SB Faith & Family

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January 2013

LLLMLLLMMMiss LLouisiana,

New Year Worksheet

Happy New Year!

Faith and Family sbfaithandfamily.com2

January 2013 3

Contents

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From the Publisher

Quips & Quotes

Ad Directory

Special FeatureNew Year Worksheet

Miss Louisiana, Lauren Vizza

Marriage MattersIf My People...

Pressing UpwardsIt’s Never too Late for a New Beginning

Faith Under FireWe Shall Meet Him in the Air

Teen TalkThe Purity Ball

Close to HomeA Fatherless Generation

The Real StuffResolvolutions: Greater Success in 2013

Wise WordsLight Within You

Special FeaturePromise Radio with Ed Baswell & Tom Pace

on the cover columns in every issue

Teen TalkThe Purity Ball

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11

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Close to HomeA Fatherless Generation17

Wise WordsLight Within You

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22

22

The Real StuffResolvolutions: Greater Success 19

Special FeaturePromise Radio 20

Follow us on FacebookSB Faith and Family

Stay up to date on local events & concerts.

from the publisher


Each day I give our girls two topics to write about in their journal. Some of their options have been: “What is a Hippo’s diet?” “What would it be like to spend the day as balloon?” etc. One past topic was, “What makes a person ugly.” My daughter, Savannah, wrote the following:

God made us all lovely. But our heart is not. We do all of these bad things and it is called sin. Some things that make us ugly are sin, being mean, not loving, or not following the commandments. Now that is not good. God wants us all to love Him and our neighbors. If we cannot do that we are ugly on the inside and out. So let us be sweet, kind, loving, and do what God wants us to do. The end.

To be honest, I was not thing about sin or what God wanted when I asked that question. Instead, I was thinking I know what makes me ugly - extra weight, no makeup, bad hair days and a million other things that have to do with my outward appearance. Jason has told me numerous times, “If you worried about your inward beauty as much as you do your outward appearance...you would be a Saint!”

This month we had the pleasure of interviewing Miss Louisiana, Lauren Vizza. We all knew before meeting Lauren, she was beautiful. However, beautiful people are everywhere. Lauren came into our home and we have never been more comfortable with anyone. As in Savannah’s note above, Lauren was sweet, kind, loving and doing what she feels like God has led her do. I knew she was special when all six of our girls fell in love with her. Not once did Lauren mention the contestants being pretty or anything to do with outward appearance. Nor did she mention it even when we asked what she looked for in a boyfriend. Lauren is physically beautiful but her real beauty is on the inside.

I pray that all of us fi nd that inward beauty and, as a result, we begin fearing the Lord more than we fear weight gain. I hate resolutions but I do love that January feels like a new start and a good time to contemplate some things we have time to change. Let us challenge each other by refl ecting on the bible verse, ‘Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.” Proverbs 31: 30. By doing so, we will see past the outward appearance to the image of God, the true beauty, that each person we meet possesses.

Happy New Year,

Ashley [email protected]

What Makes a Person Ugly?

We would like to thank Kelly Phelan Powell for the front cover & inside photos of Miss Louisiana. To view more photos by Kelly visit www.powellphoto.net

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MarriagearriageMatters

January 2013 7

2013 is here and January is always a � me of refl ec� on and

introspec� on. Many of us wonder if we did all we desired to do in the previous year or did we make any changes, did we make marked eff orts to be more loving and caring with our loved ones, have more integrity in our business , spend more � me in our rela� onship with God. What will we do this year? It seems as though our New Year Resolu� ons tend to be centered around our self. Why don’t we choose this year to make resolu� ons that will eternally aff ect others. To be honest, the world and all the evil and chaos is hi� ng closer to home every day. I tend to watch the news and feel very removed from the wickedness in the world but we have to recognize that evil lurks all around us and it is aff ec� ng us and our loved ones. We can not become complacent. As Chris� ans, God has called us to live in this world and open our mouths and share His truths and commandments! I watch Chris� ans sit back and complain but never choose to go make a diff erence by inves� ng in others lives, loving the loveless and comfor� ng those who hurt! Oh God, please move our hearts to be more like you!!

II Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their

sin and will heal their land.” We need God now more than ever and He needs us!!!! Let Steve and I make just a few sugges� ons that could make you look back and see the diff erence a few choices can make on a year and your life.

1. Humble yourselves! Realize every morning that you wake up, you have

been given the gi� of life. Every breath and every moment was given to you by God. What will you do with the 24 hours you have that day? Will it be spent on your happiness or others? Will you take the � me to vocalize your love and gra� tude to God? Will you stop long enough to smile at someone, let someone cut in front of you while you’re driving, rub the top of a li� le boys head or merely say “thank you” to those that serve you. Please make your life about others instead of yourselves. That is a small picture of what “Humbleness” means.

2. Put Prayer back in your home!!! Most Chris� ans bow their heads at the dinner

table and thank God for food, but we neglect ge� ng on our knees with our families and crying out to God to use us, comfort us, protect us, reveal His will to us, help us deal correctly with a classmate or co-worker, give us wisdom and integrity in all that we do. Get back to what God has instructed us to do for

our own well being. His words and guidance is for our good! Do not allow the world to remove us from the very principles that God gave us to follow.

3. Acknowledge sin in your life and choose to walk away from it....TODAY!!!! God

is wai� ng to forgive us of our sins, but he cannot do that if we are unwilling to admit it. Sin will destroy us and all those around us. Please trust God to take your sin and remove it as far as the east is from the west and set your life back on course. God can and will do that!

My heart is heavy today and I know you can tell as you read this ar� cle. The only change that can be eff ec� ve is if each of us decide to change us!!! Please allow God to speak into your heart today and be willing to humble yourself, pray, and turn from your wicked ways......then God may choose to heal this land!!!

We love you and we walk beside you each and every day to make God known in this world!!!! Steve & Debbie Wilson

www.marriagemattersnow.com

MM2013is here and January is always sin and will heal their land.”

If My People...


N ew Year’s resolutions are used to mark a new beginning in ones

lifestyle. Those resolutions include goals like weight loss, spending more time with family or friends, increasing our spiritual walk through church attendance or Bible study, or maybe even beginning a relationship with God. Yet God has made a way for us to walk in a new beginning every day. And that way is by daily putting our faith and trust in Him through attending to and heeding His Word.

We serve a God of new beginnings! God is willing and able to make all things new, to give us hope, and for us to have great expectations of faith. We have to make a decision each day to expect something fresh and exciting. We should wake up everyday declaring, “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalms 118:24)

The Word of God says in Lamentations 3:22-23, “It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” God gives us brand new mercy ever day. You have never lived one day off the previous day’s mercy! God does not follow man’s traditions of new beginnings; nor does God does not look at man’s shortcomings and forgive them only at the end of the year. His compassions never fail and He is faithful to give us brand new mercy for a brand new day every day - not a brand new mercy for a brand new year.

Our walk of faith with God is strengthened through the knowledge of His mercy and willingness to allow us fresh starts when we have failed or fallen short. Some people state that “He’s the God of second chances.” That is actually an

incorrect statement. He is the God of new beginnings – and there is a big difference! God wants our faith and expectation to be new every morning; this expectation comes through our daily trust in God and His knowing that He is able to care for every area of our life. We tap into God’s provision through prayer, reading, meditating and declaring His Word. Jesus instructed us to include these words in our prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread.”(Matthew 6:11). We must make a daily decision to not live off of yesterday’s bread or even yesterday’s mercies! If you fell, get up! If you missed it, try again! It’s not over unless you let your past become your future. God said in Jeremiah 29:11, “for I know the thoughts I think toward you, saith the LORD. Thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

As you make your decision to forget those things behind you and to start a new beginning, be mindful that change doesn’t come easy. The Word of God in Philippians 3:13-14, tells us how to go apply our faith in order to walk in a new beginning: “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching

It’s Never Too LateFor A New Beginning

forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” To “press” means to move against resistance. It is much easier to stick to what you have become accustomed to doing rather than to make a change that is going to require diligence and sacrifi ce. But the reward is worth the effort! So no matter what it looks like in your life, career, marriage, or certainly your walk of faith – it is never too late for a new beginning.

James A. McMenisWord of God Ministries

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January 2013 9

special feature


Every Tuesday and Thursday9:00am-2:00pm

Dr. John Howell fl oats over Chicago in a walk-out window of the Willis Tower.

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Short of sprouting wings, we humans cannot fl y; but, we want to! From the fatal attempt

of Icarus who fl ew too close to the sun and melted the wax in his home-made wings, to the successful maiden voyage of the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk, to mankind’s 1969 landing on the moon, we have always reached for the skies. Yet in every case, physical assistance was required to achieve liftoff .

Even superheroes must have some kind of booster mechanism, physical or chemical, to keep them aloft. Superman’s fl ight source is the sun, but his super strength is sapped and he plummets to the ground when he makes contact with the dreaded Kryptonite. Spiderman’s acrobatic aerodynamics depend upon his mutated body’s ability to throw sticky magic webs. And Batman the Caped Crusader must have his bat cape. Similarly, those humans who want to fl y through the air with the greatest of ease need an assist. Aerial artistry calls for trapezes, rings and nets. Hang gliders crave the perfect glider and that just-right wind current. Skydivers require an airplane and a parachute. And bungee jumpers need their cords and tethers.

But, Jesus and God? That’s another story entirely. All through the Bible you will fi nd instances of humans transcending gravity through the power

of the One who created the “laws of nature.” First, there’s Enoch. In Genesis 5:4 we are told that he “walked with God; and was not, for God took him.” His relationship with the Father was so close that he just disappeared one day and zip lined into heaven on an invisible cable. Cool! After the Resurrection, Jesus fl oated up to heaven like it was an everyday occurrence. I like the simplicity of Mark’s account: “So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.” Over. Done. (Mark 16:19; Luke 24:50-51; Acts 1:1-11) The Apostle Paul was “caught up to the third heaven” where he “heard inexpressible things, things that man is

not permitted to tell.” (2 Corin. 12:2-4) John the disciple was translated during the Revelation. As he looked up, a door opened in heaven and a voice “like a trumpet said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’” (Rev. 4:1) The two witnesses murdered by the Antichrist hear that same voice. The breath of life returns to their slain bodies and they rise in a cloud as their terrifi ed enemies look on. (Rev. 11:3-12) These cases are not visions. They are physical removals to another location or dimension that we cannot see with the naked eye.

The same experience is promised to believers in I Thessalonians 4:17: “Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them [the dead in Christ who rise fi rst] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” When the sorrow and evil of this life seek to rivet your feet to the dusty ground, remember what you learned in God’s fl ight school. We who are living at His Second Coming will meet Him in the air! And those of us hanging in between Now and Then will be with Him in Paradise the second we close our eyes in death. No wings required!

AirAirAirW� Shal� Mee� Hi� i� th�

Dianne B. HowellShreveport, LA

MFF – Tell us about how you became Miss

Louisiana.

Lauren – I did not get interested in pageants until a few years ago in college. My interest growing up was mainly soccer. I played for Magnet High School and hoped to play in college. Unfortunately, I suffered a knee inju ry and after two surgeries I knew that playing soccer collegiately was probably not an option. A friend of mine talked me into competing in the Miss Louisiana Tech pageant. I did really badly. Instantly I thought this is not for me. Other people who understood the system and what it takes to compete encouraged me to continue. I competed in a local pageant and won and later that year I f inished in the top f ive at Miss Louisiana. After this I was hooked. Not because I did well but because it changed who I was for the better. It made me well rounded and gave me a new form of self-conf idence. The following year I did another local pageant and f inished in the top f ive again at Miss Louisiana. It was mentally diff icult to make the decision to pursue the crown another year. I told a friend of mine I felt this was God telling me my pageant experience was over and this was not His plan for my life. My friend asked me how hard I thought Miss Louisiana had to work to be Miss America and if I believed it was something that was earned

just by showing up and doing well. She really put me in my place and it humbled me. From that time forward, I worked harder for the Miss Louisiana title than I had ever worked for anything in my life. After I won Miss Tech, things started changing for the better around me. Providentia lly things began to align themselves for me to win the third time at Miss Louisiana last June.

FF- What is your platform?

Lauren – My platform is titled be a STAR, which is an acronym for Service, Time, Attitude and Reward. It is all about being the ideal volunteer. My passion is getting younger children involved in volunteering as early as possible and changing the way they see it. When I ask kids, “What does volunteering mean?” The usual response is, “working hard and never getting paid.” However, it is about f inding your passion and donating the time to it whether it be volunteering, donating, or helping

purchase something for a fund raiser. Volunteering is all these things and more.

FF – Did you ever have any misconceptions about the pageant?

Lauren – Growing up I thought pageants were basically all about unfriendly girls, hairspray, makeup, high heels, and had no relevance in the real world. However, this is not the case. It’s about being a role model and working. Working towards something bigger than yourself. It’s also a year of sacrif ice and service. Mostly, I believe, it is about making a difference. The women I befriend in each pageant are not just physically beautifu l. They are intelligent, disciplined and desiring to make a positive impact on the world that we live in.. Many of them have faith in Jesus Christ


iss ouisiana, LLauren Vizza is preparing for a once in a lifetime experience. On January 12, 2013 she, our reigning Miss Louisiana, will participate in the Miss America pageant. For many young women, this is a dream of theirs or a parent that starts in childhood. But for Lauren, admiration and respect for the pageant system is something that developed later in college. She understands her title of Miss Louisiana as the result of hard work, perseverance and the will of God. Faith and Family had the opportunity to visit with Lauren and discuss her journey to the Miss America pageant. As you will read in the following, her beauty fl ows fi rst and foremost from the heart.

For Lauren’s People Choice video she hung out with a local girls soccer team.

High School and play soccer and I did. But I am very thankful for the Christian foundation and education my mother gave me at home. It helped mold and shape me into the woman I am today.

FF- Who do you consider to be the major infl uence in your life?

Lauren – My mother, Michele Odom. We have a specia l relationship and have gone through a lot together, including divorce. She is extremely involved in our community and truly desires to serve our Lord Jesus Christ and make a difference. While her faith and convictions are strong, she encouraged me to explore and develop my own sense of faith. In other words, she gave me the freedom to encounter Christ from my perspective and develop my own understanding of faith in Him. Also, my mother has taught me I can do anything I want to do and become anybody I want to become. When I mention to her a dream or desire, like Miss

Louisiana or even one day being Secretary of State, instead of telling me how it is not going to happen and I need to bring my dreams down to earth a little bit more, she tries to help me f ind a way to achieve what is in my heart. She is helping me f igure out ways to make it happen.

Throughout my life she has been a constant source of inspiration and encouragement and I am thankful for her.

FF – Nick (Nick Carroway is Lauren’s boyfriend) what is it like dating Miss

Louisiana?

and see the ‘title’ as means for their platform to be heard. Also, as a titleholder, you give up a year of your life to serve your state. This means my college graduation and future plans are pushed back a year. I cannot speak for every pageant and every pageant system, but the Miss Louisiana and Miss America organization is extremely professional and demanding. I am proud and thankful to be a part of both.

FF – Like a former Miss America, you were homeschooled for many years. Tell

us your thoughts about it.

Lauren – Yes. I was homeschooled until my sophomore year in high school and I loved it. My mother gave up a career to move here from Miami. She noticed I was forming some ‘bad’ habits in preschool and decided since she was home and had the opportunity she wanted her children around her. I played soccer, danced, attended various camps, was involved in church, cheerleading and other things growing up. I really enjoyed the f lexible schedule homeschooling allows. When my stepfather would travel to places like Chicago, we all went. While in these various places, you are able to study and explore the history, museums and other locations of historical importance – it is a type of hands on education. My plan was always to attend Magnet

Nick - It is a full time job in and of itself – ha! I am a first class pageant boyfriend. I try to help as much as possible in her training and encourage her. I believe because of who Lauren is she will make a wonderful Miss America.

FF - Nick, we at Faith and Family agree!

In Proverbs 31:30 we read, ‘Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fl eeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.’ God has blessed Lauren Vizza with physical beauty and the position of Miss Louisiana. While she is honored by the title and the opportunity to compete in the Miss America pageant this month, her true passion is to serve our Lord, trust his will and make a difference in the lives of others. Therefore, Lauren is already laying one of her crown’s at the feet of Christ. Thank you for your example Miss Louisiana and may God bless you in the Miss America pageant and beyond.

High School and play soccer and I did. But I am very thankful for the Christian foundation and education my mother gave me at home. It helped mold and shape me into the woman I am today.

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difference in the lives of others. Therefore, Lauren is already laying one of her crown’s at the feet of Christ. Thank you for your example Miss Louisiana and may God bless you in the Miss America pageant and beyond.

January 2013January 2013January 2013

VOTE NOW!You can help Miss Louisiana get

into the top 15 by going to www.missamerica.org/videocontest/

Watch Lauren’s video and vote!Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. PST on

Thursday January 10, 2013

Lauren with boyfriend, Nick Carroway.

Lauren with mom, Michelle, during a trip to France

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Going to the Purity ball was the best choice that I have ever made. I did not plan on going to the purity ball for the reasons that you may think I did. I was in the eighth grade, and I only wanted to be a princess for a night. I did get to be that, but I also had an experience that would change my life forever. Prior to this, I never saw myself as a leader. The day of the purity ball was the fi rst time I had ever had a mani-pedi, gotten my hair done, or worn a formal dress. I certainly felt like a princess. That night though was where God interceded into my life in a way I could have never imagined. I will never forget walking down the hall all fi xed up and seeing my daddy’s face. Although I did not know the extent of my commitment that night he did, and although I could only truly see my outer beauty he could see the beauty of God’s creation inside of me. I did not read all of this at fi rst but as the night went on he showed me this by his words and by his actions. I cannot to tell you all that happened that night for it is an experience each girl must experience for herself, but I can tell you how I felt and how it changed me. That night I heard stories of girls whose lives had been touched by God. My daddy made a promise to me to protect me always and to give me advice when I needed it. I made a promise to both my earthly daddy and to my heavenly daddy to save myself for the man God had made especially for me. I am introverted and my middle school was not the place I felt confi dent and courageous. Yet I learned that night that there was an alternative to living the life of a stereotypical teenage girl. I cried so much that night. I learned that God truly did love me beyond all understanding, and all the stories I had heard since I was a little girl about God’s greatness were brought into perspective.

Since then I have faced many struggles, felt God’s love, and heard His voice in many diff erent ways. I knew I was going to save myself for my husband, but that was not necessarily why I went. I certainly did not know how hard it was going to be to live a pure life. I am now very excited to be able to share this with my little sister. Even though we do not always get along, she has been a great encouragement to me; certainly I hope I have been a good role model for her. Christina will be attending this year’s purity ball, Redeeming Purity. She will inevitably face challenges in her life, and high school is no easy ride. I am glad that she too will have this experience and her commitment to God to guide her through life.

Sarah Ebarb

The Purity Bal lSarah Ebarb and her Dad at the Purity Ball

Recent gathering of youth and college pastors revealed some sobering

realities. As these leaders wrestled with some of the areas that they felt were most threatening to the future of the church, one major wound kept throbbing through the discussion. Students today represent the most Fatherless generation in American history...and few of us seem to be doing anything signifi cant about it.

According to www.Fathers.Com, nearly 24 million kids in the US are living in a home without a father tonight. This group is two times more likely to live in poverty and two times more likely to drop out of school. But that’s not the worst part. Studies show fatherless teens from 1st to 12th grade are at much greater risk for crime, drug abuse, teen pregnancy, suicide, emotional health, and low academic achievements. While numbers don’t usually move us to action, they do get our attention.

Our city needs fathers who invest in the lives of their children. These are men who model what it really means to be a man by being the chief servant in and outside their home. They love their wives like Christ loves the Church and put the needs of others before their own. Cowardly men are afraid to connect emotionally with their children, refuse to learn from their mistakes, and are doomed to repeat the same failures their fathers had with them. Men of integrity, courage, and strength, however; will, like the Apostle Paul, become all things to all people so that by any means necessary their children will not just be ‘saved’ but go on to become great leaders.

The most heartbreaking part for me is the lack of biblical parenting and discipleship we fi nd in the home today. The other section of our young society who actually do have fathers in the home is, in reality, just as fatherless. It is very rare to fi nd a Deuteronomy 6 father who is training his child up in the ways of the Lord. (And no, outsourcing your parenting to church is not being a father.) Having positional authority as a Dad is actually the lowest form of leadership. It’s the type of parenting that just says “Do what I say, not what I do” compared to the highest form of leadership which models “Trust what I say and follow what I do as I follow Christ.” That, my brothers, is the parental leadership we are called to.

What I fi nd most exciting here is that before Christ returns, we will see a revival among fathers in our nation. I’ve got 20 bucks that says this verse is true:

He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.” – Malachi 4:6God will do a miracle in the hearts of

fathers, but like most miracles, He will do it through broken vessels like you and I who are willing to be agents of change. Let’s think big picture for a moment. What exactly will it take to reverse the pattern of absentee parents in our city? Leadership. As Stephen Mueller, the director of Young Life in Austin, pointed out in a recent meeting - it will require the body of Christ to

reproduce leaders who are owning the fatherlessness

January 2013 17

in our schools, churches, and communities. Our churches desperately need more youth leaders who are willing to live as missionaries within their areas of infl uence. Student leaders and Deuteronomy 6 parents can multiply their eff orts by saying to others “Listen to the cry of the fatherless and follow me as I invest in the lives of these local children and teens.”

Investing in the lives of others is costly. Discipleship is messy. Laying down your life for your neighbor was never meant to be a hobby, but rather a lifestyle. You must have true compassion, unselfi shness, patience, and boldness to speak into the lives of others. We are harvesting a generation that does not know why they believe what they believe about Christianity, nor are they clear on what their identity in Christ is. This truth, combined with the lack of parenting we’ve been talking about, is severing the foundation of our churches and our nation.

This moral plague - fatherlessness and poor discipleship - is aggressively spreading like cancer and must be reversed. Yet I wonder what anyone is willing to really do about it? What are you willing to do about it?

This article is meant to be passed along to others as God speaks to you through it. Wrestle with the heaviness of it. Share your thoughts and feelings on this subject with a friend. Pray about your role in countering it. Most importantly, in celebration of a new year, I challenge you to do something about it.

Joe ElliottLaying down your life for your neighbor was

never meant to be a hobby, but rather a lifestyle.

A Fatherless Gene Ra tion

January 2013 19

Resolvolutions: Greater Success in 2013Consider this radical statement: Do not make another New Years

resolu� on ever! Rather, make resolvolu� ons that stem from the heart of God. Resolu� ons are self-sustained and resolvolu� ons are God-ordained!

Typically we enter the New Year with resolu� ons we conclude are the best plans for us or ones that sa� sfy the demands of others. Then they fail. The reason they fail is because we are going to do the impossible, achieve the goal we s� ll have not realized, sa� sfy demands people have made of us, etc. Without consul� ng God. Proverbs 14:12 says “There is a way (plans) that seems right to a man but in the end it leads to death (defeat).”

First Step: Rethink your plans by taking one step back. Set aside � me to journal and pray throughout the month to consult God. Next, wait for the Lord to speak to you through that s� ll small voice that runs through your thoughts. Ask Him to use people, places, and things to confi rm what you believe he has in store for you in 2013. Ask Him to abruptly close doors that are not His and open doors wide to things you are to hone in on. Then, you must be willing to receive what you know He is revealing to you. The bible says that in and of ourselves we can do nothing. However, Jeremiah 29:11

says the plans God has for us will allow us to prosper and achieve success. It also says when we seek Him we will fi nd Him and His plan for us!

Second step: Ditch the resolu� ons and base everything off of what you lay down instead of what you are picking up to control. Yes, all the resolu� ons you have made to lose weight, get a new job, get out of debt, etc. Instead of handling it, you hand it over. Instead of mending it, you allow him to mold it! More of Him and less of you is the answer. Ask for strength to set aside those things that are weighing you down and keeping you from becoming all God created you to be!

One fi nal key: Resolvolu� ons only s� ck and stay for the dura� on of the year if you live Romans 12:2 “Do not conform any longer to the pa� ern (demands) of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (taking � me with God). Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will (resolu� ons) are-his good, pleasing, perfect (successful) will.”

Renewing your mind daily confi rms resolvolu� ons of the heart and creates the ability for you to achieve success. This resolve keeps you focused and faithful to the resolu� on that God purposed for you.

Amy Dillion

[email protected]

WWWWWWWise W WWWW WWW WWW WW ordsWordsW“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes

are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” Matthew 6:22-23

special feature


Two live call-in radio shows featuring two well-known personalities in the

Shreveport-Bossier City area now air each weekday on The Promise radio station at 90.7 FM. Crossfi re Radio with Ed Baswell is broadcast 7-9 a.m. and Talk of the Town with Tom Pace can be heard 5-6 p.m.

The two informative and e n t e r t a i n i n g programs add another exciting element to The Promise, which started broadcast ing on May 1, 2012. They are also the only call-in shows in the Shreveport area which are not sports related. The Promise is the sister station to Miracle 89.1 FM. Programming is designed to provide the tools to build strong families, thereby building stronger churches which strengthen communities and help to build strong cities, states, and ultimately, a stronger country. Both stations are locally owned and operated by Family Life Educational Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofi t corporation.

“Talk radio is the most listened-to format in America. Call-in programs

are addictive, and with the addition of Ed and Tom, live shows on The Promise will account for over 14 hours of our broadcast day,” said Dan Perkins, operations director for both stations.

The call-in number for both programs is 318-550-2000. In addition to 90.7 FM, simultaneous audio streaming can be heard around the world at www.promisetalkradio.org.

Ed Baswell is best known to residents of the Ark-La-Tex as a former sports anchor for KTBS Channel 3, a position he held for 20 years, and then as Public Information Offi cer for the Bossier Sheriff’s Offi ce. He retired this fall to take on a new challenge – talk radio.

“I was used to having a script, but you can teach an old dog new tricks. We are a live show and it’s exciting,” he said.

“We are challenging today’s culture from a Christian perspective. If you come into the crossfi re and have a certain belief system that does not line up biblically, we will challenge you. For example, you cannot be a Christian and say there are many ways to Heaven. You cannot have it both ways.”

Baswell is the son of a Southern Baptist minister, living in East Texas, Northwest Arkansas and Northeast Oklahoma

while growing up. He graduated from Tulsa University, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications in 1974. Today he is also a pastor himself, serving a congregation of about 40 members at The Clarion Church.

“I believe in growing where you are planted. My garden is right here. I would like for this radio show to be syndicated and go all over the country. But this is all in God’s hands, not my hands,” he said.

“I have already received calls from North Carolina and Texas and other states. We would like to have more callers. You can listen to us on the radio and online.”

Controversial topics like abortion and politics are not off limits on Crossfi re.

“We encourage callers with different ideas. We want them to hear the biblical perspective. There is a more secular mindset developing in America now. We are in a culture war and we are a deeply divided country,” Baswell said.

“The goal is to convince as many people as possible to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and to see the world from God’s point of view as taught in the Bible.”

But there are no sermons or three-pint lessons here. Crossfi re is a conversation and Baswell welcomes guests both on the phone lines and in the studio. The focus is on current events and he typically has one guest in each one-hour segment of the program.

“I will give you your say. I am not insecure about people having other opinions. I will not step on anyone, but I will challenge you. We speak the truth

Promise Radio

Caption: Ed Baswell & Tom Pace airing each weekday on The Promise Radio Station 90.7 FM.

January 2013 21

in love from a biblical perspective. We are not mean or ugly. But we speak the truth,” he said.

Baswell also uses Crossfi re as a means of helping the community. He wants his listeners to know about and help support the nonprofi ts in the area, such as the Operation Blessing program run by the Bossier Sheriff’s Offi ce, the Shreveport-Bossier Rescue Mission and Community Renewal International.

“Let’s keep our priorities straight. I want people to help our community and I want people to be involved. The goal is a hand up and not a hand out,” he said.

Tom Pace has more than 40 years of broadcasting experience, having started his career at age 18 in Little Rock, Ark. On his Talk of the Town program, which aired earlier on another station, he has interviewed many prominent citizens and national leaders and entertainers.

“I had always wanted to be in radio, even as a child. It was always a passion. My Dad took a cardboard box that a dryer

came in and painted it to look like a TV set. I was in there for a school p r o g r a m when I was in the third grade,” he said.

“I am living out my dream. I was thrilled and humbled to be asked to do my Talk

of the Town broadcast here.”Pace squeezes a lot of information

into each hour, with each program featuring a breaking news roundup, a newsmaker of the day, sports reports, medical updates, the military and much more. One popular segment is entitled “It’s A God Thing” and focuses on those unexplained moments and mysterious coincidences.

“The goal is to bring together the community and give them information on things that touch their lives. It’s an overview of our community and what we do right and what we can improve,” he said.

“And it’s an opportunity for people to call in and talk with leaders in our community. It’s a microcosm of our

with Ed Baswell & Tom Pace community.”

Over the years, Pace has interviewed people such as B.B. King, U.S. Sen. Bob Dole, Habitat for Humanity founder Millard Fuller, and many more political leaders, entertainers and others.

“I would love to talk with Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf again. He’s a great man and the kind of person I love to interview,” he said. “I would love to have an interview with Dr. Billy Graham. What an amazing individual. If I could get one interview, that would be it.”

Pace is also very active in the community and does what he can on Talk with the Town to let listeners know how they can get involved. This year, for example, he served as chairman of the Christian Service Board of Directors.

“God put us on earth to follow our passions. My reward is knowing that I helped somebody. If you help enough people get what they want, you will get what you want. That saying is from Zig Ziglar and he is one of the most infl uential people in my life,” he said.

“God put me on earth with a microphone in my hand. It never gets old to me. It’s a natural high.”

David Westerfi eld

Ed Baswell using Crossfi re as a means of helping the community.

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“You cannot be too gentle, too kind. Shun even to appear harsh in your treatment of each other. Joy, radiant joy, streams from the face of him who gives and kindles joy in the heart of him who receives. All condemnation is from the devil. Never condemn each other. We condemn others only because we shun knowing ourselves. When we gaze at our own failings, we see such a swamp that nothing in another... can equal it. That is why we turn away, and make much of the faults of others. Instead of condemning others, strive to reach inner peace. Keep silent, refrain from judgement. This will raise you above the deadly arrows of slander, insult and outrage and will shield your glowing hearts against all evil.”

St Seraphim of SarovThe object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes. Unless a particular man made New Year resolutions, he would make no resolutions. Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective.

G.K. Chesterton

“You are w� ried and troubled about many � ings. But one � ing is n� ded.”

Luke 10:41-42

“As a handful of sand thrown into the ocean, so are the sins of all fl esh as compared with the mind of God.”“Just as a strongly fl owing fountain is not

blocked up by a handful of earth, so the compassion of the Creator is not overcome by the wickedness of his creatures.”

“Someon� wh� bear� � grudg� whil� h� pray� i� lik� � perso� wh� sow� i� th� se� an� � pect� t� reap � harves�.”

—S�. Isaa� � � Syria�

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4726 Viking Drive • Bossier City, LA 71111(318) 747-8919 Business • (318) 747-3880 FAX

January 2013 23

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