Summer Homesickness It’s normal for kids to get homesick. But what’s the gameplan if yours do? Things to consider when the little ones miss home. PG 7 Moment of Truth Is this it? Is this all there is? Successful businessman inspired to do more from volunteering on the Eastside. PG 9 A Season To Remember Two area high schools (Alamo Heights & Johnson High) reach the UIL state baseball tournament for the first time. PG 19 BY AMY MORGAN If one person can change the world, imagine the impact of 100. And what if that 100 were a group of like-minded women whose hearts’ desires are to greatly benefit the lives of other women and children in need? So thought Debbie LeDoux a former grant-writer at the Bexar County Justice Center, when she heard of a group funding local charities. She gathered a few friends and founded another: e Sister Proj- ect, a non-profit group of 100 women who commit $1000 each year, pooling $100,000 to annually fund three deserving causes. e group awards a $80,000 grant, and two of $10,000 to causes in the Christian realm, LeDoux said. Since 2011, e Sister Project has granted a total of half a million dollars to five large and 10 smaller projects. Most years, the chosen are a mixture of international and local groups. Past winners include local Jesus Says Love, which befriends and ministers to women work- ing in strip clubs; a New Braunfels day care; and Life of a Single Mom, a ministry supporting sin- gle mothers. Others, like Adera, which minis- ters to women in Ethiopia’s slums; and this year’s first-place winner, Orphan’s Heart, span the world. In their care of Ugandan orphans, they identified a need for a sanitary, indoor feeding facility that will also serve as a community Local Women Connect to Change Lives Worldwide. continued on page 2 Beacon Radio in July South Texas Alliance for Orphans, The Sister Project, The Admirals Basketball Academy, Last Chance Ministries and the Growing Love Network. Saturdays, noon on KSLR AM620. PG 17 July 2016 Serving San Antonio and the Surrounding Communities Since 2001 VOL.16 — NO. 7 Fourth of July Safety Tips for Pets PG 13
Transcript
Summer HomesicknessIt’s normal for kids to get homesick. But what’s the gameplan if yours do? Things to consider when the little ones miss home. PG 7
Moment of TruthIs this it? Is this all there is? Successful businessman inspired to do more from volunteering on the Eastside. PG 9
A Season To RememberTwo area high schools (Alamo Heights & Johnson High) reach the UIL state baseball tournament for the fi rst time. PG 19
BY AMY MORGAN
If one person can change the world, imagine the impact of 100. And what if that
100 were a group of like-minded women whose hearts’ desires are to greatly benefi t the lives of other women and children in need?So thought Debbie LeDoux a former grant-writer
at the Bexar County Justice Center, when she heard of a group funding local charities. She gathered a few
friends and founded another: Th e Sister Proj-ect, a non-profi t group of 100 women
who commit $1000 each year, pooling $100,000 to annually fund three deserving causes. Th e group awards a $80,000 grant, and two of $10,000
to causes in the Christian realm, LeDoux said.
Since 2011, Th e Sister Project has granted a total of half a million dollars to fi ve large and 10 smaller projects. Most years, the chosen are a mixture of international and local groups.
Past winners include local Jesus Says Love, which befriends and ministers to women work-ing in strip clubs; a New Braunfels day care; and Life of a Single Mom, a ministry supporting sin-gle mothers. Others, like Adera, which minis-ters to women in Ethiopia’s slums; and this year’s fi rst-place winner, Orphan’s Heart, span the world.
In their care of Ugandan orphans, they identifi ed a need for a sanitary, indoor feeding facility that will also serve as a community
Local Women Connect to Change Lives Worldwide.
continued on page 2
Beacon Radio in JulySouth Texas Alliance for Orphans, The Sister Project, The Admirals Basketball Academy, Last Chance Ministries and the Growing Love Network. Saturdays, noon on KSLR AM620. PG 17
July 2016 Serving San Antonio and the Surrounding Communities Since 2001 VOL.16 — NO. 7
Fourth of July
Safety Tips for Pets PG 13
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center and place for discipleship.“THANK YOU, Sisters!” said Orphan’s
Heart representatives. “Th e beautiful giving of your money, time and prayers will allow Orphan’s Heart to save lives, both physically and spiritually, in one of Uganda’s poorest villages. May God multiply these gifts like the fi shes and loaves! No more cracking their hardboiled eggs in the red Ugandan dirt, the ‘least of these’ will soon eat clean, nutritious meals, study the Bible, and enjoy bonding time with their entire village in the sanitary new feeding center your money will build! May Th e Holy Spirit fi ll this beau-tiful, new place!”
LeDoux said Orphan’s Heart was chosen
because the group “did a phenomenal job of taking our focus down into one village in Uganda, where they have already invested in a school and medical facility. Th ey made Th e Sister Project’s contribution very simple and tangible for us.”
Th e grant application process for next year’s winners will open in August, LeDoux said. At April’s annual meeting the new win-
ners are revealed and the previous year’s top project presents its progress.
“Each year when we gather, we get one story of how our investment has paid off and three stories of opportunity for further kingdom investments. It really is a very a rewarding evening,” she enthused.
“We are always looking for wonderful applicants,” she added. “We’re looking for the ability to manage resources as high as an $80,000 grant and that they be well man-
aged and well run. We want them to describe how our investment will open a new avenue for their ministry.”
Membership is fl uid; there is always room for another sister. LeDoux suggested contacting [email protected] for more information.
“The Sister Project seeks to shine the light of Christ by aiding, assist-ing and encouraging women in need through the combined gifts of 100 women.” For more information, go to www.thesisterproject.org.
SOCIAL ISSUES
The Sister Project Committed to Help Women and Children in Needby AMY MORGAN, Beacon Content [email protected]
The Sister Project Committed to Help Women and Children in Need
Orphan’s Heart, The Sister Project’s top grant winner this year, sent a team to Uganda in May to start work on the feeding station for the orphans in the com-munity they serve.
Ethiopian children growing up in the dump are helped by Adera, a past grant winner. They thank The Sister Project for caring for them, teaching them about Jesus and providing work for their mothers.
Photos Courtesy of The Sister Project
continued from page 1
by LORI BYERLY
I’ve been thinking about respect lately.A part of respect is honoring the way
another person is designed. You don’t have to be like them (we should all be the lovely individuals we are designed to be). You just need to make room for them to express their unique design.
In a similar fashion, a part of respecting someone is honoring their beliefs and ideas. You don’t need to agree with them, just make room for them to express their thoughts without fussiness or harsh judge-ment. (You’re free to express your own beliefs and ideas as well.)
I have a friend that is fairly liberal in a political sense. She is married to a man who is far more conservative. Th ey have lively discussions and have agreed not to put political signs in their yard (they don’t want
to confuse their neighbors).Th is kind of respect helps to create a
safe place for sharing in your marriage. You and your spouse are free to be yourselves and explore what God has for you.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God pre-pared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 ESV
Prayer Prompt: Ask God for the ability to appreciate your husband’s unique design and calling.
Lori Byerly is a wife, mother and grandmother. You can visit her writ-ing at www.the-generous-wife.com.
MARRIAGE
A Safe Place
A part of respect is honoring the way another person is designed.
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by ENERGIZED REAL ESTATE
As you may expect, individual words matter in your home listing.
After researching MLS listings posted over the last fi ve years from a few of the most popular areas of San Antonio, including zip codes 78209, 78258 and 78260, we found a correlation between some specifi c words used and the aver-age sold price of the home. Now, we want to share what we found to be some of the best and worst words to use when putting your home on the market.
Words that don’t work:Great neighborhood – homes
describing a “great neighborhood” in their listing got $44,482 less than the homes listed without it
Great – this fi ve-letter word was in home listings that sold for $43,252 less than their competition
Awesome – homes marketed in the specifi ed areas that used the word “awe-some” in their listing received, on aver-age, $33,222 less
! – an exclamation mark may not be a word, per se, but listings that con-tained this special character brought in $31,913 less than listings without it
Fantastic – marketed homes that had the word “fantastic” in their descrip-tion got $23,305 less than others in the area
Spacious – “spacious” homes received $9,097 less
Lovely – homes listings with the word “lovely” in them got $3,607 less than their competition
So what words should you use?Wood fl oor – homes described
with a “wood fl oor” brought in $5,824 more
Stainless steel – the words “stain-less steel” in the description gave home sellers $12,546 more
Granite – listings with “granite” received $64,286 more than others
Media – when sellers used the word “media,” they received, on average, $96,356 more than their competition
Remodeled – a home described as
“remodeled” sold for $51,937 more than homes without the word
Be specific! Notice a pattern in those dos and don’ts? Descriptive and specific words that highlight desired features of a home (like “granite,” “stainless steel” and “remodeled”) cor-relate to a higher sales price than
words that are too general and generic (like “fantastic,” “spacious” and “awe-some”).
Energized Real Estate is a team of real estate advisors in San Antonio led by Dan Easen. You can fi nd out more about them at www.ener-gizedrealestate.com.
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God bless America, land that I loveStand beside her, and guide her
Through the night, with the light from aboveFrom the mountains, to the prairies
To the oceans, white with foamGod bless AmericaMy home sweet home
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by JEN WISE
I don’t often eat cake, but when I do, I like to eat it for breakfast. Nothing too sweet, no sugary frosting (I’m more of a butter girl). But if there’s an extra little slice leftover, I’m much more likely to enjoy it with an early morning cup of cof-fee than after a full dinner (isn’t that the worst time for dessert? We need to rethink this…).
Earlier this month was one such cake-for-breakfast day. I happily sliced off a piece with an attitude of daring excite-ment (quite the rule-breaker, I am). Spying two large pug-eyes staring up at the cake I decided we’d both get a little treat that morning and sliced off a chunk for the dog. As I picked up her piece a few crumbs fell to the fl oor. Gidgit lost her mind–scrounging on the fl oor, snorting, desper-ate to get every last crumb, panicked someone else might get them fi rst. All the while I’m calling her name, and even pat-ting her on the head, trying to get her to look up to see that I’m holding an entire piece just for her.
So often this is us. We’re so busy scrap-ing for crumbs that we won’t look up and see the better thing that God is holding out to us.
We’re scraping for the right house in the right neighborhood, and for the right furniture to fi ll that house, so we can solidify the identity we think we need. We’re scraping for the right job at the right fi rm, for recognition and a platform and a following. Th is is what I need—to be secure, valued, and worthwhile, we think.
And while we’re frantically trying to to fi nd approval and meaning, God calls our names and gently pats our heads, saying, “Hey! Up here! If you’d just look at me you’d see I have something so much better—you’re after scraps, I’ve got a whole friggin
cake here with your name on it. Keep your eyes on me and you’ll fi nd better than you can imagine.”
Th e best part? He’s freely holding it out to us. We don’t have to SCRAPE for it. We don’t have to TRY so hard. In fact, the secret to our very-best-life is simple: set your feet to follow Jesus, keep your eyes on God, and the Spirit in your heart. When we’re not so worried about fi ghting for a place, elbowing others out of the way, and getting our cut, we fi nd that we’re able to actually rest.
And relax. And slow down. And breathe.And suddenly, what do you know, we’re
moving forward with grace—no more scraping and sweating. Our footing is sure. Our value determined. We’re not so wor-ried anymore—we’re not living under a crushing anxiety to perform and impress. We’re just following Jesus, one step at a time. Our eyes are set on better things, bigger things, God-things. And the Spirit-in-us is shining through in the form of peace, goodness, kindness, and love.
Kindreds, is there a better way to live? What are you scraping for? What do you need to let go of in order to look up and notice what God is holding out to you?
Jen Wise is a compassionate theologian, obsessive foodie, constant hostess and voracious reader. She is a graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (MA Theology). Jen lives with her husband and their two sons in Philadelphia’s Main Line neighborhoods. You can read more of her writing at www.restorationliving.org
Crumbs: Letting Go, Looking Up and Finding Your Very Best Life
FAITH
We’re so busy scraping for crumbs that we won’t look up and see the better thing that God is holding out to us.
worst time for dessert? We need to rethink
Finding Your Very Best LifeWe’re so busy scraping for crumbs that we won’t look up and see the better thing that God is holding out to us.
www.saBeacon.com J U LY 2016 — B E ACO N 7
by BOB LOWRY
Recently, I read the results of a study asking people when someone was consid-ered old. Not surprisingly, the answer depended on the respondent’s chronological age. Youngsters placed those in their late teens as qualifying for that label. Young adults generally thought being 50 was the magic line. When reaching sixty, old became somewhere in the early 70’s. Make it to 70, and one must be at least 80 to be consid-ered old. All told, the average age for respondents was 68 - at that age one could be called old without too many arguments.
As someone who is about 18 months from that point, I protest. I am moving closer to my father’s definition. He had determined that middle age extended until 125. Only then, did he or she enter old age territory. Dad died earlier this year at 91, still considering himself barely middle aged.
I am not willing to be quite that expan-sive, but those I know in their mid to late 60’s are not “old age.” They remain active, involved, fun to be with, engaged in the world, and many years younger in attitude
than their actual age might imply.I hate the overused “ 60 is the new 40 “
cliche because it is simply inaccurate. At 60 someone has much more life experience and maturity than a 40 year old. I would suggest the slogan should be the “ 60 is a new 60 .” To me that implies what we think of as defining a 60 year old must be scrapped and replaced with the new defini-tion of someone entering their seventh decade.
by KIMBERLY SEALS ALLERS
From summer camp to “Camp Grand-ma’s House” to going “down south”, the kids can get homesick while you’re enjoying the break! Follow these tips to help keep home-sickness to a minimum. I mean, if they didn’t get homesick at all, you’d be a little worried, right?
Now that summer has arrived, millions of families are planning to say farewell to their children for the summer months—it’s camp season. Camp is a place where kids can go and enjoy the summer and being a kid. Camp is also a place where kids are able to be free from parents and learn how to make friends and explore their interests. Many kids discover their favorite sports and hobbies at summer camp. Kids, and parents alike, are often worried about homesickness—for both themselves, and their happy camper.
It is normal to be homesick and it’s a common feeling experienced by campers and parents every summer. If you’re sending your kid(s) to camp this summer, you may be wondering how you can help comfort and alleviate the symptoms of homesickness.
The American Camp Association® rec-ommends the following do’s and don’ts to help families calm the nerves from home-sickness:
1. DO pack a personal item from home,
such as a stuffed ani-mal or your child’s favor-ite blanket.
2. DO involve your child in the process of choosing a camp. You’ll want your child to feel com-fortable and excited with the camp that they will go to.
3. DO send a note or care package ahead of time to arrive the first day of camp. Don’t forget to say in a positive way that you’ll miss your child while he or she is away at camp.
4. DON’T try to bribe your child with material objects to get them to stay at camp. The real reward should be their new found independence.
5. DON’T blow up on your child if their camp stay is cut short. Just be positive and don’t forget to mention you’ll try camp again next year!
Kimberly Seals Allers is an award-winning journalist, a trusted authority on issues relating to mothers of color, author of The Mocha Manual™ series of books and founder of www.MochaManual.com, a pregnancy and parenting lifestyle destination and blog for African Americans.
by JEFF HARRIS
The headlines are crowded with bad news and scandals. The truth is, Good News doesn’t get talked about. Bad news may be altered a little to sound good, but that doesn’t make it good. Bad news seems more excit-ing. News services quip, “if it bleeds it leads.”
The Good News, or Gos-pel, was originally associ-ated with a Proclamation of a King. When Jesus came, He came to preach the Good News! Essentially He had a proclamation, and the authority to make it happen.
This proclamation was that now, at this time, He was starting His Kingdom. He would live in a way that nobody else had ever lived, and people took notice. He would pay the penalty for their sin, so they could participate in this Kingdom. He would display authority over death to prove that, in fact, the Kingdom begins now.
And He did so by grace, through faith
alone, so that no one could be able to say, “look what I earned.” He did all of this because He is crazy in love with us. He
wanted to restore us to a life with Him at the center. He gives the Holy Spirit so we can start that life now, and know for sure that we will have it eternally.
Jesus died for all our sins. When He did so, all our sins were in the future. When we place our faith in this good news, His forgiveness is total, for all our sin-past, present and future. Our old life is gone, and we are given a new life, by grace through faith. We start
living eternally now.That is good news.
Jeff Harris is the Senior Pastor of Grace Point Church. which exists to lead common people into uncommon life in Jesus. For more infor-mation about Grace Point and their locations and service times, visit www.gracepoint.org. If you want to know more about the good news Pastor Jeff spoke of, you can call 210-696-6093 and someone from the church would be happy to talk to you.
WHERE HOPE COMES FROM
Good NewsFAMILY
The Do’s and Don’ts of Summer Homesickness
SENIORS
I Am Not Old – Just Well Seasoned
It is normal to be homesick and it’s a common feeling experienced by campers and parents every summer.
I want to be satisfied that I didn’t leave too much on the table, make too many enemies, and loved my life.
continued on page 18
News services quip, “ if it bleeds it leads.”
w w w.saBeacon.com8 J U LY 2016 — B E ACO N
SUBMITTED BY NEISD
Tex Hill Middle School Student Council students raised money last October for the non-profi t organization with the hope of collecting enough to sponsor one veteran on the Honor Flight trip in May. Th ey raised more than $1400, enough to sponsor a seat for Major Bill Roberts to take his trip of a lifetime to visit the WWII Memorial in Washington D.C., according to Melinda Cox, Tex Hill PTSA healthy lifestyles chair.
Th e 92-year-old veteran was captured in Poland during WWII and spent 11 months as a POW where he was often interrogated by the opposition and thrown in solitary confi nement. Th e aerial gunner remembers being shot down over Czechoslovakia in 1944.
“I bailed out – 5 miles up and 40 below zero. Th ere was nobody in the sky but me and the Lord, so I had a little talk with him on the way down,” Roberts said.
“When you get there (Washington D.C.) there’s a whole fi eld full of memorials. It makes you sort of sit back and think of it - more than 400,000 men died in that war. I
was one of them, but I got to come home. It hits some emotional strings you have but you don’t think about,” he added.
Student council students were very proud to be able to support Honor Flight San Antonio and to meet Roberts, who vis-ited the school to thank the students before he left. Students returned the favor and met him at the San Antonio Airport to welcome him and the 25 other veterans home. Hill students also made thank you cards and let-ters for the veterans to keep as a remin der
of students’ gratitude for their service. “Th ey took a bunch of pictures of us
when we got back. It made me feel good that I was part of the big picture. Usually as you go through life you are just a spectator,” Roberts said. “I just sat back and enjoyed it. I would like to thank all the people it took to make it possible.”
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Primway Medical PLLC is an internal medicine outpatient office that provides a high quality of healthcare services focused on preventative and primary care to adults in San Antonio, TX.
We specialize in preventative medicine in addition to proper management of acute and chronic illnesses and we are committed to providing support to patients throughout the process of decision-making and healthcare coordination. We accept most insurance benefits. Visit us @ www.PrimwayMedical.com.
Our practice strives for a central and
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June 2016 Issue
HAPPENINGS
Tex Hill Student Council Partners with SA’s Honor Flight
Tex Hill students wrote letters to the 25 San Antonio WWII veterans who took the Honor Flight in May.
Major Bill Roberts visits the WWII Memorial in Washington D.C..
Major Bill Roberts, WWII Veteran, is greeted by students and parents of Tex Hill Middle School, where the student council raised $1400 to send him on the Honor Flight this spring. Photos: Courtesy of NEISD
Tex Hill students and parents welcomed home San An-tonio WWII veterans as they returned from their Honor Flight visit to Washington D.C.
Living Rock Academy prepares our students for a challenging world while focusing on Christ and teaching servant-based leadership. LRA students will enter their collegiate years exceptionally prepared for their future, having received an education reinforced by the aid of current and relevant technology.
Sunday 9:00 am – Café Church | Sunday 10:30 am – Worship Service | Wednesday 6:45 pm – Adults, Youth & Awanatrinitychurch.com | 5415 N Loop 1604 E | Easy 1604 access between 281 and 35
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Proposed 1/4 page Designs for March 2016
Bill Morgan faced a moment of truth in 2007. At the pinnacle of his business career he found himself asking, “is this all there is?
“I went down into the ‘hood,’ as we call it
(the east side of San Antonio’s inner city), to see how to help in my own arrogance, and I was the guy who came back helped.”
He started volunteering and eventually started a min-istry named after its inspira-tion. Moment of Truth Minis-tries now encompasses sev-eral diff erent endeavors: a community store; outreach in partnership with God’s House church; transitional housing; facilitation of the use of a shed full of construction tools; and building remodel.
Morgan said MOTM houses 20 families – “aff ordable homes for folks: elderly women or families who don’t have a man in the house. We want to help deal with the core issues of the family – remodeling from the inside – which is the important part.
“If somebody needs something from MOTM’s Kingdom Works Community Store - (locations 1730 East Commerce Street in downtown San Antonio and 7 Daisy Lane in Boerne), we ask them to volunteer, and
we pay them in kingdom bucks. “Th ere was a 10-year-old little boy who
was eyeballing some great tennis shoes. He didn’t have the $3 for them. I asked him to pick some weeds around the fence. He said, ‘Mr. B, this is the fi rst job I’ve ever had in my life!’ I asked him about his grades. He said they were not very good. I asked him, ‘because you can’t or because you don’t’ and he admitted he didn’t behave in school. Th is was in January. I told him I’d look at his report card in May.
I got a call from his principal 10 days later asking, ‘what in the world is going on with this kid? He was a pain… he’s all but polish-ing the teacher’s apple now.’”
By the end of his summer working, the boy was able to buy a bicycle.
MOTM is part of the Resurgence Collab-orative with the City of San Antonio. Th ey are the faith-based arm of a group of social services provided for people re-integrating into society after incarceration. Morgan
hopes to recruit many volunteers to mentor and walk alongside the recently paroled. He leads by example, as his outreach partner at God’s House, Pastor Clayton, is a three-time felon who was called to preach in prison 20 years ago.
“God brought this businessman and for-mer drug leader prisoner together,” Morgan said. “He’s used our relationship to tie the communities together to show them some-thing diff erent than they see on the news.”
“Moment of Truth is a perfect example of faith in action – it’s one thing to talk about it – but to be able to put it in action – he’s a role model for me,” said Scott Barr, Steward of Southwest Exteriors and Com-munity Leader.
“We see our job is to love people and tell them the truth as best we know it about what God’s done in our lives,” Morgan said. “It has been the toughest, but the most rewarding thing I’ve ever accomplished.”
For information how to get involved, contact him through email [email protected], or visit the website, http://momen-toftruthministries.org/.
SOCIAL
Moment of Truth Inspires Businessman to Remodel Families from the Insideby AMY MORGAN, Beacon Content [email protected]
“ We‘re not about growing numbers and raising money. We’re really about building a community,” Bill Morgan, founder, Moment of Truth Ministries
Over spring break this year, Moment of Truth Ministries connected 200 kids from 15 universities to projects helping others on San Antonio’s Eastside. Volunteers come to see how they can help – it’s our opportunity to serve them and expose them to the needs so close to their home, said Bill Morgan, founder, MOTM. Photo courtesy of Moment of truth Ministries
4 Ways to Keep Comfortable this Summer
Ad Ventilation. During moderate temperatures, natural ventilation is your best strategy for saving on energy, so fling open windows and use fans to move the air around.
Prepare Your Equipment. Service your AC system before summer. Proper maintenance will increase its life and preserve its efficiency.
Watch Your Settings. DOE says you can save up to 1% for each degree you set the temperature back for 8 hours or longer. So, if you run your AC at 78° instead of 72°, you can save from 6-18% on your bill. Programmable thermostats will monitor settings for you.
Have your ductwork and attic insulation levels inspected especially if you live in an older home. Many heating and cooling systems waste signif-icant amounts of energy (and your money) leaking air into the attic space. What is the sense in paying for electricity if you are cooling your attic?
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Springtime temperatures create built-in benefits for enjoying indoor comfort while conserving energy. Try these tips to make the most of lower energy costs:
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w w w.saBeacon.com10 J U LY 2016 — B E ACO N
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A F R I C A N M E T H O D I S T E P I S C O P A L
Hodges Chapel A.M.E. 401 Gulf St, San Antonio 78202 (210) 224-0665A N G L I C A N
All Saints Anglican Church 11122 Link Dr., SA 78213 (210) 344-1920 www.allsaintanglican.net
A S S E M B LY O F G O D
First Assembly of God 13435 West Ave., SA 78216 (210) 496-9977
Living Springs Assembly Of God 151 Purple Sage Rd, Bandera 78003 (830) 796-7932
Northwest Assembly of God 2714 Hunters Green, SA 78231 (210)492-5531
Victory Assembly Of God 1017 W Byrd Blvd, Universal City 78148 (210) 659-3251
B A P T I S T
Calvary Baptist Church 6142 Fm 78, San Antonio 78244 (210) 222-1541
Castle Hills First Baptist Church 2220 NW Military Hwy, SA 78213 (210) 377-8485
Central Baptist Church 1226 S. Presa St., SA 78224 (210) 533-5882www.freewebs.com/centralbaptistchruch
Converse First Baptist Church 9162 FM 78, Converse 78109 (210) 658-2891
Elmendorf First Baptist Church 7795 FM 327, Elmendorf 78112 (210) 665-2113 www.efbconline.org
First Baptist Church Universal City 1401 Pat Booker Rd., Universal City 78148 (210) 658-6394
Grace Point Church Medical Center 9650 Huebner Road, SA 78249 (210) 696-6093 www.gracepoint.org
Grace Point Church- West Campus 8531 Leslie Rd SA 78254 (210) 363-8932 www.gracepoint.org
Living Water Faith Church 118 Fredericksburg Rd, SA 78201 (210) 733-1980
Living Word Christian Fellowship 4952 Windsor Hl # 103, Windcrest 78239 (210) 650-0712
Love Gospel Church 8102 Crosscreek, San Antonio 78218 (210) 650-3400
Mission of Mercy Ministry 502 E Southcross, SA 78214 (210) 425-3365
New Creations Christian Fellowship 8700 Fourwinds Dr, Windcrest 78239 (210) 646-7997
New Life Christian Center 6610 W US Highway 90, San Antonio 78227 (210) 679-6050
New Life Church 1503 Standish, Floresville 78114 (830) 216-1008
Nuevo Amanecer 502 E Southcross, San Antonio 78226 (830) 281-1162
Primera Iglesia 437 W Johnson, Pleasanton 78064 (830) 570-4999
Real Christ International Church 1136 W Woodlawn, San Antonio 78201 (210) 913-5435
Redeeming Grace AME Zion Chr 1690 Rigsby Ave, SA 78210 (210) 359-6240
Road To Damascus Church 2105 Pinn Rd, SA 78227 (210) 673-4924
Shalom Outreach Ministries 3107 Guadalupe, SA 78207 (210) 438-1257
Shekina Glory Church 614 Chalmers, SA 78214 (210) 577-8212
Souled Out - BFA 3439 Willowwod Blvd, SA 78219 (210) 862-5221
Souls for the Kingdom Ministries 3802 W Salinas, San Antonio 78207 (210) 534-8186 www.souls4.org/Home_Page.html
Templo Amor Y Gracia 332 Wilcox Ave, SA 78211 (210) 923-1929
Templo Espiritu de Verdad 96 Ninth St. , Somerset 78069 (210) 639-5328
Thousand Oaks Christian Church 13007 Jones-Maltsberger, SA 78247 (210) 490-7729
Todo Esta Pagado Mission 8305 S Foster, SA 78222 (210) 413-6602
Tower City Church 11220 Perrin Beitel Rd, Suite 110, San Antonio 78217www.towercitychurch.com/
True Christian Unity Church 10311 Lee Roy Lane, Adkins 78101 (210) 707-1837
Winds of Grace Church 1512 Bandera Rd, San Antonio 78228 (210) 954-2370 www.windsofgrace.org/
P E N T E C O S TA L
Harvest Time Fellowship Ministry 1815 S Ww White Rd, SA 78212 (210) 304-6000 www.htfm.org
Iglesia Emanuel Pentecostal 2908 Mission Road, SA 78214 (210) 789-8340
Lively Stone International Christian Church 210 S Grimes St, Ste 103, San Antonio 78203 (210) 226-1234
Mission De La Fe Pentecostes Hwy 35, Derby 78061 (830) 317-6001P R E S B Y T E R I A N
Faith Presbyterian Church 1307 Blanco Woods, SA 78248 (210) 492-8038
First Presbyterian Church San Antonio 404 North Alamo Street, SA 78205 (210) 226-0215 www.fpcsanantonio.org/
Holy Trinity Presbyterian 16245 Nacogdoches, SA 78247 (210) 654-3411
Stone Oak Presbyterian Church 20024 Crescent Oaks, SA 78258 (210) 497-7974S E V E N T H D AY A D V E N T I S T
Highland Lakes SDA Church 6642 West FM 1431, Granite Shoals 78654 512-755-4379
U N I T E D M E T H O D I S T
Asbury UMC 4601 San Pedro, San Antonio 78212 (210) 735-8115
Bulverde United Methodist Church 28300 Hwy. 281 North, SA 78260www.bulverdeumc.org
Coker UMC 231 E. North Loop Road, San Antonio 78216 (210) 494-3455
Colonial Hills UMC 5247 Vance Jackson, SA 78230 (210) 349-9583
Northern Hills UMC 3703 N Loop 1604 E, SA 78247 (210) 654-0881www.nhumc.org/
University United Methodist Church 5084 De Zavala Rd., SA 78249 (210) 696-1033 www.uumcsatx.org
Windcrest UMC 8101 Midcrown Dr, SA 78239 (210) 654-0404
Area Churches
w w w.saBeacon.com J U LY 2016 — B E ACO N 11
by LAUREN ROBERTSON, Beacon Intern
“Give a man a fi sh and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fi sh and you feed him for a lifetime.”
Th is old proverb resonates with the responsibility indebted to teachers: equip-ping the next generation of students with enthusiasm to learn, reason, and apply themselves to the world around them. Teachers prove an invaluable asset, but with a myriad of learning styles education can sometimes be lost in translation. So what constitutes a quality teacher? Looking back on life from pre-K to senior year, I noticed a consistent theme among my most memora-ble teachers….
1. Teachers should engage students on a personal level. Th ere is a big diff erence between talking at someone and talking with someone. As a student, I felt more engaged (and less compelled to fall asleep) whenever the teacher actively included the students in his or her lesson. Tailoring classroom activities towards the audience will not only create a more engaging learn-
ing environment but will generate greater respect from students.
2. Teachers should maintain a controlled classroom. Th roughout high school, my least favorite classes where those in which the teacher was evidently not the leader. Stu-dents would fi le their complaints about homework or tests and as a result there was no structure on due dates or class agendas. Public Agenda President Ruth A. Wooden stated on the organization’s website, “Rowdi-ness, disrespect, bullying, talking out, late-ness and loutishness – these misbehaviors are poisoning the learning atmosphere of our public schools.” Publicagenda.org further reported: “A minority of students who rou-tinely challenge legitimate school rules and authority are preventing the majority of stu-dents from learning and teachers from teaching.” All in all, teachers are the foremost authorities. Teachers ought to be open to student feedback, but ultimately should dic-tate the activities and tone of a classroom.
Students who are taught to respect authorities results in a more productive atmosphere conducive for learning. After all, school is an academic environment, not a day care center.
3. Teachers should be prepared beyond the textbook. One of my favorite classes was dual credit Western Civilization my junior
year of high school. My teacher was an expert on the subject. It even became a game among my peers and I to try to outwit our teacher. My teacher’s quick rationale and familiarity with ancient civilization pushed us to learn more. By the end of the class I realized I had learned more by simply trying to outsmart my teacher than I did in other classes where I merely memorized material. Th e Center for Public Education reports: “Teachers’ knowledge of the con-tent they teach is a consistently strong pre-dictor of student performance, even though studies diff er in how strong its eff ects are.” Passionate teachers familiar in their fi eld are better equipped to translate their knowledge and enthusiasm to their pupils.
As a student, I often sought out dedicated teachers who were personally invested in my academic success and desired to see me excel. I respected the teachers who priori-tized their duty to truly teach the material at hand. Ben Franklin said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” I learned the most from teachers who valued my education and saw me as a worthwhile investment; not necessarily from the curric-ulum they taught, but from who they were as a person and what they pushed me to believe about my capabilities.
Lauren Robertson is a recent graduate of San Antonio Christian Schools. She served as Editor-in- Chief of her school’s magazine, the Revelation. She will be attending Baylor University this fall where she will continue her passion for medicine, business, and writing.
EDUCATION
What Makes a Great Teacher? A Student’s Perspective
I learned the most from teachers who valued my education and saw me as a worthwhile investment.
SUBMITTED BY THE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL AT CASTLE HILLS
As of January 1, 2016, Castle Hills First Baptist School offi cially became an inde-pendent, Christian school—separating itself from Castle Hills First Baptist Church. For this reason, on July 1, 2016, Castle Hills First Baptist School will offi cially change its name to Th e Christian School at Castle Hills. Th e move came out of lengthy discus-sions between school offi cials and school board members who saw this as an oppor-tunity to expand the appeal of the school beyond its current base.
“Since 1981, Castle Hills First Baptist School has educated thousands of children and youth. Th e legacy of training students to know Christ and make Him Known will continue as we become Th e Christian School at Castle Hills,” said Superintendent Michael Pinkston. “We remain deeply grate-ful for the historic roots and outpouring of support across the years from Castle Hills
First Baptist Church. Th is next chapter of becoming an independent Christian school means our school can expand and grow—while still providing the same level of aca-demic excellence from a decidedly Christian worldview that San Antonio residents have come to expect.”
As Castle Hills First Baptist Church looks to relocate, school offi cials have begun negotiations to purchase the prop-erty on which it currently stands. Th e 24-acre property would allow the school to expand enrollment and allow the school to add additional classrooms and upgrade facilities. School offi cials have secured a 3.5-year lease with the church to stay on the current property, giving ample time to raise the funds needed to buy the historic build-ings and land. As of May 1, the school has experienced early success in this major campaign, and future fundraising eff orts are in the works.
EDUCATION
Castle Hills First Baptist School Becomes an Independent Christian School, Makes Plans to Buy Current Property
Serving students from 18 months through the 12th grade, Castle Hills features academic excellence from a decidedly Christian worldview. The school also off ers championship athletic programs, award-winning fi ne arts, a high school leadership academy, and 85 percent of the 2016 graduating class received academic scholarships to college. Thou-sands of Castle Hills’ alumni are dotted around the globe—serving as television producers, physicians, missionaries, pastors, state legislators, and more. To learn more about Castle Hills, please visit www.castlehills.school.
w w w.saBeacon.com J U LY 2016 — B E ACO N 13
One thing I always dreaded when I was a high school student was the year-end super-latives...Most Popular....Most Likely to Suc-ceed...remember those? Instead of being able to celebrate someone else’s award, I’d wind up comparing myself to each of the winners. Even worse, sometimes I’d pick the best attributes of three or four diff erent peo-ple and combine them into one imaginary person and feel extra bad about myself. Even as an adult, I can fall prey to the com-parison game. Am I as successful? Am I as signifi cant? Am I as handsome or beautiful? Seems like all the old superlatives are still haunting me, aren’t they?
Th e problem is that comparison is like drinking poison. It kills our self esteem. It sucks out joy from our lives and diminishes our contentment. It consumes us with feel-ings of inadequacy and robs us of productiv-ity. Even in those rare moments when we feel like we have it better than someone else, our contentment is on shaky ground because life is unpredictable and uncontrol-lable. Comparison never--and I mean never--does anything good for us. Yet we drink this toxic cup anyway.
Th e reason we do this is because we were designed for signifi cance. We have a sense of greatness inside us. We want to know that we matter, so we look for observable cues to tell us how we’re doing. And where’s the easi-est place to look? Th at’s right, other people.
Almost every time we look to others who are, themselves, seeking the same validation. Th is fails us in two big ways...
First, we never are able to see all of another person’s life, so we’re stuck compar-ing ourselves only to the little slice of their life we do see. It’s not fair to compare our-selves against such a small portion of some-one’s observable life. My bet is, if we could experience every aspect of someone else’s life--including their fears, pressures and struggles--most of the time we’d stick with our own.
Second, measuring ourselves against others doesn’t take into account the way each of us was uniquely designed. One of the very fi rst things God says in the entire Bible is that he made us in his image. It’s no wonder I don’t fare well when I compare myself to others--I’m not supposed to be like them in the fi rst place. I’m supposed to be the unique person God created me to be. God also tells me he has a plan for my life (he has one for yours, too)--a good plan, rooted in his love for us. What’s more, he promises I can discover this plan when I put down the cup of comparison and start believing what he says about me is true.
Th at last line is super important, and I don’t want you to miss it: “Start believing what God says about you is true.” It makes all the diff erence in the world.
Kirk Freeman loves being a husband, daddy and serving as the lead pastor of CrossBridge Community Church in San Antonio, Texas.
by KIRK FREEMAN, PastorCrossBridge Community Church
HURTS, HABITS, AND HANGUPS
Put Down the Cup of Comparison
by DR. SHAWN MESSONNIER
Here are some tips on keep-ing your pet safe this July 4th from my colleagues at Texas A&M.
Th e 4th of July might be a day of celebration for people, but for pets it is a day of potentially hazardous situations. Dr. James Barr, clinical assistant profes-sor for the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, explained that pets are at an increased risk for several dan-gerous scenarios during our holiday cel-ebration.
“Most of the injuries or sicknesses that happen around the 4th of July in dogs have to do with an increased amount of outdoor activity,” Dr. James Barr said. “Th ere are more dogfi ghts, car accidents involving dogs and heat- related illnesses than any other time of the year.”
Barr also discourages own-ers from feeding table scraps to their pets. “Because dogs and cats have exposure to a lot more food from barbecues and parties, they tend to get upset stomachs from eating things they shouldn’t,” he said. Some-times it is seen as humorous for owners to share an alcoholic beverage with their pet, but Barr includes alcohol on his list of dangers for pets on Independence Day. “Pets have much smaller bodies than we do and it can be quite dangerous to have them drink alcohol. It can even be fatal in severe circumstances,” he said.
If you plan on bringing Fido to an out-door party, be cautious of the dangers of mosquitos, fl eas and ticks. Spraying your pet with insect repellant may seem like a reasonable solution to the bug problem, but some sprays are not safe for animals. Instead, Barr recommends using an eff ec-tive fl ea and tick repellant prescribed by your veterinarian. Since heartworms are transmitted to pets through mosquitos, a common summer nuisance, Barr also reminds owners to make sure their pet is taking heartworm preventative before they enjoy the holiday outdoors.
One of the most exciting traditions of
the 4th of July holiday is fi reworks. Although we might fall into a trance of admiration at the loud popping noises and fl ashing of col-ors in the sky, our pets might not enjoy the
show so much. If your dog typically becomes frightened during thunderstorms, chances are it will react the same way to fi reworks. “If your dog is frightened by the fi reworks, you need to mini-mize the exposure that they have to the loud noise of the fi reworks,” Barr said. Th is can be done by fi nding a safe and quiet room in your home where your dog can stay relaxed. If Fido is in atten-
dance at your outdoor fi rework show, keep him or her on a leash to prevent it from running away or jumping a fence in an attempt to fi nd safety. Remember, it is always important to properly identify your pet just in case it becomes lost.
Although Independence Day is a fun-fi lled holiday for people, it might not be the same case for our pets. As a pet owner, it is important to consider all dangerous situa-tions your pet may experience during the holiday. If you are concerned about the dan-gers your pet may face and want to fully protect them, the simple solution is for Fido to sit this party out in the safety of your home.
Dr. Shawn Messonnier, a 1987 graduate of Texas A&M College of Vet-erinary Medicine, opened Paws & Claws Animal Hospital in 1991. His special interests include exotic pets, dermatology, cancer, and inter-nal medicine. Dr. Messonnier is a well-known speaker and author.
PETS
Fourth of July Safety Tips for Pets
As a pet owner, it is important to consider all dangerous situations your pet may experience during the holiday.
“ There are more dogfi ghts, car accidents involving dogs and heat- related illnesses than any other time of the year.”
w w w.saBeacon.com14 J U LY 2016 — B E ACO N
Honor God and stay healthy with Fit Family Challenge
Your family can stay in shape and win big prizes this summer with Fit Family Challenge!
What is Fit Family Challenge?San Antonio Sports Fit Family Challenge,
presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas is the coolest summer program around. It encourages families to get physically active and live a healthier lifestyle by off ering free events and resources to help families learn about fi tness and nutrition. Fit Family Chal-lenge is for the entire family! Zumba and Kid Fit classes are off ered weekly Monday-Th ursday at seven locations. While mom and dad do Zumba, so will the kids!
Th roughout the summer, there will be over $25,000 worth of prizes and incentives given away to those participating and earning their points.
Fit Family Challenge Around the Com-munity
People throughout our community par-ticipate in Fit Family Challenge for many diff erent reasons. Yvonne Hernandez has been participating in Fit Family Challenge for four summers. She started because of health issues. “Fit Family Challenge has motivated me and has provided me with the resources to lead a healthy lifestyle,” explains Hernandez. “Zumba has become part of my daily routine, an extension of my work day with a strong supportive crew with my friends and workout buddies. A quote I saw recently perfectly describes why I continue to participate in Fit Family Chal-lenge activities: ‘I work out because I love my body, not because I hate it.’”
Another frequent Zumba participant, Lydia Peacock, loves to move. “I attend Zumba because at 85 years old, it keeps me moving and fl exible! My husband and I used to dance around the house, so Zumba is a nice reminder of him while keeping me active!” While Fit
Family Challenge is open to all families in Bexar County, locations are concentrated in 10 zip codes in San Antonio that have the highest rates of diabetes and obesity. Whether it’s to get active, stay active, inter-act with friends, or just to let their kids get some energy out, everyone is welcome!
This Summer’s Events!You can join Fit Family Challenge weekly
classes at any time. Th e next family-friendly Fit Family Challenge Big Event, Jump into Fitness, will take place on Saturday, July 23 at Harlandale Park from 8-10 a.m. Come out for a morning of fi tness, family, and fun in the park. Weekly Zumba classes continue until August 16.
To learn more about locations and class times, visit FitFamilyChallenge.com.
Bring your family and join our Fit Family Challenge family.
The human body is a wonderful creation of God. Let’s work together to stay healthy.
Photos courtesy of Fit Family Challenge
Visit: FitFamilyChallenge.com to learn more.
S P O N S O R E D C O N T E N T
w w w.saBeacon.com J U LY 2016 — B E ACO N 15
by DARRYL LYONS
“ Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you � rst sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?” —Luke 14:28 (NIV)
Goal setting is distressing for me to write about. I am concerned you will do what I did for many years. You will set goals independently of God. You may (with good intentions) potentially create a checklist of things to do to accomplish in your own self-ish ambition. Like I do all too often, you will discount the omnipresent Creator of the Universe who is interested in every decision you make.
Th en, you will experience the disap-pointment of accomplishing things only the world praises. You will waste a portion of your life only focused on dollars and cents and not the lives around you. Looking back, you will regret the selfi sh season. Th e good news is that God restores. He gives you another chapter in life. Th is time, prior to setting selfi sh-ambition goals, you will change the approach. You will establish the two goal-setting prerequisites: (1) successful setup and (2) high expectations.
Prerequisite 1: Successful SetupDistractions and a messy mind will
destroy valuable time. Take a moment to set up the right environment to truly experi-ence the benefi ts of the goal-setting process.
TimeA big chunk of time away from the offi ce
and distractions is needed. You should not fi ll up the time only writing things down. You will spend much of the time just staring and thinking. It is in those moments that clarity comes. My goal-setting venue of choice is a hotel lobby with access to coff ee.
Your ideal place may be in a deer blind, a home offi ce, or just in your car. It just needs to be quiet and away from distractions.
PeopleYou need to work with your spouse,
loved ones, or business partner to set goals. Th ey will see things you can’t. Th is is wise counsel. Did I say spouse? Don’t discount the power of having your spouse engage in the process. I know it has personally saved my career.
PrayerDo not disconnect the Maker of the
entire Universe from goal setting. Th is is a habit that must be broken. Prayer is the vehicle where we get to talk to our Heavenly Father about what is on our hearts, learn about His will for our lives, and see if the two are aligned.
Prerequisite 2: Set High ExpectationsYou may set low goals, discounting the
greatness the Lord has in place for you. You have to think like a Texan: think big or go home. Pastor Tim Keller said, “I will no lon-ger disrespect God by having low expecta-tions (of what He can/will do).” You need to be excited about the potential God has in your life. God wants to participate in life and He wants you to live it abundantly.
We subtly recognize God when we say, “It happened for a reason.” I’m suggesting that setting goals with God not be so subtle or reactive. We need to set goals that ensure the unique gifts God has given us are being recognized, used, and not wasted. Planning with God makes too much sense! Rather than simply meeting budget desires, your goals will now include the lives of those around you. With a goal-setting attitude in complete union with God, you are free to experience the abundant life you were called to live.
Darryl W Lyons, Author of Small Business Big Pressure: A Faith-based Approach to guide the Ambitious Entrepreneur. www.smallbusiness-bigpressure.com Darryl is also the co-founder of PAX Financial Group, LLC. He can be reached at 210-881-5703 or [email protected]
FINANCES
God Sized Goals
HEALTH & WELLNESS
A L L A B O U T E Y E S by MONICA ALLISON, OD
We have some exciting news... We are opening a satellite offi ce in Bulverde for our families that live farther north on 281. Th e address is 121 Bulverde Crossing, Suite 116, Bulverde, 78163. Our phone number there is 830-980-2020, and we are scheduling now for July. We hope to provide back-to-school care for the families in Comal county in a location convenient for them. We will follow this new addition with a new building in Stone Oak in the fall. Keep updated on prog-ress on our Stone Oak Facebook page. We will have more room, more product selec-tion and are adding a new doctor to cover both new offi ces.
Summer suggestions: we defi nitely rec-ommend a good pair of sunglasses to pro-tect your eyes from the intense summer sun. Even if you don’t need prescription eye-wear, everyone should have protective sun wear, including children. If you are normally a glasses wearer, you might try contact lenses as a good option to enjoy some sum-mer fun wearing non-prescription sunglass. If swimming is a big part of your family’s summer, and if a family member is near-sighted, they may have diffi culty being able to see clearly at the pool. Most contact lenses should not be used while swimming, and glasses are not always the best option. As an alternative, we can make prescription swim goggles, or we can prescribe ortho-k lenses.
Ortho-k is the process of using special contact lenses that are only worn at night during sleep. Similar to how a retainer works on your teeth, the molding lenses gently reshape the front surface of your eye, and when you wake up and remove the con-tact lens, your vision is clear throughout the day. It works best for nearsighted individu-als and is safe for children. Because children are not candidates for LASIK, Ortho-k is a great option for them.
At Stone Oak Vision Source and Bul-verde Vision Source, we accept most insur-ance plans. We will help determine what is best for you according to your plan options. We also treat eye emergencies such as pink eye and foreign bodies. Call and make an appointment if the need ever arises.
We will soon have four doctors to serve you between our two locations: 19202 Stone Oak Parkway, Suite 106, and 121 Bulverde Crossing, Suite 116, Bulverde. Visit us online at www.visionsource-stoneoak.com or www.bulverdevisionsource.com, or call for an appointment at 210-495-9020 (Stone Oak) and 830-980-2020 (Bulverde).
If you are experiencing any eye concerns, or just want to stop in and meet our team, we are currently located at 19202 Stone Oak Parkway Ste 106. Please visit our web site www.visionsource-stoneoak.com or call 495-9020 to sched-ule your appointment today.
Tune in to our new Beacon Radio show Saturdays at noon on KSLR AM630. Steve Teel hosts local and national
diff erence makers who will share their stories and insights to give you hope, inspiration, and change.Steve is the pastor of Momentum Bible Church, author, and founder of Very Bold Ministries.
Th e San Antonio Area Foundation hosted a meeting of community leaders on June 20, with the hope of discussing the present and future of San Antonio. A wide range of individuals sat together in a room and engaged in a discussion led by the Unicity Board, which includes a number of spiritual leaders in our community. Th e question that was discussed was simple: What defi nes a man in today’s society?
Jeff Kemp, a former NFL quarterback with the Seattle Seahawks and now a part of Family Life, led the way in the discussion. A recurring issue that we as a society strug-gle with is relating to the generation other than our own. So often, as the world changes in culture and personality, our opinions and hopes for the community can simply be lost in translation. We are seeing Baby Boomers, Generation X, and now Mil-lennials work and live in the same areas, but not learning from each other.
Men who have lived a full life have tre-
mendous insight and wisdom to share with the younger generation, if they are willing to listen. Millennials can easily translate the culture in today’s age with the older genera-tion. To be a man is to truly understand that it was Christ’s humility on the cross that exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name. It is not enough to grow as a man each day. We will hold ourselves back again and again until we strive to grow as a man of God.
What if every man in the church viewed themselves as a father and friend to his community? What if every man understood his role in the household, and made his family feel safe and secure? As Jeff Kemp stated, “Manhood is bestowed in the com-pany of true men.” Let us learn from the men both above and below us in age, and invest in tomorrow’s leaders through open-ness and transparency.
MEN
When Being a Man Isn’t Enoughby BLAKE CLIFTON, Beacon Community Manager, [email protected]
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May 2016 issue - PROOF 2
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by RENEE UMSTED
My 9th grade history teacher always said that perfect practice makes perfect. Is this true?
Logically speaking, yes. Mastering a skill requires dedication, focus, and hard work. It is reasonable that an expert would perfectly complete a task in his or her fi eld, right? Wrong. Even professionals make mistakes, despite countless hours spent in practice.
Th is is reality, the struggle of humans.Regardless of how much we practice,
how noble our intentions are, or how des-perately we desire something, an obstacle will always stand in our way.
Trying harder doesn’t always work. Pushing our limits doesn’t always make us successful. But that doesn’t mean we should stop trying.
Newton’s First Law of Motion states that an object in motion will remain in motion unless acted upon by an unbalanced force, and that an object at rest will remain at rest unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
There are two scenarios. In the fi rst scenario, we wake up with
the desire to be the best version of our-selves, spreading love and encouragement and practicing our virtues. Th is is the object in motion. Undoubtedly, something will happen that rotates our attitude and per-
spective 180°. Th is is the unbalanced force. In the second scenario, we wake up in
the morning with a negative outlook on life, thinking that there is no point in even try-ing to be a blessing to others because we will mess up anyway. Or, we don’t wake up at all. Th is is the object at rest. Th en, some-one we encounter smiles at us or compli-ments us. Th is is the unbalanced force.
We cannot prevent unbalanced forces from occurring or cause them to happen. We can only decide how to respond.
Let us refuse to allow drizzles or thun-derstorms to scare us into hiding. Instead, let our sunshine radiate and our warmth penetrate the icy hearts of those who try to stop us.
Let us allow other stars in our life to light up the dark nights in which we have been living, and let those stars inspire us.
Our failures cannot completely discour-age us. Treat each failure as a single lost battle in the greater war. Th is war we can, and will win, if only we continue to fi ght by relying on our fellow soldiers and our com-mander and learning from our mistakes.
So even though we will not always at fi rst succeed, we must try and try again.
Renee is a high school student living in San Antonio, who is passion-ate about writing and desires to be a journalist later in life. You can fi nd her writing at: realtalkwithrenee.wordpress.com.
YOUNG ADULTS
Success in FailureWe cannot prevent unbalanced forces from occurring or cause them to happen. We can only decide how to respond.
An expression I hear occasionally is the title of this post. It probably comes as close as any to describe what might be the most accurate defi nition of someone who is truly on a satisfying journey through retirement. Th e human body decays. Th e thinning hair (actually by now a bald spot) on my head, the wrinkles, the brown “liver spots” on my arms and face, mark me as someone who is “getting up there,” as folks used to say. But do I think of myself as old? Will I think of myself as old when I turn 68?
No. I see myself as aging but not old where it matters: in my relationships, engagement with life, desire to learn new things, and the chance to stick around this earth as long as the good Lord deems it appropriate. When it is my time to move on,
I want to be satisfi ed that I didn’t leave too much on the table, make too many enemies, and loved my life.
Maybe I am like a chuck roast (if you are a vegetarian, just go with my example!). Th is is a cut of meat that is sometimes hard to chew. It often lacks much taste. It is rela-tively inexpensive and not considered a prime cut of beef. But, with the proper sea-soning, spices, meat tenderizer and a lot of care, it can be made quite tolerable, even tasty and appealing.
We are not old based on a calendar or someone else’s defi nition. We are old only if we stop living a full life while adding sea-soning to the world around us.
Bob Lowry is the author of the defi nitive retirement guides: Living A Satisfying Retirement and Building A Satisfying Retirement.
continued from page 7
I Am Not Old – Just Well Seasoned
w w w.saBeacon.com J U LY 2016 — B E ACO N 19
2016 was a high school baseball season to remember as two area high schools, John-son (6A) and Alamo Heights (5A), earned berths to the UIL state championship tour-nament in Round Rock on June 9-11. In the last 45 years, only nine greater San Antonio schools have made a combined 12 appear-ances in the state tournament, with Smith-son Valley being the last in 2005. Th e 1968 Highland Owls was the last SA team to win the title at the highest classifi cation.
Johnson High’s ascension into an elite program has been rapid. During the pro-gram’s inaugural season, Avatar and Up appeared on theater marquees around town. Players like second baseman Yuuki Chilcutt and right fi elder Jacob Corner had already made an exit from the coach-pitch level. Who would’ve imagined only 2,700 days later, in a state where an ocean of high schools have only watched the state tourna-ment from a distance, the Jaguars would be on their march to the fi nal weekend.
Ask Alamo Heights (27-8) how tough it is to make it to the state tourney. Th is was their fi rst trip in school history and their campus opened during the beginning of the Korean War. Th e Mules’ star pitcher, Forrest
Whitley, was drafted by a MLB franchise (Houston Astros) that wouldn’t exist for another 12 years as the Colt .45s. More than 24,000 days would pass before AHHS would fi nally get their invite. Th at’s a lot of dream-ing and hoping. But it was worth the wait.
Coach Jason Th ompson and his mighty Mules faced College Station in the 5A semi-fi nal game, with Whitley striking out 11 on 123 pitches to help his squad beat the Cou-gars, 5-2. Th eir quest to win the state title would come up just short, as they lost 9-2 to Grapevine in the fi nal.
Th e 6A Jags, led by Coach Gordy Gesell, defeated Amarillo High in the semi-fi nal game, 2-1. Richard Gilbert, a 1st team All-State selection, tossed a three-hitter and struck out nine to help Johnson High advance to meet Dallas Jesuit (36-8-2) for the championship trophy. Unfortunately, they lost a hard fought battle to the Rangers and Gatorade National Player of the Year, Kyle Muller, 6-2.
In the end, what a fantastic season it was. Th e gauntlet these teams survived in order to make it to the fi nal weekend was thrilling to watch, considering Texas has arguably the deepest pool of baseball talent in the country. Congratulations to both schools on their historic seasons. Th ank you for allowing us to be along for the ride.
SPORTS
Alamo Heights, Johnson High Compete For State Titles
by JIM FAULK, Area Director-FCA
SPORTS
Poor Offi ciating?
Let me preface this article with a confes-sion – I’m climbing out of a state of sadness. I fi nd myself forced to settle for an NBA Championship series between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers, due to an early departure (beating) of the Spurs at the hands of the Trailblazers. Truthfully, I’m sitting in my easy chair in front of a big-screen HDTV, and I can’t fi gure out who I’m supposed to root for – how sad! Should I jump up and down for King James when he forces his way through the key to slam dunk the ball, or cheer on Stephen Curry as he bombs the three-pointers from the outside perimeter? Okay…I’m going with Curry, because he’s FCA’s cover story in the FCA Magazine. Call me biased!
Or, I could get caught up in the story line that the media, to include those paid TV sportscasting courtside commentators, have been focused on since the Spurs-Blaz-ers series. From ESPN to local sportscasters and sports anchors, there has been a run-ning commentary on the numbers of errors and no-calls made throughout the NBA Playoff s. It has become such an issue that even the NBA Commissioner weighed in at the halftime of Championship Game 3.
All that having been said, in general, as a former coach and now a professional spec-tator, I’ve found that “poor offi ciating” and “bad calls” only happen to losing teams (LOL!). I’m telling you, in all my years of playing, coaching, and watching, I’ve rarely heard a winning team or its fans complain about bad offi ciating.
But there’s just something deep within us that wants justice, integrity, and for the game to be called equally for both sides.
Isn’t it that “do right” Jiminy Cricket moral-ity marker that God built within us that goes crazy when we see injustice, without which things just go totally off -course? Th e problem with the fairness of the call or the ruling, unfortunately for us humans, depends on how it aff ects us personally – whether we benefi t from the call or not.
Isn’t that personality fl aw the reason we must have new life, which only Christ can give? Th en, I must renew my mind daily to think the way God thinks. Th at is what’s so awesome about Almighty God, the ultimate game offi cial. He never makes mistakes or bad calls, his judgments and decisions are never aff ected by feelings, emotions, losses, or wins. His calls are perfect, because PER-FECT is Who He Is.
Th anks be to God, Who gives us the vic-tory through our Lord Jesus – the Creator of the universe, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the referee above all referees! When it’s time to blow that fi nal whistle of judg-ment, we can count on Him to make the perfect call! Whew.
Originally from Ft. Worth, Jim Faulk has lived in SATX since high school. A MacArthur HS and UTSA graduate, he coached briefl y in the Judson School District. Jim recently celebrated his 30th anniversary as the Alamo Area Director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He and Sandi, his wife of over 40 years, have a son, a triathlete and pastor, a marathoner daughter-in-law, and two darling (really!) granddaughters. Jim and Sandi have taught the Scriptures and served through First Baptist Church of San Anto-nio for almost 35 years. Jim is a very competitive distance runner – look for him in area half-marathons!Follow FCA on Facebook & Twitter @SanAntonioAreaFCA, on Insta-gram @alamofca, and visit our website http://www.alamofca.org/.
