February Issue Exemplify

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“…IF I HAVE A FAITH THAT CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS, BUT HAVE NOT LOVE, I AM NOTHING.” Lorem Ipsum Dolor Sit Amet 1 CORINTHIANS 13:2

“May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.”

From The Editor’s Desk The Exemplify site and magazine is growing by leaps and bounds thanks to your support! In this month’s magazine you are going to find a few new columns, excellent content on our call to love and even a few juicy details on what we have going on online. Pay close attention to page 8 if you want to win a book series! We’re still in the beginning stages and need you to help us get the

Psalm 33:22

word out! Keep doing what you are doing. We look forward to serving you. Psalm 33:22 is my prayer for you this month. May His unfailing love rest upon you, as you put your hope in Him. Now, go on! Enjoy the magazine! :: Kristen Schiffman

COMING IN MARCH: Health Column

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Fashion Advice

Tech Column

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Contents: February 3, 2009 Meet The Writers

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The Maxey Letter Project

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Never Ending Love

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Love Is…What Makes Us Separate

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The Book Nook With Katrina

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The Juice

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Spotlight On…

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Amazing Love

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Titus 2 Corner With Christine

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A Sanctuary With Heart

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Featured Blogger

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I Will Always Love You

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Fiction Column: Mary

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Coming To Exemplify

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WE INVITE YOU TO TAKE A MOMENT TO GET ACQUAINTED WITH OUR WRITERS. AND STAY TUNED! IN MARCH WE WILL

THE EXEMPLIFY TEAM

BE FEATURING OUR NEWEST TEAM MEMBERS. Kristen is the founder and editor of Exemplify. As of March she will be writing the bible study column here at Exemplify.

Christine is the Titus 2 Corner columnist. Drawing from her experience as a mom of four, she prayerfully offers sound advice. She welcomes your questions at [email protected].

Andrea is Exemplify’s Family Columnist. She writes about her adventures as a wife and mom of three seeking to know Christ more.

Rachel writes the Fiction Column. With the call to study and apply God’s Word, she writes with the purpose of teaching.

Kara is Exemplify’s Devotional Columnist. She writes with a passion to see others love Christ with their all.

TO LEARN MORE Christy writes the Home Column for Exemplify. She writes with humor and creativity on how to make your house a home.

ABOUT OUR WRITERS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM ONLINE, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE!

Katrina writes the Book Nook Column. She is Exemplify’s source on all things literary!

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TH HE E MA AX XE EYY FA AM MIIL LYY LEETTTTEER R PR RO OJJE EC CT T "SO SPEAK ENCOURAGING WORDS TO ONE ANOTHER. BUILD UP HOPE SO YOU'LL ALL BE TOGETHER IN THIS, NO ONE LEFT OUT, NO ONE LEFT BEHIND." 1 THESSALONIANS 5:11, MSG.

Written by Kristen

Few memories break my heart like the ones I have of sitting in the pediatric chemotherapy ward with my high school boyfriend. He had Hodgkin's Disease. I've been marked by those moments. By the babies crying. The children hooked up to monitors wishing they could play outside. The teenagers missing football games and first dates. My boyfriend sitting before me, a shell of what he used to look like. Crying because of the pain he was in, begging to go home to his normal life. I was marked. By the parents dealing with the horrible diagnosis of cancer and the decisions that come with it. The brothers and sisters who would sit in the waiting room coloring all day long because they weren't allowed near their sick sibling for fear of getting him or her sick. Simply put, I've never seen anything strip like cancer. The Maxey family needs your prayers. I don't know how to tell you that with the right amount of urgency in my words. The Maxey family needs your prayers. In 2003, they lost their one-year-old daughter to cancer. In October they welcomed another baby girl named Annette. In December she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The prognosis is not good; in fact, with the particular type of tumor she has the survival rate is less than 10%. The Maxey Family needs your prayers.

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Cancer may strip but Christ heals.

What a testament it would be of what the body of Christ is capable of if this family finds out people across the world are thinking about them and lifting them in prayer.

Be bold in your prayers for this family and ask for a miracle. Ask for peace for the Maxey family; for provision and strength.

As we find ourselves starting a month that welcomes us to focus on the love we have for our spouses and family members, let’s focus on the love we are called to share as the Body of Christ.

God can do what He says He can do. Pray His Word over this beautiful baby girl and her family. You can even join The Maxey Letter Project Cause, if you are interested.

Let us rise up and answer His call. The Maxey Letter Project is being called “Building Hope: Where the body of Christ meets the Maxey Family through collected letters and prayers.”

Rachel, an Exemplify Team Member, recently launched a website that exists to collect letters and prayers written for The Maxey Family. Rachel shared her mission with the project saying; “I thought it would be a great thing for strangers everywhere to send letters to this family. I prayed for [God’s] direction and later received confirmation when I heard that Natalie [Mrs. Maxey] said sometimes the only thing that gets her through the day is knowing about people out there - complete strangers - who pray for her family and her baby girl. Thus the Maxey Family Letter Project was born.”

Come build hope with us. Come share the love of Christ with this family. And together, let us remember the root command we have been given in Him. “Love one another.” John 15:17

Our team wants to encourage you to write a letter to this family. They need our prayers. They need our support.

To visit “Building Hope: The Maxey Letter Project” please go to this web address: Hopeforthemaxeys.blogspot.com.

If you would like to contribute to the letter collection Rachel has started please visit "Building Hope: The Maxey Family Letter Project" and read up on this awesome project. (You can find the web address to the right.)

There you will find information on where to send your letters, ways to spread the word and just what the project is asking for.

Twitter about it. Grab a blog button. Blog about it.

Of course, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Exemplify on this matter at [email protected].

Tell your friends and your church. Wouldn't it be something to present this family with a book of letters and prayers written by every state? Even other countries?

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Never Ending Love Written by Andrea We have a silly, but sweet, little game we like to play in my family. It's called The Love War.

I can do things that show my love for him all day. I can declare that I truly love God with all my heart. But He still loves me more. He loves me so much, He gave up His Son for me. His love for me will never end. Ever. Even when I

It begins with one of my children telling me they love me. I answer back “I love you more.”

mess up. Even when I take control of things in my life of things I shouldn't be in control of. Even when I ignore His whisperings in my heart.

All of my children have inherited their Daddy’s competitive streak, so they always answer “I love you the most!”

He still loves me more. When I watch my daughters and son tell me they love me a gazillion times more than I love them, their eyes sparkle, they giggle, and their faces are

Of course, I don’t like to lose either, so my answer is “I love you with all my heart!” You’d think that’s where it stops. But, no. Hannah, my sweet, determined middle child, has discovered a way to take it even further.

filled with joy. They truly believe that they love me the most. I imagine God's face is much like theirs when He

After I have told her I love her with all my heart, she responds with "I love you never-ending neverending never-ending never-ending plus a million

tells me He loves me more. And you know what? He feels exactly the same way about you.

plus never-ending....”

He loves you more. In fact, He loves you neverending never-ending never-ending never-ending. I love Psalm 136, because each verse states His

You get the idea. Sometimes she goes on like this for a full minute! And then I tell her she wins. (I'm lying, though. I still love her more!)

love for us over and over again. To get the full impact, you should read the entire Psalm. Here's a teaser for you:

A few months ago after my son Ethan "won" a love war with me, God nudged me and whispered to my heart, "I love YOU never-ending.”

“GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD.

I can't even begin to describe to you how that made me feel. I can profess my love for Jesus non-stop.

HIS FAITHFUL LOVE ENDURES FOREVER.” PSALM 136:1, NLT 7

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Love Is…What Makes Us Separate Written by Sheila At the end of each year I spend time asking God to speak His vision for me for the coming year. He never fails to impress some scripture on my heart which sets the tone for the year ahead. At the end of 2008 the Word that pierced me was 2 Corinthians 6:17-7:1 which says: Therefore "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” "I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.” “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” I knew He was speaking sanctification to me, that is, that this year He was turning up the purification-fires in my life, and calling me to let go of all the dross- that filthiness of the flesh and spirit", which comes to the surface. But I was stumped by how to be separate, especially since the context of the passage refers to not being unequally yoked with unbelievers... I AM UNEQUALLY YOKED WITH AN UNBELIEVER!

So I prayed. Waited. Listened and heard the whisper, "Love is what makes you separate Sheila." I was relieved because I was being plagued with worries about how to "perfect holiness in the fear of God" and "be separate" without being holier than thou and running off to live in seclusion. I'm still taking this in, but this is what I know now: Love is what I must pursue in my quest to walk by faith this year in obeying God's call to rid myself of all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, maturing holiness in the fear of Him. Jesus said clearly in John 13 that His new command is not a bunch of do's and don'ts, but rather one "do", which will be the litmus test of everything I do or don't do. Love. Love as He has loved me... that is what sets me apart. This love is, interestingly enough, translated "charity" in the King James Version of the Bible, and it's fitting. Christ's love is charity. Christ-like love is an unearned, un-repaid giving of one's own life selflessly for the good of another. It's this love that allows us to touch other "filthy", "defiled" and "unclean" people (knowing apart from Christ we are one ourselves)

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at the same time not embracing the sin which defiles them and us. It's Christ-like love which sets us apart while we are among.

not rejoicing in sinful ways rejoicing in the truth (God's word is truth) bearing all circumstances believing (not having a suspecting or suspicious or cynical attitude) • hoping (trusting confidently in the goodness of God) • enduring (pressing forward for the prize in all circumstances, even when I see my sinfulness and fail) • love which sets us apart will never fail, it will never end. But all our other "spiritual" activities on this earth will. (from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 ) • • • •

It is not the ability to speak the languages of men and angels which sets us apart and makes us holy. For apart from love the speaker of tongues is just irritating noise ( see 1 Corinthians 13:1). It's not being prophetic in our conversations with others and being able to understand and explain the Bible and all mysteries of God which separates us from others, for without love the "prophet" is nothing. (see 1 Corinthians 13:2) It's not miracle working faith which distinguishes me from others and proves my maturity in holiness. Without love the miracle worker is nothing. (see 1 Corinthians 13:2)

What will set us apart now and for eternity is the mature holiness of love, which is found first in Christ. It's this love, which He defined and modeled for us which must compel us to do what we do or we are nothing and our labor is in vain.

It's not even giving generously to charity, feeding plenty of poor, and selling all I have which characterizes me as a called out one. For without "charity" (love) the philanthropist is nothing. (see 1 Corinthians 13:3)

You know, when it all comes down to love, Christ-like love, I have no misconceptions of myself as being “good” anymore. When it all comes down to loving like Christ loved us--I'm free and I'm scared. I can't lean at all on my own righteousness or spiritual-ness, I can only lean on the One who's gone before me. I'm not bound anymore by having to do this or forbidding to do that because I'm a Christian.

And even further, it's not martyrdom (in the sense we think of it- giving our bodies to be burned, tortured, abused in the name of obeying Christ) which proves my perfecting of holiness in the fear of God. For without love the martyr is nothing. (see 1 Corinthians 13:3) In my self-righteousness I might easily think any or all of the above would definitely set me apart from the "filth" of the flesh or spirit. How God thinks so differently than I!

I'm bound by His great love. What I do or don't do is compelled by desiring a 1 Corinthians 13 life to be lived out in me.

The way all people will know that I am a called out one, set apart, rid of all filthiness, mature in holiness, a disciple of Christ and a son and daughter of God is: • • • • • • • •

So in pursuit of mature holiness this year I'm pursuing love!

suffering long and being kind in the midst of the suffering not envying others not parading myself not being puffed up (haughty) not behaving rudely not seeking my own not being provoked not thinking evil

LEARN MORE ABOUT SHEILA ON PAGE 14! SHE IS THIS MONTH’S FEATURED BLOGGER.

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Written by Katrina

The Book Nook I have to admit; I'm pretty new to the genre of Katrina spiritual memoir. And I might as well tell you: I just  Honesty. L.L. doesn't sugar-coat the painful stuff made that genre up. I'm not sure if it's a legitimate, publisher-sanctioned genre. But it works for me. When I say "spiritual memoir," I mean a book in which the author shares their spiritual journey or faith journey, through the use of many personal stories, while at the same time pointing readers to some timeless spiritual truths that they've discovered along the way. In my experience, this "teaching" is not heavy-handed, but rather a natural outflow of their personal story-telling.

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So as I was saying, I'm pretty new to this genre; I've only read a handful of spiritual memoirs. And to be honest, my opinion of the books has been mixed. There are some I've read that I simply wouldn't recommend to others, for various reasons.

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But I can whole-heartedly recommend the most recent one I've read: Stone Crossings by L.L. Barkat. I first "met" L.L. at her blog, Seedlings in Stone, and it was there I first came to admire her poetic style and her love for God. So I wasn’t surprised at all to find that L.L.'s first book, Stone Crossings, is full of rich metaphors, a sense of wonder and grace, and an honest exploration of the truth. In Stone Crossings, L.L. Barkat shares the story of her life -- from heartbreaking childhood experiences, to becoming a wife and mother, to learning how to live out her faith in God on a daily basis.

of life. She shares honestly, from the heart, without melodrama, but with approachable sincerity. Encouragement. L.L.'s exploration of faith and spiritual growth felt, to me, like talking to a mentor. Always, she reminds the reader that God's grace is real and abundant -- available to us right now, wherever we are. Information. On topics from leprosy to the Old Testament Tabernacle, L.L. includes fascinating details that add a depth and new perspective to the Biblical passages she shares. An Accurate Filter. This was, to me, the most important factor in my appreciation for Stone Crossings. In several other spiritual memoirs I've read, the focus was primarily on the author (understandable -- it's a memoir after all), but it seemed that, though the author shared Scripture passages or thoughts about God, they too often interpreted God or the Bible in light of their own experiences. Not so with Stone Crossings. Throughout her story, L.L. is faithful to interpret her experiences in light of the truth of God and His word. Her focus on Scripture and its relevance is predominant, which I believe makes Stone Crossings stand out in its genre.

So if you're looking for a book that takes you on a journey of faith and growth, I encourage you to pick up a copy of Stone Crossings. And in the meantime, check out L.L.'s blog, Seedlings in Stone:

http://seedlingsinstone.blogspot.com/

But it's her personal approach that made me want to savor and re-read every chapter as I went along. Here's what she offers:

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The Juice Exemplify wants to keep you in the know regarding all the things we have going on in cyberspace! The Juice is our monthly dose of news for our readers. Get ready for some fresh, fun updates on more ways to get connected with women living lives that glorify Christ… Our new Facebook group is an awesome way to stay upto-date on everything going on at Exemplify. It is here you will find coming content in our magazine, want ads if you want to join the team, a prayer request board and other topical conversation threads. As well as the opportunity to meet with women from all over the world who are aiming to live lives for the glory of Christ. This month’s giveaway involves our Facebook group! If you haven’t already, go leave a comment on our “Getting To Know You” thread to be instantly entered into our book giveaway. You could win Tracie Peterson’s Alaskan Quest series! To access our Facebook group please visit our website for the address! Twitter is quickly becoming the easiest way to get information on our blog updates. The moment a new post goes up, get ready for a Tweet! To follow us on twitter visit: http://twitter.com/exemplify.

Have you joined The Kettle Club yet? This is a group of women who are committing to encourage one another to study God’s Word. Read all about it on our blog.

Speaking of our blog, have you subscribed yet? Every day you can expect devotionals and encouraging thoughts by our blog team. An excellent way to stay renewed throughout the month is by visiting our daily blog posts. We welcome you to check it out: exemplifymagazine.blogspot.com.

Have an event on your blog or a product you want The Juice to feature? Contact us to get details!

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SPPO OTTLLIIG GH HT O N … O NE V ERSE Today, nearly 200 million people representing over 2200 language groups are still waiting to hear God's message of hope in a language that they can understand best. OneVerse is a program of The Seed Company that enables you to help make God’s message available to people groups who are without the witness of His Word. This happens in the language that speaks to their hearts, the language they understand best, their mother-tongue. Through OneVerse, you join a team of prayer and financial partners to support local Bible translators. OneVerse Bible translation projects are managed exclusively by The Seed Company as we work in partnership with various organizations and local leadership. The Seed Company is working directly with over 200 translation projects in countries around the world. If you are interested in teaming up with Exemplify and giving to the OneVerse Boma fund, to help translate God’s Word, please visit www.oneverse.org/give/71600/4356 for more information.

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Amazing Love

Written by Kara

I have two confessions to make about Valentine’s Day. The first is I have never actually had a date on that blessed February 14th (fun fact: my dating history seems to be limited to the Spring through Fall seasons, I guess I’m weird that way). The second is I’m NOT bitter about it. I know a lot of single girls like to pretend Valentine’s is a lame Hallmark created day designed to unload the wallets of lovebirds whilst making those of us without a better half feel bad enough about ourselves to go out and buy all the leftover boxes of chocolate we can get our hands on while watching cute little romantic comedy ditties. Sorry, but I’m just not one of them.

We’ve all been duped. Love is so much more. It’s not your favorite bouquet of flowers or Dove dark chocolate or a fancy dinner. It’s not even the fairytale. It’s a Holy God who planned the unthinkable. He sent his one and only Son to earth to live as a completely human, though faultless man, and to die on the cross in the most heinous of deaths, a sacrifice that was demanded as payment for our sins. And he didn’t stop there. He planned that once we accepted that payment for our sin and invited Him in, he would come and live inside us, so we could always know how to live, and how much we are loved. He breathed through the pens of many, the Bible, the best book imaginable, as a love letter, a book with no equal. And over and over again in this book he keeps telling us, showing us, revealing to us just how deep his love goes for you. For me. For the whole world.

It’s just one day! Okay, so maybe the ads start up in January and the stores start putting out there V-day stuff practically the day after Christmas, but what of it? Does this nullify my worth? Does it mean, dare I say it, that I am unloved, alone, and pathetic?

What’s even more amazing is God invites us to share his amazing love with everyone else. That I could be a vessel of the patient, kind, never boastful, never angry, always hoping, never failing love is astounding. That’s not the kind of love I see in the latest Kate Hudson or Brad Pitt movie. It’s not the sentiment written on the inside of a Valentine’s card. This is real love. It has eternal value. And we all get to be partakers of it, both in giving and receiving. Is that not immeasurably better than dinner and a movie and a dozen roses?

Because here’s the real kicker: love isn’t just for Valentine’s Day, and it isn’t just for the happy couples. Love is for all of us. John 3:16 tells me so. “For God so loved the world...” That pretty much includes everybody. I don’t get one day to celebrate this truth, I get everyday. Beat that, Hallmark! I think the problem is that as a society we kind of have love pigeon-holed. We have these great romantic notions of love, which are perpetuated by ridiculous romance novels and even more ridiculous Hollywood fairytales. According to their rules if you are beautiful enough, charming enough, thin enough, or lucky enough, your true love will come along. And he will be tall, dark and handsome. And you will live happily ever after. And every Valentine’s Day will be a shrine to this wondrous romance. See what I mean?

“LOVE IS PATIENT, LOVE IS KIND. IT DOES NOT ENVY, IT DOES NOT BOAST, IT IS NOT PROUD. IT IS NOT RUDE, IT IS NOT SELF-SEEKING, IT IS NOT EASILY ANGERED, IT KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONGS. LOVE DOES NOT DELIGHT IN EVIL BUT REJOICES WITH THE TRUTH. IT ALWAYS PROTECTS, ALWAYS TRUSTS, ALWAYS HOPES, ALWAYS PERSEVERES. LOVE NEVER FAILS.”

::1 COR. 13:4-8 13

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T ITUS 2 C ORNER W ITH C HRISTINE One reader asked…

I have a newly crowned teenager and am wondering how to approach her access to movies? She is too old for Disney and yet I feel too young for what is out there! Do you have any tips on how to monitor the movies she wants to see, if I haven't seem them myself yet? This is a great question! As a mother of a four (three grown, one still a teenager!) I know how important this is. First and foremost, pray. Don’t under estimate the power of prayer concerning the media our children are exposed to. It is my prayer as we aim to raise children who love the Lord that their desires would be Godly. Ask the Lord to speak to your daughter’s heart on what content is appropriate to even want to see!

VISIT WWW.PLUGGEDINONLINE.COM! There is a very informative site put out by Focus on the Family that can help with this! Visit www.pluggedinonline.com. It is very easy to navigate and gives you all the information you could possibly want about up-coming movies or those already released on DVD.

The site breaks down the content of the movie with a quick synopsis of positive elements to how much sexual content, drug usage or foul language there is in the movie, if any. I highly recommend this site to anyone who wants to monitor what his or her children are going to be exposed to at the local theater. Hope this helps!

Have a question for Christine? Ask away at [email protected]! 14

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A Sanctuary With Heart Written by Christy ALLOW ME TO HAVE THE HONOR OF INTRODUCING YOU TO CHRISTY, OUR RESIDENT “ALL THINGS HOME” COLUMNIST! SHE JUST RECENTLY JOINED Who says holiday decorations are reserved for the OUR TEAM AND IS ALREADY CONTRIBUTING AWESOME MATERIAL. I MEAN, JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THE PROJECTS SHE HAS PUT TOGETHER FOR VALENTINE’S DAY! I LOOK SO FORWARD TO YOU GETTING TO KNOW HER & BEAUTIFYING YOUR HOME AT THE SAME TIME!

ENJOY, KRISTEN SCHIFFMAN

Christmas season? I know... you just got the aforesaid decorations taken down and tucked neatly away, but may I suggest that we decorate again? Right now. I’m not talking about snowmen and Christmas trees in February. I’m thinking more along the lines of pink and red hearts... everywhere! Valentine’s Day is almost upon us , so there’s no time to waste! Get that hair in a pony tail and put on your crafting clothes. You know... the ones you wear every time you paint and are now splattered with all the colors of the rainbow and every color in between... yeah, those. Please do not panic. I am not about to suggest launching a full scale remodel just for Valentine’s Day. What I am suggesting is that we take advantage of this special day to demonstrate our abundant love for our families. With me so far? All of the components required for the following projects can be found at your local craft store. Of course, if you’re like me, you may find these things in your garage, cabinets, drawers, and possibly under your bed! With a handful of little odds & ends, we can create some wonderful decorative pieces! Let’s have a look, shall we?

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These Very Valentine Trees are constructed from Styrofoam cones covered in white felt with a wooden dowel to serve as the tree trunk. Use foam bricks to secure the trunk into your handpainted clay pot. Grab whatever Valentine findings strike your fancy and attach them to the trees using white headed sewing pins. If your creative juices are not flowing yet, let me make some suggestions: I used white boa trim, ribbon, heart sequins, beaded fringe, self-stick gems, and small beads. You should be able to attach everything to your trees with the pins... no sewing or gluing required.

Next, these Valentine Messages are so simple! A white canvas board, stencil paint, some wooden hearts & letters, and about a gallon of glitter to make these messages shine! Okay, maybe not THAT much glitter. Anyway, I chose to leave the canvas white, but I think painting the canvas with simple shapes such as hearts, stripes, or dots would make these signs more interesting. Once finished, these adorable Valentine Messages could be hung on a wall or displayed on a plate stand. A few inexpensive frames with a quick coat of red or pink paint will add a touch of Valentine magic to any room. I decorated white card stock with cupcake stickers for my frames in honor of Kristen... she loves cupcakes! Another quick idea is to take a glass jar or vase, fill it with valentine candy (I like to use pink & red Jelly Bellies), and top it off with flowers or like I’ve done in this picture - a homemade chocolate sucker!

Every Valentine’s Day, I like to decorate my kid’s bedrooms by hanging hearts from their ceilings while they sleep. The first thing they see when they open their eyes Valentine’s morning is hearts, hearts, and more hearts! You can buy all different varieties of hearts to hang, but I’m a do-ityourselfer, so I like to make them! Cut out hearts in various sizes from construction paper. Punch a hole in each one and tie a string to it. You can hang them individually, string them together to make a banner, add stickers, or write on them with glitter glue. Once the little tots are fast asleep, creep in with a stepladder & tape to work your Valentine magic!

Now, please don’t expect these decorating ideas to earn you a cover spot on the Better Homes and Gardens Magazine! But I promise you’ll be rewarded with plenty of XOXOs! So what are you waiting for? Go love on that family the Lord has given to you. And don’t think that you’re off the hook if you are single. Ask the Lord to use you to demonstrate His love to someone this Valentine’s Day! “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. “ 1 John 3:18 16

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Sheila is a redeemed, 30 something, wife and mom who calls herself, "A Woman Found." Christ found Sheila plagued by sin and broken, and is transforming her little by little into the woman He always intended for her to be. She has a heart for women to know that their worth is found in Christ. She also has a passion for God to be honored in marriage, and for wives to find great satisfaction in their part in displaying God's glory. Sheila's experienced the pain of divorce, the fragileness of reconciliation, and the loneliness of being unequally yoked in her own marriage. She knows first hand that though giants loom in the land of marriage, our God is bigger, able, and willing to walk us through in victory over them all. Sheila clings to God's Word like a drowning woman and has a desire to draw others to God's word. She does not consider herself a writer, but has a need to write, feeling "woe is me" if she doesn't share her life and what she's learning from God's word through writing. You can find her doing just that at her blog Meditations and Confessions of a Homemaker: a-homemakers-meditations.blogspot.com

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It is with joy Exemplify features a blogger each month! We are pleased to introduce you to Sheila and hope you will visit her blog. If you are interested in becoming a featured blogger contact us online at exemplifyonline.com!

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I Will Always Love You Written by Amy Bayliss I have a notebook where I keep the contents of all that comes pouring out of my soul. It contains my thoughts, my emotional highs and lows, all of the ideas I don’t want to forget and the things God has whispered to my spirit. I was glancing through it the other day and came across a pearl of wisdom, or POW as I like to call it. It was a note in reference to Titus 2:4. These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children It said, “this love means to be friends with.” I had always assumed love meant love and that was that. Oh my, was I ever wrong! The original word used is actually a single word philandros. Philos, the word it is derived from, means to love in the sense of "to be friends with". It means, “friend, to be friendly to one, wish him well.” When expounded upon in the Greek lexicon we can find that the meaning of this “love” is different from the “love” of John 13:34, agapao, which means: ” to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly.” I don’t know about you but that gives me a whole new perspective of that verse.

I do believe that we were on to something in first grade. Will you be my friend? circle yes or no I will just be honest here. There have been times when I was not a friend to my husband but I never stopped loving him. According to my old interpretation of that scripture I would have believed that my nonexistent friendly acts toward him was okay. However, I realized while studying that we are to be friends with the hubs {term of endearment}. Here are some ways I have found to keep my friendship alive and well with my man…     

Take an active interest in his interests. Be his confidant. Make time for him. Reminisce about “old times.” Do something special for him every so often.

These are things that solidify a true friendship.

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The ability to think past your own desires and to make the time to engage in someone else’s interest speaks volumes to their heart. And if you pray and ask God to give you a genuine desire for those activities then they can be all the more fun! Being a good confidant goes beyond asking him to open up to you. You must show that you can be trusted with the deep things of his soul. Do you poke fun of him in front of others? Do you tell your girlfriends all about his shortcomings? Do you speak negatively to him about the way he feels? If so then you may find it hard for him to continue to reveal his heart to you. You must repent and ask forgiveness, from him and God, then start anew. Lastly, doing special things for him can be something as simple as buying him his favorite soda while you are at the store or leaving a note in his bible to something more extravagant like arranging a date at his favorite places or planning a party for him and his friends during the big game. Try doing one thing a day and see what happens!

TITUS 2:4 “THEN THEY CAN TRAIN THE YOUNGER WOMEN TO LOVE THEIR HUSBANDS AND

Meet Amy

Married to her best friend and “main squeeze”, Amy Bayliss is a 4th year homeschooling, coeducating mom to three boys who loves to celebrate life to the fullest and she enjoys writing about the pearls of wisdom God delivers to her soul. Amy is the co-owner of Heart of the Matter Online and Internet Cafe Devotions. You can also visit her at her site: In Pursuit of Proverbs 31 and her personal blog: AmyBayliss.com.

CHILDREN…” Find Amy online at: heartofthematteronline.com internetcafedevotions.com inpursuitofproverbs31.com amybayliss.com

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“NOW A MAN NAMED LAZARUS WAS SICK. HE WAS FROM BETHANY, THE VILLAGE OF MARY AND HER SISTER MARTHA. THIS MARY, WHOSE BROTHER LAZARUS NOW LAY SICK, WAS THE SAME ONE WHO POURED PERFUME ON THE LORD AND WIPED HIS FEET WITH HER HAIR.”

JOHN 11:1-2

Written by Rachel

I AM THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE THIS NEW FICTION COLUMN WRITTEN BY ONE OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS,

RACHEL.

EACH MONTH YOU CAN LOOK FORWARD TO RACHEL FICTIONALIZING A STORY FROM SCRIPTURE.

SHE WRITES WITH BEAUTY. GRACE AND PURPOSE AS SHE GLORIFIES CHRIST.

I HOPE YOU WILL ENJOY HER FIRST CONTRIBUTION, BASED ON THE STORY OF LAZARUS FOUND IN THE BOOK OF

JOHN, CHAPTERS 11 AND 12. --KRISTEN SCHIFFMAN

Mary stood in the shadows of the doorway, listening intently. Men’s voices, deep and melodic, floated towards her ears. She strained for a snippet of His voice. "Mary!" Martha hissed, pressing a bowl into her hands and grabbing her shoulder. "Move away from there! We have so much to do!" Turning, Mary followed Martha back into the kitchen and began to grind the herbs in the bowl with a stone. Her thoughts wandered. She stole another glance into the sitting room. Lazarus reclined beside the table, his cheeks pink with laughter and wine. She shuddered. Only days earlier she had seen those same cheeks, pale and cold. The eyes that now danced as empty and lifeless as a stone. *

*

*

What a horrible few days it had been. The illness that wrenched his body in pain and discomfort. She sat by him hour after hour, clinging to her brother's hand as he slipped further and further away from her. Martha sent for Jesus. Surely when Jesus heard of the news of Lazarus, He would return. Or so they had thought. But Jesus didn't come. I guess He didn’t care about Lazarus as much as He claimed, Mary thought bitterly, sponging the perspiration off of Lazarus’ forehead. And then what they had hoped would not be inevitable happened: Lazarus, weak and ill, gave up the fight. He was gone. Mary went out into the back garden and sobbed with mourning and fury. She lay down on the cold ground, earth gathering under her fingernails. She poured her heart out to God, angry at the supposed "healer" for neglecting the brother He claimed to love. Bitterness consumed her, choking her until she felt unable to swallow.

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“Why?” she cried out. “Why, God? Why would You bring this man into our lives to drive up our hopes, only to disappoint us?” She swallowed thickly and rose from the ground. “He let me down and so have You.” She marched back into the house, her accusation ringing in the silence. Over the next few days, Mary found herself growing to resent Martha and her quiet strength. Martha made burial preparations, washed and wrapped Lazarus's body, and organized the men to move him to the tomb. Mary helped half-heartedly, stopping all efforts when the grief and disappointment overcame her. Many well-wishers came, offering condolences, food, and service. Martha graciously thanked and welcomed them, but Mary kept up no pretense. She held onto her hostility like a lifeline. On the fourth day after the death of Lazarus, and young man came to the house. “He’s here!” he cried as soon as the door was opened. “Jesus, the Master! He’s back!” Martha’s eyes filled with tears as she rose from her seat. She strapped on her sandals hurriedly. “Aren’t you coming?” she asked Mary, grabbing her shawl. Mary waved her hand in indifference. “Why should I go to meet with Him when He couldn’t find the time to come and meet with us?” “I don’t think that’s how it is, Mary,” Martha cautioned gently as she slipped out of the door. Mary stood up and went to the window, watching Martha run at top speed down the dusty path. She’s wrong, she thought, backing away from the window. She looked down and noticed her hands were shaking. Martha returned after a while. She strode across the room, her eyes shining with tears and a brightness Mary had never seen before. She bent to whisper in Mary's ear. "The Teacher is asking for you." A smile played at her lips. Mary jumped up, not out of respect but out of social custom. It would do her no good to refuse the summons of a man, especially one who was regarded as a master teacher. She left the house and ran to the city gates, followed by some faithful Jews concerned for her well-being. He stood before her, the hem of His cloak ragged and dusty from traveling. She shielded her eyes in the bright sun, trying to differentiate His face from its rays. Remembering her place, she dropped to her knees before Him. Why did You not come!? she wanted to scream at Him. Why did You not save him? How can You heal people You don't even know but have no compassion for Your friend? "Master," she began, forcing the resentment out of her voice, "if You had been here, my brother would not have died." She swallowed hard, trying to stem the overflow of tears. Her chest ached with repressed grief. Regret and sorrow overcame her, and she sobbed at His feet. He stood still before her. He did not deny her accusation nor defend His position.

She carefully lifted her eyes to His face. Her heart caught in her throat at the sight of tears in shining in His eyes. She felt her hands shaking again. "Where have you laid him?" He asked huskily, a catch in His voice. Mary shook her head, unable to speak over the lump in her throat. Another stepped forward. "Come and see, Lord." Mary rose and followed them to the tomb. She stood back, watching the party. Then she saw the strangest sight: Jesus' shoulders shook with emotion. He was weeping! The mourners murmured among themselves, noting how much Jesus had loved Lazarus. Mary, however, pulled away from them, and instead gravitating towards those echoing her own thoughts. "He can give sight to the blind - could He not have saved Lazarus?" danced in her ears and mind. After several minutes, He composed Himself and stepped forward. He cleared His throat and spoke loudly. "Move away the stone." "But Lord," Martha interjected, surprising Mary with her sudden arrival, "our brother has been entombed four days. There will be an odor by now." She cast a nervous glance around as the others nodded. Jesus turned to face Martha, kindness and understanding in His eyes. "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" He asked softly. Martha bit her lip and lowered her head, nodding slightly. The men moved forward and threw their weight into the stone, rolling it aside. Mary pinched her nose, hardly believing what she was seeing. How many laws were they breaking? How much more difficulty would this man bring upon them? Jesus closed His eyes and raised His hands toward heaven. "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me, but I say this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe You sent me." He stood for another moment, lips moving in silent prayer, then lowered His hands. Stepping forward to the tomb entrance, He called out, "Lazarus, come out!" Mary's heart skipped as her emotions whirled around in her head. What would happen? Would nothing happen, and would Jesus become a laughingstock? Would Lazarus walk out, smelly and decaying, a shell of his former self? She sensed movement in the tomb and raised her hands to her eyes, peeking through her fingers. Slowly, a bit unsteadily, Lazarus stumbled out of the tomb and into the sunlight.

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The strips of white linen fell from his body as he moved, and he removed the burial cloth from his face. He blinked in the bright sunlight, taking in His surroundings. He spotted Jesus and his face broke into a wide grin. Mary gasped, her heart pounding in her throat. Surely this was a trick of the light. She glanced at Jesus, surprised to see tears shining in the corners of His eyes again. He embraced Lazarus, then stepped aside. "Help him out of these burial clothes," He instructed. And so they did. All but Mary. She stood there, watching as though from far away. She wanted to run to her brother and kiss him, but she was too afraid. She watched as Martha threw a cloak over his shoulders and tipped a cup of water to his lips. Tears blurred Mary's vision, and she felt strangely cold. She turned to Jesus, who was now surrounded by His disciples. "You knew, Lord!" one was crying. "You planned this! You are Lord over everything!" And they worshiped Him. Mary turned away, unable to bear the sight. Clutching at her skirts, she gathered them and ran back home. Later that evening, after much celebrating and rejoicing at the return of their brother, Mary and Martha sat in their room, sewing. "He's it," Martha had whispered excitedly. "He told me today He is the resurrection and the life. After seeing what He did with Lazarus, how can I not believe He is the Christ?" Her face had glowed with exhilaration and tears coursed down her cheeks. Mary said nothing, keeping her thoughts to herself. *

*

share His glory with another. Mary's brow wrinkled. Something wasn't connecting. And then it hit her, as though a candle was illuminated in her mind. Jesus had spoken, and Lazarus came forward. He didn't utter an incantation or plead for God's intervention. He spoke - He commanded - and it happened. "Just like Creation..." Mary said aloud. Martha glanced up from stirring the pot on the fire, giving Mary a strange look. "Are you all right?" Mary turned slowly to face her sister. "God won't share His glory with another... He is God!" The bowl slipped from her hands and shattered on the floor. "Mary!" Martha hissed, but Mary didn't hear her. Mary tore from the kitchen and thundered down the hall, not caring how much noise she made. She rounded the corner into the bedroom and stared at their belongings, searching. Then she spotted it, white and bright as though a light from above illuminated it. She strode forward and lifted the heavy box off the ground. The alabaster was cold in her arms. She moved carefully back down the stairs, the weight of her decision resting heavily in her arms. Martha would be furious. But what Martha thought wasn’t what mattered. She stood in the doorway, her heart racing and her breath coming in fast gulps. From the kitchen, Martha's eyes were question marks. Mary stepped into the light of the dining area, abandoning all social pretenses. She studied Him, as normal as normal could be and yet more beautiful than anything she could imagine. Her eyes traveled to His hands that rested gently in His laps. She thought of the health, nourishment, comfort, life that had come from those hands. How could she have criticized Him? How could she have accused Him? Her chest heaved with pent-up sobs and she gasped aloud. The men turned to look at her. Tears poured down her cheeks as she stepped forward. "My Lord..." she whispered, dropping to her knees before Him. “I am so, so sorry,” she gasped through her tears. She looked up into His eyes, finding nothing but kindness and warmth and acceptance there. Her entire body shook with emotion. “Forgive me,” she begged, feeling as though she would burst inside. "I believe... forgive my sins, Lord... free me..." Her voice was so low, no one could have heard her, and yet she was filled with an exhilarating warmth, a rushing in her spirit.

*

Now as she stood in the darkening kitchen, grinding herbs without thought, her mind wandered to the man in the dining room. Who was He? Who is He? Who do you say He is? Goosebumps broke out on Mary's arms and the hair stood up on the back of her neck. She could not deny His power. She had seen Him bring her brother - the dead brother she had wrapped and then performed the subsequent ceremonial cleansings for - back from the dead. A verse of long ago, something she learned at her father's knee, came back to her mind. " 'I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord,' " she whispered to no one. Her hands shook with emotion. As though like waves, the words of Hannah, mother of Samuel, came to her: "The Lord brings death and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and raises up." Yes, therefore God must have used Jesus as a vehicle. That doesn't mean Jesus is God, the conflicting voice in her head said. Remember the words of Isaiah? The Lord will not

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Fumbling with the alabaster box, with everything she had to her name, she tipped it over His feet. “I give You everything, all of me,” she whispered. Thick, warm perfume spilled over His feet and onto the floor. She leaned down and pressed her face to His feet, kissing them ever so slightly. She reached up and released her hair from the pins and gently wiped His feet with the strands. Her tears completely obscured her vision, but as she raised her eyes to Him, she thought she could make out a smile. Her breath caught and she realized the scent of the perfume permeated the room. It was the sweetest fragrance she'd ever known. A cold voice cut through her emotion. "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?" It grated with self-righteousness. Mary felt instantly ashamed. Should she have sold the perfume and given it to the poor? Wasn't that what Jesus said? Had she directly disobeyed Him in her most honest effort to worship Him? She felt a warm hand come to rest on her shoulder, and at His touch her anxieties vanished. "Leave her alone." He spoke with authority yet in kindness. Silence descended upon the room, everyone waiting to see what He would say. "She has done what is right," He replied quietly but steadily. His voice was a balm to her soul. "It was intended that she should use this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor with you; you will not always have Me." Freedom rushed over her, like a dam bursting from a rushing river, as though the chains constricting her chest had been released. She sobbed onto His feet, embracing the liberty He offered. She had accused Him, He had defended her. He didn't push her away, but let her stay at His feet as long as she needed. After several minutes of private yet public worship, she staggered to her feet. She felt weak from emotion yet she sensed a new strength she couldn’t define. Lazarus rose and put his arm around her shoulder, steadying her. Though her legs shook, her heart was firm. Passover would come and go, but her Lord would be forever.

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’” John 11:25

Adapted from from John 11:1–12:7

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Coming To Exemplify! As our magazine grows, so does our team! Next month Exemplify will be introducing three new columnists to the mix with content that is sure to please. We will also be hosting another giveaway, spotlighting ministries, featuring bloggers and things going on in the blog-o-sphere. We welcome your blog submissions, articles and prayer!

To contact Exemplify for writer’s guidelines or with a ministry that you wish to have spotlighted please email Kristen at [email protected]. You are welcome to join the blogroll on our website www.exemplifyonline.com and to send us feedback on our site as well. We look forward to serving you this year as we grow! May your February be abundantly blessed, The Exemplify Team