Kate lives in Clinton with her husband, Jim, and their two children, and they are members of Morrison Heights Baptist Church.

MC marks 200 years with Founders Week celebrations

Mississippi College is commemorating its 200th anniversary with several celebratory events and activities throughout 2026, from Founders Week in January to Commencement in May and an October celebration weekend, which will reflect the university’s bicentennial fervor.

The oldest institution of higher learning in the state of Mississippi was officially founded on January 24, 1826.

MC President Blake Thompson refers to MC’s bicentennial as “perhaps the most significant MC milestone that any of us will be associated with in our lifetimes.”

Festivities during Founders Week, including a 200th birthday party planned by students and a bicentennial exhibition opening event, are scheduled for January 2123 on MC’s Clinton campus.

Various art exhibits, academic lectures, and other celebrations are planned throughout the year. Keep up with the schedule of events and activities by visiting 200.mc.edu/events.

treasurer of the Mississippi Baptist Convention, will deliver the first chapel of the bicentennial year.

FOUNDERS WEEK EVENTS AT MC

Bicentennial Birthday Party ● 3-6 p.m. Friday, January 23 ● Outside of Alumni Hall Students on the Campus Programming Board and MC’s Office of Student Engagement will host a carnival-themed bicentennial birthday party for the university and community, complete with a 200-inch birthday cake decorated by students, performances by the Choctaw Marching Band, festival games, and a Ferris wheel. Y

Founders Week Worship Service ● 6 p.m. Wednesday, January 21 ● Provine Chapel A community-wide service will recognize the university’s longstanding commitment to faith-based education.

Bicentennial Chapel ● 11 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. Thursday, January 22 ● Swor Auditorium at Nelson Hall Dr. Shawn Parker, executive director-

Bicentennial Storytellers Event ● 6 p.m. Thursday, January 22 ● Entergy Theater at Gore Arts Complex Select MC alumni will share entertaining stories from their college years and highlight how the university continues to impact their lives.

Bicentennial Exhibition Grand Opening and Time Capsule Reveal ● 2 p.m. Friday, January 23 ● 1826 and Jennings Hall Get a first look at “1826 The Exhibition,” which highlights the university’s rich history in a spectacular display created by the Institute for Southern Storytelling at MC. After touring the exhibition at 1826 (beside Alumni Hall), see the new Bicentennial Time Capsule on display in one of the campus’s historic buildings, Jennings Hall.

mschristianliving.com ❘ JANUARY 2026 33

QUIPS & QUOTES

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AR-CLAD Architectural Cladding Systems...............................................29

“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.”

“Forget the former things … See, I am doing a new thing!”

Baptist Heart...............................................................27

~ ISAIAH 43:18-19, NIV

Belhaven University ..................................................2

~ 3 JOHN 1:2, NIV

“My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings …

For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.”

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“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.

The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

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~ 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17, ESV

~ PROVERBS 4:20-22, ESV

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“He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.” ~ PSALM 147:3, NKJV

“‘But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the Lord.” ~ JEREMIAH 30:17, NIV

“And the Lord will guide you continually … and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” ~ ISAIAH 58:11, ESV

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” ~ LAMENTATIONS 3:22-23, NIV

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“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you.”

Mississippi Food Network ..................................21 The Orchard.................................................................29

~ EZEKIEL 36:26A, KJV

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“Then the one seated on the throne said, ‘Look, I am making everything new.’”

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~ REVELATION 21:5A, CSB

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” ~ PSALM 73:26, NIV

“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”

Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company ...........................................23

“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

~ PROVERBS 17:22, KJV

34 JANUARY 2026 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living

~ PHILIPPIANS 3:13B-14, NIV

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