May 2014 Mississippi Christian Living

FREEMAY 2014

2 MAY 2014 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living

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Volume 8, Number 12

contents MAY 2014

columns8 The Way I See It

A Daily Walk

10 Let’s Talk It Over Grief Wears Many Faces

13 Education Connection Mama Always Said…

14 This Is My Story The Blessing of Infertility

16 Living My Call A Passion for Orphans

18 Truly WedSeeing Through the Glass Clearly

20 Welcome Home Focus on Framing

22 Healthy Living Inspiring Everyday Exercise

32 Food for Thought Sweets for Mom

34 Lagniappe Noonday Collection

36 Fresh Finds Fresh Home Décor

38 Christian Commerce Caring Transitions

41 Legal Advice Don’t Procrastinate—Plan Today

in every issue6 Editor’s Letter

43 What’s Going On44 Rave Reviews45 Event Calendar46 Quips & Quotes46 Advertiser Index

Publisher: MHS Publications, Inc.,Member, M.I.P.A.

Editor: Marilyn [email protected]

Associate Editor: Suzanne Tanner Durfey

Art Direction/Graphic Design Sandra K. Goff

SalesMarilyn Tinnin, Kimberly Stephens,

Suzanne Tanner Durfey

Contributing WritersAriel Anderton, Betsy Bailey, Lydia Bolen,

Kimberly Grace Bowman, ElizabethBrassard, C. Rochelle Culp, Tina

Ferguson, Dan Hall, Hazel Hall, MistyLacey, Amy O’Mara, Susan E. Richardson,B.J. Swafford, Martin E. Willoughby, Jr.,

Elizabeth Wynn

Cover PhotographyStegall Imagery

Distribution AssistantsLaura Kidder, Randy Fortenberry, Andrea Sabillion, Rachel Schulte, Jerri Strickland, Priscilla Sullivan, Bob Whatley, Amanda Weems

Mississippi Christian Living573 Highway 51 North, Suite C

Ridgeland, MS 39157Phone 601-790-9076 • Fax 601-790-

9078www.MSchristianliving.com

Mississippi Christian Living is committed toencouraging individuals in their daily livesby presenting the faith stories of others andby providing information that will pointevery person, at every stage of life, to adeeper, authentic, personal, and life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ.Views expressed in Mississippi ChristianLiving do not necessarily represent those ofthe publisher. Every effort has been madeby the Mississippi Christian Living staff toinsure accuracy of the publication contents.However, we do not guarantee theaccuracy of all information nor the absenceof errors and omissions; hence, noresponsibility can be or is assumed. AllRights Reserved. Copyright 2013 byMississippi Christian Living, Inc.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NewInternational Version, copyright 1973,1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.Used by permission of International BibleSociety.

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�6 MAY 2014 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living

“Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands andbind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sitat home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up,”Deuteronomy 11:18, 19.

Iam a child of the 1950s. I tell the story often of traveling the hot and dustyDelta—in cars without air conditioning or seatbelts—accompanying mymother who wrote feature stories for The Commercial Appeal, the Delta-

Democrat Times and The Clarion-Ledger. She was not fretting over my perception ofwomen at all as she dragged me along. She just had no other options on those days. She mayhave thought, “I can’t wait for Marilyn to be in school,” but I don’t think she did. Educationaltelevision had not been invented. Neither had video games. A doll and a “Little Golden Book”were about all I had to pass the time while Mama conducted an interview. I did not feelneglected. I was very proud to be my mother’s daughter, and there was never a doubt in mymind that I was a much loved child.

I see how hard my daughter works, and I imagine her daughter, Marilyn Wilton Bailey, willview her mother’s career a lot like I viewed my mother’s. I felt included, and I was fine with that.

The mission of a mother has really not changed in thousands of years despite therevolutionary cultural changes swirling around us. Mothers communicate messages to theirchildren without ever speaking a word. And those messages frame their view of themselves, ofothers, and the role—or lack of a role—God plays in all of life. William Ross Wallace had it rightwhen he wrote, “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.” That is apowerful thought in these chaotic times.

Amy Glass, a blogger I never heard of until this past January, wrote a piece called, “Why ILook Down on Young Women with Husbands and Kids and I’m Not Sorry.” It created quite a stiracross the mainstream media with many applauding her thoughts and many furiously disputingher view that women who choose to be wives and mothers are simply settling for “average.”Google her and read the article—not to be angry, but to realize the world our children andgrandchildren are inheriting is not the one we Baby Boomers remember. Never has the role of“mom” (or Grandmother) had more potential or value or challenge.

One thing I have discovered in my checkered life is that mothering is so not a one-size-fits-allproposition. Every child owns a different part of your heart. There is no retirement once you signon and the benefits are, from time to time, invisible altogether. It is a marathon sort of endeavorbecause, even if you try, you can never turn off the overwhelming concern for everything thataffects these offspring. Those babies are forever designated “my children”—whether they arestruggling with their peers on the playground, having a mid-life crisis of their own, or blamingyou for anything that isn’t okay in their lives. Motherhood is not for the faint of heart.

I have a son and a daughter who mean the world to me. I also acquired three daughters I callmy “bonus babies” when I married their father six years ago. I think I understand ‘adoption’since Ashley, Jill, Natalie and I have forged an “adoptive” relationship. They were blessed to havehad the love and example of a wonderful mother who taught them every important lesson theyneeded as wives and mothers themselves. It is notable that she lives on in them, in their valuesand the way they are wives and mothers to their own. My role in their lives is easy.

You will see adoption presented often in this Mother’s Day issue. After all, you and I and everybeliever in this fallen world are incredibly blessed to have been adopted into the family of agracious Heavenly Father. That particular adoption totally changes every aspect of our future—for all eternity. I warn you ahead of time that you might just need a Kleenex here and there.Happy Mother’s Day.

P.S.You are not seeing things. The cover does indeed say Mississippi Christian Living. This is along overdue change since our reach encompasses the entire state and has for a while. More tocome. Look for us—in Tupelo, Starkville, and everywhere! www.MSChristianliving.com. Y

editor’s letter➺

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the way i see itby MARTIN E. WILLOUGHBY, JR.

➺A Daily Walk

We live our lives in day tightcompartments.We wake up.We goabout our daily life and at night wereturn to the mystery of sleep. Thismay seem shockingly obvious.However, I point this out because our brainsseem to constantly churn with thoughts aboutour past and our future—skipping right overthe present. I think we can oftenovercomplicate our life in Christ. No matterthe activities that fill your day, I believe thereare some simple things we can do to stayclose in our walk with Jesus and to let ourlight shine before others so that they may see Christ in us.

Be Still “Be still, and know that I am God,” (Psalm

46:10). There are endless things to occupyour every waking moment. There will alwaysbe email in the inbox. I think about howabsurd it would seem if the post officedelivered mail every five minutes from thetime I woke up until the time I went to bed.Would I spend all day checking my mailboxand feverishly sending out mail to others?Take five minutes today to enjoy rest at thefeet of the Father.

Show Forgiveness “A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a

prudent man overlooks an insult,” (Proverbs12:16). There are countless insults, both largeand small, that come our way every day. It isfolly to think that people will not let us down.We are fallen creatures. While we are quickto notice the slightest insults or wrongsagainst us, we are often blind to how our owndaily actions may be negatively impactingothers. A life in faith is one where we drinkdeeply from the cup of God’s grace towardsus, and our cup overflows daily with a life ofgrace for those around us. The next timesomeone wrongs you, consider pausing andreacting in love versus anger.

Be Generous“Do not withhold good from those who

deserve it, when it is in your power to act. Donot say to your neighbor, ‘Come back later;I'll give it tomorrow’—when you now have itwith you,” (Proverbs 3:27). In my almost 25years in the business world, I havecontinually been amazed how people’s truecolors come out when significant money isinvolved. As most of you know, there is more

written about money in the Bible than almostany other topic. I think it is because Godknows that we are selfish creatures, and it isonly through his Grace that we can lookbeyond our own needs and consider theneeds of others. My own observation is thatthe happiest people I know are also the mostgenerous. Look for opportunities each day toact with a generous spirit.

Ask Questions“The way of a fool seems right to him, but

a wise man listens to advice,” (Proverbs12:15). I believe when we stop learning, westop truly living. I have found that the wisestpeople are not those who talk the most;instead they are those who listen the most.They recognize that there is always more tolearn. I believe we each have uniquejourneys in life full of rich and diverseexperiences. Shame on me if I don’t take thetime to ask questions and learn from others.What you will find when you cultivate thehabit of asking questions is that one of thegreatest gifts you can ever give someone is totake time to ask great questions and trulylisten to the response. Who can you learnfrom today? Y

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My own observation is thatthe happiest people I knoware the most generous.

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let’s talk it overby ARIEL ANDERTON

➺

Spring is here and summer isalready poking through.These seasons could bring

you graduations, weddings, homepurchases, new neighbors, babyintroductions, sports schedules,social gatherings and more.Whatdo all of these have in common?They involve change, or transition in paceof life. When this is positive change or theresult of our choice we often don’t thinkgrief may be part of the picture. Seemslike an odd thing for me to be bringing updoesn’t it? There didn’t seem to beanything in the list to be sad about, so whytalk about grief? I’m thinking of grief asthe result of the loss of something due tochange, whether positive or negative change.Grief can manifest itself as sadness or just asimple longing for something.

I want to talk about grief because it is theuntapped gem of emotion that our culture hascast aside so “successfully” that we don’tknow what to do with it. Grief is the secret

bridge that leads to peace and joy that noone thinks to direct you to. Usually we are alldoing everything we can do to avoid itbecause feeling sad or just not happy is notwhat we want to do with our time, or wemight fear getting stuck there. If we avoidfeeling those feelings, we guarantee part ofus will be stuck there and will stay frozen aslong as we choose to avoid them. I’m goingto share three ways to move into and throughgrief to “spring clean” your heart, keeping itfree and open to receive good things.

Acknowledge the GriefThis might be the hardest part because

we are so conditioned to avoid grief wemight not even notice it when it’s upon usshort of a tragic event. Look for the possibilityof grief whenever there is a change ortransition—even when it appears to besomething good. For example, changing fromsingleness to marriage. There are goodthings about singleness you lose to bemarried, e.g. certain independence andfreedoms, only considering Kingdomconcerns rather than family also (1 Cor. 7:32-35). Grieving as part of this transition doesn’tmean you are making a wrong choice or youdon’t love your spouse enough.You are beingkind to your heart to notice what is lost or different.

Tell the StoryHow did this change or transition come

about? What was it like for you before versusnow? For example, graduation is a huge stepcloser to your child’s independence, andthat’s what you ultimately want for them,right? But that also means you don’t get to be

intimately involved in their day-to-day lifeand there’s loss in that. Letting the lossmatter alongside the celebration ofachievement is a more accurate, fullpicture of the reality you areexperiencing. Hiding or denying the griefside is to lie to yourself and others, andthat produces bad fruit somewhere,somehow. To clarify, I am not suggestingtalking about every detail of the grief witheach guest that shows up for graduationdinner or with the graduate. I amsuggesting that you select at least one ortwo people in your life to tell the wholestory with as it unfolds. Grief has a knackof showing up in a variety of ways,

leaving for a while, and then showing upagain and maybe again and again. Thatbrings me to the next suggestion.

Choose the PresentBe where you are. If you’re not grieving

today don’t make yourself dwell on it. Butwhen it shows up, be intentional to give itattention.You can count on grief as the needyguest that keeps showing up until it does notneed to visit you anymore. The morehospitable you are to grief, the less visits areneeded typically. Arrange to address it onpurpose within the day or so somewhere witha journal entry and a coffee conversation or aphone date. I love the picture of Jesus whoarrives at the home of Lazarus, his very dearfriend who is dead now, and he weeps. Heweeps with those who also loved Lazarus. Hecould have just as easily skipped all thatsadness and said, “No more tears everyone.I’m going to awaken him right now!” But Jesussaw value in being in the sadness with theloss. If Jesus—who could thoroughly fixanything at anytime—chose to delay that fortime first to grieve, it seems we ought to makemore room for it in our lives too. There isgood there for us.

Notice that grief requires others. There isno such thing as grieving alone; that isspinning your wheels in the mud of misery.Progressing through grief, we will alwaysneed someone with us.

Let’s grieve more together. Y

Grief Wears Many Faces

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➺education connectionby B. J. SWAFFORD

As a mother, we have a desire to rearthe “perfect” child. Is this possible?All we can do is TRY. Teaching themmanners is one of our most importanttasks. After all, manners keep us civilized.

Mothers today have so manyresponsibilities that often times we do nottake time to teach our children goodmanners—which include among many things,table graces, telephone manners, how towrite a proper thank you note, properintroductions, and how to select a properstationery wardrobe.

I realize most young people really do wantto make a good impression and thereforeknowing how to act and react in a socialsituation will help them as they face the realworld. Knowing good manners sets themapart from ones who have not been givenbasic etiquette knowledge.

As an etiquette teacher, I find knowing howto write a proper thank you note is a point ofetiquette we might revisit. We notice this lackof manners when we send wedding gifts,graduation gifts, baby gifts, and birthday gifts,and we wait and wait and no note isforthcoming. It always seems strange to methat one would send an invitation with theexpectation of receiving a gift, and then nottake the time to thank the person that hascertainly taken time to select a special gift forthe occasion. I find it even stranger to see theperson and they do not even verbally thankyou. So, here we go—everything you need toknow in to order to write a proper note.

Proper stationery is a must.You maychoose a blank thank you note called aninformal or you may have your name placedon the front of the note.You should never usestationery with THANK YOU on the front of thenote as this is considered in poor taste.Yourstarting point in writing your note is at the topfold of your note. Please use black or blue ink.

The lady of the home is considered thesocial secretary of the family; therefore, thesalutation of your note would begin, “DearMrs.” Or if you are on a first name basis, youuse her first name.

Your first sentence would say; “Thank youand Mr. (or his first name)” for (giftdescription). If family were included on giftcard then you would include their names after “Mr.”

B. J. Swafford, Certified Consultant, ofEveryday Etiquette can contacted [email protected].

Try to make a personal comment to thefamily. When they receive your note they willknow you put some thought and care intowriting your note.

Take time in writing your closing to becreative. Most brides and graduates say,“Thank you for remembering me during thisspecial time in my life.”You may say the samething, but express it in a different way suchas: “It is such an exciting time for me; Iappreciate your thoughtfulness andkindness.” Everyone receiving your note willrecognize your effort in making your notescharming and personal.

The stationery you have chosen willdetermine how you will sign your name onyour note.You will sign your notes with yourfirst and last name when you do not haveyour full name on your stationery.You want tomake sure that the giver knows exactly whohas written the note.

The last point of etiquette for a properlywritten note is to date it on the bottom lefthand corner of the note. The date may bewritten in a number of ways, as they are all correct.

Use this formula for thanking the nextperson who gives you a gift or favor and youwill put a smile on their face. Remember, youshould write a note even though you mayhave opened the gift in front of the giver.

With a smile on my face, I say you do nothave to write me a thank you note; just thankeditor, Marilyn Tinnin.

My book, What to Do ‘till “I DO,” is acomplete guide for you for many otheretiquette points. Y

It always seems strange to methat one would send aninvitation with the expectationof receiving a gift and then nottake the time to thank theperson that has certainly takentime to select a special gift forthe occasion.

Mama Always Said…

The


this is my storyby AMY O’MARA

➺

Sunday, May 9, 2010. It was Mother’s Day. As I sat inchurch holding Patrick’s hand the music started,“Before the throne of God aboveI have a strong and perfect plea.A great high Priest whose Name is LoveWho ever lives and pleads for me.My name is graven on His hands,My name is written on His heart.I know that while in Heaven He standsNo tongue can bid me thence depart.”(Original words by Charitie Lees Bancroft (1841-1892))

The tears began to flow. It had been eight amazing years ofmarriage, but we were unable to have children. We had beenlabeled “infertile.” The word resonated in my head that morning as Iwatched dear friends kiss and hug their little ones tight while theylovingly looked into their eyes as only a mother can. Will I ever knowwhat that feeling is? Will I ever hold the hand of a little child, everkiss them on their cheek or ever hug them tightly and call themmine? When would this end? How much longer? Why, Lord, why?

Little did we know that very morning, seven thousand miles awayin Seoul, South Korea, a tiny, four-pound, baby girl was waiting. Shewas ours, hand-picked by the Lord to be our daughter. It just wasn’t time.

On March 3, 2011, after many long months of paperwork, waiting,and praying, we traveled to Korea to meet our daughter. That day isetched into our hearts forever. Thirteen-month-old Evelyn ByeolWright O’Mara walked into the room, and we were parents.

Not long after bringing Evelyn home we felt the Lord tuggingagain at our hearts. He had another little one waiting for us, and webegan the process again. Twenty-six months later, we received thecall to fly back to Korea to pick up Emily Ye-seul Elizabeth, a healthy,spunky, loving two-year-old bundle of energy. The Lord hadanswered our prayers above and beyond anything we could ask orimagine. All those long, sleepless nights and difficult days of waitingvanished. Our hearts were thankful.

It is amazing to see things unfolding in the Lord’s perfect plan.Had we had it our way, we would have had two or three biologicalkids running around, and we never would have experienced theblessing of infertility.Yes, you read that correctly, the BLESSING of infertility.

Three years ago I never thought I would have been saying this—but I would not trade our infertility for anything. The Lord has openedour eyes to the rollercoaster world of adoption and to the closenessto His heart through His glorious unfolding.

We were all orphans once—spiritual orphans—until we wereadopted by our Heavenly Father. As Ephesians 1:5-7 says, “Havingpredestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ tohimself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise ofthe glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in thebeloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, theforgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.”

God loves us so much that He adopted us into His family andshares with us His glorious inheritance, totally undeserved. He tookour sins upon Himself in the person of His Son and experiencedsuffering beyond measure for us—His ADOPTED children.

While we are here on this earth He has given us an opportunity toexperience a small portion of this love through physical adoption.We left the comfort of our home, stamped our love onto two girls,

Blessingof Infertility


and at great costs, brought them safely home just as the Lord hasdone for us.

Once you’ve looked into the eyes of an orphan, her suffering is nolonger her own. Once you’ve learned her name, and once you’veheard her story you will never think about the world in the same way again.

This Mother’s Day I am thankful for my two Korean-Americandaughters. Ours is a story only the Lord could write, and we areexcited to see what He has in store for us in the chapters to come.

“God’s plan from the startFor this world and your heartHas been to show His glory and His graceForever revealing the depth and the beauty ofHis unfailing LoveAnd the story has only begun.”(From “Glorious Unfolding by Steven Curtis Chapman)

Our story has only just begun. Y

A


A Passion for Orphans

As Americans, we take for grantedmany of the blessings God has givenus. Modern life has attempted to stealgratitude from our hearts. And at the endof the day, are we really making a difference inthis world for Christ?

For Natalie Brown Stephens of Magee,Mississippi, her path to the mission fieldwas not a certain one. In fact, she went tocollege, and while there, she began prayingand truly seeking the Lord as to what Hewould want her to do with her life.Meanwhile, she was quite successful at whatshe was striving towards in college. But allthroughout her senior year, she felt anemptiness and a longing in her heart thatthere had to be something more, somethingbeyond success, something that was truly thepath that God wanted her to take in life—something that was her purpose onthis earth.

While in prayer, she researched missiontrips. Nearly immediately after her collegegraduation, Natalie took her first trip to thePhilippines with the Bob Tebow EvangelisticAssociation. But three weeks turned intomonths as she returned and served in hisorphanage. During this time, the Lord showedNatalie that this was his ultimate call on her life.This was what He made her for.

Returning to the United States after thosethree months, Natalie entered a season ofuncertainty. A season that had her wondering,“What do I do now? America is wonderful. Wehave everything.” But her heart belonged in thePhilippines. Then she was encouraged bysomeone who said, “It doesn’t matter whereyou go or what you do, as long as you do it andtake the name of Jesus with you.”

At that moment she knew that God wastelling her that it was time to make a decision.She could pursue seminary and return to themission field, or she could get a job in Americaand be successful at that also. In her heart, sheknew God would be pleased with eitherdirection she chose.

Moving to Dallas, Texas, Natalie pursuedseminary. And even as she pursued thisdirection for her life, God was also able to usethe other path as she served with PrestonwoodBaptist Church in Texas. During this time,Natalie would learn, grow, and prepare for theseason ahead of her.

In May of 2012, on a trip to the Philippinesthat Natalie assumed was just an opportunityfor her to take her family to see the countrythat she was very passionate about, Godopened “the big door” for her entrance to thework she longed to accomplish there.

It was at this point that God connected her

with Jeff Long,an IMB(InternationalMissionBoard)missionary to thePhilippines who founded Kids InternationalMinistries (www.kidsim.org).

During their conversation, she discoveredthat Jeff Long was seeking to begin a branch ofhis ministry for street kids on the very Filipinoisland and the exact ministry avenue that wason Natalie’s heart—Mindanao and the preciousstreet kids of the islands. Her heart was filledwith joy. This seemed so good to be true! Wasthis the Lord’s leading?

After a time of prayer and confirmation,Natalie officially moved to the Philippines inJanuary 2013, and spent the next seven monthslearning the necessary languages. And afterthose months, she moved to Cagayan De Oro,Philippines, on the island on Mindanao tobegin a center and ministry for street kids there.

In my recent interview with Natalie, sheexplained that the children they serve comefrom every kind of life. Although not all areorphans, some may come from abusive

“But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus Christ—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God,” (Acts 21:24).

➺living my callby KIMBERLY GRACE BOWMAN

families or families who are unable to fulfill alltheir needs.

Some may be decently taken care of butdesire freedom and therefore run away fromhome. Others are victims of poverty due to thetyphoons of the recent years. These situationsdrive the young people to live on the streets,beg for daily income, and live in a terriblyunsafe atmosphere.

Natalie’s ministry in Cagayan De Oro brings16 children into their center each day andprovides food, hygiene care, and education.Each evening, they gather with these childrenplus many more for night ministry where theGospel is presented.

But they are trusting that God will provide thefunds and staff so that land can be purchasedand a permanent home can be built and

established in order to give the streetkids an inviting place to live and callhome.

The life we all live in America iswonderful. It is a blessing from God.But let us never forget the truepurposes God has placed on eachone of our lives. There lies a higherpurpose than day-to-day living.Seek God today and allow him toshow you just where you belong onthis earth. It may not be a Third

World country. But it will be exactlywhere God needs you in his Kingdom.

To learn more about Natalie’s ministryKahayag nga Dalan (“Streetlight”) and her lifecalling to help the children of the Philippines,visit her website atwww.nataliebrownstephens.com.

Kids International Ministries and Natalie’sbranch of the ministry is openly welcome toreceiving school, medical, and clothingsupplies. Mission trip opportunities are alsoreadily available for those who are interested.Those who are interested in any of thesewonderful endeavors for the Kingdom of Godcan email Natalie directly [email protected]. Y

Kimberly Grace Bowman is a senior inhigh school througth A Deka AcademyHomeschooling. Natalie Stephen’spersonal story, visitwww.nataliebrownstephens.com/my-testimony.


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➺truly wedby BETSY BAILEY

Seeing Through the Glass Clearly“Let the peace of Christ rule in yourhearts…and be thankful,” (Colossians 3:15).

Months ago after mymiscarriage, I sat across thetable from a close friend who

was offering encouragement to me. Icould tell she was trying to hold back the tearsas she said, "I had six miscarriages andseveral failed in-vitro attempts, and so I knowhow you feel. "

Ever since then I have felt convicted andhave felt like I don't thank God enough for thegift of motherhood. As painful as mymiscarriage was, I only had one. Not only that,but I have a beautiful, 14-month-old child whobrings such joy to my life.

How ungrateful I have been at times. I praymore for the “help me” tools—patience in themiddle of complaining about all I have goingon, and stamina in the stresses of balancingmotherhood with a full-time job. Shouldn't I bethanking God for the miracle of life andallowing me to be a mother? Shouldn't I thankhim for the awesome job I have been blessedto have for the last seven years instead of

crying, “Being a mom and working is so hard."What am I saying to God when I am

complaining about being a mom with a job?Am I saying His Grace is less than sufficient inmy case?

What about the single mom who has sent abazillion resumes over the last few months andstill hasn't found anything? Or what about themom who lost her job because her child wasalways sick and she would show up late to work?

Being a mom is tough. Whether you workfull time or stay at home, at the end of the day,motherhood is a gift and a blessing. (Sorryyou don't agree with me, Gwyneth Paltrow.) Iknow I get wrapped up with the "job" at timesand fail to see the blessing. I see many postson Facebook after babies are born thanking

God for their little lives. But what happens twoyears later when that blessing is standing inyour kitchen throwing that "terrible two’s" fit?(Mari Wilton is advanced because she hasalready perfected the art of tantrum throwingat 14 months.)

If you are a stay-at-home mom by choice—regardless of how hard it is—thank God forbeing able to do that. If you are a workingmom, quit complaining. Thank God for thegifts He has given. It’s easy to get caught up inthe negativity of the world. If you read bookafter book (or blog post after blog post) abouthow hard life is, how hard being a mom is,how hard being a working mom is, how hardbeing a stay-at-home mom is—how hardanything is—you will remain stuck there.

Mary knew why Jesus was born, but shepondered all in her heart. I doubt she walkedaround complaining. There are Moms holdingtheir children’s hands while they sufferthrough illness.Yet they are thankful for eachmoment they can spend with their babies.

There are Moms sitting at the grave of theirchild wishing they could clean up one last bitof milk on the floor or help them through onemore temper tantrum. There are Moms whoare too sick to care for their children, but theydo it anyway, thankful for one more day tohave that opportunity.

There are Moms who have no food orwater for their babies and they are diggingthrough trashcans for one morsel to feedthem. And they do it with all of the courageand strength they can muster.

So as we approach Mother's Day, I ampraying to be more like Mary. Her life wasnever easy but she knew that God had calledher to raise His Son. She did it with grace,perseverance and a heart of servanthood. Y

Betsy Bailey is a medical devicerepresentative with Boston ScientificNeuromodulation. She lives in OliveBranch with her husband, Jason, and theirdaughter, Mari Wilton Bailey.

If you are a stay-at-home mom bychoice—regardless of how hard itis thank God for being able to dothat. If you are a working mom, quitcomplaining.Thank God for the gifts He has given.

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➺healthy livingby C. ROCHELLE CULP

Inspiring Everyday Exercise

May is a special month because of Mother’s Day.The question was recently asked on NBC’s TheToday Show,“What job has no pay, you work 24

hours a day, no vacation, and no time off”. Of course, the NBCanchors were mystified by the question but the answer brought a warmsigh from all—“a mother”. There is nothing like a mother. Mothers do itall. In our fast-paced society the days of June Cleaver, Carol Brady, andFlorida Evans are no longer. However, a mother’s care never changes.Because mothers do so much and have to be time conscious, one of theeasiest things to do is to scratch exercise and healthy eating off the to-dolist. This month some amazing women (including the First Lady ofMississippi) ranging in age from their 20s to 70s give advice on how tobalance it all. These ladies are not giving up on staying healthy. Hopefullyyou will be inspired to start a healthy living plan for you and your familyor continue the efforts you have in place.

Workout Sisters by Lauren Kirschberg

As a child my exercise routine consisted of the occasional cloverpicking in left field and striking out at kickball. It was not until highschool that my best friend talked me into going for a run with her.When my sister (Mary Colley) and I lived together in college, ourroommate introduced us to kickboxing at the rec center. Duringmedical school, I would meet my mom after class for body pump. Forme working out has always been about the best of friends motivatingand encouraging each other.

When I moved to Jackson my sister invited me to her gym wherethey not only have a great group exercise program, but also anamazing nursery for our children, and a wonderful chaplain. Havingmy sister there motivates me and keeps me accountable.

Our schedules are very different, but we make an effort to pick anhour during the day when we can spend time together and stayhealthy together for ourselves and for our families. We work out to feelstrong and energetic so we can keep up with our young children. Wework out to challenge our fitness level, to help us lower stress, and toquiet our busy minds. We work out to have a better mindset for theday and so that it is easier to be patient and kind during thoseteachable moments with our children in the evening.

Exercising is our time to focus on our selves, be inspired by otherhealthy, dedicated women, and stay fit and strong for our families.

Sometimes when I am working out and I feel like giving up, Iremind myself to have a thankful heart that God has given me an able

L to R: Mary Colley, Judson Colley, Will White, MarilynColley, and Lauren Kirschberg

body. And as long as I am able, I am going to take care of it. I amgoing to keep pushing so I can release those good endorphins thatwill improve my heart attitude for the rest of the day and help me be abetter mother. For now, my body will do what my mind tells it as longas I put my heart in it. And putting my heart in it is so much easier withmy sister by my side.

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When I speak to children at schools I always ask, “Who likes to exercise?” Andevery hand in the room goes up in the air. I love seeing their enthusiasm andencourage them to stay active. Do you remember when it was “fun” to exercise?When you couldn’t wait for recess time so you could run around with your friends onthe playground? I wish I still had that much energy.

I still enjoy being active with my friends. I love participating in 5K walks. The milesfly by when I am walking and talking. It also gives me extra motivation when I amwalking for a good cause like breast cancer awareness and the Mustard Seed.Sometimes the Governor joins me at these events. (He runs. I walk.) We both takepleasure in knowing we did something good for others as well as ourselves.

On that note, I would like to invite you to join us for the Governor’s Run onSaturday, June 21. This event benefits Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital, a place verydear to both our hearts. We would love to make this a huge success. Please be on thelookout for more details in the upcoming weeks.

When you are able to combine exercise and giving into one effort, your heart getsthe best kind of workout. I wish you all health and happiness.

Chasing My Mom by Sharon P. Douglas, MD

About four years ago, my sister encouraged me to join her in getting fit. I wasabout to turn 50 and felt this was a good idea. We joined Marathon Makeover, anorganization which helps turn couch potatoes into marathoners. Our mother (Pat)decided to join us. She was 68 at the time. Mom had been a walker, walkingregularly with members of her Sunday school class for years; however, she beganrunning for the first time in her life at 68 years old. I figured if my mom could do it,I could do it. She sparked my passion and interest in running and so I began“chasing my mother.”

Mom has always been a great role model to her children and grandchildren inher Christian faith by doing the right thing, practicing what she preaches, andbeing disciplined. To date, Mom has run three marathons (each run 26.2 miledistance) and six half-marathons (each run 13.1 mile distance). I have run twomarathons and one half-marathon and have yet to beat mom’s time in any run. It isamazing to look back now and think that we started one step at a time.

Mom and I can say that running is rewarding in many ways. Exercise is not onlygood for health but is a great release. Meeting other runners is fun. We shareexercise as a hobby. We encourage anyone that it is never too late to startexercising. After all, at 54 I am still chasing my 72-year-old mother. Y

At the finish line of the Chicago Marathon.

C. Rochelle Culp is the owner of Ro-on-the Go Health & Wellness Consultants and onstaff at Fitness Lady Health Clubs, Inc. She is a member of the Today Show’s Joy Fit Cluband featured in The Joy Fit Club Cookbook, Diet Plan and Inspiration (published 2012).

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Alison & Jody SchmelzerAlison and Jody with Callie Grace, 10; Carson, 8; Caroline, 21 months; and Caty, 7.

A Journey of

MSChristianliving.com ❘ MAY 2014 25MSChristianliving.com ❘ MAY 2014 25

Caroline Faith Schmelzer strains every muscle forall it’s worth and pushes her little legs as fast as they can go. She isabsolutely determined to keep up with her older siblings, oblivious tothe fact that they are much older than she is and maybe a little moreable or something. She is also oblivious to the fact that she does notlook like them. Maybe she doesn’t notice because they do not seem tonotice either. It does not matter. On this sunny afternoon, she runsfearlessly across the expanse of green grass in pursuit of her big sistersand brother. They turn around to let her catch up and then she isscooped up and passed back and forth like a favorite baby doll. Shesqueals in delight and flashes her biggest smile. There is nocoincidence that Caroline’s birth mother named her Lete Hiwot, whichtranslates as “girl of life.” She is indeed that. I think that it translates as“live wire.”

Almost two years old, she was born on July 28, 2012, in Ethiopia. Hermother died of HIV soon after. Her father was also very ill. An aunt triedto care for the baby, but eventually had to take her to an orphanage.Although she has only lived in the United States for six months, in theminds and hearts of her parents, Jody and Allison Schmelzer, CarolineFaith has been theirs for years. It was May 3, 2010, when they submittedtheir application to adopt. They were as certain of their decision as theyhad ever been about anything in their lives. Their agency assured themthey would have a baby within a year. They announced to their friendsand family that they had taken this step. They had done their duediligence in being certain God was calling them to this. So, thepreparations began. And so did the agonizing delays, detours, andbumps in the road.

Who could have guessed then that 32 months would pass before thebaby girl they longed for, prayed for, and planned for would become afull-fledged member of their family? It is humbling and awe-inspiringthat baby Caroline Faith had not even been created at the time theychose her name and began to pray for her arrival in their home. Whatan image of Psalm 139 and the truth of verse 16, “…your eyes saw myunformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your bookbefore one of them came to be.”

By the time they stepped off the plane in Jackson with Caroline intheir arms in September 2013, Jody and Alison knew with crystal claritythat the journey traveled those long months was about so much morethan adopting their baby.Faith


As Alison says, “It kind of turned into something else. It turned into ajourney of waiting and waiting on the Lord. We began to see—weweren’t just waiting on our daughter, we were waiting on the Lord. Welook back and know that God needed to grow some things in us. It wasfaith-building time like nothing we have ever been through.”

They learned to trust God, seek Him, and surrender to His will, Histiming, His plans in a way they could probably never have done hadeverything gone smoothly. There had already been a deep commitmentin both their lives to serve God, but like a marriage that grows closerand deeper with time, their personal relationships with God grew innew ways because the path they walked was so very opposite of thepath they were expecting to walk on the way to adopting this baby girl.

How It BeganThe journey actually began a few months

before that day in May when the ink on themyriad of papers was dry and the applicationin the mail. Six months earlier, God began tostir Alison’s heart in a most uncomfortable way,but it was not the first time God had rattled hercomfort zone. She told Jody that she just hadthis “spiritual discontentment” as if God hadmore in mind for them thanwhat they were doing. Shehad no idea what it wouldbe but she felt like Godwas about to ask them todo something that would bequite out of the box andthey should be ready for it.

Jody had already left acomfortable career to enterthe ministry. They knew when they jointly made that decision they weremaking lots of other decisions along with that big one, not the least ofwhich involved income and standard of living. They had taken that bigleap of faith as a young couple with three very small children, and theyhad never regretted it. God had been oh so faithful in every way.

Since Jody discovered a personal relationship with Jesus Christduring college, his goals and focus and priorities had always beenabout serving Christ and making sure that everyone he knew had thatsame opportunity to experience a personal relationship with that sameSavior. It seems like they had already “passed the test” of putting Godfirst. What else was there?

They had three children within four years. Alison worked part time asa pre-school teacher. Jody had taken the position of associate pastor atPinelake’s Madison campus and was also finishing up his seminarystudies. Life was very busy at the Schmelzer home. Every day whenCallie Grace, Carson, and Caty went down for naps, Alison relished thequiet and enjoyed catching up with her friends through social mediaand a number of blogs that some of her old college friends had started.Sometimes she would click on a thread that took her to blogs of othermoms her age, girls she did not know. She vicariously began to follow afamily from Nashville who had adopted a child from Ethiopia. Thevideos of their little girl blending in so beautifully with their fourbiological children touched Alison. She laughs that she had never“stalked” someone she did not know, but she kept coming back to theirpage and simply fell in love with this family. She followed them almost



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daily! Her thoughts were, “I am so glad that family adopted that preciouslittle girl. I could never do that, but I am so glad they did.”

And then one day she got that impossible-to-ignore sense that Godwas speaking straight to her heart. “This is it. This is what I want you andJody to do.” She knew in the way that one knows God is behind athought. She knew because God had moved her heart in othersituations, and it was never without a battle between her will and His.This time would be no different. Alison’s initial response was, “No. That istoo hard.” But God was not going to stop.

She sat at the computer and literally cried. There were countlessreasons to not want to do this.

Back in their dating days when things turned serious and they hadtalked about their future, Jody and Alison had always planned to havethree children and then to adopt a little girl from China. They had talkedabout it a lot in the beginning, but then, as Jody says, “Life happened.”They never mentioned that baby from China anymore because life wasjust so full and so busy and just so the way life is for a young couple withlittle children, a mortgage, and everything else. Jody says, “We weremaxed out at that point.”

The thought of a baby girl from Ethiopia scared Alison to death. Sheargued with God telling Him exactly why that just would not ever work.She won’t look like us. People will stare. Nobody will accept her. Jody willnever go along with this idea. And God, we can’t afford it. What aboutthat part? Hey, God—can we go back to talking about the little girl fromChina? Or even Russia? But not Ethiopia.

But there was no peace anywhere until the day she surrendered tothe idea. She said, basically, “Okay, God. If this is what you are calling usto do, then you work it out.”

Alison had not mentioned any of this to Jody. How could she? Theirdecision to enter fulltime ministry in the throes of three little stair-stepchildren had put them in the category of “survival mode.” The very lastthing they needed was another financial obligation.

But the more she went back to the videos of the family who had thelittle girl from Ethiopia, the more comfortable she became with the idea.The more comfortable she became, the more she began to really wantthis child, the child who did not look like them, the child who might invitestares, the child she had never thought she could love the same way shewould love a child who DID look like her own. All of those thoughtsslowly vanished. She just had no idea how God was going to work thisout, but she knew only that He would if He really was calling them to dothis hard thing.

She put off mentioning it to Jody for three months, and then there wasthe day in March 2010, when she knew this had to be the day. Before thisday—March 17— was over she was going to approach Jody aboutadopting a baby girl from Ethiopia. He was headed to bed that nightwhen she said, “Wait. I have to talk to you about something.”

ConfirmationSo Alison spilled it out between sobs. It was a huge relief to finally tell

her husband how God had grown this idea in her heart over the pastfew months. She showed him the video of the family in Nashville. Hethought they were as incredible as Alison thought they were. He alsothought as Alison had thought initially, “That is so wonderful that Godcalled them to do that, but I don’t think this is for us. This would be justtoo difficult for the season of life we are living.”

He did appreciate Alison’s heart, so he agreed to pray about it. Prayerwas a big priority in the Schmelzer household. “I’ll pray for you,” wasn’ta nicety—it was a sure thing. Alison’s promise was to submit to whateverJody decided. “If you come back and you don’t feel it, we’ll walk away.Just promise me you will pray, and I knew he would,” she says.

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Alison and Jody agreed that they would not discuss this idea withanyone—not their parents, not their children, not their friends—nobody.This would be between them and God. If He wanted them to do this,then He had to make it very clear.

Over the next six weeks, Alison says, “It was almost comical.” Godmore than showed up. After living more than 30 years in Mississippi andnever once meeting an Ethiopian or really even hearing the word,‘Ethiopia,’ everything changed. It was like Ethiopia was a daily encounter.

A friend casually mentioned to Alison on the phone one day that amutual college friend was about to adopt a little boy from Ethiopia.Chance conversation in passing, but this time when Alison heard the“word”—she noticed.

Alison even pulled into a parking space on Sunday morning and hitsomeone’s car. She left a note on their windshield apologizing, askingthem to call her and let her pay for the repairs, and in the meantimekept wondering how in the world she could have done something likethat. There was no explanation for her carelessness. Until she found outthe family whose van she hit were missionaries to Ethiopia whohappened to be visiting Pinelake that Sunday. They were also adoptiveparents of a little boy from Ethiopia.

Connecting with that family led them to other families in Madisonthey had never run into anywhere who had adopted children fromEthiopia. During that same time, Alison was doing some volunteer workat the Perkins Center in West Jackson. One afternoon, a group ofvolunteers from Piney Woods pulled up in a bus—they were so politeand so helpful. Someone mentioned they were all students fromEthiopia. One of the girls volunteering with Alison commented on thewell-behaved group of Piney Woods kids and said, “We are thinking

about adopting a child from Ethiopia.”Ethiopians were suddenly everywhere—every day. There was no

getting away from the word “Ethiopia.”Yes, Lord. I think we get it.Jody’s prayers for confirmation were answered, too. His daily Bible

readings, no matter what devotional guide he used, seemed to lead himto scriptures about the “orphans,” the “helpless.” His heart waschanging. He can only explain it as God.

He was so sure of God’s call that he now wanted this unknown babygirl as much as Alison did.

Surrender was just the first step.And so the application went into the mail. The next step was in God’s

hands, but He was not in a hurry.“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends; With the Lord a day is

like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day,” reads 2 Peter3:8. The Schmelzer’s developed a new understanding of those words!

Alison decided early on to document every leg of the journey in theprocess of adopting Caroline Faith. She kept a journal as well as a photoalbum with pictures of every milestone. Mailing the application madethe whole thing, for them, a done deal. By this time their threechildren—ages three, four, and five—were eagerly anticipating thearrival of their new baby sister. It was very much a family affair.

As they eagerly shared their news with friends and family, theyintentionally chose to remember their own reactions to the initial ideaand extended understanding to anyone whose reactions were shock ordisapproval. However, many shared their joy. They were suddenlywelcomed into a huge community of other families who had adoptedtransracially. There was also a huge outpouring from people who said,“We don’t think God is calling us to what you are doing, but we want tohelp you finance this undertaking.” And checks began to arrive from


people they did not even know. How like God!One of their original misgivings involved the financial cost. How

would a young pastor’s family be able to come up with the kind ofmoney adoption would take? The figures that had been quoted to themwere staggering. At some point in their deliberation, God impressed onboth of them the fact of His sufficiency. Even so, it has been in thecategory of the promise in Ephesians 3:20—beyond all they could askor imagine. Alison’s detailed spreadsheets tell the story. Every time theyspent something she wrote it down. Every time someone gave themsomething she put it on the spreadsheet. The numbers are almostexactly equal although the gifts total slightly more than the expenses.They agree that they would tell anyone considering adoption that fear offinancial cost should never be a factor in saying, “No.”

In the beginning, they were patient. God had so confirmed to themthat this was the journey they were to take and to trust Him with everydetail. They were watching the calendar and anticipating the day whenthe phone would ring and they would hear the news that their baby waswaiting for them.

And then those certain six to nine months began to drag into endlessmonths of delay. A year passed. Then a second year passed.

Learning to WaitEarly in the process, they were assigned a number on the waiting

list. In 2010, they were number 93. Every time a child was referred to afamily, the Schmelzer’s moved up a notch. The list was updatedperiodically. They began to notice with each report, the amount of timeit took from one referral to the next started to get a lot longer. In March2011, things seemed to hit a wall.

There had been some governmental issues and some corruptionissues—not with their adoption agency, but there had been othernefarious groups who had soured the process and caused adoptions toalmost stop. Alison was devastated when she got the news from theState Department that Ethiopia was about to decrease their adoptionsby 90 percent and that they should be prepared to wait five to sevenyears to complete the process. There was a chance that the countrywould shut down all adoptions. Nobody knew at that point what wasgoing to happen.

Should they just opt out? Alison calls it “heart wrenching,” but theydecided to take 24 hours to fast and pray. Both came away agreeing thatGod had told them to stay the course. “We’ll wait it out. If that’s whereour baby is, then we’re going to wait for her,” Jody said.

At the start of their journey, Hebrews 11:1 was the verse Alison andJody had claimed as a constant reminder of God’s calling them to adoptthe child He would choose for them. “Now faith is being sure of what wehope for and certain of what we do not see.” They were now living thatout every day as there were months when all the news was bad. Itlooked like there would be few, if any Ethiopian babies coming homewith Americans.

Jody says that once they decided to wait it out, “We clung toPhilippians 1:6 where the Word says, ‘I’m confident that He who began agood work in you will be faithful to complete it.’ We knew He had calledus to this. We knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that He had confirmedit in a million ways. And so we continued to believe He was going tocomplete it.”

But when? The thought occurred to them that their three childrencould be almost grown before this new baby arrived. Were they stillcommitted to the adoption? Oh, yes.

Worth the WaitOn May 22, 2013, the Schmelzer’s received what Alison calls

“another downer message” about the wait. They had moved up to thetop of the list finally, but there was no guarantee that they would receivea call—ever. The next day they lefton a family vacation.

For the first time in a long time,Alison put her phone in her purseand resolved not to sit and stare at itwaiting for the call they so longed toget. The family was in Fairhopeeating at one of their favorite lunchspots that day, and the call she hadwaited on for 32 months came. She did not hear the ring.

Jody, however, had put his phone on the table and when it rang, theysaw the caller ID was the same area code as their adoption agency inPortland, Oregon. He took the call and the well-behaved Schmelzerfamily created a scene right there in the middle of Panini Pete’s. Theirbaby girl was waiting for them. She was going to be theirs—just likeGod had promised.

They rushed to their hotel to set up their computer and get theirbaby’s picture and hear her story. There is no Christmas morning inanybody’s memory that could compare with the Schmelzer excitementthat afternoon. Getting Caroline Faith Schmelzer had been every bit aspainful and anxiety-ridden as going through pregnancy and childbirthcould possibly be, and the result was the very same as when that newbaby is placed in your arms the first time. Who wouldn’t do it all overagain because your precious baby is so worth it all!

Adoption rules required that Alison and Jody make two trips toEthiopia. The first to confirm that this was indeed their child—the onethey wanted to be in their family—and then a second trip weeks later tocomplete the paperwork for her Visa and bring her home.

It was September 7, 2013, when Miss Caroline Faith, in the arms ofher parents, after a 30-hour flight, was greeted at the Jackson airport bya MOB of friends, family,and—okay—fans. What ahomecoming and what a welcome.

For Alison and Jody, thejoy was overwhelming. Asthey sat in their den alonethe next afternoon, all thefamily and well-wishersgone, they looked at eachother and said, “What if we had said no? What would we have missed?”

Alison says people ask her how she feels six months later? After all,the honeymoon is over and this baby girl is 24/7 in her life. Is she stillsure this was the right thing for their family? She says, “I just feel full. Myheart feels so full. When you see God’s hand of faithfulness on you andyou watch him demonstrate his faithfulness in ways that blow your mind,you can’t help but just be in awe. I pray that every time we look atCaroline Faith, we will continue to be reminded of that—that God is sovery faithful.”

Jody, with a huge smile on his contented face, says, “This journeywas about God. It was his calling, his faithfulness, and his glory. It wasabout so much more than adoption.”

And life just doesn’t get any better than that. Y

Follow the Schmelzer’s at Lovin’much.blogspot.com

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➺food for thoughtby LYDIA BOLEN

RASPBERRY ALMOND COFFEE CAKE

Cake:3/4 cup milk1/2 cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 egg1 1/4 cups All-Purpose flour

3/4 cup whole-wheat flour1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup fresh raspberries1/4 cup sliced almonds

Glaze:1 /2 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon butter, softened3 to 4 teaspoons milk

1 /4 teaspoon almond extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch round or square pan with Baker’s Joy.(Sometimes I like to use the 6-inch heartshaped pan for special occasions. Just cutback on the amount of cake mixture)

In medium bowl, beat 3/4 cup milk, 1/2cup melted butter, vanilla, 1/2 teaspoonalmond extract and egg with a wire whiskuntil blended. Stir in flours, sugar, bakingpowder, and salt. Gently fold in raspberries.Spread in pan. Sprinkle almonds over the batter.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until top is lightgolden brown. Cool 10 minutes. Mix glazeingredients. Drizzle over warm cake.

Serves 8.

Remember to make memories through thekitchen— “the heartbeat of the home.” E-mailme at [email protected] for any questions.

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work.”– John 4:34

SWEETS FOR MOMMother’s Day is an annual holiday celebrated on the

second Sunday in May. To honor your Mom, sweeten up herday with delicious desserts. Go for something a little different this year.Make an easy version of a Sour Cream Coconut Cake. It is best madedays in advance for flavor.

Mom might also enjoy having a good coffee cake with her breakfastthat weekend. One of my new favorites is Raspberry Almond.You canbake this in a 9-inch round or square pan. Even try putting it in a small,

LEMON SQUARESBottom Layer Crust:1/2 cup butter, melted1/4 cup sugar

1 cup flour

Blend and press firmly into a 9-by-9 inchgreased aluminum pan. Bake the crust at 350degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

Top Layer:2 eggs1 cup sugar3 tablespoons lemon juice2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Beat the top layer of ingredientstogether and pour mixture over the hotcrust layer. Cook another 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Remove and add powdered sugar on topof warm lemon squares. Cool in the pan.

Cut into desired size of squares while inthe pan. (Cut into bite size pieces to yield64 squares. Larger size would yield about36) Remove from pan after completelycooled.

SOUR CREAM COCONUT CAKE

2 cups sour cream2 cups sugar2 packages (12-ounce) grated coconut

(save about 4 ounces for the top)1 Yellow Butter Cake Mix (2-layer)

Mix the sour cream, sugar, and coconut ina bowl. Chill, covered, for 8 to 12 hours.

Bake the cake mix using the packagedirections for a 2-layer cake. Cool in pans for10 minutes. Invert on wire cooling rack to coolcompletely. Chill the cake layers or put infreezer for 10 minutes. Split each cooled cakelayer horizontally into halves.

Spread the sour cream mixture betweenthe layers and over the top and side of thecake. Top with the remaining coconut.

Chill, covered, up to 4 days before serving.Serves 12. Y

6-inch, heart-shaped cake pan for fun. Just cut the amount of batterback for this size. Mom will certainly love the extra effort of this cakeshaped like a heart!!

Old Fashioned lemon squares will hit the spot with Mom and herguests. Pass the lemon squares on a doily-lined plate. Decorate theplate with small blooming flowers from your yard.

Happy Mother’s Day to all Moms! Y


C�ass of 2014

Con�ratu�ations�to the

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34 MAY 2014 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living34 MAY 2014 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living

Let me introduce you toEmbemebet, a 26-year-oldEthiopian mother with HIV. She

moved to the Entoto Mountainsbecause of the belief that there washealing water to cure HIV. Her husbanddied of HIV. After moving to the mountains,she met her current husband who had alsocome for healing. She has been working for 6years making jewelry out of beads made fromartillery shells gathered by local farmers.Remnants of former weapons of conflict arenow upcycled pieces of redemption. She hasa son,Yabsera, and she now has new dreamsfor her son because she has been able to getmedications to treat HIV.

Noonday Collectionpurchases jewelry from thisgroup of women in Ethiopia,along with artisans in 14 othercountries! Jessica Honegger,who was doing a fundraisertoward the adoption of herson from Rwanda, foundedNoonday Collection in 2011.Her vision has taken off likewildfire over the last threeyears. Today there are morethan 400 Noonday Ambassadors who take theNoonday story and samples into home showsor special events. Out efforts help providesustainable income for these mothers werepresent. This is their pathway out of poverty.The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 2:10 that“we are therefore Christ’s ambassadors…”Wewere put on earth to be Ambassadors forChrist so that those we come in contact withcan see His love and receive the gospel!Being a Noonday Ambassador enables me tohelp live a life that is making a difference forthe Kingdom of God. The name Noonday wastaken from Isaiah 58:10, “When you satisfy theneeds of the oppressed, your night will shinelike the noonday.”

Noonday Collection is making it possiblefor many orphans to find forever homesthrough giving 10 percent of sales towardsadoption trunk shows. Noonday is also makingit possible for mothers like Embemebet tokeep their children and not be forced to leavethem in an orphanage because she can’t feedthem. There are many orphans all over theworld awaiting the perfect family to take themin and love them as if they had been born intothe family. Noonday has compassion for the

orphans and is helping many tobe adopted through theirdonations from trunk sales towardadoptions. Noonday offers jobsand even sometimes specialtraining to teach those in need ofincome a skill. Each artisan ispaid up front and much more, upto six times more, than they wouldmake if selling in a local market intheir country. So with each

purchase, Noonday Collection is using fashionand design to help change the world whilelooking stylish along the way!!

I decided to join Noonday last May becauseI wanted to help share their story that is trulymaking a global impact. At first, I was hesitantabout being an Ambassador because I am notgifted in the “sales department” and I do notlike to speak to a group of people. Butbecause I absolutely fell in love with NoondayCollection and its mission, I felt God wantedme to step outside my comfort zone and be apart of it. I have had a heart for missions mywhole life, and this is a perfect fit for me. It isnot about the sales, but about sharing thestories of women with other women in hopestheir hearts will be moved to use theirpurchasing power to change the world! Y

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You can visit my website,www.mistylacey.noondaycollection.com.You may order an item, host a trunk show,or even feel led to becoming anAmbassador. If you want to look stylish,yet feel good about purchasing a newnecklace or scarf for example, then shop NoondayCollection.Your purchase is making an impact in thelives of real people—mothers just like you!

Noonday CollectionMoms to Moms


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Orlando Dream GiveawayEvery time you swipe your Friends of Children’s Hospital Visa® CheckCard between March 15, 2014 and June 30, 2014 you’ll be automatically entered to win a dream vacation to Orlando for you and your family. Don’t have a Friend’s CheckCard? Just stop by any BankPlus office and get one that same day.

In honor of our partnership with Friends of Children’s Hospital and the Friends CheckCard, BankPlus will be giving away an additional trip to a family that has had a child stay at Batson Children’s Hospital in the past year. Qualifying families can visit the BankPlus Facebook page to enter for a chance to win their very own dream vacation.

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➺christian commerceby DAN HALL, with ELIZABETH BRASSARD and HAZEL HALL

Mississippi Christian Living: Why did youstart Caring Transitions? Caring Transitions:The answer is longer than you have space,but at the core is our own experience withaging parents.

Caring Transitions: Several years ago myparents downsized—or “right-sized” we like tosay—from the home in which they raised usfour young‘uns into a much smaller home.While the transition created a better quality oflife, it almost didn’t happen because the taskwas just overwhelming: calling and meetingwith realtors, sorting their belongings, cleaningthe home, getting an estate sale company,preparing for the estate sale, discarding alltheir unneeded or unwanted belongingseither to charities or disposal, calling movers,packing the house, and finally resettling theminto their new home in way that made it feel asmuch like the home they left.

I know of many who have not made such amove simply either because as the

homeowners, they couldn’t fathom doingall that work, or because adult childrenwith aging parents did not have themargin and time to do so.

MCL: So how would Caring Transitionsassist in a similar situation?

CT: We can manage the wholeproject, or any specific aspects preferredby our clients. We seek to reduce thelevel of stress that accompanies suchlife-transition by being a one-stop shop.

We can carry the task from organizing andsorting to resettling the client so that the firsttime they walk into their new home it lookssignificantly similar as the one they left—livingarea set up like the old one, silverware indraws similarly situated, pictures hungsimilarly, etc. We would love them to walk intotheir new home with as much familiarity as possible!

MCL: Do you help them into agingcommunities as well?

CT: Oh yes. We have relationships withseveral independent living, assisted living,and other age-related communities in metro Jackson. We have some greatcommunities here.

MCL: Do I understand right that youprovide these services for other lifetransitions as well?

CT: Absolutely. Many times, the personwho makes the call is the adult child of arecently deceased parent who needs helpwith all our services to liquidate an estate. Weget calls from attorneys when they haveclients walking through a divorce and needtheir largest asset liquidated, but the processis too daunting and personal. Sometimes thesituation is as simple as someone at a place intheir lives where they want to simplify andneed help.

MCL: You have “CRTS” after your name.What is that?

CT: It stands for “Certified Relocation andTransition Specialist.” We take seriously thetrust our clients put in us. We often see peopleworking in this field that have not been trainedor certified to do this work. Not only do wesecure appropriate certification, but we arebonded and insured, unlike many estatecompanies or transition services.

MCL: You are working together as family.How’s that dynamic?

CT: We love it! Haze and I have beenmarried for almost 27 years, and have sixchildren and two grandchildren. Elizabeth isactually the General Manager/Vice Presidentand Haze serves as Chief Operations Officer.Another of our daughters, Rebekah, has beenhelping Elizabeth on many projects.

We not only enjoy working together, but themutual respect for each other’s strengths andtalents adds tremendously to our workatmosphere and productivity. Not manypeople have the privilege of working withfamily in a fun, healthy environment. We arequite fortunate!

MCL: I like your moniker:“Where family,heritage and hearts still matter.” Tell meabout that.

CT: Each word means something to us. Wedeeply value family and are all standing onshoulders represented by heritage. When wehelp our clients, we are entrusted with manyemotions, memories, and values—thecumulative experiences imbedded in theirhearts. We take that privilege seriously andvalue those aspects of life with our clients.

MCL: Is there anything else you would liketo add?

CT: Just that we would love to serve yourreaders when that needs arises!

MCL: Thank you for sharing with us!CT: Thank you, Marilyn, for allowing us!

Y

For more information, please contact ElizabethBrassard at [email protected] or601.714.1408. Visit our website atwww.CaringTransitionsJacksonMetro.com

Caring Transitions:Family Taking Care of Family

It Takes One toKnow One—andUnderstand

Elizabeth Brassard, Dan Hall, Hazel Hall


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➺legal adviceby ELIZABETH WYNN

Don’t Procrastinate—Plan TodayWebster’s dictionary defines procrastination as “the act or

habit of procrastinating, or putting off to a future time;delay; dilatoriness”.

When dealing with legal matters, procrastination is probably the numberone reason that families do not have a complete or up-to-date estate plan.

In fact, one of the most important areas to consider in estate planning isnot what will happen when you die, but rather what will happen if youbecome incapacitated because of an illness, stroke, dementia, or otherchronic, debilitating disease. Obviously this will be extremely painful for yourloved ones. But you should certainly make every effort to relieve or decreasethe confusion they will face. It will only take a little planning—while you areable—to make sure YOUR wishes are carried out, and not left to chance.

There are differences of opinions among Estate Planning Attorneys onwhich vehicle should be used to ensure the least amount of complication,expense, and delay. But one thing we can all agree on is the need for anAdvance Health Care Directive (AHCD) with HIPAA authorizations.

The Mississippi AHCD includes enhanced living will provisions and astatutory health care power of attorney. The AHCD allows you to appointsomeone to make health care decisions for you, but only according to yourwishes. It includes your chosen directions about your health care, pain reliefpreferences, and your wishes regarding end of life treatment, includingcardiac resuscitation, mechanical respiration, and artificial nutrition and hydration.

We’ve all heard horror stories of individuals being kept on lifesupport longer than desired or family members fighting over whetherto let someone go. In today’s litigious society, it’s more important thanever that you put in place an AHCD to provide comprehensive

guidance to your loved ones regarding your care.You can get a free AHCD form at hospitals and online. However, the

ACHD is not complete without separate HIPAA authorizations. HIPAA is thefederal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.You haveprobably encountered HIPAA at a doctor s office.You must sign a waiver sothe doctor can tell your insurance company what procedures wereperformed, and receive payment for those services.

However, an unintended effect of HIPAA is that it makes your medicalinformation completely private, even from your spouse, adult children orother immediate family members. Unless the health care provider has aspecific consent form, they are legally unable to discuss the details of yourmedical condition with the people who care about you the most.

A HIPAA authorization will allow the people you have chosen to speakto your health care providers about your condition when you cannot speakfor yourself.We give dual HIPAA authorizations in every AHCD we prepare,because we want to make sure your directive will work for you when youneed it. Make it easier on your love ones. Do what you can now to ease theconfusion and difficult decisions that may have to be made for you someday. If you do not make these decisions now, your family will be forced toobtain the power through an expensive and time-consuming court process.

Maybe we all should take heed in what the English poet, Edward Young(1683-1765) meant when he said, “Procrastination is the thief of time”. Y

Elizabeth Wynn is a member of the National Academy of Elder LawAttorneys and practices law in Ridgeland. She and her family live inMadison.


real love. real acceptance.

If I gave everything I have to the poor & even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I

didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.– 1 Corinthians 13:3

www.star93fm.com

Authors Robin Jones Gunn and Alyssa JoyBethke have a message for all Christian womenwho feel betrayed, abandoned, or alone: God saysyou are His. You are Spoken For. As the subtitleclarifies, they want to help you embrace “who youare and Whose you are.”

If the idea of being spoken for sounds moresuited to a romance, then you’re on the right track.The world and those around us may offer pain andfalse relationships or just human imperfection, butGod pursues us and calls us His Bride. The authorssee Him as a Lover who woos us to Himself.

Through the book, Gunn and Bethke address some of the lieswomen may believe because of past pain. They respond with positive“you are” statements based on Scripture, sharing personal stories ofwhen life wounded them and how God used the circumstances to bringthem closer to Him. Each chapter ends with thought questions, helpingthe reader interact further with the material.

Readers may recognize Robin Jones Gunn’s name from her fiction aswell as her more recent non-fiction titles. She brings her usual warmthand gentleness to the book, while Alyssa Bethke adds a youngerperspective. The two blend their voices beautifully to create acomforting yet thought-provoking read.

Both authors work with young women, but women of all ages willfind reassurance and encouragement from Spoken For. The book wouldbe a good Mother’s Day gift or a high school graduation gift. Y

Susan E. Richardson is a writer, critique reader, and former Christianretailer with a passion for meeting people’s needs through thewritten word.You can reach her through her websitewww.nextlevelcritiques.com.


Spoken For Reviewed by Susan E. Richardson

BOOK

➺rave reviews

Heartstrings: A Story of Prayer, Ta-DahMoments and a Miracle by Amy Taylor

Ta-Dah moments. There are so many of them inthis short book chronicling the intense up anddown journey of one very regular wife, mother,devoted grandmother, special education teacher,and friend of many, who is a heart transplantrecipient. She did not fit the profile for someoneto be diagnosed with cardiomyopathy andcongestive heart failure at the age of 48.

Her personal story is beautifully told by herclose friend, tennis partner, and fellow MSUBulldog lover, who walked beside her during the uncertain days andwho, like thousands of others found themselves inspired by Beth’scourage, strength, and faith. This is a touching and inspiring personalaccount that incorporates the power of prayer, the tremendoussufficiency of God’s grace, and the multi-layered impact that love andrelationships have in all of our human interactions. And it also remindsme of what one of my spiritual mentors said to me during a healthcrisis. “God does not look at the chart.” One never knows in themiddle of a crisis just how God intends to use it for “good” accordingto Romans 8:28. This is one of those stories, and it is real. Irecommend this read for anyone who faces overwhelmingcircumstances or an uphill battle.

Beth and author, Amy, will be signing books in Starkville, Louisville,Kosciusko, and Winona in May-June. Visit their Heartstrings Facebookpage (Heartstrings: A Story of Prayer, Ta-Dah Moments and a Miracle)for more info. Y

treatment of acute illnesses, and referrals when a diagnosis requiresa specialty. There are generous physicians who donate their time and skill.

Fundraising is a constant in maintaining the high quality of care.The Magnolia Meltdown hopes to raise $10,000 this year. Sign up. It’sabout your good health and the health of someone else!


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The 2014 Magnolia Meltdown,sponsored by St. Dominic’s and TheClub, returns on May 10. Featuringa 10K run, 5K Walk and a Kids’ 1-Mile Fun Run, this is an event theentire family can enjoy. The racebegins and ends at the The Club atthe Township and winds throughparts of Ridgeland and down theNatchez Trace Parkway.

You can register online atmagnoliameltdown.racesonline.comby May 8 and receive a discount onyour registration fee. The field islimited to 1000 participants—so get going!

Race day registration begins at 6:00 a.m. with the 10K runbeginning at 7:00 a.m. followed at five-minute intervals by the start ofthe 5K and the Fun Run.

Proceeds from the Meltdown benefit St. Dominic’s CommunityHealth Clinic, a free clinic on West Capitol that serves a populationwith few resources and enormous needs. For 16 years, the small staffhas brought quality healthcare and health and preventive education

to people who lack the most essentialtaken-for-granted provisions most of usenjoy. Through Christlike compassion,commitment to God, and to excellencein everything, the Dominican sistershave established a vital ministry in avery large, underserved section of thecapital city. The investment of others—whether in time or money—is evident.

Primary healthcare services includeroutine screenings, employment physicals, eye exams, nutritioncounseling, assistance with prescriptions, special equipment,

Comedian Tim Hawkins has been forging the blendbetween two comedic ideas: A genuinely funny comedy showand an event that caters to the entire family. With over 100million views on YouTube and 120+ shows every year, Tim hasstarted a gut-busting grassroots revolution of multi-generational proportions. This will be an event enjoyed by all ages.

Enjoy this night of fun at Broadmoor Baptist Church at 1531Highland Colony Parkway in Madison on Friday, June 6 at 7:00 p.m.

For tickets, you can charge by phone by calling1.888.780.1116 or order online at www.timhawkins.net.

General Admission tickets are $22 in advance ($20advance group rate of 6 or more people) or $25 at the door.Premium tickets are $32 in advance ($30 advance group rateof 6 or more people) or $35 at the door. VIP Reserved ticketsare $42 ($40 group rate of 10 or more people) and availablein advance only. Y

Magnolia Meltdown

TIM HAWKINS LIVE with Bob Smiley

JACKSONMay 2St. Richard Catholic Church of Jackson holdsits 4th Annual Chatham Art Showcase from 6–9p.m. in Foley Hall of the Parish Center at 1242Lynwood Drive. With works by an exclusivegroup of fine artists and contemporarycraftspeople, the exhibit includes a variety ofmediums for viewing and purchase. Musicalentertainment and light refreshments. Visitwww.saintrichard.com for more details.

May 3The Mississippi Chorus present Mozart’sRequiem at Wesley Biblical Seminary. 7:30 p.m.Details at www.mschorus.org.

The Mississippi Children’s Museum (MCM)hosts Who Dat Day: Spring Training with PierreThomas and the New Orleans Saints from 11a.m.–4 p.m. MCM is partnering with PierreThomas’ iCAN Foundation and the New OrleansSaints for a day of drills and athletic field dayactivities www.mississippichildrensmuseum.com

May 9St. Dominic’s New Directions for over 55presents Dr. Richard Guynes of Jackson HeartClinic who shares his experience as a 2013Boston Marathon Medic. He will share how thistragic event has affected his life. Lunch provided.St. Dominic Centre on I-55 Frontage Road. 11:30a.m. Call 601.200.6698 to register.

May 13Jogging for Joseph – A Jackson Academyevent featuring a 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run to raise

funds for security officer Joseph Chatman whowas recently diagnosed with cancer. Activitiesbegin at 6 p.m. at Raider Park on JA’s EastCampus. Register and get details atwww.jacksonacademy.org. $10 entry and $100cap per family.

May 13The Metro Jackson American Heart Association’sGo Red For Women luncheon at the JacksonConvention Complex includes health screenings,exhibits, lunch, testimonials, and a fashion show.Activities begin at 10 a.m. Tickets are $100payable in advance. 601.321.1209 ormetrojacksongored.heart.orgfor details.

May 15iMinistry MS 2014 Conference will be held atDuling Hall 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Speakers includeJason Caston from T.D. Jakes Ministries andCEO Brad McMullan from bfac.com. Learn howto grow your ministry online.

May 31–June 4Grace Baptist Church at 5536 Ridgewood Roadhosts an evening Vacation Bible School forchildren who have completed kindergartenthrough sixth grade. Register online atwww.graceJackson.net or call 601.573.1072for more info.

RIDGELANDMay 10The 2014 Magnolia Meltdown presented by St.Dominic’s and The Club features a 10K-Run, a5K-Walk and Kids’ 1-Mile Fun Run. Registeronline at magnoliameltdown.racesonline.com.Events begin at 7 a.m. All proceeds will benefitthe St. Dominic Community Health Clinic onWest Capitol Street.

➺M

AY

2014

events calendar

BRANDONMay 7Little Light House Tees for Tots at theCastlewoods Country Club. Registration at 11a.m. Tee Time is 12:15 p.m. Three personscramble. Contact 601.956.6131 for details.

GREENWOODMay 2-3Que on the Yazoo. Afundraising project ofMain Street Greenwood,this is a weekend ofBarbeque, live musicand Delta charm. Seewww.mainstreetgreenwood.com.

FLOWOODMay 3Walk MS for the Multiple Sclerosis Society.Registration begins at 8 a.m. at Winner’s CirclePark. The Walk begins at 9 a.m. Food, liveentertainment, awards, and children’s activities.For details email [email protected] registration fee, participants areencouraged to set a $100 fund-raising goal.

MADISONMay 3Parkway Hills United Methodist Church at1468 HighlandColony Parkwayhosts its tenthannual Springfestfrom 10 a.m.–3p.m. Live music,art, children’sactivities, barbeque and more. Proceedsbenefit Stop Hunger Now and East FloraElementary School’s accelerated reading program. Y


Choose my instruction insteadof silver, knowledge ratherthan choice gold, for wisdomis more precious than rubies,and nothing you desire cancompare with her. – PROVERBS 8:11-


NORTH STATE ANIMAL & BIRD HOSPITAL

5208 North State Street • Jackson, MS 39206

Dr. Jeb CadeDr. Adrian Whittington Dr. Jonathan FaulknerDr. Melisa McLendon

OFFICE HOURS:Monday-Friday: 7:30 am - 6:00 pm

Saturday: 8:00 am - 12:00 pmSunday: Boarding only 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

601-982-8261Boarding & Grooming Services Available

➺quips & quotesADVERTISING PARTNERS PAGEBankPlus ......................................................................37Belhaven University ......................................................7Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi..........................2C Spire ...........................................................................5Callaway's Yard & Garden............................................9Caring Transitions .........................................................3Carter Sledge Family Dentistry .................................31Community Bank........................................................28Covenant Caregivers..................................................13Dogwood Vision Care................................................44DORE...........................................................................23Energy Insulation ........................................................45EyeCare Professionals ................................................17First Presbyterian Day School....................................31Cole Fortenberry, DMD.............................................35Gentiva Hospice .........................................................19GI Associates Pedicatrics ...........................................21Grantham Poole Certified Public Accountants........39Gregg Harper for U.S. Congress ..............................35Highland Village..........................................................31Jackson Academy.......................................................21Jackson Eye Associates..............................................19Jackson Preparatory School ......................................33Law Firm of William B. Howell, Ltd...........................43Love Worth Fighting For Event.................................33Miskelly Furniture .......................................................11MWG Senior Services ................................................34Neblett's Frame Outlets, Inc. ....................................17New Summit School...................................................45N. State Animal Hospital ...........................................46O! How Cute.................................................................8Paul Moak......................................................................2Pennington & Trim Alarm Services, Inc. .....................9Premier Fabrics ...........................................................28Private Collection .......................................................23Raborn Media ......................................................33, 40Reformed Theological Seminary...............................40Sitters, LLC ..................................................................31Southern Accents .......................................................18Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company.....43St. Catherine's Village ................................................12St. Dominic's Cancer Boutique .................................48Stegall Imagery...........................................................42Summit Counseling....................................................10Thad for Mississippi....................................................39Tim Hawkins LIVE .......................................................38Tinnin Imports.............................................................47Twin Lakes Conference Center .................................29Venable Glass Services...............................................40WHJT Star 93.5...........................................................42Wright & Ferguson Funeral Home ...........................39Written in Stone..........................................................40

ADVERTISER INDEX

Cut out the scriptures and quotes and place them around your home for daily encouragement!{ }

✂When your mother asks, 'Doyou want a piece of advice?' itis a mere formality. It doesn'tmatter if you answer yes or no.You're going to get it anyway.

– Erma Bombeck

For you created my inmostbeing; you knit me together inmy mother’s womb. I praise youbecause I am fearfully andwonderfully made; your worksare wonderful. I know that fullwell. – PSALM 139:13-14

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,what you will eat or drink; or about your body,what you will wear. Is not life more importantthan food, and the body more important thanclothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do notsow or reap or store away in barns, and yet yourheavenly Father feeds them. Are you not muchmore valuable than they? – MATTHEW 6:25-26

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in ourlikeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and thebirds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” SoGod created mankind in his own image, in the image of Godhe created them; male and female he created them. Godblessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase innumber; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in thesea and the birds in the sky and over every living creaturethat moves on the ground.” – GENESIS 1:26-28

Every child is another opportunity for us to get things right, to raise our children witha respect for God and people and with a zest for life. Every day brings a newopportunity to love our children, to laugh with them, cry with them and watch themgrow… Every day there is an opportunity to let God use your children to sand off yourown rough edges, making you more like them and ultimately more like Him.

– Robin O’Bryant

There iseternalinfluenceand power inmotherhood.

– Julie B. Beck

For the message of thecross is foolishness tothose who areperishing, but to uswho are being savedit is the power of God.– 1 CORINTHIANS 1:18

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neitherangels nor demons, neither the present nor the future,nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anythingelse in all creation will be able to separate us from thelove of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – ROMANS 8:38-39

The phrase“workingmother” isredundant.

– Jane Sellman

Cancer Boutique

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