Christian Star News June Issue

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Christian Star Issue 6 June 2009South West LA • Houston,TX • Dallas,TX • Nashville,TN

Christians Helping All People

Inside this Issue About CSN, Bible Trivia pg.2 Affordable Vacation Spots pg. 11 Smoothie Recipes pg. 16Infalliable Father pg. 5 Divine Prescription pg. 12 Upcoming Events pg. 17The Journey of a Christian Job Seeker pg. 6 The Legacy of a Mother pg. 14 Confident Consumers pg. 18

A word from Pastor Jerry Snider of Christian World Ministries, Lake Charles, La

It has been an amazing journey! I know that I live in the blessing and favor of the Lord.

One thing I have truly learned on this journey is that when I finally get there, it will be a sure thing that I was not in the driver’s seat. God has always had tremendous plans for my life and I’ve gotten this far by allowing Him to drive!

The devil has never liked me. Even before I was conceived, he had plans to end my life. At an early age my dad experienced tremendous problems with his health - rheu-matic fever, heart attacks, and even paralysis from the dreaded disease polio. For six years of Dad’s life he had to be carried everywhere he went. The doctors gave him up for dead. At the time, my grandfather was building a church and he and my grandmother, who taught me so much about the power of prayer, never accepted that Dad would die. They never stopped believing that God would perform a miracle. Because of their faith, six years later, my dad, who was now 12 years old, got up and walked. God had completely healed him.

The doctors said that Dad would never be able to have children be-cause of the multiple illnesses, but when God heals - He heals. I was the 11th month wedding present to my mom and dad.

My mom and dad were both very active in my grandfather’s church. Mom played piano and accordion and dad played guitar. They both sang and led worship. From the time that I was born, I was part of every service. At the age of five, Mom taught me three chords on the piano. SEE C. WORLD PG.7

Pastors Jerry & Hope Snider

People caught... Helping other people!

“Christian Star News & 20 for 1 Nashville Bound” From time to time there is a story that circulates around Nashville, TN dating back to the mid-1800s of three nuns who hap-pened to be traveling through the small southern city. The nuns stood upon a small hill above the city and prophesied that one day the world would know Nashville as “Music City,” and God would use the music that rose out of the city mightily. At the time music was far from the city’s heart. The publishing industry had found a solid niche in the city. And it boosted a thriving ‘red light district’ which the boot-leggers took full advantage of. But there was also a group of black gospel singers, The Fisk Jubilee Singers that birthed gospel ‘slave’ songs in 1871, which would take

them across the ocean to perform for the Queen of England, who is reported to have said after their performance, “surely the city you come from must be called, Music City.” And the name stuck. The Grand Old Opry Radio show began as an all gospel show until its marriage to country music. From there Nashville has become home to music legends from a cross genre of music. Both The Country Music Association and The Gospel Music Association call Nashville home. On June 10th, Christian Star Newspaper is Nashville bound! We will be arriving during the annual CMA Music Festival, www.cmaf-est.com/2009 an annual fan celebration of country music.

Along with attending some of the music festivities, we will be meeting with ad-vocates for the homeless, pastors with a passion and drive for serving the ‘least of these’ among us, Christian businesses and even some government officials to secure the distribution of Christian Star Newspa-per through homeless agencies, thus giving our homeless friends the opportunity to be gainfully employed. We will be blogging daily at http://20for1.wordpress.com beginning June 1st! There you can meet some of the many people we will be meeting with. Journey with us to Music City and be part of what God is preparing to do! © Penny Carlton

La Familia Resource Center

Began out of a desire and passion of the Founder/Ex-ecutive Director, Sylvia Stelly when she moved to Lake Charles in 6/2003. It was shortly after relocating to Lake Charles , Louisiana from New Orleans that she began to meet many Hispanics who needed help. She assisted many with translation and

interpretation as needed in hospitals, doctor’s offices, and lawyer’s offices. She helped anyone and every-one that needed help. She developed relationships with families and their chil-dren that still exist today. God birthed this vision into what it is today; a center where families can come and receive the assistance they need. SEE RESOURCE PG.3

Bob Holmes is a one-man volleyball team who single-handedly takes on teams. He has beaten the: • The Minnesota Vikings • The Pittsburg Steelers • The Miami Dolphins • Washington Redskins • Toronto Blue Jays • Baltimore Orioles W/ Cal Ripken • A 1st Place Beach team • The Buffalo Bills 3 times He has appeared in over 5,000 gymnasiums in front of over 3 million people. He has 16,423 wins since 1986

against over 400,000 op-ponents. Bob has had more games than any other. Bob has been featured on: A top story on CNN in 2007,Ripley’s Believe it or not,CBS This Morning Show & in the USA Today Newspaper. Bob Is available for reviv-als, camps, conferences, and fundraisers. You can book bob at www.meetbob.info or www.beat-bob.com. Be sure to see his video. Call 910-988-0865 SEE ONE MAN PG.9

General Information

Contact numbers:(337) 853-9883(832) 563-1575

www.CSN-Paper.com

Publishers:

Monica [email protected]

Chief Editors:

Rolland [email protected]

Advertising:Sales & Marketing

Derrick Singleton; [email protected](337) 853-5172

Chris Sarver; [email protected](337) 499-8710

Mary Stevens; National Sales [email protected](337)513-5661

Nicole Arabie; [email protected](337) 540-6573

Nolan Melonson; Houston, [email protected](832) 563-1575

Penney Carlton; Nashville,[email protected]

(315) 807-7692Ray Allen Rougeaux; Dallas, [email protected](469) 774-7483

Designers:Primary - Sasha [email protected](337) 853-9883

Contributors:Derrick SingletonChauncy LatigueClaude HighfieldLaura WashingtonMichelle AbshireMonica SoileauPamela S. ThibodeauxRolland SoileauTim AndreasLa Familia Resource CenterRose ThomasLake Charles Convention CenterMary StevensAgnes O. AmosPastor Jerry SniderScott EwingBob HolmesPenney CarltonRev. E.J. Kemper IIIMichele Stagg WoodsR. Jane Guillory

Distribution Managers:Derrick Singleton: LouisianaNolan Melonson: Houston, TexasRay Allen Rougeau: Dallas, Texas

Disclaimer:The entire contents of this paper are copyright-ed February 2009 by Christian Star Newspaper. All rights reserved. Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the expressed written consent of the publisher.

Christian Star Newspaper is not responsible for any claims made by advertisers. The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the publisher.

Christian Star Issue 6 June 2009About CSNI would like to thank all of the churches and businesses for their support in helping Christian Star News accomplish the larger vision that God has for the United States. We thank you for continuing to stand with us, as we work to improve the paper to perfection.

We desire to be a part of the harvest of souls for God. We seek to place this Christian paper right next to the secular papers in businesses. We pray and desire that the articles submitted from the different churches will encourage the unsaved souls to seek salvation in a Christ believing, Bible-based Church.Purpose & Goals: • Provide encouraging good news and information of special

interest for those within the local Christian communities that we serve

• Help promote businesses and professionals that want to reach potential customers/clients from their local Chris-tian community.

• Provide an outlet for pastors to reach people beyond their own congregations for the purposes of educating & com-municating special events.

• Help educate people about how to live well and to be good stewards as we face challenging economic and social conditions. Examples include: gardening and nutritional tips, clipping coupons, as well as advice from experts on subjects such as finances and interpersonal relationships.

• Develop a “Listing” of all Christian-Owned Businesses. • “Counselor’s Corner” will provide Christian-based advice

from a Licensed Professional Counselor. • Promote local positive Christian-based family activities. • Draw attention to special individual community needs in

an effort to galvanize community support.Note for Pastors: The Christian Star News is Non-De-nominational, and we have no intentions of attempting to persuade those who are currently attending a church that preaches Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord to move to another church. We are not church hoppers ourselves: we are rooted.

• The CSN offers each local church in the areas we serve the following opportunities:

• Submit articles that are strictly bible-based (pref. KJV/NKJV) for the publisher to consider for use in a future publication.

• Submit upcoming events that are open to the public to be listed.

• Church Directory Listing. • Free distribution of the publication. • We also offer local Christian Churches the opportunity to

purchase Ads (of any size available) in the Christian Star News, and these ads may be designed to encourage un-churched readers to visit their place of worship.

At the end of the day, we just want to be obedient to the Holy Spirit and serve God! CSN paper is new and innovative with its new concept of help-ing the community. Christians are called to help; we are called to help the poor, the struggling, those barely hanging on, and any and everyone within our reach in need of help. We offer this paper FREE to the public and FREE to the churches to utilize this as a tool to reach out to those who may be seeking to learn more about God and His goodness. We at CSN extend a genuine concern for the mind, body, and spirit of our readers and will work tirelessly to ensure that we bring to you information and advertisers that adhere to the same. CSN is about Christians Helping All People! We seek to Be our Brother’s Keeper and Loving our Neighbors as Thy Self. Therefore, we are working with companies to bring you the discounts and coupons you need in one place for necessary items that you consume or utilize every day. It requires time and the participation of the community for large corporations to offer their savings to us, so I pray that you will stand with Christian Star News until we are established and rooted. If you are a small Christian business, even a $50 business card ad will help sustain us until we can get National Support for our area. Stand for what you believe in. We are here to add to, build and assist the churches with their vision to serve God and prepare souls for the harvest. I offer my radio ministry Bent But Not Broken to the different minis-tries as they wish to share their vision, their testimony and to announce upcoming events as a free service. This is my offer-ing to God. I wish to give to the Body of Christ. I am blessed to be a blessing! Thanks for taking the time to be your brother’s keeper and ensuring that they too get the same savings as I am offering you. God bless you and may the seeds you sow reap 1000-fold in the same year in Jesus name we pray. Amen!

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Remember Job1. In Job 1:21 Job shows his humbleness. How does he do this?

Answer: He says all he has belongs to the Lord. Job 1:21 "And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither; the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."

2. Job asks God for patience.

Answer: True Job 6:24 “Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to under-stand wherein I have erred.”

3. In Chapter 9, Job admits he’s guilty of doing something – what is it?

Answer: Justification Job 9:20 “If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.When people justify things, they make it so that it is right if they do it, even if it is wrong.

4. Who does Job say will end up better in the long run? Answer: the righteous Job 17:9 “The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.”Righteous means free from sin.

5. Who does Job say he is afraid of?

Answer: God Job 23:15 “Therefore am I troubled at his presence: when I consider, I am afraid of him.” Job was a wise man as it says in Psalm 111:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

6. What is worth more than rubies?

Answer: wisdom Job 28:18 “No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls for the price of wisdom is above rubies.” Some people think that wisdom is a result of old age. However, this is not true...grey hair is a result of old age. Wis-dom comes as stated earlier, by fearing God. When one fears God, they listen to him, and the they learn and will start to gain wisdom.

7. Job says we shouldn’t rejoice in material things; what should we rejoice in?

Answer: God Job had a lot and he lost a lot. However, when he learned not to rely on material things, and to rejoice in them, his life started to get better. When he learned to rejoice in God, he had all he needed.

8. Job does recieve patience, is he given back what he lost?

Answer: Yes, and twice as much Job 42:10 “And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.” Job’s story shows what can happen when you don’t trust in the Lord and what

can happen as a result of really trusting in the Lord.

9. What is the last word of Job in the King James Version of the Holy Bible?

Answer: patience The correct answer was days. Job 42:17 “So Job died, being old and full of days.” Job lived a good and full life when he died. I hope you enjoyed learning a little about this man and the book that has his name.

Bible Trivia

Christian Star Issue 6 June 2009

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Members of Open Arms went to Leesville, LA to see Smokie Norful live in concert. From left to right is:

Dianne Roofer, back row Mr. & MRS.Von Esclovon, Rev. & Mrs. Derrick Sterling, Rev. & Mrs. Derrick

Miller, Rose Thomas (in pink&purple) and Mrs. Sicily Ross & Smokie Norful. He is a very warm person to

meet; he met with each of us to talk.Thank You : Rose Thomas, 337-526-7617

RESOURCE-La Familia Resource Center ( LFRC ) is a bilingual, multi-service, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization developed to meet the needs of Latino and other multicultural families and individuals by providing information, referrals, and access to services and programs within the Lake Charles community. The LFRC acts as a liaison and ad-vocate for the Latino community. It works with various families to help their children in the school system. It collaborates with various organiza-tions and agencies in the Lake Charles community to assist families and individuals obtain the appropriate re-sources they need to adapt to live in the American culture .Services provided at the center include: ESL (English as a Second Language ) classes, Spanish classes to the community who want to learn Spanish, after-school tutoring, translation services (flyers, documents, etc ) and interpretation. LFRC has been blessed to partner with various organizations to help provide these services: Family Life Counseling, New Life Church International, Nissan of Lake Charles, City of Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish School Board, Global Management, Catholic Charities, Sowela, McNeese State University, International Club and many more. We continue to welcome more partnerships with local agencies and we welcome volunteers as we continue to grow and expand our services. Our motto and theme is “Reach-ing Families of Many Nations”. Mrs.Stelly reflects back to the scripture God gave her since 2004, Matthew 28:19 – Therefore go and make dis-ciplines of all nations.” And we are seeing the fruition of His work in the center where we are reaching out to all nations to help in anyway, but most importantly with the love of Christ, his mercy and grace. Our location is 1600 Siebarth Drive (next to Nissan of Lake Charles )telephone # 337-312-2906, fax # 337-312-2912 Call for our schedule of [email protected] – Mon – Thursday 10 am – 4pm - Friday 10am – 2pm

Spanish Summer Camp June 8-12

Where? La Familia Resource Center 1600 Siebarth Lake Charles,La Next to Nissan of Lake Charles (Take Legion St. Exit off I-210)Time? 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.Who? Kids ages 5 – 12 or grades 1 thru 6Cost? Registration fee: $45 per child/$35 for 2 students in home

Children are grouped by grade to participate in games, music, art, geography and rich Latin cul-ture. Themes include: Cooking, Fiesta, Travel and much more! *Snack and Lunch included daily*

REGISTRATION DEADLINE - JUNE 1st!

Affordable Vacation Spots Summertime is a great time to explore Lake Charles/South-west Louisiana. With so many activities to do, each offers an exciting adventure that’s easy on the wallet! In Lake Charles, the Imperial Calcasieu Museum (204 W. Sallier St., 337.439.3797), has chronicled history of the Imperial Calcasieu area, as well as rotating art exhibits. Admission for adults is only $5, and children are $2. Historic City Hall (1001 Ryan St., 337.491.9147) was the former City Hall, which was converted into a 3-story gallery, has played host to many events like the Titanic Artifacts and pictures by the Associated Press on World War II. Venture down Kirby Street to Central School (809 Kirby St.) for an art smorgasbord, with the Art Associates Gal-lery (337.439.2787), the Black Heritage Gallery (337.488.0567) and the Mardi Gras Museum (337.430.0043) all in one place! Also housed in this building are the offices for the Lake Charles Symphony, Community Band and the Children’s Theatre. The Henning Cultural Center in Sulphur (900 S. Huntington St., 337.527.0357) and the Dequincy Railroad Museum (400 Lake Charles Ave., 337.786.2823) are also great options. Learn about trains at the Railroad Museum, and the history of Sulphur at the Brimstone Museum. The Henning Cultural Center has rotating exhibits, mostly from local artists! Admission to both of these attractions is free. Get Outside! The great outdoors are calling- and we’ve got the parks and activities to please! Check out Prien Lake Park (3700 W. Prien Lake Rd.), on the picturesque Prien Lake. There, you’ll be busy with brand-new playground equipment and a spray ground. Fish off the dock or take your boat out for an adventure on the waterways. Sam Houston Jones State Park (107 Suther-land Rd., 337.855.2665), charges $1 per person, but that dollar will get you up close and personal with all kinds of wildlife, through their trails and kid-friendly programs, put on by the Nature Center. Millennium Park is made just for kids, and each of the play structures features a part of Louisiana industry. If you’re on the west side of the parish, be sure to see Niblett’s Bluff park (337.589.7117), which was used as an encamp-ment during the Civil War, and on the east side of the parish, Lawrence Toups, Jr. Memorial Park (337.582.3535), site of the annual Iowa Rabbit Festival. Don’t forget the king of all outdoor adventures, the Creole Nature Trail All-American Road! A trip down the Creole Nature Trail will only cost you a tank of gas, but you’ll get a big bang for your buck. Start in Sulphur, and head down LA 27, where you’ll wind through the rugged “Louisiana’s Outback,” and have a chance to venture out into the marsh at the Blue Goose Trail and the Wetland Walkway. Be sure to bring a camera and plenty of batteries, because you’ll then head to Holly Beach, where you can spend some time under the sun, splashing in the waves, or shelling in the sand. Cross the ferry to Cameron, and see shrimp boats and more in this resilient community. On your way back to Lake Charles, stop at Pintail Drive, just north of the Intracoastal Waterway Bridge, and have the opportunity to drive through the bayou. This is a perfect opportunity to see rare birds, like a flock of roseate spoonbills, or alligators gliding through the water. The Creole Nature Trail All-American Road offers a rare glimpse into the wilderness of Southwest Louisiana. To plan your trip to Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana, visit www.visitlakecharles.org for more information on any of the sites listed above, or call 337.436.9588 to request your personal copy of the Southwest Louisiana Getaway Guide. Remember to bring the sunscreen!

A Father’s Love is hard to describe

It’s far and deep, strong and wide. Maybe the ocean or mountains high

These might compare to a father’s pride. Strong as a lion but gentle as a lamb

Are two ways to describe the love in a daddy’s hands. Only the Love of the Lord above

Can hold a candle to a father’s love. Happy Father's Day

By Pamela S. Thibodeaux © 2009

Be Bold.

Be Glamourous.

Be You.

Glam-N-Gloss Day Spa Address: 414 East College StreetLake Charles, LA 70605

Telephone: 337-313-0222


South west, la Houston, txGreater St. Mary Missionary Baptist Church 337-433-0122St. Memorial Church of God in Christ 337-439-8680Zion Tabernacle Baptist Church 337-436-6627Open Arms Baptist Church 337-436-4737Mount Calvary Baptist Church 337-439-4603New Emmanuel Baptist Church 337-437-4042The Church of Lake Charles Teaching Center 337-439-0746Christian Baptist Church 337-436-6530Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church 337-436-0882Eastwood United Pentecostal Church 337-439-3425United Christian Fellowship 337-433-1517Throne of Grace Fellowship 337-433-9007True Light Baptist Church 337-433-7214Refuge Temple 337-491-9367The Church of New Beginning of Lake Charles Inc. 337-430-0177First Pentecostal Church Cathedral of Praise 337-436-2297Shiloh Baptist Church 337-562-2220Livingway Pentecostal Church 337-478-2412Christian World Ministries 337-475-0157Power Church International 337-515-4433Trinity Baptist Church 337-480-1555Lake Charles Seventh Day Adventist Church 337-478-8353St. John Lutheran Church 337-478-5666Westlake Church of Nazerene 337-439-8551Eternity Full Gospel Fellowship 337-433-4138First Baptist Church of Gillis 337-855-9414St. Margaret Catholic Church 337-439-4585First Presbyterian Church 337-433-4667Westwood Baptist Church 337-433-8677St. Henry’s Catholic Church 337-436-7223First Pentecostal Church of Westlake 337-436-6053Immaculate Conception Cathedral 337-436-7251Immaculate Heart of Mary Church 337-436-8093New Sunlight Baptist Church 337-436-8965Lake Area Worship Center 337-436-6083St. John Bosco Church 337-433-2467Word of Hope Family Worship Center 337-439-7788Sacred Heart Catholic Church 337-439-9923Diocese of Lake Charles 337-439-7426Episcopal Church of The Good Shephard 337-433-5244Wesley Foundation at McNeese University 337-477-2191Sale st. Baptist Church 337-477-3463Our Lady Queen of Heaven Church 337-474-6814Glad Tidings Church 337-477-7774

Aldine Christian Church 281-442-9751South Aldine Baptist Church 281-442-3124First Baptist Church North Houston 281-449-7201First Baptist Church 281-449-7201Betania Baptist Church 281-442-4258New MT Olive Baptist Church 281-227-6885Bethel Community Church 281-449-1473Grace Restoration Church 281-449-5996MT Canaan Baptist Church 713-633-3312Advent Presbyterian Church 281-821-2533South Main Baptist Church of Houston 713-529-4167St Marys Episcopal Church 281-370-8000Center of Life Baptist Church 281-442-5433Full Gospel Holy Temple Church 713-692-6570Love United Methodist Church 281-590-9294Houston Restoration Church 281-227-6260Church of the Living God 281-219-3853El Monte Calvario Church 281-987-1174Monument of Faith Church-God 281-442-2002Westminster Church 713-442-7210St Luke’s Lutheran Church 281-442-2180Sonrise Community Church 281-449-0994First Baptist Church Kinwood 281-442-3823Harmony Baptist Church 281-442-3444MT Houston Baptist Church 281-442-1726Houston Faith Church 281-870-1010Pine Grove Baptist Church 281-449-2325Berea Missionary Baptist Church 281-449-1859First Church of the Nazarene 281-897-0300New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church 281-987-7170First Unity Baptist Church 281-219-7145True Worship Baptist Church 281-987-3267First Unity Baptist Church 281-219-7145Church of God Pentecostal 713-692-3502Gospel Truth Church 713-686-7689Glad Tiding Holiness Church 281-449-7706Parkwood Baptist Church 281-442-5359Church of Christ 281-442-2298Evening Star Church 713-631-4060Bread of Life Baptist Church 713-631-8600Fontaine First Baptist Church 713-633-2657Little York Church of God 713-633-1284St Gregory the Great Church 713-631-3681Ebenezer Church 713-695-3390

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Nashville, tn Dallas, tx

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Fruitful Hill Mission Church 469-774-7483Apostolic Assembly 214-398-5610At the Feet of Christ Fellowship 972-557-7773Baptist Crossover Missionary 214-391-4720Believers Missionary Baptist Church 214-391-6331Bethany Baptist Church 214-398-8403Bethel Hill Assembly of God Church 972-286-1844Bruton Road Christian Church 972-285-2305Bruton Terrace Church of The Nazarene 214-381-6193Cathedral of Faith Church 214-398-7553Church of Christ of Rylie 972-286-1408Church of Christ on Pemberton Hill Road 214-398-4777Church of Living God 972-286-6548Covenant Outreach 214-391-7781Cross of Christ Baptist Church 214-398-4330Dallas Pentecostal Church 214-398-7659Day Spring Pentecostal Church 214-391-7552Emmanuel Fellowship Baptist Church 214-398-1119Faith Baptist Church 214-398-4437Fireside Drive Baptist Church 214-398-5822First Baptist Church of Meadowview 214-391-7176First Evangelist Church of God In Christ 972-557-7300God’s Word Mbc Fellowship Hall 214-309-1995God’s Word Missionary Baptist Church 214-381-4463Good Shepherd Baptist Church 214-391-5865Goodwill Baptist Church 214-391-2907Gospel Tabernacle Church 972-557-4905Grace & Truth Apostolic Church 214-391-0017Greater House Of Faith Church The 972-913-8011Greater Macedonia Primitive Baptist Church 214-275-7560Harvest Baptist Church 972-286-2536Hawn Freeway Church of Christ 214-391-4175Healing Church 972-286-7900Judao Heritage Family Church 214-391-6573Kingdom Harvest Church of God In Christ 972-557-8383Liberty Baptist Church 972-288-4459Lifeline Community Church of The Living God 972-557-7733Little Bethel Assembly of God 972-286-3434Living Gospel Church 214-398-0123Miracle Deliverance Pentecostal Church 214-391-5755Miracle Deliverance Pentecostal Fellowship Hall 214-391-1743Miracle Outreach Full Gospel Church 972-286-9729Mount Pisgah Baptist Church 214-398-6774Mount Sinai 214-398-4061New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church 214-398-4515New Creations Church 972-216-2100

Cathedral of the Incarnation 615-327-2330Rivergate Church Of Christ 615-865-2842Mt Zion Baptist Church 615-254-7296World Outreach Church 615-896-4515Agape Fellowship Church 615-553-0007First Baptist Church Of Mt Juliet 615-754-2525ClearView Baptist Church 615-794-5488South Haven Baptist Church And Christian School 615-384-5073Franklin Road Baptist Church 615-890-0820First Baptist Church 615-444-8444Fellowship Bible Church 615-893-6652Donelson Fellowship 615-871-4769Metro Baptist Church 615-859-1184First United Methodist Church Franklin 615-794-2734Christ Church 615-332-5968East Main Street Church Of Christ 615-953-6180Lighthouse Baptist Church 615-953-1357First Church Of The Nazarene 615-255-1289The Carpenter’s House 615-890-1420New Vision Baptist Church 615-895-7167Word and Spirit Church 615-867-0033First Church Unity 615-332-1323Family Worship Center 615-953-0968Bluegrass Baptist Church 615-824-0001College Heights Baptist Church 615-452-4952Fourth Avenue Church of Christ 615-794-6626Our Savior Lutheran Church & Academy 615-833-1500First Baptist Church of Nashville 615-664-6000Fellowship Bible Church 615-893-6652Central Church Of Christ 615-256-0789Bethel Murfreesboro 615-896-2348Trinity United Methodist Church 615-896-0413Lighthouse Christian School & Preschool 615-331-6286Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints 615-355-9268St Patrick’s Anglican Church 615-534-2589Brook Hollow Baptist Church 615-352-1295West End Church Of Christ 615-383-7450Catholic Community 615-758-2424Community Church Of Hendersonville 615-826-0042Family Worship Center 615-232-8950Faith Christian Reformed Church 615-833-5977St Marks United Methodist Church 615-893-3455Joy Church International 615-773-5252Bible Baptist Church Of Hendersonville 615-824-0042Station Camp Church Of Christ 615-452-5734Gallatin Church Of Christ 615-452-0271


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Celebrate the SimilaritiesBy Pamela S. Thibodeaux © 2009

In his book The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren states, “When we criticize what an-other believer is doing in faith and from sincere conviction, we are interfering with God’s busi-ness.”

That statement prompted this essay.

Actually, it was more than that one statement. In his comment, Mr. Warren put into words what I’ve felt for years.

I’ve heard professing Christians judge and crit-icize other believers for so long that at times, I’ve no desire to be around them. If having a haughty, judgmental, critical attitude toward another for their beliefs or ways of worship is mandatory for being a Christian, then I want no part of it.

But that’s not how it’s supposed to be!

In Matthew 12:25, Jesus said, “every King-dom divided will fall.” The apostle Paul said in Romans 14:10, “why then, criticize your brother’s actions and make him look small?” In one of her messages, Minister Joyce Meyer said, “hurling words of judgment is equivalent to stoning in biblical days.”

The Bible says that blaspheme against the Holy Spirit is the one sin that will not be forgiven. Now, I believe that if it’s done in ignorance, God will understand and forgive once under-standing comes and repentance is articulated. However, if it’s done maliciously, as a way to puff up yourself or put another believer down, I believe it’s blaspheme at its worst. Keeping these things in mind, I’ve created my own motto for dealing with critical, judgmental people; “Don’t mock what you don’t under-stand.”

Who are we to point at another Christian and say what he or she is doing in worship is not of God? Who are we to judge and criticize an-other for dancing before the Lord, speaking in tongues or saying a rosary?

I don’t remember who it was, but it’s been said that if the Body of Christ would accept our differences and embrace our similarities, there would be no stopping us! Everyone would be amazed at the power the Church would have for reaching the lost, healing the sick and cast-ing out demons. In order to do this, we must come to re-alize that no matter what denomina-tion we are, Christianity is based on five core beliefs:

There is One God, Who is the Father Al-mighty. Jesus is the Son of God. By the power of the Holy Spirit, He was born of the Virgin Mary and became man. He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, suffered, died and was buried. On the third day, He rose again and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

Period.

Now there are other universal truths that bind us together, such as: There is only by one Name by which we are saved. We are not saved by works, but by Grace, etc.

Jesus hates division! This is why He gave us the “new” commandment to love one another as He has loved us. Love without prejudice, without judgment or criticism. Judge not and we will not be judged, condemn not and we will not be condemned. Nor will we be divided.

Faith is a heart issue. How are we going to be one Body if we’re not of one heart? Why do we allow division in our hearts, in our homes and in our churches? Why do we condemn those who worship Him in ways not our own?

In John 17:21 Jesus prayed for us to the Father saying, “that they all may be one, as You, Fa-ther are in Me and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe.”

How is the world going to accept Jesus and accept us as His ambassadors if we can’t even accept each other?

We are called to be peacemakers. So, let us temper our hearts, open our minds and soften our wills toward our brethren. Let us respect our differences but celebrate our similarities. Let’s consider the words of our Lord and real-ize that no matter how we worship, in the heart of our worship we are one. One Body, one Spirit, one Church. As Jesus prayed we’d be.

Author Bio: Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the co-founder of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in roman-tic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.” Website: http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com Email: [email protected]

ISBN# 0-9769960-2-2 Available @ Amazon.com

The Forgotten Victims is a real story of one family’s struggle with the legacy of domestic abuse and suicide. Monica Soileau father’s abuse led him to shoot her mother and him committing suicide. Monica speaks to today’s victims and survivors of abuse or suicide from her unique perspective. She speaks frankly of how faith helped her family cope; brought about through her mother’s miraculous recovery from grievous emotional and physical wounds, and eventually resulting in her own mature under-standing and empathy for everyone caught in a vicious cycle of abuse. The author embraces her mother’s compelling memories, as well as includes her younger brother’s experience, along with her own provocative and inspirational journey through the stages of coping, understanding, and overcoming their dark, shared legacy. As a final point, this hopeful book will help guide any reader in their discerning of how abuse affects the children who encounter it. Through retrospect the reader is brought full circle to their own childhood expectations to the actuality that life can certainly be painful and full of difficult decisions. Anyone who has expe-rienced any of the following as a victim, as an offender, as a parent, as a child, as a counselor or health care worker should read this book: • Domestic Violence. • Domestic Homicide. • Suicide of a Parent. • Children Self-Esteem Development. • Suppression of emotions and mourning. • Children assuming responsibility and guilt for parent’s abusive behav-ior. • Dysfunctional Relationships. • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Order can be placed on the internet by searching for book title or by Author name Monica Marie Singleton Soileau or by calling 24/7 1-866-909-2665 for your copy of the book. If you wish to schedule the Author for a speaking engagement for your organization, please submit a request to:[email protected]

“Infallible Father”“Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4 (NIV)Being a father is a very big task. Fathers must pray and speak blessings over their children, impart wisdom

and knowledge into them, provide for them, protect them and train them up in the way that they should go. We know that fathers will be held accountable for every word that they speak over their children whom they have authority over, espe-cially the little ears that take instruction from them. Being a father is very serious busi-ness because little children watch, listen, believe, and

imitate everything that their fathers do…everything. The father’s role is to lead, guide, and take their chil-dren where they need to be to do the Will of God. Fa-thers must not miss the mark or they will reap what they sow. This is an enormous responsibility. Wow!Everyone has their own idea of what a perfect father should be like; however, the bible gives us an excel-

lent role model to follow---God. God was and still is the infallible father for men to follow. God said that He knitted our innermost being. Fathers have the same op-portunity to mold their chil-dren’s innermost thoughts and guide their actions. God said that He was with us when we lay down and when we got up. God charged His angels of protection to sur-round us and see pg 19


PG.6

The Journey of a Christian Job SeekerConquering Your Emotions and Your Fears Through Life’s Trials

The purpose of this journal is to influence the way you respond to a crisis, be it an employment crisis, financial crisis, marital crisis, or any other type of difficult situation. Through it, you can discover how to conquer your emotions and fears in life’s trials and tribulations, as well as how to anchor yourself in the hands of God to keep you strong, bold, and moving forward.

In all our journeys, we journey as people of God, never alone. If you are fortunate, your brothers and sisters walk with you; but always, always, God walks with you. Through this journal may you see that He is truly the guide. He makes the path straight and the hills flat for those who trust in His wisdom and mercy.

From this journal, may you take away a special word or thought, see yourself in my words if you despair, and find strength in the Word of God to maintain hope. May this journey lead you to peace, unexpected and unequalled.

This journal and its testimony were born out of fif-teen months of an intense job search, over a thou-sand résumés distributed, and more than six failed interviews. Thirteen months of the search occurred while I was in a job, and two months of the search took place after I was out of a job. The search began in September 2007 from a sincere belief that the Lord placed in my heart and confirmed through prophetic messages that I was to change jobs. I fully expected blessing and promotion, but what it initially led to was grief, hopelessness, and despair.

As I pondered the fact of not having a testimony in my job search, the Lord dropped in my spirit that the testimony was not in His giving me a job right away, because He was surely able to do that, had He so desired. The testimony, rather, was in His taking me through an experience that would teach me to hold on in the testing of my faith so that oth-ers would see this and glorify His name. And from this kind of testimony, they could be encouraged as they went through their own dark times.

Author: Agnes .O. AmosFor more information on how to order this bookThe Journey of a Christian Job Seeker: Conquer-ing Your Emotions and Your Fears Through Life’s Trials ($14.99, paperback, 978-1-60791-339-9). Please revisit the website at: www.journeyofachris-tianjobseeker.com or call 1-866-909-2665.

Stay ahead in JuneBy Derrick Singleton

Fruits and veggies• Start any of the warm weather vegetables

(Corn, Beans, Peppers, Egg Plant, Toma-toes, Squash, Pumpkins, etc.) as soon as possible.

• Tap your tomatoe plants to encourage pol-lination; water every day and start feeding them weekly once fruits set.

• Protect your fruit from the birds with net-ting.

• After natural fruit drop in late June, thin fruits on apple, pear, peach, and apricot trees carefully to produce larger, better fruit. Peach trees need 50 to 75 leaves per fruit to manufacture food for both fruit production and tree maintenance. Apple trees need 30 to 40 leaves per fruit.

• Continue thinning your vegetable seedlings to provide ample room for growth.

• Mound the soil up around your potato plants. It does no harm to the plant if the soil covers the stem. Tubers near the sur-face which are exposed to sunlight will turn green and poisonous. As early potatoes begin to die back, reduce watering.

• Allow one or two runners to develop from the most productive strawberry plants.

• Plant your Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cab-bage, and Cauliflower for next winter's harvest.

• Prune suckers and water sprouts from all fruit trees.

Lawn• Fertilize the lawn this month. Use a com-

plete lawn fertilizer with a 3-1-2 ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

• If your lawn suddenly looks yellow or dies out in patches, the cause is probably due to an insect or disease problem such as Crane flies.

• If the weather becomes hot and dry raise the cutting height of the mower.

• It's not too late to reseed or over-seed the lawn. Be certain to keep newly seeded areas well watered.

• Apply moss killers before temperatures reach 65 degrees.

• Control Dandelions and other lawn weeds. House Plants• House plants can soon be moved outside

to a shady, protected spot. • Continue to watch for insect or disease

damage and take the necessary steps to control the problem.

• Warmer and drier weather means it will be necessary to water and mist your house plants more often.

• Feed your house plants with 1/2 the recommended strength of a good soluble Houseplant fertilizer.

Odds and ends• At exactly 12:00 Noon, on June 15th, set

your sundial for 12:00 to get the most ac-curate time reading throughout the sum-mer.

• Be alert to slug and snail damage... Seek and destroy ALL slugs!

• Keep the weeds pulled, before they have a chance to flower and go to seed again. Oth-erwise, you will be fighting newly germinat-ed weed seed for the next several years.

• Change the water in your bird bath regular-ly. Standing water may become a breeding ground for mosquito larvae.

• Continue to watch for insect or disease damage throughout the garden, and take the necessary steps to control the problem.

Curtis Rougeau (337) 485-2460

Renèe A. Reina, M.Ed.Executive Director

129 W. College StreetLake Charles, LA 70605T 337.474.9998F [email protected]

The Christian Star News is pleased to announce the new-est addition to our Christian Star family, Mary Stevens, as Regional Sales Manager. The Christian Star News opened it’s doors in January of 2009 based in Houston, TX and SWLA. Over a few short months we expand-ed into Dallas, TX and Nashville,

TN. The Christian Star News is distributed through many area churches and businesses. It is also sent out weekly, spotlight-ing articles from our monthly publication. Mary’s experience will bring an added bonus to our sales teams in all areas. “She has a passion for advertising sales that I haven’t seen in a very

long time,” says Monica Soile-au, Owner of the Christian Star News. Mary is a self starter and is a business owner herself; so, she can understand the bottom line. Please join me in welcoming Mary Stevens and feel free to call Mary for advertising with the Christian Star Newspaper.Mary StevensMar-Tel Marketing, LLC337-513-5661 phone

Special News Announcement

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PG.7

C. WORLD-I played the piano naturally. To this day I have played with the best and know that the gift that I have is a God-given ability.

Naturally, I have worshipped all of my life. Growing up in the Pentecostal church, wor-ship and singing were the most important things in my life. They obviously did not hurt me because I am still using them for God’s glory and now thousands of people every week are being changed by the pow-erful gift that God placed in my life.

My wife, Hope, and I met when we were just 16 years old. (Beware of 16 year old boys who show up to talk to your daughter. They just might be your future son-in-law.) She was beautiful then and even more now. I was smitten. But there was something deeper that brought us together. We were more mature than most 16 year olds that we knew and were around. There was a call on our lives and we were aware of it even then. Our faith was our foundation and singing together in worship was again an obvious reason why God wanted us together.

Hope came from a wonderful family. She had grandmothers and grandfathers who literally named the streets and painted the first street signs on the Louisiana Pentecos-tal Campgrounds in Tioga, Louisiana. Her grandmother had served many pastors and helped them to start new churches and remained faithful through every transition to see them become successful houses of worship. On her mother’s side, there was the gift of song.

Our earliest memories were that of singing around the piano. One of the highlights of us being together when we started dat-ing was that people would ask us to sing together everywhere we went.

We were married in 1989 and by the grace of God celebrated 20 years of marriage this January. It seems almost unbelievable because when we look in the mirror we still expect to see 16 year old faces!

After we were married, we served in music ministry in our local church while going to school and working. We accepted our first full-time ministry position in the summer of 1991.

I believe that you have to serve faith-fully before you will ever be trusted with your own Vision. We did exactly that. We served three visionary pastors which required us to move from our home in Lake Charles to Baton Rouge. From Baton Rouge we moved to Sacramento, California, back to Louisiana and then to Austin, Texas.

Through the moves and changes, I knew that God was calling me to start a church in Louisiana.

After two years in Austin, Hope and I returned to Lake Charles willing to do whatever God required of us. I think that He will use all of our circumstances to speak to us. I came back to Lake Charles with the feeling of, “I can’t believe I am back where I started.” Even though I was back in the same city, I was not at all the same boy. Now a man with a mission, I started to look for property. God gave us such tremendous favor because we were in His divine will.

I learned that the finger of God never points where the hand of God won’t provide.

We bought property with no money - only faith. We stepped into our God destiny and in October of 1999 we established Christian World. God was our obvious partner and when anything or anyone tried to oppose the mission and vision that God placed in our hearts, He only blessed us more. The

church grew by hundreds in the first years. The little white building on College Manor rocked on its piers because of the praise that was in the hearts of the pastors - now transferred to the hearts of the people.

Everything has happened in 3’s

We were there three years when God di-rected me to purchase the Cinema 6 build-ing in Lake Charles. God has a sense of hu-mor because as a Pentecostal boy I would never have set foot in a theater. Now I was leading a group of people as I was being led by the Holy Spirit, and we were purchasing a building that initially the realtor said they would not sell to me. God can do anything! We grew so fast in the first two months of being in the theater that we went to two morning services. I would just get through with one service - still be praying and ministering to people in the altar, then let out for a five minute break - only to return to the podium to take my place behind the keyboard and start all over again. I would give everything that I had in me!

I know what it feels like to give birth to a dream. I also know that there is a differ-ence in God’s dream and something that we just dream up. We are living God’s dream for us and for the people of Southwest Louisiana. I am a multicultural pastor - a big city dreamer. I like entertainment, the best restaurants, shopping, culture and variety. I live believing that if you are going to think at all, you may as well think big.

I remember in one of my argu-ments with God about this city saying, “God I just don’t see it there.” I remem-ber hearing the voice of the Lord speak to me so emphatically. He said, “Jerry it’s not there because you’re not there.” When I accepted my place and my call to Lake Charles it literally opened up revival for our ministry here, as well as for many other churches that absolutely would not be here if Hope and I had not answered God’s call to come home.

Nothing about our ministry is average. Nothing about Christian World has been normal. The most astounding thing to me is that people still try to get us to explain the growth and the blessings by what we did. They want me to say, “Well, I did this – and then I did this.” Certainly everything has a process – but when all is said and done, I was only obedient.

The biggest test of my obedience came in 2006 when I received a call from Perry Gaspard, Pastor of Abundant Life Fellow-ship. He wanted to meet with me to discuss an undisclosed matter. I did not return his call for a month because God told me that I was moving to the church building where Perry pastored on Gauthier Road. I had been preaching to the church for months that we were moving to the Lake Charles Civic Center. The reason I was saying this was because - here we were again – three years later in a building that was no longer large enough for the revival that was in us! I told the congregation that if Joel Osteen could buy the Compaq Center in Houston, we could buy the Civic Center. That seems so funny today because I remember stand-ing for the first time in the sanctuary at Gauthier Road, looking around and saying to the church, “This is sure nicer than the

Civic Center.” I remember Rev. John Bos-man, upon leaving Lake Charles, walking up to me in a restaurant and saying, “You are going to need more parking. You do not have enough space for what God has placed inside of you.”

God also used Bishop Tudor Bismark on more than one occasion to speak into my life. It was at this time that I could see every prophesy coming to pass. Perry Gaspard told me that God had put me on his heart for the past three years and that for those three years he had been watching me. (Again, God used the number “3” in my life.) Through a miraculous transition, Christian World purchased the campus at 200l E.Gauthier Road and for the first time moved into a facility that was built for growth, vision, and revival. With a 3,400-seat auditorium and so much potential, I knew that we were walking into a miracle.

For the first time we have a facility that was built for the revival in my heart. Is it about buildings? No, it’s about people and that’s why the building came to me. I am a lover of people. Buildings do not demand people – people demand buildings. We had the people and the vision. We came to Lake Charles with a God vision! I have lived and taught Word of Faith. Everything that we have today came from the spoken Word that I have lived and imparted to others. We must always confess the positive and re-

member to never despise small beginnings!

This is a part of who we are. I am not ashamed of the miraculous favor of God on my life. When we moved to Gauthier Road, the church doubled in one week. After two years, those who remain are a part of the powerful ministry and vision that God gave to me when I was serving another pastor in Sacramento, California.

Today, Christian World is a diverse house made up of all peoples. On a regular basis I am asked, “Pastor Jerry, how did you get all of those people to come to your church?” What they really mean is how do red, yellow, black and white people put aside their differences and worship together on Sundays? Statistics state that 10 am on Sundays is still the most segregated time in America. That may speak for America, but not for Christian World. Sundays at 10 am is one of the most exciting and integrated times for us at 2001 E. Gauthier Road! There are thousands of people who now come together, celebrating our differences and uniting our voices. We are part of a city that is changing. We have been part of the change and will continue to be a voice of influence.

When our worship team steps out to sing on Sundays, I am still behind the keyboard. The praise and worship is so powerful that you will not be able to stand still. You will find yourself moving, clapping and – better

watch out – maybe even dancing!

I don’t just preach. Preaching alone has not changed our world. If it had, all of our churches would be full. I still have a few empty seats – and I am big enough to say it. I do speak a Monday word not just a Sunday word. The church has become experts at preaching to the choir. I have been in the choir since I was five, so I am tired of people preaching to the choir. I reach for those who should be in the choir but because of some circumstances have ended up in places that most preachers cannot or maybe better said, will not go. My goal is to preach and practice love because ultimately it’s the only thing that works. If love won’t do it, nothing else will. It’s the same in any language including the Hebrew and the Greek!

Our mission at Christian World is to love people to Jesus Christ. I have been asked by the religious folks what we do once we love people to Christ. What they are really asking is if we are into cloning. Do we try to make them all alike - all look the same, talk the same, dress the same, and believe the same? Of course not, that would be wast-ing our God- given individuality, gifts and expressions. We know that love changes our heart and our heart is what God has always been after.

I believe the Gospel is Good News and pledge that you will never experience a worship opportunity at Christian World that will not be a good experience. For the Lord is GOOD! We have many avenues of reaching our city with the Gospel of Jesus. Sunday is just the first day of the week. Monday through Saturday is equally im-portant to us in showing this city that Jesus loves. Take time to visit christianworld.cc and see all of the ministries that are avail-able each week.

This fall we will celebrate 10 years of min-istry. God put it in my heart that this year was our year for Harvest. We are reaping now and know that the best is yet to come. It really feels good to not be the new kids on the block anymore. All of those who said it would never work have had to move on to somebody else, for what God starts, God finishes.

Hope and I came up from old time Pen-tecostal preachers. It will take more than a Red Sea or anything else that the devil would try to dream up to stop us. We aren’t new to any of it. We are sea-soned and know that we are in the right place at the right time. We will see 10,000 worship at Christian World. I preached it when we had 10 in attendance. Some left because they thought I was crazy. Guess what? They are back. It’s amazing what a few seats will do in helping people to see bigger. I never feel like it’s big because once again, our current building is not big enough for the revival that is inside of me. I preached it with just as much passion and compassion when we had 10 as I do today with thousands listening. Today through our vision and mission we are touching and changing our world! If God has done all of this in the first 9 ½ years, I can’t wait to see what the next 9 will hold.

Dream your dreams! Live your dreams! Just make sure that they are God’s and not your own. There are some people who have blamed God for things that He was never responsible for. If it’s God’s, it will be blessed. There will be abundant fruit on the tree.There is a misconception about Harvest time for many people. You may feel that it is a season that you are going to kick back and rest, but you are going to find me out in the field everyday, picking what is ripe and watering what is not yet mature.

Christian World is here for the Harvest!


PG.8

To order some of this

delicious BBQ Sauce please contact:

Claude Highfield 337.661.4112 or email him at [email protected]

My name is Scott Ewing I am 31 years old. I was born on Beal Air Force base in California. I grew up in Moss Bluff Louisiana. I have lovely wife her name is Kristin and we are the proud parents of an 10 month old baby boy named Gunner Paul.I come from a long line of service men. I served a total of 11 years in both the Army and active duty in the National Gaurd. I served 12 months in Iraq. I was wounded on the first mission of my deployment. I was in Camp Gunslinger in Baghdad Iraq. While I was sleeping a mortar round hit the front gate. I put on my body armor,grabbed my rifle, slapped in a magazine, and loaded a round in the chamber. I did not know it was a mortar attack I thought it was a car bomb. When I arrived outside I realized there was a lone soldier gaurding the gate. I ran outside to be by his side. At that time three more rounds hit, one landed about ten meters from me I covered the soldier beside me and was wounded by fragmentation. An interpreter and another soldier were also wounded. My second purple heart was awarded to me during a route clearance operation on Route Seantors also known as Highway 1 in Baghdad Iraq. My company was in charge of gaurding the only bridge to the Air Base Taji north of Baghdad. Our job on the way to the site was to find bombs on the main supply artery to the north & my patrol was hit by a series of bombs one of which wounded me. Since coming home I had many surgeries. I am now a hundred percent disabled, I received an honorable discharge from the Army. I struggle with every day life. Conforming back into society was very hard, but with a lot counseling and a lot of prayer I now find strength in Jesus to make it through the most difficult of times.

I was reading in the Old Testament the other day about Solomon dedicating the Temple he had just completed and he prayed that God would incline the hearts of the people to Himself (1 Kings 8:58). In prayer that night I prayed

that God would incline our hearts to him and that we would be his vessels to walk in His ways. As I prayed the Vinca flower, a beautiful little flower, came to mind. Vinca is from

the Latin word vincire which means "to bind, to fetter," it has medicinal value and it is the flower commonly known as a Periwinkle. The Vinca flourishes and blooms all summer long and sometimes will even live through a mild winter. They come back every spring because of the seeds they drop. They grow tall, usually with one flower maybe two per a plant stem and they always lean toward the sun. For the most part they drop their seeds in front of them (because they are always leaning and inclined toward the sun) and then the next year the flowers will come up in a line in front of where they grew the year before. They will eventu-ally push past the boundaries of your garden into the yard and will come up there faithfully if not mowed down.

As I thought about this scrip-ture about Solomon coupled with facts about the Vinca flower, the Lord showed me some truths. As the Vinca always leans toward the sun, we should always lean toward the Son, Jesus Christ. As Solomon prayed, "incline our hearts that we may walk in your

ways," we should incline our hearts toward Him so that He will help us to walk in His ways. Oftentimes there is only an individual flower found on each stem of a Vinca flower. This reveals to me a truth that we too, are all individual's, each with our own unique gifts and callings (seeds). As we lean toward the Lord and follow Him we should let these unique gifts and callings, "seeds" be "dropped" in the hearts of those that we come in contact with. Often we are God's "Plan A" in the lives of those we come in contact with and God desires to use us to drop those "seeds" into their lives. As the Vinca has medicinal value, we too have the ability through Christ to bring the healing Word of God into the lives of others. The meaning of the word Vinca is “to bind, to fetter” and it is a reminder that God has bound and tied us to Him-self through His covenant of promise. He loves us and He will NEVER leave us or forsake us.

As the Vinca begins to leave its pres-ent position and begins to push past the limits and the boundaries set, we too should leave our past behind. We can look at this in many different ways and a scripture that comes to mind is Philippians 3:13b ”but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.” We must remember that we have been washed and cleansed by the Blood of Jesus. Yes, we are gloriously forgiven in Christ and His abounding mercy has been extended to us. We cannot change anything that has gone before, what is behind is behind but we can push toward the future with hope because God is with us and loves us and He can take those things in and of our life that may have not been good and turn them for good as Romans 8:28-29 reminds us.

Another way we can look at the truth of the Vinca pushing past the boundar-ies that have been set before them is that as Vincas are ever growing, ever pushing and ever reaching forward, we too should always be growing, pushing and reaching forward in our walk with Christ. Walking out our salvation with fear and trembling and letting His work in us change us from “Glory to Glory.” Vinca’s are usually found in pots or in gardens that have boundaries (that line between garden and yard). In our lives we sometimes have bound-aries, walls or fears that we are afraid to push past. However, God desires to set us free, and make us whole and to bring us into new places where there is freedom from those things that have held us from God's full expression in our lives.

Sometimes God wants to bring us into new places of experience with him, places we have never been before. Isaiah 54:2-3 says “Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.” As I write this, I can almost hear that saying from the Star Trek: “Boldly going where no man has gone before.” We can go anywhere God leads us. We can do anything He leads us to. If he calls us to do something then He has equipped us to do that very thing. It comes back to the gifts and callings inside of us. He alone knows what is inside of us. It may be lying dormant just waiting to be tapped in order that God can use us in an area. If you knew my story and where I came from, you would see this in my life. I am a living example of pushing past fears and dormant gifts that laid untapped for years before I knew Christ; as I inclined my heart to

Him, He lovingly helped me push past fears and began to tap through to the gifts to bring them forward. My "tent and borders" have been enlarged to places I NEVER dreamed I would ever attain. If you read the story of Joseph, you can see this process being worked out in his life. Joseph's heart was inclined toward the Lord and though he went through extremely hard and unfair circumstances, he was faithful to God. Joseph trusted God and God was faithful to him. Every place and everything Joseph went to and through, God was just preparing him for the next stage because God was working in him and bringing him to the place where he would save nations. Joseph, a type and shadow of Christ, said to his brothers in Genesis 50:20 "You meant this for evil but God meant it for good that many be brought out alive." God will always work things for our good and the good of others if we will just let Him do the work in us and through us. You may never save a nation as Joseph did, but God wants to use you in your own circle of influence. He wants to make you a light for His kingdom so that “many be brought out alive.”

In closing my exhortation to you is to be like a Vinca… Incline your hearts toward the Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, lean continually upon Him, push past the borders, let go of the past and push past the fears, ever mindful that He has bound you in covenant to Himself. Let those "seeds" of love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, kind-ness, self-control, faithfulness "drop" all around you into the lives of those you come in contact with... Be that light God has called you to be in a dark and dying world.

Written By: Michelle Abshire

They always lean toward the sun... Let us always lean toward the sun...


PG.9

ONE MAN- I was saved at the age of 15 at a Christian camp. I never dreamed that I could go to heaven and know it, until someone told me. My testimony is that I am glad I was saved at an early age be-fore getting involved in drugs and alcohol. Many schools have said that they will not bring in people to speak who were formerly involved in drugs, jail, alcohol, or gangs. Only by God's mercies am I able to go to all these schools. I found out that Jesus Christ could save me apart from my own works. 1 John 5:13 "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." After I received Christ as my Saviour I went to Bible College at Tennessee Temple Univer-sity. The Lord called me to be an Evangelist in Bible College. I graduated in 1978 and trav-eled in full time evangelism in local churches for 6 years before I ever started playing volleyball. I was praying for a way to reach out to more lost people than were coming into the church services. I developed back pain and never dreamed that playing a guy in the back yard to get in shape and playing church people after the services on an entire team would lead to being in 5,000 schools in front of 3 million people. God used the affliction of back pain to lead me by get-ting into shape. The One Man Volleyball Team- Beating the odds on the court so they can beat the odds for eternity. I met my wife Donna at a revival meeting and we were married in 1980. We now have three beauti-ful girls, Christina 23, Sarah 21, and Michaela 5. The Incredible One Man Volleyball Team "Unbelievable!" "Incredible performance." "I would not have believed it, had I not seen him with my own eyes." "This guy is more than I ever expected." "There was NO WAY Bob Holmes could beat that team by himself, but he did". These were just a few comments we heard as Bob Holmes performed at 15 different schools in Greater Kansas City in four days. While in Kansas City, his record was an amazing 46 wins with no losses. Bob Holmes is a one-man volleyball team that has faced over 400,000 opposing players before more than two million people in over 5,000 schools. He has single-handedly won over 16,000 games while losing only 318, of which many of those were in his early years. Over 30,000 saved since the 9/11 tragedy. Bob Holmes takes on all competition including middle school, high school or college age students. We even had teams made up of faculty members, policemen and firemen. Bob has even beaten many professional football and baseball teams. Normally, at a school setting, he plays a girls'

team, a boys' team and finally a faculty team. School spirit really flows when the kids are root-ing for their fellow students or for or against their teachers and principals. Bob interacts with the crowd in an amazing way. "How many want to stay out of class for a while?" he shouts over his per-sonal P.A. system. "How many want me to show mercy on these girls, yes or no?" or "How many of you want me to break some finger nails, yes or no?" The crowd reacts with amazing electricity. When playing the boys' team, Bob would often say, "I am feeling generous today. I will pay each of you $5 cash in addition to a free pizza party if you win?" Then, he would ask the crowd, "Do you want the overhand serve, the underhand serve or the PSYCHO serve?" Naturally, all the kids shout back "Psycho!" Then Bob Holmes would retreat as far back of the serving line as possible, dribble the ball wildly, then go into all sorts of bodily contor-tions before breaking off a steaming serve that makes the curve of Mariano Rivera's best break-ing pitch look weak. The ball spins away from the receiver and buries itself on the floor. "Come on,

give 'em a hand, let's go!" Kids shout and cheer in amazement. During Bob's performances, he has com-puter-generated music which gets mighty loud. Kids clap to the beat of the theme songs from "Beverly Hillbillies", "The Adams Family", "Green Acres", "Jeopardy", the "Olympic" Bob then plays the teachers, Some schools allow this, others don't, but if I win, it means NO HOMEWORK tonight from any class!" The crowd erupts with pleasure.

Where did Bob Holmes come from? Well, he grew up in the Boston, MA area. He really wasn't much of an athlete. In fact, Bob was a very shy person. He never played volleyball in high school or col-lege. For six years, Bob conducted revivals. He did a lot of traveling which caused him to develop a bad back. His doctor recommended that he get more exercise. It was at that time, Bob began playing volleyball with a friend from church in their back yard. "We played 3 or 4 times a week, usually after evening services. After watching the famed Globetrotters entertain a crowd and seeing the joy they brought to young people, I came up with the idea of a one-man volleyball team. This way, I could demonstrate to people, especially the youth, that they can beat the odds just as I was doing on the court." At the age of 29, Bob called a principal in the Pittsburg, PA area. " I had a meet-ing planned there, and asked if I could play a few games, just by myself, against the kids and another game against the faculty. No doubt, the principal thought that I wouldn't have a chance, so he said 'yes'. I played and had a lot of fun and won. Then, I called another school and before I knew it, I had 16 schools lined up." Through the years, Bob has developed a very entertaining program. Coupled with music, lots of action, many facial and body expressions, all done in perfect timing, Bob has the kids captivated and amazed with his play. Holmes would adjust the rules when playing less skilled players, such as al-lowing them to hit the ball as many times as they wanted, to play it off the ceiling and even let the crowd hit the ball back to keep it in play as long as it did not touch the floor. He would adjust the winning score to 11 and even allow as many as 100 students onto the floor at one time to try to stop him.

Juice or Smoothie?

So, what is the differ-ence? A juice is a drink made using a special juice extractor or citrus press and a smoothie is a drink made by mixing whole ingredients into a pulp in a blender.

There is actually a great deal of difference in the consistency and properties of the end prod-ucts. With a juice you are getting just that – the juice from the fruit or vegetable as it is pushed through the extractor or press and the fibre is left behind. Because a smoothie is made by simply blending the fruit to a pulp, you get the whole fruit, including the fiber, merely in a differ-ent form. A smoothie can be breakfast in itself; a juice may be just the first course.+

There are certain benefits associated with both the juice and the smoothie group of drinks. Juic-es provide nutrients at top speed – our bodies absorb their goodness with maximum efficiency, unhindered by any need to break down and digest bulkier foodstuffs. The lack of any fiber means that our bodies can assimilate the nutri-ents from a juice in a matter of minutes rather than hours. This is the best way for getting the most out of the vitamins, minerals, enzymes, cleansing elements and other nutritional good-ness from a fruit or vegetable.

Unlike juices, smoothies contain a good amount of fiber, something that is an important nutrient in itself. Fiber is an essential and often lacking in-gredient in our diets. Not only does it help keep our guts moving, but it also helps them to keep healthy and to maintain the right levels of good bacteria. In addition to this, any drink using yogurt or nutmilk, soymilk, or rice milk, becomes an important source of protein.

Juice Recipes(From “The Big book of Juices and Smoothies)

Apple Basic Nutrients: Beta-carotene, folic 3 apples acid, vit. C, calcium,2 carrots magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur

Most of us can rustle up a few apples from the fruit bowl and carrots from the refrigerator. This delicious but simple combination is a good way to introduce carrot to your juice repertoire if you’re not used to vegetable juices.

Apple Cleanser Nutrients: Beta-caro- 2 apples tene, folic acid, vit. B3, 2 kale leaves vit. C, calcium, iron, 1 stick celery magnesium, manga-1 long cucumber nese, phosphorus, ½ beet (beetroot) potassium, sulphur The fruitiness of the apples offsets the more challeng-ing taste of the greens to produce this beautifully red detoxi-fying juice.


PG.10

The Invisible AmericaBy Penney Carlton

It is the story we all must hear. It is the story we all must see.

For it is the truth. There is a third world in America

and that should not be. The Invisible America makes no

excuses for the horror of homelessness. Nor does it apologize for the undeniable faith of those who have fallen into the cold statistics called homelessness.

To order the book: http://www.20for1.wordpress.com

The Invisible America: A must read…for such a time as this!! - Fran Pollett Nikel

I am still in tears. I felt the presence of God in each word…Thank you so much, for with this book, I believe we will no longer have an "Invisible America"! - Annie Hofer

I highly recommend The Invisible America to all those who yearn to understand and desire to make a differ-ence. - Pamela S Thibodeaux, Author

Penny Carlton worked with non-profit organizations in New York State, before an interesting twist of fate took her to Nashville where she served as Associate Producer for the TLC reality series, “Tuckerville”. From there she went on to write, produce and obtain regional distribution on the Nashville, TN CBS affiliate, WTVF Nashville, the one hour special presentation, The Invisible America. Ms. Carlton is a published writer of inspirational fiction and non-fiction with a heart for God and America’s in-visible people.

Email the author: [email protected] schedule the author for a speaking engagement: [email protected]

"The Change Gears Tour” May 30 to June 8, 2009

Taking the “less” out of “homeless Singer/Songwriter, South Carolina based, T Culler will be brandishing a TANDEM BIKE pedaling from his hometown in John's Island, South Carolina and ending in Washington, DC. With the additional pedaling support of his two guitarists, and a trailer following closely behind, T Culler will be stopping in 8 cities in 8 days. Reassuring those less fortu-nate that there is hope, there are people who care and hear their silent cry.

T Culler will be stopping in shelters along the way, sharing his music and the hope of a new day. T Culler is on a unique mission to take a message to the weary men and women of this country that they are not alone. His goal, with this event, is to take away the silence and replace it with the voice of many”. “The reason for the tandem bicycle is that I want to show that together WE CAN. Together lives can be changed for the better, but… I cannot do it alone.,” states T Culler. A donation but-ton* has been placed on the main page of his website, http://www.tculler.com for contribu-tions to this cause. Monies raised on this tour will be sent to homeless agencies, to include Mission of Mercy, a global organization that rescues and supports children around the world.

He is on a mission to give the individuals who are “homeless” a new address. One per-son at a time, one city at a time! Follow along with T Culler as we at, The Invisible Amer-ica, partner with him presenting blogs of his trip at: http://www.20for1.wordpress.com

Penny Carlton

Green Corn Fest/Pow WowJune 13th, 2009

You are cordially invited to attend…The Atakapa-Ishak Indian Nation will be host-ing the traditional Native American First Annual Green Corn Fest/Pow Wow in Calcasieu Parish with formal ceremonies beginning at 12:30 PM.

The event location is Lake Charles, Louisiana at the Civic Center Amphitheatre. This will be a multicultural experience and everyone is in-vited to attend. We will be featuring our Native American corn dishes and our traditional dishes that we contributed to Southeast Texas and Louisiana for a very low affordable price. Food & Fun for the Family!

There will be Native American jewelry, belts, hats, clothes, arts and crafts for sale. We will have some artifacts on exhibit.

We will also be selling books that explains the history and timeline of the Atakapa-Ishak Indi-ans, as well as their contribution to this area.

Dancers will be demonstrating our sacred danc-es that are unique to our tribes.

The function is a non-alcohol or drugs event & the Sheriff’s Department will be patrolling the area as required, while Tony Mancuso (the Sher-iff) will be invited to attend the function as an Honorary Guest.

The pur-pose of this Festival is preserving our history, culture, language, & raise awareness of our tribe and its con-tributions to Calcasieu Parish. For more information, please contact Chief Michael Amos at (409) 728-0394 or Assistant Chief Mary LeBlanc at (713) 305-0564.

R. Jane Guillory 832.588.8440

[email protected]


PG.11

Affordable Vacation Spots TexasSpace Center - 1601 NASA Road 1 Houston, TX 77058 Tel. 281.244.2100Space Center Houston is about as close as you can get to the moon without actually going there. Through a com-bination of live presentations, film and a large collection of artifacts, visitors to the Houston Space Center learn everything there is to know about the history of human space travel. Exhibits like the Living in Space simulate the challenges presented to astronauts when they attempt to perform everyday tasks like bathing in micrograv-ity, while the tram tour takes visitors behind closed doors to catch a glimpse of the action at the nearby NASA Johnson Space Center. Also on view at the Houston space facility are large collections of artifacts and equipment including spacesuits, flight capsules and moon rocks. True space enthusiasts may enjoy Space Center Houston's Level 9 Tour where they are personally escorted on a exploration of NASA's control and training facilities such as the Space Environment Simulation Lab and the new Mission Control Center.GENERAL ADMISSION - If you order your tickets online you get them half price. www.spacecenter.orgAdults: $19.95 Children (Age 4-11): $15.95 Seniors: $18.95

Museum of Health & Medical ScienceThe John P. McGovern Museum of Health & Medical Science, also known as The Health Museum, is Houston’s most interactive science learning center and a member institution of the world-renowned Texas Medical Center. Located in the heart of the city’s rich and varied Museum District, The Health Museum encourages growing interest and regard for healthier lifestyles, fitness and good physical, mental and spiritual health. The Museum treasures Houston’s diverse population and welcomes individuals of all backgrounds. In addition to our permanent exhibits, the Amazing Body Pavilion and You: The Exhibit,

other attractions include the McGovern 4D Theater (opening September 2008), the Sue Trammell Whitfield Gal-lery, for limited-engagement exhibits, and learning centers. The Museum offers affordable Membership rates for individuals and families. Visitors enjoy shopping for unique gifts at the Museum’s Amazing Body Store.Summer Hours of Operation/ Monday - Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.Museum Members................................FREEChildren 2 and under ...........................FREE Non-member, Adult..............................$8.00Non-member, Child (ages 3 - 12)..........$6.00 Non-member, Senior (ages 65 & up)......$6.00FREE FAMILY THURSDAY HOURSFree General Admission on Thursdays from 2 to 5 p.m.

Houston ZooThe Houston Zoo provides a fun, unique, and inspirational experience fostering ap-preciation, knowledge, and care for the natural world.Essentially a small city encompassing a world of ecosystems and experiences, the Houston Zoo is made up of many moving parts. We have over 4,500 permanent residents (our animals) for whom we provide housing, meals, medical care and, yes, even education! In addition, we have 1.6 million guests each year who come to ex-perience our incredible variety of animals and ecosystems, as well as attend special private and public events and entertainment. Our dedicated staff works around the clock to ensure that the Zoo is always running smoothly for the safety and well be-ing of our residents and guests.Children (2-11) $6.00Children (0-1) FREEAdults (12-64) $10.00Senior 65+ $6.00 Buy your tickets before you arrive at the Houston Zoo. Purchase discount Zoo tickets at any of the 33 Fiesta Mart stores across the Houston area. Visit the courtesy booth of any Fiesta Mart in the Houston area to purchase an adult Zoo admission for $8 and a child Zoo admission for $5. Tickets will be valid for one year after purchase.March 8 - November 1 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Last admission at 6 p.m.)

Tower of the Americas600 HemisFair Park, San Antonio, TXPhone: (210) 223-3101For more than 35 years, the 750-foot-tall Tower of the Americas has offered residents and tourists of San Antonio, Texas, the most breathtaking view of the Alamo City – visi-tors dine at the Tower’s revolving restaurant or enjoy the scenery from the observation deck. Now, Landry’s Restaurants, Inc. has taken the experience to a whole new level. Among the improvements are an upscale eatery, banquet facility and a Texas-themed 4-D, multi-sensory theater.

TOWER TICKET Ticket includes unlimited access to Observation Deck, Flags over Texas &4D Theatre Ride

Adults $10.95 Seniors & Military $9.95 Children $8.95

The San Antonio Museum of ArtFree Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.200 West Jones Avenue San Antonio, Texas 78215The San Antonio Museum of Art is housed in a castle-like building that was formerly the Lone Star Brewery. This museum is noted for its antiquities col-lections and the 30,000 square-foot Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Latin American Art—the largest repository of its kind.

Admission to 6 Famous Houston Attractions combined attraction price $70.96 CityPass price $39.00 $29 for kids Go online www.citypass.com and get this pass before you go to Houston and save big by getting admission to these

hot spots during your vacation to Houston. Space Center Houston, Downtown Aquarium, Houston Museum of Natural Science, Houston Zoo, The Children’s Museum of Houston, The Health Museum

The San Antonio RiverwalkIn Texas, water has been a lifeline for many generations for centuries past. The San Antonio River is a source of a South Texas Treasure, The San Anto-nio River Walk. Development of San Antonio and its most popular tour-ism attraction have come along way together.


PG.12

Divine Prescriptions E.J. Kemper III

The Problem: Spiritual Loneliness

Why are you so lonely? Loneliness is a state of discontent. It’s a sense of excess isolation. Loneliness occurs when your need for social contact is deficient or unfulfilled. Loneliness is unlike solitude, which at times is necessary. For meditation and study purposes solitude is the best compan-ion. On the other hand, loneliness is never wanted or welcome. It’s safe to conclude no rational person desires to be alone. We all have a need to relate and to be related to. We all have a need to talk and to be talked to, in-deed to hear and to be heard. When these needs are not met, loneliness is soon to follow. God in Genesis 2:18 says “It is not good for man to be alone…” If then he declares it is not a good thing for us to be alone, why are you so lonely?

Loneliness will reveal itself in one of two ways; spiritual loneliness and physical loneliness. It is critical to understand the difference between the two. I have often counseled be-lievers who complained of a physical loneliness, who truly suffered from a spiritual loneliness. You have friends and yet you are still lonely. You have a loving family and yet you are lonely. You are surrounded with a solid sup-port system yet on the inside you feel empty. You can find yourself in the thick of a crowd and still feel lonely. The outside says that you have every-thing in a relationship a person could want (wonderful spouse, loving kids, great friends, etc.) but on the inside you feel incomplete, inconsolable and unsatisfied. Allow me to suggest, my dear reader, that your loneliness is a spiritual loneliness.

Matthew 28:20 says “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” As Jesus prepares to ascend into heaven the last words of promise that He leaves for you and I is that He will be with us always. He did not say that he was with or will be with us. He says that He is with (pres-ent tense) us always. This means that Christ is with you and me spiritually in things from day to day. He is with us through every decision, condition and position. He says even until the end of the world. This means as long as we are in existence the presence of Christ is available to us. If then, Christ has promised to be with you always, why are you so lonely?

Isaiah 59:1 says “Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it can-not save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear” The prophet exclaims that God is able to meet you wher-ever you are. Furthermore he says that God is able to hear you when-ever you call. Have you ever won-

dered if God was hard of hearing? Have you ever thought your situation was so far gone God couldn’t reach you? Have you ever felt distant from God? Have you ever felt like ask-ing God if He cares about what you are going through? Well, God says, through the prophet, he hears our every prayer and can reach us wher-ever we are. Why then does He not answer? Why then do I not feel His presence? The prophet answers in verse two “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear.” God says sometimes the reason we cannot hear from Him or feel His presence is because our sins have separated us from Him. Though we are saved, our relationship and fellowship with God can be hindered by our sins. Do you remember when Jesus was hanging on the cross and he cried “My God, my God why hast thou forsaken me”? Jesus, in the midst of his suffering and pain, feels loneliness for the first time. While hanging on the cross of Calvary, he no longer felt the presence of His Father. Why? He no longer feels this presence because he is bearing our sins on him and God cannot be in the presence of sin. Therefore Jesus feels, for the first time, spiritually alone.

The Prescription: Spiritual Revival

There are two conditions that cause spiritual loneliness. 1. Unsaved. If you, my dear reader, are not saved this is the cause of your loneliness. We are all physical and spiritual. Just as our physical beings need the love and attention of other physical be-ings, so does our spiritual beings need the love and attention of the spiritual being. It is our sin that separates us from God. All of us have sinned. Therefore, to be saved means to be reconnected with God. It means to have our sins wiped away and eter-nally forgiven. But the only way to re-ceive this salvation is to confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ has paid the price for your sins by dying on the cross and rising from the grave. If you will make this confession and ask God to come into your heart he will enter in. 2. The Loss of Fellowship: Our fellow-ship with God is hindered when our relationship is not maintained. We must learn to make prayer a priority in our lives. We must learn to study and meditate on God’s Word. We must remember fellowship with other believers. Remember to confess our sins to God and ask for forgiveness from Him daily. It is pertinent to forgive those who have trespassed against us, daily. Just as your physical relationships require care and atten-tion, so does your relationship with God.

Get the new book by E.J. Kemper III, The Proper Purpose of Pain, by visit-ing him online at www.ejkempermin-istries.com.

The Morning of The Rapture“Let me get this house picked up… you know ‘just in case’

If something were to happen they could step foot in this place”But the morning of the Rapture, they came and they saw

That the house they had stepped into wasn’t “picked up” at allWith dishes in the sink and the floor to be swept

Little did she know He’d come while the majority of us slept.With toilets to be cleaned and laundry on the couch

The house was in such disarray as all of us could vouchWith “who knows what” under the beds and unchanged sheets since “who knows when”

Wait, let me take a second look and go through this house againUp the steps and through the front door is a plaque “In Jesus we do trust”

So when touring this house a second time, spiritual eyes are a must.There are stacks of loose leaf paper lying near the bed

With sermons, prayers, and unfinished thoughts written in blue, black and redI see magazines bundled for hospitals, bags of canned goods for the church

Garbage bags filled with pants and dresses, shoes and Sunday shirtsThe dishes in the sink are a remnant of the meal she prepared

To bring to a family who needed to know just how much she caredBut why did she leave the house in a mess to wake up to the next day?

I believe I see the answer by her Bible where her Journal layBy the date a.m. is written the time she says a quarter til two

The beginning of the entry states “I just had to spend time with youMy days just run together and nothing seems to ever get done

But I know I’m to run this race til the prize I have won.You know the burdens of my heart, the people in my life.Open up their eyes, You are the answer to their strife.”

And as I continued down the page there were names…..do I dare?But right before that I saw a written “Thank you for the burden I bare.”There were names listed of friend and foe with a red “S” by each name

The “S” was for SALVATION, her request for each the sameI understand now why her house was undone, somehow I can clearly see

On that early morning when her Lord came for her she had a burden for meAt days end still so much to do, her back I’m sure weary and sore

She took time out to pray for me…..the last thing written “Oh Lord, it’s four!Time really flies when I bow before you. You make the effort so worthwhile.”

But that was all she would write….she had gone the extra mileThe dead in Christ shall rise up first to meet Him in the air

Then those who are alive and remain will also meet Him thereSo what will you do with Jesus? Yes it’s all up to you

If you delay in receiving His precious gift you’ll be left reading someone’s Journal tooMichele Stagg Woods…….THE MORNING OF THE RAPTURE

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PG.14

The Legacy of a Mother A mother is informed by the doctors when her son is but two days old that her child has rheumatic fever and ten days-- maybe less --to live. She swaddles her son and takes him home to the little cottage where she lived in New Mexico. There she held her newborn up to a single light bulb hanging from a wire in the ceiling. “God,” she prayed, “I’m coming to you as Han-nah did. I’m asking you to save my baby. And I prom-ise I will give him back to You.” That son became part of her legacy to the Lord. That son is Wayburn Dean. His vocal abilities gained him much acclaim during his 5 ½ year stint with the multi-million-selling group, Acappella. Wayburn’s lead vocals reaped Grammy and Dove nominations, along with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the CAMA for his efforts to further acappella music. In 1993 Wayburn would decide to take a sabbati-cal from music that ended up lasting more than eight years. He returned to the world of music as a solo art-ist in 2001 and released his debut album “As Long As I Live” followed by his second album “Immeasurable” which garnered 3 top 5 national hits. His third and latest album “Through the Rain.” has been equally as successful. The first two releases charted #3 and #2 consecutively on t the national charts on R&R (Radio & Records) Soft AC Inspo radio. The newest single release from Wayburn is “What Will Be Your Legacy.” Perhaps it is even more fitting that it is being released in the month of May when we celebrate and honor our mothers. I had the pleasure of interviewing Wayburn on the eve of the release of “What Will Be Your Legacy.”

Interviewer: No interview can begin with you, without a mention of your own mother’s faith. How did that mold you as a person and as an artist?

My mother is my mentor, in the truest form of the word. She is incredibly knowledgeable, Godly and faithful. There is a bond that is God inspired between she and I and it all happened at birth when I was only given 10 days to live by the doctors. I contracted Rheu-matic Fever and my lifespan was to be very short. My mother prayed the prayer of Hannah, who prayed for a son and promised God that she would give her son, Samuel, to God if He would just give her a son. God answered my mother’s prayer and my purpose was charted. I believe that event has not only guided me in my Christian life but saved me as well. As an artist I think it’s relatively easy, once you’ve decided to whom you will devote your gift….

Interviewer: Where did you begin your career in the music industry and what is one of your most inspiring

or memorable times during those early days?

My professional music career began in Paris, Tennes-see with Acappella. The most inspiring time was do-ing a concert at the Huntsville Prison, in Huntsville TX. Although we had done concerts for thousands, here we had a small group of men in a prison chapel. Men, who we would probably call hopeless, truly under-stood with desperation the need for God. Incredible concert….

Interviewer: During your sabbatical from the music industry what do you believe God was teaching you and how does that come through in you music today?

During the Acappella days, we did everything we could to stay focused on the ministry. But, I have to say it was difficult. We were home about 10 days per month. And when we were at home many times we would often record late into the nights. So, we rarely had much personal time. I look back and now I can see that I was so busy doing the work for the Lord, I was not doing the work of the Lord. This time, in my ministry, even though the lifestyle can be taxing. Janae and I are taking time to hear from God. We are writing music, doing concerts and teaching from that perspec-tive.

Interviewer: There is a fine line between Gospel & Christian Contemporary; you seem to have defined a “new sub-genre’ that successfully blends to the two. Tell us how this came about.

Really, I just want to do music that God has given me, use the talents as well. Janae and I asked God to help us write music that, first of all will draw men closer to Him. Secondly, our desire is to write music that will soothe people. Having them enjoy the music and mes-sage and not have to work so hard to see Jesus in it. This is not only our musical approach; it’s our ministry approach as well.

Interviewer: Your wife, Janae, co-wrote many of the songs on your new CD. Have the two you always worked together in music?

Yes, we pray about the songs…Janae is extremely gifted in concepts and lyrics. My strengths are in music production and delivery. So, we’ve always put those two gifts together to glorify God and encourage men.

Interviewer: Tell us a bit about the non-profit you and your wife founded.

In 1998 we developed our non-profit organization called “Afterword Music Ministry.” This ministry fo-cuses on music as a ministry. In addition to concerts,

we have a music ministry that partner with missionar-ies all over the globe. We also have a CD ministry that ministers to individuals in places where we cannot go. “Afterword Music Ministry” houses the ministry efforts of Wayburn Dean and thereby utilizes music to evan-gelize to the world. Interviewer: You mentioned to me that “Forgiveness is key to healing….” can you expound on that further?

Janae wrote a song on our Immeasurable album called, “Gotta Forgive Them” The song talks about the fact that people are people; they are going to hurt you. And those who don’t know God will hurt you sometimes even worse. The strange thing is neither matters much in terms of forgiveness, We’ve gotta forgive them anyway...Jesus said” if you don’t forgive them, then I won’t forgive you”…Now that’s motiva-tion, but besides that, the lack of forgiving someone is synonymous with a straight jacket. It binds you and holds you captive until you learn to forgive. The difference between the two, is you don’t need anyone to undo the latches for forgiveness as you do with a straight jacket, you have the power to forgive on your own…It’s up to you and how badly you want to be free…

Tell us a bit about your new solo album and your newest release.

Our latest single release is “What will be your legacy” a poignant question that we should all be asking ourselves right now. We all are writing a book as we live that reflects our lives that people are currently reading. Family members, church members, friends, co-workers will all comment on the book that we’re writing. The song, “What will be your legacy,” reminds us that we should be cognizant of how we should live our lives and that we’re writing our own legacy for God. If we do that, men will say, it was God he/she adored…

Quote of the day: ‘I believe we serve a musical God’ -Wayburn Dean

Please visit Wayburn’s website for further information on his personal appearances and for information for where to purchase his album, “Through the Rain.”www.wayburndean.com

To book Wayburn: www.midatlanticchristianartists.com

© 2009 Penny Carltonwww.pertinentpromotions.comwww.20for1.wordpress.com

Have you met Korah? Do you know Korah? Are you Korah? Written by Chauncy Latigue

Bro’ C who is Korah? I am glad you asked, let me elaborate. In My every man’s Bible on page 187, I was introduced to the “self promoter” name Korah. Now this isn’t the Korah from “meet the Browns” This Korah comes from the tribe of Levi, he had the honor of serv-ing the Lord in the tabernacle. Accord-ing to God’s law, only Levites had the authority to minister in this way. You see Positive thinking can be a tremendous force for good. But when it leads to unbridled self-promotion and a super sized ego, it usually causes trouble—and sometimes it can kill. Korah made this discovery a little too late. Yet as Korah watched Moses lead the Hebrew people and Aaron serve them as priest, he grew envious of their position. Apparently he started reasoning something like this: You know what? I’m just as talented as these two. Maybe more! I have gifts of lead-ership, too. God doesn’t love me any less than these men, and he’s just as much with

me as with them. What’s more, I don’t like how and where they’re leading us. I think it’s time for a change, and I think I’m just the guy to bring the change about! So Korah conspired with the two other leaders, Dathan and Abiram, to challenge the leadership team God had put in place (Numbers 16:1) Theses men convinced 250 other community leaders to join them in an

attempted coup. “You have gone too far!” they said to Moses and Aaron. Everyone in Israel has been set apart by the Lord, and he is with all of us. What right do you have to act as though you are greater than anyone else among all these people of the Lord? :

(16:3) Korah’s stinging words reveal a man with a robust self image. But they also reveal how his inflated ego had led him down sev-eral treacherous roads:

1. He though of himself as holy; he discovered that God considered him wicked (16:26).

2. He thought he was rebuking Moses; he discovered he actually despised God (16:30)

3. He thought he could promote himself; he discovered he had earned a perma-nent demotion (16:32)

4. He thought he could make the rules; he discovered that God reserves rule-mak-ing for himself (16:35).

5. He thought he could discern God’s thoughts on his own; he discovered that God speaks to those he chooses (16:20, 23).

God responded to Korah’s rebellion by opening up a sinkhole beneath his feet and sending him, along with his co-conspirators, “down alive into the grave, along with their belongings. The earth closed over them, and they all vanished” (16:33). Immediately afterward the 250 community leaders who had joined their short-lived revolt perished in a blaze of heavenly fire (16:35). This sad incident reminds us that God despises a self important, self promoting attitude. Life works much better for us if we

heed the wise words of the apostle Peter: Humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in his good time he will honor you” (1 Peter 5:6)

The amazing thing about this nugget is we have all been here once or twice before, but James said it best in Chapter 3:16 “for wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambi-tion, there you will find disorder and every kind of evil.” In chapter 1:23-24 James says, For if you just listen and don’t obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. My prayer for the reader and the writer is this’ Father in the name of Jesus, I pray that you not let us forget where we came from and where we are going. Help us Lord to focus on the right and not the wrong. Lord we were all at one time or another in the shoes of Korah.We/I repent for any offense and is-sue that may have caused one of your people to stumble or fall. According to John 16:23, I pray to you in the name of Jesus and by faith I receive forgiveness and ask that you lead me and guide me in the path that you have set before me to follow. Keep the triplets following closely behind for your word says…?” Surely, Goodness and Mercy shall follow you all the days of your life.I love you Lord, in Jesus name I pray. So be it (Amen)


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PG.15

Summer, At Long Last I’m sure that just about every student from elementary school to college level is ecstatic that summer is finally here. For the parents of all these youngsters, different thoughts go through their minds. What do you do with the kids so that they can have a meaningful, but safe summer? Summer’s a time for fun and outdoor enjoyment, but with that comes a bucket list of things to be leery of. Living in the warm south means that you will probably at some time or another be near the wa-ter. Whether it’s a pool, river, lake, or even pond, water safety is not to be taken lightly. If you are going to be around water at all, make sure you enroll in some kind of swimming lessons. You’re never too young or too old to learn how to swim. If you are going to be on a boat or wave runner, make sure you understand and follow safe water craft rules. Also remember that you are not the only living thing in the water sometimes. Na-ture’s creatures also inhabit the waters. Be mind-ful of them and you will be fine. Ignore them and you may regret it. When we take to the waters of the lakes and ponds, we’re invading the natural homes of many snakes, spiders, turtles, alligators, and many other animals that feed in or around the waters. This doesn’t even take into consider-ation the sometimes powerful force of the waters themselves. If you’ve ever been overwhelmed by a strong undertow, you know exactly what I am referring too. Flowing water is one of nature’s most powerful forces. It can erode even the staunchest beaches over time and also can make swimming against it next too impossible. Small kids should never, ever be left alone near water. It doesn’t take but a second for something bad to happen with them. It’s a good idea to have

kids (and adults also) always wear their life vests when they are anywhere near the water. They may not like it, but it can be the difference be-tween your kids simply getting wet if they happen to fall in or something much worse happening. Warning: alcohol and water are a combination for trouble. Nothing refreshes you like water-nothing!

Don’t be afraid to outside and enjoy the gifts of waterways. They’re there for your enjoyment. Just remember that as with everything else, you have to consider not only your safety, but the safety of others. And by all means, put on the sun block! Now, get out there and enjoy yourselves. Summer doesn’t last nearly as long as it once did, or does it?


PG.16

Fruit of the Spirit/JoyBy Laura Washington

Galatians 5:22 (KJV) “For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.’ While you may be con-tent, do you really have joy? With contentment comes a measure of pleasure, satis-faction and happiness. Have you ever just felt exhila-rated about something that is happening in your life. You have, no doubt, defined that as a moment of joy. Now, let’s examine that moment more closely. Should the thing or event take a turn in the opposite direction caus-ing you depression, sorrow, or unhappiness, what has

happened to your joy? The feeling of happiness is, at best, contentment. This is the feeling where you are pleased, happy and satisfied. Allow me to share an example of contentment. Hebrews 13:5 (KJV) “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have, for He has said I will never you nor forsake you.” Look at and focus on the part that says, “Be content with such things as ye have.” How many of us really put that into practice? We have this, however, we want that. When we get that, the dis-satisfaction starts again we want the other. This is cer-tainly cause for confusion, and God is not the author of confusion. Joy, on the other hand, is a state of being that goes beyond a feeling. We are tri-part beings, meaning we are spirit, clothed in a body, possessing a soul. Joy is the state of being that is evidenced by a feeling, not

the feeling in and of itself. It is an experience that can be prevalent in the life of the believer, regardless of, or in spite of, what is happening in his or her life. Nehemiah 8:10(b) “This day is holy unto our Lord, neither be ye sorry, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” So how can you (the Spirit being) always have joy? Your joy must come from the Lord,

for it is He who give you strength and is your strong-hold. Only He can get you past the point of contentment and sustain your spirit man where true joy resides. You can have true joy in any situ-ation when you allow God to be the source of that joy. There is a reason that god wants us to have joy. The Psalmist David ex-pressed it this way. Psalms 16:11 (KJV) “Thou will show me the path of life; in

thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” God wants us to have the fullness of joy. So what is “this fullness of joy?” It is the total of His all sufficient joy which will sustain us in any situation. Remember, however, that joy comes from living in his presence. So, on a daily basis we must resolve to live in His pres-

ence through prayer and the study of His word. Jesus reiterated and solidified God’s desire for us to have a life full of joy. Take

a look at John 16:24 (KJV) “Hitherto have you asked nothing in my name; ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full.” Hith-erto, meaning, ( up to that time). He’s giving us per-mission and authority to use His name to ask the Father for the desires of our hearts. Why? Again, so that your joy may be full, complete. Can you now see how you can have joy at all times? Please allow me to

give you one more example of joy experienced to the full measure. Hebrews 12:2 (KJV) “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” This is a very power-ful passage of scripture. Just think about the suffering and persecution Jesus had to go THROUGH in order to get TO the joy. The joy was the other side of the cross via His resurrection. He is the author and finisher of the faith that can and will carry us through to joy. He is the beginning source and the finisher who brings our joy through to maturity and perfection. Hebrews 3:7, 8(a) (KJV) “So, therefore as the Holy Spirit says, Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart.”Copyright 2009. No part of this material may be used without the consent of the author.

Only He can get you past the point of contentment and sustain your spirit man where true joy resides.

Why Should a Family Vacation be a priority in an “Economic Down fall?”

The time: Summer we are in June now! The place: your choice a land far away, in your state, or a short car ride. The cost: whatever you can afford. You say you can’t afford a family vacation? I say; research shows you can’t afford to not take a family vacation. Your lives are filled with day to day hustle and bustle; getting the kids off to school, day care, camps, athletic and non athletic practices and re-hearsals, dashing off to work, thinking up a healthy and fast solution to dinner and the unending concerns of providing a good life for your family. A family vacation is an unsurpassed opportunity to bond with your family, pull together and see some of God’s astounding creations you may not have the opportunity to see day to day. Moreover if you are not tak-ing a vacation to some destination geographically far away from where you reside, take a couple of days away from home, from the office, from the internet and work phones and have truly uninterrupted time with your family. By tak-ing a family vacation you are allowing your family and your-self a way to renew your appreciation of life and recognize the greatness that exists beyond your day to day. I recall as a child the family vacations my family and I took together were almost always a weekend away 2 or 3 times a year but those weekends away shaped who I am today. They are the happiest memories I have of being a child my parents were not stressed out about the ongoing problems of everyday life, there was no strife and everyone was happy and excit-ed. My brother and I had their undivided attention and we were always seeing something new and out of the ordinary, we explored new cultures, went to theme parks, took on ad-ventures, swam in hotel swimming pools, and learned about who we were as a family. Do you know who your family is? Renew the strength of your family. If you are unable to take a vacation or weekend vacation how about a stay-cation? The only requirements to a stay-cation are you staying home, doing everything out of the ordinary; there must be no work in any form including yard work, telephone, inter-net/email/fax etc., and most importantly having at least 2 full days and 2 full nights of everything being all about your family.

R. Jane GuilloryJane Consulting Associates

Smoothie RecipesPeachy strawbs Nutrients: Beta-carotene, biotin, folic acid,2 handfuls strawberries vit. B3, vit. C, calcium, magnesium, 3 peaches phosphorus, potassium, sodium, sulphur juice of one lime 8 tablespoons (120ml) orange juice

Summer delight in a glass, and laden with antioxidants for better immunity and healthy skin.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Malibu freeze Nutrients: Beta-carotene, folic acid, ½ pineapple, frozen in chunks vit. B1,B3,B6 and c, calcium1 banana, frozen magnesium, manganese, phosphorus,1 tablespoon coconut milk potassium, sodium, sulphur ½ lime, juiced a few dashes of pineapple juice

Transport yourself to beneath a palm tree with this creamy cooler.


PG.17

Upcoming EventsGreenland Hills UMC Garage SaleDate/Time:Fri., June 5, 8:00am, Sat., June 6, 8:00am Price: FreeGreenland Hills Methodist Church5835 Penrose at Del Mar Dallas, TXhttp://www.greenlandhills.org/Contact Info: 214-826-2060Garage Sale benefiting the UMC youth group’s summer mission trip to New Mexico

Employment Transition and You Support GroupDate/Time:Every week Tuesday, 6:30pmPrice: freeContact Info: 972-820-5111, extension 6119Prestonwood Baptist Church6801 W Park Blvd.Plano, TX972-820-5000http://www.prestonwood.org/ This support group works through a rotating series of eight sessions covering all aspects of job loss and preparing for a job search, including networking, writing resumes, inter-viewing and more. Meets in room A210.

Grace in MarriageJune 5th/ 7pm - 9pm • Church Without Walls @ 5725 Queenston Blvd., Houston • Mosaic Women’s Ministry hosts... Grace in Mar-riage Featuring ...Bob & Audrey Meisner ALL married couples are asked to make plans to attend this life-changing, marriage enhance-ment seminar. • Mosaic Women’s Ministry 281-649-6800

Community Movie NightJune 5th--7pm • Houston First Church of God @ 14400 Northwest Freeway; Houston • Joinus for a Free community movie event featur-ing “Come What May”; a movie thatis a vivid reminder that choosing what’sright is never easy...but it’s always worththe cost. Concessions are available for aminimal charge. • 713-460-0104 • Free

Christian HolidaysTrinity Sunday (June 7th)Is one of the few feasts of the Christian Year that celebrates a reality and doctrine rather than an event or person. On Trinity Sunday we remember and honor the eternal God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Trin-ity Sunday is celebrated the Sunday after Pentecost, and lasts only one day, which is symbolic of the unity of the Trinity.

Bishop Raymond Johnson, dynamic pastor of the 8000 plus member congregation of Living Faith Christian Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, will be ministering at Living Word Christian Center,1639 Ryan, Lake Charles, Louisiana on Sunday, June 14, 2009 @ 10:00 A. M. Pastors Joseph and Cathy Banks of Liv-ing Word Christian Center invite the entire local community to come hear a life changing message from the Bishop. For more informa-tion call 337-721-7957.

June 14th Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ First of all, what is the purpose of the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ? This special Feast is celebrated in remembrance of Jesus who gave His life for the salvation of many. It is a Feast in remembrance of Jesus’ com-mand to celebrate the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

June 19th Sacred Heart Day A devotion and Feast in recognition of The Sacred Heart of Jesus representing not simply His physical heart but His love for all mankind

June 24th Birth of John the BaptistFirst to Water Baptize through emersion, and signified the coming of Jesus Christ

Other June HolidaysFlag Day June 14thFather’s Day June 21st

Patriots’ Ball - June 27It’s a red, white and blue star-spangled celebration of our nation and our patriots at the Patriots’ Ball, June 27. This formal occasion leads up to the ultimate Red, White, Blue and You festivities on July 4. For one night, dress to the nines (black tie or business casual) and join military personnel in their “Mess Dress” uniforms for an evening of dining, music and dancing at the Lake Charles Civic Center. Make your reservations in advance at the Civic Center box office for $60 per couple, or you can get them online at www.lcpatriot.com. Doors will open at 6 p.m. with a social hour and dinner will begin at 7 p.m. Ms. Armed Forces will be presented this night as well, as she begins her reign for 2009. Honor local heroes and service men and women at this special gala evening. For more information, contact James Dodd at (337) 302-1439, Major Ron Williams at (337) 526-2699, the American Patriot Store at (337) 433-4083 or Pret-zels Plus inside the Nelson Road Wal-Mart. For general festival information, contact the Lake Charles/South-west Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau, 337-436-9588 or www.visitlakecharles.org.

Catch A Concert - June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29What better way to spend your summer evening than with good music, a cool breeze and the sunset over Lake Charles? The Community Band and the City of Lake Charles offer just that with their Monday evening performances for Catch A Concert. With a backdrop of Lake Charles, the Community Band takes the stage from 7-8:30 p.m. each Monday in June at the Lake Charles Civic Center Amphitheatre, playing tunes that range from movie soundtracks to classical arrangements. Don’t be surprised if you hear a Beatles hit or a Sousa march in the mix! Each week, the concert line-up has a new theme, so you won’t see the same show twice. The Community Band is made up entirely of volunteers, so come out and share your love of music, the outdoors or just being on the lake with people who have a pas-sion for entertaining! For information on the band, visit www.lakecharlescommunityband.com, and for general tourism information, visit www.visitlakecharles.org.

Seventh Annual Gala & RoastThe SWLA Center of Health Services will host its 7th Annual Gala & Roast, “Celebrating Community Bridge Builders” on Friday, June 26th, 2009. The event will start at 6:30 p.m. in the Buccaneer Room on the 3rd floor at the Lake Charles Civic Center. This year the honorees will be Dr. Susan Jones and Father Henry Mancuso. This affair promises to be an exciting eve-ning with food, music and entertainment as Dr. Jones and Father Mancuso will be honored by colleagues and friends. Each year the SWLA Center for Health Services sponsors the Gala & Roast where it recognizes outstanding community leaders who are committed to promoting healthy lifestyles and eliminating health disparities within our communities. The monies raised from this event will go to support patient education programs at the health center. Tickets for this very spe-cial occasion are $50.00 per person and tables of eight are available for $400.00. Sponsorships, donations and in-kind services are welcome and are available at various level. There are more than 75,000 individuals in

Southwest Louisiana alone without basic health care coverage with that number growing ever-more. Your support for this event shows the entire community, region and state that you are supportive of basic health care services for the uninsured and underinsured residents of Southwest Louisiana. For more information or to reserve your tickets or tables, please call the center by Friday, June 19th at 337-493-5123.

Women’s Weekend RetreatJune 26th-28 • 4 pm • Holy Name Retreat Center @ 430 Bunker Hill Road • Come enjoy the peace and serenity at Holy Name Retreat Center. Enjoy a weekend retreat for womenbeginning on Friday; June 26 and ending on Sunday afternoon; June 28. This is your oppor-tunity to spend a weekend with God. Dress is casual and you will have a private room with bath. All are welcome • 714-464-2011 • $180

CMA Music FestivalNashville, Tn - Downtown Music CityJune 11-14CMA Music Festival“Country Music’s Biggest Party” takes place over 4 days and features more than 70 hours of musical performances, autograph signings, celebrity sports competitions, and other events with more than 400 artists and celebrities par-ticipating.

6th Annual Women’s TeaMonday, June 01, 2009Time: 12:00 AM to 12:00 AMLocation: Gaylord Springs Gold CourseOur 6th Annual Women’s Tea “The Voice of All Our Mothers” hosted by the women’s ministry at Living Word Community Church will be held on Saturday, May 9, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. Loca-tion will be Gaylord Springs Golf Course at 18 Springhouse Lane, Nashville.So set aside May 9th to fellowship with your mother, daughters and other special other women in your life. join us for an exquistely delicious meal in the captivating clubhouse. Top it off with a power-ful word from the award-winning dramatist and speaker, Sherre Miller Bishop.Tickets are $35 for adults and $15 for children (11 and under). Tickets can be purchased online at WWW.LWC-CWOW.HOMESTEAD.COM or at Living Word Community Church at 5380 Hickory Hollow Parkway, Antioch, TN. For additional details about this event, call 615-566-5161.

Responding RecoveryTime: 7:00 PM to 9:00 PMLocation: Christ Church NashvilleResponding Recovery a Christ centered 12 step recovery group. Meeting every Tuesday night in room 126 at Christ Church. Christ Church is located in the Nippers Corner area at 15354 Old Hickory Blvd.For more information call 615-834-6171 ext. 141

Singlehood Phenomenon (Singles Event)Time: 6:30 PM to 8:30 PMLocation: Brentwood United Methodist ChurchNashville,TNSinglehood Phenomenon, an eight week course will be held at Brentwood United Method-ist Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. begin-ning April 30th. Cost of the eight week class is $30.00.This class enables singles to deal with skepticism about dating, love and marriage. Learn how to integrate psychological principles and biblical truths in order to develop healthy, godly loving relationships.


PG.18

Planning for Retirement in Stages While summer vacations and national holidays typically provide a break for everyone who would be considered a member of the working public, there is one big break ahead that’s a priority on most every-one’s calendar — retirement. And while it may be closer for some than it is for others, everyone needs to make sure they are financially prepared when the time comes to take a permanent leave from the ranks of the employed. Personal circumstances make planning for retirement different for each individual, but there are several considerations that apply if you break it down by the amount of time you have left until you retire. If you have at least ten years to go until you plan on retiring, you still have the advantage of time on your side. One of the most basic principles of investing is putting your money into different investment vehicles and then leaving it there so you can reap the benefits of long-term returns. With more than ten years to invest, you might be able to afford to take on a little bit more risk with your investments. While equities – such as stocks – have an inherent risk of losing money, they also have a history of providing significant returns over a long period of time. Just keep in mind that past performance is no guarantee of future results. Probably the biggest advantage of getting an early start is the benefit of compounding earnings. Based on the investments in your retirement portfolio, the money you put in has the potential to earn more money for you – whether through interest payments, dividends, or other means of growth. In many cases, those earnings can be reinvested into your portfolio, further enhancing the total value of your savings and allowing your money the opportunity to “make mon-ey” for you. If your retirement is less than ten years away, then it’s time to start making subtle adjustments to your investment mix. Hopefully, at this point you’re not just getting started, but rather taking a look at how your investments are allocated and making sure they appropriately match your risk tolerance, your invest-ment objectives and your relatively short time horizon. Because you have less time to work with, you still want to have some investments that offer growth, but you also want to begin looking at preservation of princi-pal through fixed income alternatives such as bonds, which may provide a little more stability in your portfo-lio and help reduce your overall risk. Finally, at some point you’ll reach that day that you once thought was so far off. When you find yourself officially in the position to retire, you will have a whole different outlook on those funds you have set aside for just that purpose. Instead of making contributions to your retirement funds to help them grow, you’ll be looking to maintain income from those investments. You’ll likely begin taking distributions from them to pay for your day-to-day expenses. A thorough review of your investments will help you clearly see just how much you have saved, and how you will have to plan your distributions so you don’t run short on funds dur-ing your retirement. Financial preparation for retirement is something that is different for every individual. To make sure that you’re on the right track, take the time now to assess your own situation and see what you can do to make sure you’re ready when it’s time for you to retire.

This article was written by Wachovia Securities and provided courtesy of Tim Andreas First Vice-President – Investment Officer at 337-439-9081 or 800-256-5800. Wachovia Securities is the trade name used by two separate, registered broker-dealers and nonbank affiliates of Wachovia Corporation providing certain retail securities brokerage services: Wachovia Securi-ties, LLC Member, NYSE/SIPC, and Wachovia Securities Financial Network, LLC (WSFN), Member FINRA/SIPC. Investments in securities and insurance products: NOT FDIC-INSURED/NOT BANK-GUARANTEED/MAY LOSE VALUE

Confident ConsumersBy Rolland Soileau

Are consumers really confident or are they just thinking things have to start getting better because it can’t seeming-ly get much worse? The Consumer Confidence Index made a big jump in May to 54.9 from 40.8 in April. This increase in confidence numbers was the third rise in confidence in as many months and soundly beat expectations. As these numbers continue to climb, the stock market continues to react very positively to encouraging news like this. The Consumer Confidence Index is created from a survey of 5,000 households to gauge their feelings on the economy and their buying power. As their confidence goes up, consumers will most likely spend more and the economy will continue to work its way out of its present doldrums. Conversely, when the index drops, we will theoretically spend less. The Consumer Index numbers are rising, but they are still far from where they were before this recession began. The index numbers are made up of about 40% of people’s opinions on current conditions and about 60% on future expectations. Opinions on the following are asked during the poll each month:1.) Current business conditions2.) Business conditions for the next 6 months3.) Current employment conditions4.) Employment conditions for the next 6 months5.) Total family income for the next 6 monthsFrom this information or “opinion grouping”, manufacturers, banks, builders, government bodies, and retailers try to anticipate what the demand will be in the near-term future. This could lead to layoffs or hiring, surpluses or shortages, and a large variety of spending increases or spending freezes. From the recent Consumer Confidence numbers, it looks like the worst may be over. Amen to that.

Supreme ChangesBy Rolland Soileau

With the retirement of Su-preme Court justice David Souter, who at age 69 has been on the Su-preme Court since 1990, President Barrack Obama has nominated appeals court Judge Sonia Soto-mayer to fill that vacancy. Judge Sotomayer has served 11 years on the Court of Appeals for the Sec-ond Circuit, and was promoted to that role by President Clinton after being appointed to the District Court for the Southern District of New York by President H.W. Bush. Like Justice Souter, she is the only justice with experience as a trial judge. Her nomination is historic and if confirmed, she would be-come the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice ever. So what lies ahead for Judge Sotomayer? Confirmation hearings are going to be coming up fairly quickly. Judge Sotomayer will be setting up meetings with senators whose votes she needs to win confirmation. At these meetings a wide variety of legal questions will be posed to her as the senators try to gauge what type of Supreme Court judge she would be. Her resume is ex-tremely impressive, and the main focus will be in trying to determine whether she will be slanted to the left, center, or right. A lot of her past opinions and writings will be examined during this

time also. Confirmation can be a lengthy process, as past confirmations of Justice Breyer took 73 days, and Judge Alito’s confirmation took 92 days. Prepare yourselves for the onslaught of political posturing as the left and the right battle this out in an attempt to keep the Supreme Court “balanced” with liberal and conservative justices. She definitely ap-pears to be more than amply qualified, but there have been others who were also who did not make it. There have been 12 Supreme Court nominees who have been rejected, 8 withdrawn, 4 postponed, and 6 no actions. A simple majority vote in the Senate is all that is

needed for confirmation.President Barack Obama & Judge Sonia Sotomayer


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Sean Rigmaiden337-764-0069

Help WantedChristian Star News is looking for a motivated individual for an Outside Sales Rep. in the Houston, Texas area. Only serious apply.Experienced Sales Professional - HOUSTONOutside Sales Position for Christian Newspaper

Skills & Requirements:communication skills, people skills,serious minded,team player,high mobility,self motivated clean-cut and pre-sentable. Reliable transportation necessary.

Industry Category:Marketing/Ad SalesThis job is strictly on a commission basis. Commis-sion structure is based on experience. Please contact Mary Stevens (Sales Manager) [email protected].

SPACE AVAILABLE FOR YOU!

CALL TODAY337-853-9883

Christian Attorneys Needed

Cypi’s Cake Box 520 W McNeese St Lk Charles 337-478-0269

Gathering Place The 1100 1st Avenue Lk Charles 337-433-0444

Collins Service Center 1601 N Prater St Lk Charles 337-436-6602

Mattress & Waterbed Gallery 716 E Prien Lk Rd. Lk Charles 337-474-1350

Quality Design Builders Curtis Rougeau 337-485-2460

SBA-McNeese University Deb King 337-475-5000

Hands for Life Kathy Cookson 337-477-2161

Club Tabby Inside Prien Lake Mall 337-478-3600

Coffee Cup Diner 909 Mulberry St Wstlk 337-491-0960

Anointed Total Hair Care www.athaircare.com 337-855-1729

Melanie Perry State Farm 337-855-7768

ATTORNEYS

BAKERIESAUTO SALES-NEW & USED

BANKSBANQUET FACILITIES

BARBERS

BEDS-RETAIL

BEAUTY SALONS

BRIDAL SHOPSBUILDING CONTRACTORS

BUILDING MATERIALSBUSINESS CONSULTANTS

CLEANING SERVICESHOME HEALTH SERVICES

MASSAGES

PARTY STORES

PHYSICIANSREAL ESTATE CONSULTANTS

INSURANCE AGENTS

RESTAURANTS

BIBLE COLLEGES/SEMINARIESOval Bible College 1717 E. Prien Lake Rd. Lake Charles 337-853-9755

Christian Business Owner Directory

NATIONAL ADVERTISING FIRMMar-Tel Marketing, LLC www.mar-telmarketing.com 337-214-5078

Ecclesiastes 10:12 Words from a wise man's mouth are gracious, but a fool is consumed by his own lips. The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. Our words reveal our character (Matthew 12:34) and we should choose our words wisely. The fool makes false assumptions and therefore even more errant conclusions. He babbles on and on without thinking. (Ecclesiastes 10:14) Let's be gracious with our words today, praying and reflecting before sharing and speaking. As our grandparents said, "we have two ears and one mouth for a reason." PG.19

“Infalliable Father” continued

He rebuked the devourer for our sakes. Fathers should be the ones to tuck their children in bed at night and reassure them that they are safe and that everything is going to be alright. God said that neither height nor depth could separate us from His love. Our fathers are the ones that overlook our mistakes and love us through everything. While we sleep, God is at work for us preparing the hearts of men before we have to go before them. Our fathers are up at night, ensuring that the finances are just right for our future education and endeavors. Some of us may not have been blessed to know our earthly fathers, but we have had the infallible father standing in the gap being the father to the fatherless. He has been leading, guiding, and protecting us. He sent down His only son to shed His blood for our salvation to bring us back into covenant with Him. We have had the Father of all Fathers.Regardless of your situations, this is still the time of year to celebrate fathers. We want to thank our fathers for everything that they have done for us and all of the sacrifices they have made for us, includ-ing the sweat on their brows and the tears of blood that they have shed for us. All of us are fallible, but God our Father is infallible. Special thanks go out to the fathers that have stood by their children’s sides encouraging them, supporting them, and providing a shoulder to lean on. Thanks for tucking them in and providing a safe shelter for them. Thanks for put-ting forth the effort. Most of all, you need to forgive yourself. Give yourself a break. You will make mis-takes. Only God is perfect. Happy Father’s Day.

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Christian Star News June Issue

Spiritual

Transcript of Christian Star News June Issue