March Issue

GOD OF CREATIION EDITION

M A R C H

MARCH 2009

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Welcome New In This Issue: Exemplify is happy to announce the following new columns in our March issue:

In Like A Lion…

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I’ve been noticing so many women write on their blogs, websites and Twitter how they are longing for spring to

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arrive. March seems to stir within us a hope for newness and sunshine. We want to shed our winter clothes and get out

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our flip flops once again! Spring offers us a renewal of sorts, a season to be reminded again that the same God who spoke creation into being still speaks to us today. This issue is dedicated to the celebration of our God, who is Creator. Still today. He still speaks with power and creates with wisdom by His side. He still offers renewal and hope. He still sends rain to the nourish the earth and tells flowers when to dawn with life. This month may we take some time to reflect on our Lord God as Creator, praising Him for the work of His hands. I pray this issue will help you do just that. Following hard after Him, Kristen Schiffman 2

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Tech Column with Amy Bayliss In 10 Minutes or Less with Carol Fashion Column with Jennifer Health Column with Shannon

Also be sure to check out our new monthly feature, The Juice!

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Contents: March 3, 2009 Meet The Exemplify Team

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Preulde to Genesis

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Spotlight On…

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The Orginator of Original

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Guarding Your Heart

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God of Creation, God of Comfort

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In 10 Minutes or Less…

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Ministry: Online

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Titus 2 Corner with Christine

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The Juice

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For the Love of Fashion

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Featured Blogger

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The Work of His Hands

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From Nothing to Something

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Creating A Sanctuary…

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The Book Nook with Katrina

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Eve

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Announcements

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© Exemplify 2009 - The contents of this publication are the copyright of either the individual columnists or Exemplify itself and cannot be reproduced in any form without prior written consent from the author or editor-in-chief, Kristen Schiffman.

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TAKE SOME TIME TO GET ACQUAINTED WITH OUR WRITERS. THIS MONTH WE ARE SPOTLIGHTING THEIR PERSONAL BLOGS AND WEBSITES. Kristen Schiffman, Editor & Study Columnist

dancinginthemargins.typepad.com

Andrea, Family Columnist

undergraceovercoffee.typepad.com

Christine, Titus 2 Corner Columnist

[email protected]

Katrina, Book Nook Columnist

callapidderdays.com

Christy, Home Design Columnist

christyklein.wordpress.com

Kara, Devotional Columnist

karacwak.blogspot.com

Rachel, Fiction Columnist

afuturepastorswife.blogspot.com

Amy Bayliss, Tech & Blog Columnist

inpursuitofproverbs31.com

Jennifer, Fashion Columnist

somanybooksblog.blogspot.com

Shannon, Health Columnist

asetapartgirl.blogspot.com

Carol, In 10 Minutes or Less Columnist

she-lives.typepad.com

Christy M., Facebook Administrator & Blog

crittyjoy.wordpress.com

Patty, Blog Contributor

pattywysong.blogspot.com

Joanne, Blog Contributor

joannesher.blogspot.com

Sheila, Blog Contributor

a-homemakers- meditations.blogspot.com

Shane, Blog Contributor

heartreflections.wordpress.com

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Feature Article by Elaine Olsen “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was fo rmless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” (Genesis 1:1-2) Thought precedes action.

Six days of creative impulse and then a seventh to sit back and to reflect.

Always.

Doesn’t quite do the process justice, does it? We think it does. We’ve perfected our telling of said process, and on most days, I am quite content with a faith that walks so simply. But in doing so, in accepting the “flannel graph” version of Creation as presented to me in my youth, I miss the depth and the breadth of a beautiful pondering.

We may not be aware of the processes that coordinate behind the scenes to fuel our accomplishments, but they are there. Existing and simmering to bring about the plans of our heart ... to walk the dreams of our creative impulse. Thoughts are the stuff of creation. Without them, our lives walk accidental, void of purpose, and full of happenstance. And if that’s the case, if life is but an inadvertent pause birthed through inconsequential measure, then God is no longer needed. Rather, he is relegated to the role of an occasional participant in the Creation story when we need the story to make sense. When our thoughts force us to fill in the blanks of our beginning with some semblance of reason.

I miss God’s thoughts in the process, and to miss God’s thoughts in any process is to neglect one of his most sacred gifts to us as his children— to think with the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:9-16). Thus, rather than sitting on the backside of Creation’s completion … rather than pulling up a chair on a seventh day to sit and ponder the fruition of a week’s hard labor … I carry my chair to the front side of our beginnings. To the moments that gathered and filled and served as the prelude to our

How callous we’ve become in our approach to our Genesis—to the whispers of all things Edenic that breathe a story much bigger than the one to which we’ve grown accustomed. 5

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Genesis. They are there, not figments of a wild maybe, but real moments that are yet to be recorded by man’s pen but that are fully scripted in the annals of heaven. Our God is eternal, and with Him is our beginning, our end, and our every breath in between. Accordingly, as the pages of our Genesis unfold, we find Him already present. Waiting. Hovering. Contemplating the dark and the deep, the formless and the void, knowing that out of his cauldron of wet, he would pour forth and plant the fruition of his thoughts. Somewhere between seemingly nothing and everything, God lingered with his thoughts and with the endless possibilities that were his to write. To create and to birth. To fashion and to form. To measure and to mold. To perceive and then to paint. See God there, staring into the face of the deep and monitoring the reflection of his thoughts as they gaze back at him. Pause and consider the moment. Linger long enough and full enough to grasp, at least in part, the magnitude of your beginnings. There, amidst the ripples of blue skies and earth’s grass, stars and galaxies, flamingos and bluebirds, peach trees and rose bushes, amidst the swirls and inklings of all manner of species, comes another ripple. Your ripple. Your face, presenting itself as a possibility on the canvas of God’s forever. Your life reflecting back into the face of your Creator. Imagine that moment, and if you’re still standing, find your knees and your gratitude for the truth of such a beholding. Long before you imagined your Father, he imagined you and lovingly decided that, indeed, you would play an important role in his creation.

That you would bare his likeness and that his “goodness” would be declared over you, even though he knew you would be prone to declaring otherwise. Your created life didn’t begin inadvertently. It began with the thoughts of God, long ago and far way in a distant dark and wet that hosted his hovering and that boasted his canvas. You aren’t his accidental impulse. You are his intentional pause—his deliberate holding until such a time as this when your seed of his Genesis’ prelude has finally bloomed into the living witness of his creative genius. That, my friends, is what pulling up your chair to the front side of creation will get you. A truth that exceeds your sixth day arrival. And while some would argue that God worked up to our creation—that somehow after five days of a busy work week he finally yielded his best—I would say that his best was birthed long before that sixth day ever arrived. Why? Because thought precedes action. Always. In our minds and in God’s. And since his mind exceeds ours and his actions all the more, our faith should grow in the belief that we are and have always been seeded with his eternity. Indeed, it is a story that is much bigger than our occasional flannel graphs and our reasoned grasp. May God grant us the wisdom and the willingness to walk its depth and to speak its grace with the whispers of the Genesis prelude pulsing in our hearts as we go. Thus, I pray… Thank you, Father, for thinking up me. For pausing long enough to count my ripple worthy of your kingdom canvas. I cannot fathom such grace, such favor on my behalf; nonetheless, you’ve allowed my voice a melody or two alongside yours, and I am undone with the gift. Thank you for the blood of your Son that counts me worthy of any measure of kingdom influence 6

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You, alone, harbor the seeds of my beginning and the punctuation of my end. You’ve seen it all; you know it all, from the prelude of Genesis until now, throughout forever. May I always harbor the certain and secure faith that comes from such a sacred knowing. Amen.

Copyright © January 2009 – Elaine Olsen. All rights reserved.

You can read more about Elaine and her blog Peace for the Journey on page 22! This month she is our featured blogger.

“The first verse of the Bible gives us a satisfying and useful account of the origin of the earth and the heavens. The faith of humble Christians understands this better than the fancy of the most learned men. From what we see of heaven and earth, we learn the power of the great Creator. And let our make and place as men, remind us of our duty as Christians, always to keep heaven in our eye, and the earth under our feet.” --Matthew Henry

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We are proud to spotlight A Woman Inspired! With a conference jam-packed with godly content for women coming in April, followed by four more conferences this year, how could we not spotlight this awesome ministry? Please vist www.awomaninspiredconference.org for FULL details! Do you have a desire for more? • • • • •

No traveling is required. Well, except a walk over to where your computer is located. But, there are no layovers, no shuttles and no hotel rooms. Ah well, there goes room service. I hope your fridge is stocked.

more of Him? more evidence of the fruit of the spirit? more joy in life? more Holy Spirit control so that your flesh will submit? more courage to walk in your God given dreams?

Makeup and fixed hair is optional. BUT, let me point out how much better you will feel if you actually do get out of the sleep clothes, splash some water on your face, apply some face powder and give your hair a quick fix. C'mon ladies. Show yourself some love.

If so then you have come to the right place. We too have those same goals in mind. We too desire to see the Hand of God so evident in our lives that it causes others to be drawn to Him as well.

No childcare needed. Okay so someone has to watch the little ones while you are being transformed but we are women and we can do two things at one time, right?

Join us April 6th through the 9th! An online audio conference uses the Internet as a conference venue. What this means to you is that you will be able to access the conference from anywhere in the world using standard browser software which we provide. This software is compatible with all computers including Macs and it is provided by us, to you, with the cost of admission. All you need is a computer, internet connection, and speakers!

Financially possible. I am the first one to exhale loudly when I hear of the cost of some conferences and although I admit that nothing can replace that special experience at least now we have an alternative when money is tight. And hey... at this price you can afford to buy more great products from your favorite speaker, eh? 8

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Devotional Column by Kara I’ve been known to jump up and down in glee over seeing snow fall. A colorful sunset usually gets a round of applause from me (which can be dangerous if I’m driving down the road so it’s better if someone else is behind the wheel during that hour of the day. Consider that a, “Heads up!”). And the ecstasy over being on the beach and jumping into waves in the ocean, my word, my heart just about beats out of its chest. I am unashamedly in awe of creation. I love the changes in the seasons. I love laying on my back and looking up at the stars and trying to grasp with my finite mind how many of them there are and then consider that God calls each one. I sigh with delight over gold, red, and yellow leaves in November. I relish playing in the dirt and watching pretty flowers grow in my backyard in the spring.

He spoke and giraffes and zebras and flamingos were created. He determined that I would have my mother’s green eyes instead of my father’s gray blue ones. He made me left handed and short like my mom instead of right handed and tall like my sister and father. Psalm 139:13-14 is one of my all time favorite passages of scripture, detailing God’s intimate role in our creation: “For You created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful I know that full well.”

Maybe Hallmark commercials get you all weepy, but watching the Travel Channel or going to the zoo is what gets me. To imagine that the same God who fashioned the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean and the platypus and my pug dog Phoebe is the same one who hears me when I pray is nothing short of astonishing to me. He came up with snow. He designed the colorful orange pink and golden hues of a sunset.

I think about the creation account in Genesis 1, when God would look at all the things He had made and would proclaim them as good. When it came time to assess the workmanship of the human being, he said it was very good. Think about that. Amazing sunsets, awe-inspiring galaxies, majestic mountain ranges, diverse creatures on land, in the sky and sea, and God gave the very good nod to us. 9

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Created in His image. Fearfully and wonderfully made. Woven together in the depths of our mother’s womb, a passionate, artistic God made something more amazing than anything else in all creation. He made you. He made me. I was never the best Science student so a lot of the complexities of the human body are over my head, but I can truly say we are all works of art. Try looking in the mirror and saying that about yourself. Stop and take your pulse and think about the blood that God keeps pumping through your veins. Study your fingerprints and know that yours are absolutely unique. A God with limitless power, ability and creativity designed the layout of your frame, the time you would be born, where you would live, who your parents would be. The Apostle Paul said it best in Acts 17:24-28 "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'” Sometimes a particularly spectacular sunset causes me to praise God with hallelujahs. As a believer, I know who came up with such an amazing finale to the day that He has made. His artist’s palette is never short on vibrant hues. God is inventor of all things bright and beautiful. He is the originator of original. He is the maker of me. And that deserves some serious praise. Hallelujah!

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“The God who made the world and everything in it, this Master of sky and land, doesn't live in custommade shrines or need the human race to run errands for him, as if he couldn't take care of himself. He makes the creatures; the creatures don't make him. Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn't play hide-and-seek with us. He's not remote; he's near. We live and move in him, can't get away from him! One of your poets said it well: 'We're the God-created.'” Acts 17:24-28 (The Message)

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Health Column by Shannon “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23

Lowering your cholesterol – Choosing the right foods •

In scripture, God tells us to guard our hearts more than anything else. Most would argue that this verse is referring to emotional purity, and is not supposed to be taken literally. But in truth, your heart is one of the most important organs in your body. It makes sense that you should take care of it, strengthen it, and guard it! And it’s never too early to take precautions regarding heart health.

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Last month was American Heart Month. Did you stop to think about its significance? Maybe you will once I tell you this: heart disease is the number one killer of women in America.

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Living a heart-healthy lifestyle really comes down to four things: lowering or maintaining your cholesterol, losing weight or maintaining your weight, being physically active, and refraining from smoking.

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Get lots of fiber in your diet: whole grain breads, cereals, and pasta; berries; broccoli; and spinach and other green, leafy vegetables Cut out saturated fats and opt for unsaturated. Use olive oil when cooking in place of butter or grease. Eat more seafood: studies show people who consume a Mediterranean diet are at a much lower risk for heart disease. Eat more grapes, which are rich in antioxidants. Also, a small amount (4 oz.) of red wine each day may help lower cholesterol. Try eating more seeds and nuts, which contain a substance that blocks cholesterol. Companies are now starting to enrich other foods with it as well, so look for the words “plant sterols” in everyday grocery items like orange juice and margarine.

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Ask God to help you guard your heart, both emotionally and physically. Losing the weight – Diet & Exercise Tips •

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friends in your quest to eat healthier. Don’t make something different for yourself for dinner because it’s healthier; have everyone enjoy a healthy meal together.

Fast facts: Women who aren’t physically active are 25% more likely to have heart problems. Although simply restricting fats and carbs doesn’t significantly lower the risk of heart disease, being overweight greatly increases your chances. Even without weight loss, a heart-healthy diet can lower your risk by 10-25%. Make yourself exercise! Take the stairs at work or at the mall. Take the kids (or dog) for a walk or bike ride. Buy a membership to a gym…if you spend the money, you’ll be more motivated to use it. Try to make time for physical fitness every day. One thing I’ve found that helps is to pray or listen to worship songs while I’m doing yoga or sit-ups, squats, lunges, etc. That way, I feel like the exercise fits into my day better, and I’m encouraged by God’s presence. Stock up on healthy snacks rather than chips and snack cakes. Try yogurt, roasted almonds, whole grain crackers, dried fruit, or rice cakes. Don’t be the only one in your family eating healthy; you will feel like it’s a chore! Include your family and even

God tells us to guard our hearts, yet hundreds of thousands of people are dying yearly due to heart disease. This is a real issue in our culture, but it is one that we can help prevent with our daily lifestyles. Ask God to help you guard your heart, both emotionally and physically.

References: Greene C, Fernandez M. The role of nutrition in the prevention of coronary heart disease in women of the developed world. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition [serial online]. March 2007;16(1):19. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed February 6, 2009. http://www.healthcastle.com/

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Feature Article by Shane [I love how God can use His creation to connect our hearts to Him, the Creator.] Walking along a wooded trail one morning I found myself questioning God. I wondered why He had brought me to a lonely place of heart. I felt so far away from Him, far from my true self and my loving family. Familiar tears began to flow as sorrow seeped from my soul. The path took its final turn and I sensed God asking me to look up. My reluctant eyes were shocked and stung to find an enormous brilliant sun shining in the morning sky. Suddenly my heart was filled with praise and I heard laughter escape my mouth. Tears, mixed with emotions, flowed freely. I was in the presence of the Creator. He was with me, He heard me, He knew my pain. Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these… Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God"? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. (Isaiah 40: 21-22, 25-28 NIV) That morning I realized that God, the creator of everything around me, everything my eyes can see, created me. He created me in His image. He loves me. He cherishes me. I need not fear or question His sovereignty. God is always with me. But how does a Christian woman live out these truths in the midst of her pain? How do you balance the beauty and goodness of God against the fears and failures of this world? Although God revealed another facet of Himself to me that morning, He didn’t heal me of my illness. I still struggle with depression.

"To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One. 13

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Depression affects 1 out of every 4 women according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Even though depression is so wide spread, it’s still a hidden disease. People do not like to talk about it. Too many myths exist and the truth needs to be exposed.

Here are the truths we can incorporate into daily living: o o

Depression is real. New research pinpoints depression literally changes the brain. Imaging tools now show how the brain functions. After I had my scan the doctor sat down with me and told me that it’s hard to tell someone they have an abnormal brain. I started laughing and announced – I’m happy to hear that it’s not an imaginary disease!

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Although I have heard accounts of people praying for healing and receiving it immediately, that just isn’t the norm. Many people think that if you can’t will or pray depression away, it means you are weak. That simply isn’t true. After getting a proper diagnosis, there are several different treatments that one can undergo for the relief to begin. For me, I find a combination of talk therapy, medication, exercise, and eating properly works appropriately. Over 80% of people who seek treatment are successful in easing their symptoms.

The Lord is everlasting – always there for us no matter what we face. God is the Creator – everything we see and feel is under the realm of God. He is bigger than any problem we can fathom; whether it’s a mental illness, a job loss, cancer, divorce. God is not governed by human rules. He does not get tired, or get sick of hearing from us. God’s strength is unlimited and unable to be measured. God’s understanding is far different from ours. We might never know why things are allowed to happen, but we will know Him.

Our Creator is not one who stopped after creation and walked away into eternity. Instead, He cares about our every day trials. Draw near to the Creator today to catch a glimpse of His everlasting power. Allow Him to direct your path and don’t miss the sites along the way!

(for more myths, read http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/ just-diagnosed-822-143.html Top 10 Depression Myths Debunked.)

To read more of Shane’s writing, please visit Exemplify’s team blog. There she writes devotionals weekly.

Looking back to Isaiah, let’s examine verse 28:

You can also visit her personal blog at http://heartreflections.wordpress.com/.

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

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In 10 Minutes or Less Column by Carol •

We’re all pressed for time. The demands of our day often seem to far outweigh the hours in our day! This is why Exemplify is thrilled to have Carol join our team. Each month she will be bringing you content on productive things you can in 10 minutes or less.

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We all have 10 minutes, right? Enjoy this month’s column as we learn 10 ways we can appreciate creation in, you guessed it, 10 minutes or less! --Kristen Schiffman •

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Enjoy a cuppa creation. The temperatures are beginning to warm. When you take your morning coffee or afternoon tea outdoors, all five senses come into play. Enjoy the scents of early spring, the feeling of the air around you, the sights and sounds of nature and the tastes of a savory beverage. Note: coffee beans and tea leaves were created by God! Take a fresh look. Prayerfully re-read the first two chapters of Genesis. Ask the Lord to show you something new and exciting in these familiar passages. What do you notice this time that you may have overlooked before? Remember: Every spring, the Lord makes the earth fresh and new again. Each time you read a passage of scripture, the Lord has something new and fresh for you, too! Plant one thing. You’d be hard pressed to get a tree or substantial shrub planted in ten minutes, but how about potting a few fresh herbs? Or starting seeds in empty muffin tins? March is still too early for putting tender plants outdoors, but not too early to begin preparations.

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Be a quickie birdwatcher. Birds are most active in the morning and evening times. Grab the binoculars and take the kids out into the yard for a few minutes just to look for and listen to birds returning from their winter migration. Invite creation into your garden. Clean out your hummingbird feeder. It’s a little early to set it out, but they’ll be here before you know it. The healthiest recipe for hummingbirds is one part white sugar to four parts boiling water. Allow to fully cool before adding to your feeder. Be a quickie astronomer. Go out at on a clear night and look at one group of stars. Check the internet to name the constellation. Don’t be surprised if you set out to spend ten minutes identifying one constellation and end up getting caught up in the heavens for an entire evening! Catch the sunset. Research the time the sun will set in your area. Go outside beforehand and turn your gaze westward. Watch and be humbled as God paints a masterpiece across His canvas.

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Pray outdoors. Set an alarm for a specific time each day. Rain or shine, go outdoors and offer up a word of praise and thanksgiving. Marvel in how different it feels to praise the Creator while in His creation, free from man’s walls. Sing. Purpose to go outside just to sing a hymn or song of praise to the Lord. So what if you don’t have the voice of a nightingale? You have the voice He created you to have, so lift it up loud and strong! Outdoors is a great place to . . . Praise Him for who you are. Remember, you were created in God’s image and likeness. Your value and worth comes from who you are in Christ.

Welcome, spring!

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Tech & Blog Column by Amy Bayliss “And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" So God granted him what he requested.” 1 Chronicles 4:10 I was a housewife with 3 children that were 5 and under. I spent my days making Sippy cups, breast feeding, cleaning up toys and changing diapers. “Yes, Lord, enlarge my territory” I thought to myself. I wasn’t convinced that God could give me a mission field even if it had been prophesied to me by more than one person of God. I thought that they must have missed the mark and totally misunderstood God. I know I heard them say that I would be a missionary to the world but I knew it wasn’t possible. After all, God knows that I don’t like airplanes and I can’t leave my boys. I was totally comfortable adopting the thought that my home was my sole mission field. Oh my, was I ever wrong. I understand that some are called to solely minister in the home and that some are called to do so for a season but we should all seek God’s will for our own lives. You just might find out like me that you were wrong about

Don’t you just love it when we put restrictions on God and He shows us just how silly we are? Years later as I was reading an email that came in response to a blog post that I had written. It occurred to me then that I was ministering to her, from my own home. Then the thought hit me, “You are now a missionary to the world.” Wow! I never would have dreamed that that would come to pass and I certainly couldn’t comprehend that it could be done online. Blogs, forums, Twitter, Facebook and all of the other social networking places that abound are just ripe with those who are searching and crying out. They need someone to be a true example of Christ to them. They need the unwavering love of Christ to be expressed to them. They need Christians like us to minister to them. 17

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The more time I spend researching and studying to further God’s Kingdom through this ministry the more I know that this is God’s perfect plan for me. After all, I am now home schooling one of those three boys and spend most of my day teaching him and cleaning the house. I also like to spend some time with my husband when he comes home and weekends are our time of retreat and rest so I enjoy the flexibility that an online ministry gives me. That’s not to say that it comes without sacrifice. There may very well be no limitations with online ministry but you do have limitations and you will have to learn a thing or two to become effective.

Be real. In other words, get rid of that insecurity and just be you. Others will learn more from your mistakes than they will learn from a façade. Consider the teachings in the bible. Which one can you recall that paints a perfect picture of someone (besides Jesus)? NONE of them were perfect. Although we are called to be imitators of Christ, we will never be as spotless as He was. The bible guarantees us that (Romans 3:23). Be patient. If you receive a comment or an email that makes you uncomfortable or defensive, wait at least 24 hours before responding and pray before you type anything. I also suggest that you let someone else read it and give you their honest opinion. Written word lacks the benefit of facial expression and body language to convey the full meaning. It is best to seek His will and to also calm down before writing back because you do not want to respond in an inappropriate manner. Remember, a soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger (Proverbs 15:1).

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Be attentive. Look for those who comment the most and who seem to ask a lot of questions. Befriend them. I mean truly befriend them. Communicate with them. Read their postings and comment back. Commit to pray for the needs that stand out in their lives (James 5:16). Be faithful. You must remember that the same temptations that Satan tosses out to us here on earth also exist online: gossip, envy, lust, deceit and thievery, just to name a few. You must pray diligently and always be on guard. Study the Word daily. Find an accountability partner and be committed to openly sharing your thoughts with them. Your spouse is the ideal candidate for this position since they know you best. (1Timothy 6:12).

In future issues, we will discuss, in detail, the applications we can use to minister to others via the World Wide Web. If you have any specific questions about blogging (design and writing), twittering, or anything else pertaining to online ministry please send them to: [email protected]. I will try to answer as many questions as possible in each issue.

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Dear Christine, I am a new Christian who is married. My husband is not saved and no matter how hard I try to make him see the truth he doesn't. I am frustrated and feel like a failure what should I do? Dear Patricia,

--Patricia in Eph 5:33b, “Wives respect your husbands.”

The good news is that it is not your job to save your husband. That job belongs to God.

And of course my favorite piece of advice to give is to pray-pray-pray and then pray

When I discovered that truth in 1 Peter 3:1-2 a weight was lifted off my shoulders. We are told that if we live lives that are godly that

again. The prayer of a righteous man availeth much! Not only does God love to hear our prayers He loves to answer them!

even an unbelieving husband can be won over by our behavior.

In Him,

Another thing I would like add is to respect your husband. Studies show that when men

Christine

are asked what they desire from their wives the majority overwhelmingly responds saying they want respect. I believe that is why it says

Have a question? Contact Christine at [email protected]!

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Welcome to The Juice! Each month we are looking forward to bringing you news from the blog-o-sphere. If you have a meme or giveaway planned for your blog or website and you would like us to feature it, contact us through our website! This month Exemplify is giving away Behind Those Eyes: What’s Really Going on Inside the Souls of Women an awesome book written specifically for women.

To win a copy of this book, simply leave a comment on our Facebook group thread “Scripture Shared” telling us a Scripture you often cling to.

In Behind Those Eyes, Bible teacher and speaker Lisa Whittle encourages women to get real –-real with ourselves, real with one another, and real before God. With humor, compassion, and biblical insight, Whittle takes a refreshingly honest look at how we often mask our fear of rejection.

This will be a great way to share Scripture and build a little community! The winner will be announced March 17th, St. Patricks’s Day, so get commenting!

Revamped You may notice some changes taking place at the Exemplify website this month. We are so excited to bring you a more user-friendly website, as well as more content automatically updated for your reading pleasure. Please bear with us as we transfer over our content and finish up our web construction!

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Looking for a new mascara? One of my favorites is Max Factor Vivid Impact Dual Color Mascara.It has a double sided wand with a base cote that is one shade and a top coat with a complementary shade. You can choose from five different shades. I personally love the Burning Bordeaux combo.

Scarves are all the rage this season. Check out this cute and affordable scarf from Target. I love the bright colors. It can be worn with your favorite coat to keep the cold out, or to dress up a simple long sleeve t-shirt. Either way, gorgeous! By the way, if you are not sure how to tie a scarf, you can check out YouTube. They have some good tutorials on tying scarves. Also from Target, this fun pair of Patent Oxford Pumps. A little bit retro looking. They remind me of shoes my grandmother wore. I can see them being worn with a great pair of jeans or a cute skirt. And for under $30, you can't beat the price

TIP: Want to get rid of mascara on your eye lid without having to wash your face? Use a damp Q Tip to remove the excess. Works great to remove extra eyeliner too.

And remember no matter what you wear, the King is enthralled by your beauty.

“THE KING IS ENTHRALLED BY YOUR BEAUTY; HONOR HIM, FOR HE IS YOUR LORD.” PSALM 45:11 21

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Featured Blogger

Featured Blogger: Elaine is the wife of Preacher Billy and has the delightful privilege of mothering four dynamic children who have been with her for nearly half of her almost forty-three years. She grew up amongst the rolling hills of the Bluegrass which boasts the presence of exquisite thoroughbreds and die-hard Wildcat basketball fans. Her growing up years were spent running the hallways of Asbury Theological Seminary where her father was a professor of preaching and her mother was the Registrar. From the cradle to her current, Elaine has been a church girl. The spiritual shaping she received from her parents quickly secured for her a belief in a great big God who loves her far beyond reasonable bounds.

Be sure to visit Elaine at her blog, Peace for the Journey: peaceforthejourney.blogspot.com

Elaine was born on Easter Sunday. The significance of its shadow has followed her all the days of her life. God began the sacred conversation with Elaine’s soul from the earliest of ages, and she has spent the past four decades walking the path of such a gracious grace. He has marked her forever for kingdom living and kingdom loving. Her overriding hope and desire for her life is to live as authentic before her God and his created people. 22

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Family Focus Column by Andrea When each of my children were born, I marveled over every single detail on their tiny bodies. I counted each finger and toe, examined every wrinkle, dimple, and mole. I knew exactly where the sweetest spots to kiss them were located and where their most ticklish spots were. As they grew, I learned to differentiate which cries meant hunger, which meant they were tired, and which meant they just needed some cuddle-time. I could decipher their moods and know how the next few moments would play out. I studied them so closely, I knew their likes and dislikes, what made them happy, and what made them frustrated beyond belief.

As my oldest approaches adolescence, her moods are even more difficult to decipher as hormones kick in to gear. I worry over them more, whether they will make good decisions, if they will be hurt, if others will understand them as well as their dad and I do. Then the other day I was reading Psalm 139. I love this Psalm. Not only is David praising God for the way God has made him, but he is also thankful that because God made him, He knows every single last detail about him.

I learned all of these things because these children were mine. They were of me. As I looked on each of my darling little bundles, I couldn’t help but notice pieces of me in each of them. And because they were of me, I loved them instantly and with a love so fierce that I needed to know every single detail of their lives, no matter how small.

Sometimes as Mom, I forget that raising my kids isn’t all about me, that I wasn’t the only one who had a hand in creating these beautiful and wonderful children. Sometimes I forget that while I can’t be there for them every single moment of every single day, Someone else is. Sometimes I forget that there really is Someone who knows more about my children than I do, right down to the positioning of the toenail on their pinky toe.

Now, however, I find it difficult to keep up with them. They go to school and are away from me for the better part of the day. They have learned to hide some of their feelings. Their likes and dislikes are sometimes changed more frequently than their clothes (although sometimes that seems impossible with my girls!). 23

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It’s their Maker. While I sat on the outside waiting for my sweet babes to be formed, God watched as they were being formed in utter seclusion, as they were woven together in the dark of the womb. (v 15). As I eagerly awaited each child’s arrival, God saw each one before they were born. Every day of their lives had been recorded in His book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. (v 16) And while there are days that I wish I could go with my children everywhere to protect them from harm, that I wish I could read their thoughts and know the very depths of their hearts to make sure we are parenting them well, I can rest easy in the knowledge that God their Maker sees and knows all these things. “O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!” (Psalm 139:1-6)

“Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!” Genesis 1:31

He knows and sees all these things because He has made them. And He loves what He has made.

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Bible Study Column by Kristen Schiffman

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

            

I vividly remember chanting this verse in my first grade classroom, at the very least, a million times! My teacher drilled this verse home with such force I still recite it throughout the day. I’m not even kidding. It is one of those things you never forget. Like how to tie your sneakers or ride a bike. Or how to order a Sugar-free, Non-fat, Grande, Vanilla Latte with a hint of cinnamon, hold the whipped cream, please!

A Creator. A Doer. An Action Packed Opening Line. A Genesis. A Mission Statement. Purpose. Power. Promise. Something More. Life Offered. His Story. Our Beginning. Our Once Upon A Time.

Yes, I remember well the sound of my fellow first grade classmates (one whom I married years and years later!) standing together and speaking back to our teacher these lifegiving words:

Once you learn something like that, you never forget it. It is basic. A beginning. The foundation. Try reciting this verse over the course of the coming week. Unbelievable as it may sound there is life to be found within these simple words.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 At the age of six I felt awe, speaking these words.

Soul-renewing, heart relieving, life-restoring power.

Open your Bible with me to the first book that makes itself at home within the pages of the Word of God.

Here within a first grade memory verse we find all we have been searching for. 25

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Read verses 1-5 of the first chapter. Keep in mind from what God is speaking something into existence. (I’ll give you a hint: not much!)

Rest today in the knowledge that our God saw fit to rescue you from the realm of emptiness. So many women I hear from tell me how they feel they have out sinned God’s forgiveness or they have dropped the ball so many times they don’t believe there is hope.

In verse 2 what two words are used to describe the earth? 1. ________________ 2. ________________ In the Hebrew language the two words used here for formless and empty are tohuw and bohuw. Both describe an absolute emptiness in relation to the earth.

They tell me how if they could just go back and do things differently than yes, maybe God could use them. “I screwed up too bad,” they tell me. “He can’t use me now.”

Why would God be sure to include a double description of the earth’s emptiness?

So, they live out their thoughts of defeat and nothingness every day.

_________________________________________________

Beloved, if you are one of those women, this message is for you. Genesis 1 was written for you.

Check out Job 26:7, “He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing.” Over what does our God suspend the earth? o o o

A solid foundation Strong cable lines Nothing

Today our Lord speaks to YOU of His ability to bring something from nothing. He speaks life into what you think is formless and He speaks abundance into what you call emptiness. He speaks light into your darkness. He speaks with power and purpose on your behalf.

Over nothing. The very first thing God does and is sure we read about in the earliest records of our human history is HIS ABILITY TO BRING SOMETHING FROM NOTHING!

He speaks for you.

What a testament to me, a perpetual screw up!

Today, embrace the very One who made sure the first thing you ever read in His Word was about His transforming power.

Since the beginning of time you have been set apart.

And don’t you ever forget the only thing our Christ has ever left empty was His grave.

 From nothing to something.  From empty to full.  From darkness to light.

“EARLY ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, WHILE IT WAS STILL DARK, MARY MAGDALENE WENT TO THE TOMB AND SAW THAT THE STONE HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE ENTRANCE.” JOHN 20:1

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Home Column by Christy

Have you ever found yourself standing at the threshold of a room in your sanctuary, inspecting it with a critical eye, and wondering what was missing? Something is missing... you are certain of it.

Fortunately, adding personality to any room can be done easily and with minimal cost. If your room feels void of personality, my first suggestion would be to take a look at your current throw pillows.

You mentally take note of everything in the room. Key furniture items check, lighting & curtains check, wall art & other accessories - check. It's all there, but something is missing. "What is it?" you ask. "Why does this room feel like a hotel lobby, or the waiting room at the dentist's office?"

Do they match each other or the furniture in the room? If the answer is yes, try replacing them with pillows in various bold patterns that coordinate well with the furniture.

Is it possible your room is lacking personality?

Matching pillows can cause a room to look sterile and unimaginative. You'll be amazed at how this simple change can add much needed energy to a room.

Riddle me this - What does a statue of a tall skinny frog playing the violin, a ridiculously large collection of milky white vases, and a wall collage made from various eclectic fabrics all have in common? Personality, my sweet truffles, they add personality.

For a great Etsy shop offering fabulous pillowcases, I recommend you check out Cotton Colors. It can be found at this web address: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=665 3568. 27

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Next, evaluate the decorative accessories situation. If their numbers rival that of Abraham's seed, think about losing a few. You do not need dozens of knick-knacks to make a statement. A few vibrant, well-chosen pieces are all a room needs. Select items that reflect your family's personality or interests. Remember, the purpose of a decorative accessory is to pull the room together and create continuity with color, style, or texture. If an accessory is not helping to bring the room together and add personality... let it go, you don't need it.

Is your room currently arrayed in silk flowers? If yes, toss them! Trust me, your room will instantly lose the “waiting room” resemblance. Replace them with something visually interesting like a collection of vases or an over-sized picture on a stand. And for goodness sake, resist the temptation to display silk flowers again. They fade, collect dust, and just look so... so... fake.

As for me... well, I love funky decorative items. You know, the ones you see in stores and think, "Who in their right mind would buy that?" Well, the answer is... ME! Most of the pieces that I choose to create personality in my sanctuary could be described as either whimsical or humorous - like the collection of bizarre animal pictures that are soon to grace my living room walls. They are whimsical. They are vibrant. They are unexpected. And they will probably give my nieces and nephews nightmares. But I love them... it works for me. Most importantly, use items you love and that reflect your personality. This is your sanctuary... make it so. But if all else fails... find yourself a ridiculous metal statue of an animal with exaggerated features, wearing a suit that is three sizes too small, and playing an instrument – preferably the violin. Can't ask for more personality than that!

Now, if this suggestion is causing your body to go into shock and your eye to twitch... fear not, sweet truffle. They do make some silk flowers that look quite natural. So if you must have them in your sanctuary, I recommend springing for the premium flowers. Your pocket book will pay the price for the superior quality, but well worth it in my opinion. Use sparingly... please.

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Book Column by Katrina

Book Review: Kiss by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy Kiss certainly did not disappoint. Twists and turns? Check. Plenty of suspense? Check. Staying up far too late, just so I could see what happens next? Check.

Kiss is Ted Dekker's most recent novel, co-written with Erin Healy, and it was just released in January. Tagged as romantic suspense, it revolves around Shauna McAllister and her search for the truth and for her own lost memories.

But what about the romance? I have to admit that sometimes, romantic suspense novels really bug me. It's not that I have anything against romance, but rather it often seems the author is so determined to incorporate romance that it feels forced, overdone, or completely unrealistic, given the harrowing circumstances the characters are supposedly immersed in. However, I don't think Kiss fell into this trap at all. The romance was appropriately subtle, while the focus was kept on Shauna's quest for the truth.

When a tragic auto accident leaves Shauna McAllister's brother brain-damaged and erases her recent memories, she discovers she has a paranormal ability to steal memories from others, a capability that will either get her killed or unveil hidden sides of the very people she thought she could trust. Against this background, she attempts to uncover the ugly truth about her father's dark secrets and to upend his run for president of the United States. When I was offered an advance copy of Kiss to read and review, I couldn't turn it down. I've been a fan of Ted Dekker since I fell in love with his Circle Trilogy (Black, Red, White), and I was curious about this book, his first co-written with a woman.

I know that some readers believe the paranormal in Dekker's novels sometimes seems "way out there," but if that's your concern, I encourage you to still give Kiss a try. Yes, the main character is able to "steal" memories from other people, but the authors handled this 29

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anomaly in a very down-to-earth way, keeping Shauna a realistic character with whom readers can relate.

Finally, I really appreciated the way Kiss reminds us of the value of painful memories. So often, we would like to completely forget a trial or difficulty from our past, but God can use painful pasts to point us in the right direction and to use us to accomplish His purposes. Kiss is not "preachy," but it still gets the point across. If you still need a little convincing, check out the reviews on amazon.com-- I'm not the only one who enjoyed Kiss! And I just noticed that Dekker has another book coming out in April: Boneman's Daughters. I'm guessing it'll be another page-turner!

Join Andrea & Kristen Thursdays starting this March!

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Fiction Column by Rachel The water rushed over her toes, cool and refreshing, cleansing the dust from the bottom of her feet. She turned her face to the sun and smiled, feeling its warm rays wash over her. She leaned back and closed her eyes, enjoying the contrast of the chill at her feet and the heat on her cheeks. She opened her eyes and noticed the lengthening in the shadows below the trees. It would be sunset soon, and she decided it was time to head back. Drawing her feet out of the brook, she gently shook them dry over a pile of leaves and headed back away from the water. Gentle breezes whipped through her long dark hair, swirling it around her like a silken cloud. She glanced over at the nearest tree, eyeing the ripe green fruit. She felt the corners of her mouth moisten as she considered its taste. No, she thought. Better to wait and eat with him. I might spoil my appetite. Suddenly she stopped. Was that whispering she heard? “Adam?” she called cheerfully. Perhaps he had come to meet her! “Adam, are you teasing me?” She laughed gaily and felt her cheeks blush. She searched around, trying to see an arm or leg sticking out from behind the brush. Her gaze fell upon the nearest tree. That tree. The forbidden tree.

She waited a few more seconds to see if Adam returned her call, then shrugged and started to walk again. She must have been mistaken. “Woman…” a voice carried on the wind. She stopped again and turned to face the tree. Its branches swayed gently in the breeze. She squinted her eyes, shielding them with her hand from the glare of the descending sun. “Adam?” she called again. “Why are you hiding here?” She marched over to the tree, determined to catch him in his playfulness. As she leaned around to look behind the trunk, something moved quickly and caught her eye. Startled, she gasped and stepped back. A brilliant green serpent was slowly uncoiling itself from the nearest branch. It turned its face to look at her. That’s odd, she thought. A snake has never looked at me in this way before. She stepped closer, her curiosity peaking.

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Why would He withhold something from us? The serpent stared straight ahead at her, its triangular head unmoving. Its tongue darted in and out between its thin lips, as though tasting her scent on the breeze. “Hello,” it hissed softly. She gasped again and took a step back. “You speak? What a wonder! I’ve never heard an animal speak before!” The serpent stretched out gently on the branch, brushing the stem of the fruit with its body. The fruit swayed gently, the bright red skin taut and shiny. The serpent turned again and faced her. “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’” What is the meaning of this? she thought, her mind reeling in confusion. Why is he asking me this? She searched her brain, seeking to recite the exact Word the Lord had given to Adam which he in turn delivered to her. “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” She smiled, satisfied with her ability to remember the words. “You shall not surely die,” the serpent replied in a much deeper, lower hiss than before. She stared into the dark, black eyes. How would this serpent know? What if it’s telling the truth? Of course it’s not telling the truth, she scolded herself immediately. This is stupid, really. I’m talking to a snake. Why would a snake know more than God?. She started to walk away from the tree, but something held her back. A curious, unfurling feeling in the pit of her stomach that she couldn’t quite describe. But why would God say something that wasn’t true? He wouldn’t! … would He? She suddenly wished for God to be nearby. She needed His confirmation. She needed Him to affirm the Word she believed.

The serpent slid down the tree branch again, bringing its face close to hers. “God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil,” it breathed softly. She felt as though something cold had slipped into the pit of her stomach. Her mind spun with new possibilities. Was it true? Was that all the Lord God wanted to prevent? Of course not! Obviously if the Lord God doesn’t want us to eat from the tree, He has a good and valid reason. I should trust Him. But why should I trust Him? He didn’t give me a reason to obey. He did, though. He said we would die. But the serpent says we won’t die. Does it know something God doesn’t? What was wrong with knowing good and evil? Shouldn’t I be aware of everything? Did He not say that everything in the Garden was under our care? Is He hiding something from us? Is that why He doesn’t want me to eat the fruit? But He’s God. Isn’t He within His right to make decisions like this? Maybe. But does He not trust us – me – with such knowledge? And what was so bad about being like Him anyway? Wouldn’t it be better for us to know good and evil? Would it? Why would He withhold something from us? I thought He loved us! Or are we just puppets to do His bidding? Just His caretakers? A chilling breeze swept through the Garden, drawing her out of her spinning thoughts. A new, powerful emotion rose inside of her.

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Her heart filled with hope - at least now she wasn’t alone. She could feel heat blazing into her cheeks. She wanted to confront God. She wanted to demand her rights. She didn’t understand the new confusion surrounding her. But she knew she had to have an answer. The serpent slid back down the branch, across the stem of the fruit. The twig snapped and the fruit fell towards the ground. She reached down and caught it before it hit the dust. She stared at the round orb, bright and red and smooth. The skin was so taut and shiny she could see her reflection in it, though the image was distorted in the curvature of the fruit. She felt the soft flesh of the fruit giving way to the pressure of her fingers. She felt the familiar tingle in the corners of her cheeks, and she wanted desperately to taste it. She turned it over in her hand again. Could this fruit really be what the serpent said it was? “Try it…” Her head snapped up. The serpent was gone. She looked back down at the fruit, growing warm from the palm of her hand. She had to know. She had to try… Taking a deep breath, she sank her teeth into the soft flesh. Juices ran over her lips and into her mouth, and she pulled the bite from the fruit. She chewed carefully and swallowed. A cold wind rushed over her, and she felt her arms break out in chills. She tried to breathe but could not seem to take enough air into her lungs. She gasped and heaved, straining to drag breath into her body. She fell against the tree, her knees giving way to a newfound weakness. Her skin felt as though it was several sizes too small for her body. She stretched her hands, trying to ease the feeling of constriction. She turned and

clawed at the tree, crying out for the serpent to come back, to explain. Pieces of bark broke off beneath her fingernails, drawing blood from the tender flesh beneath them. She cried out, sticking her fingers in her mouth and trying to figure out what this new, horrible sensation was that came with the blood. She sat back on her heels at the foot of the tree. “Oh, God, God… what have I done?” She waited for her answer, for the unexplainable peace that always came over her in comforting waves. Nothing. Nothing but quiet, emptiness, loneliness. She heard footsteps behind her and she stood quickly, turning around. The fruit was still clutched in her hand. “My love, what are you doing here? What did… is that… did you… have you eaten from the tree?!?” Adam’s face was hard, his eyes wide with question. She forced a smile onto her face, feeling the full effort in her jaw. She wanted to reach out to him, to take his hand and fall into his strong arms, but it felt as though a deep chasm extended between them. She glanced down at the fruit in her hand. Her heart twisted as she saw it was now dull and muted, and her stomach churned. Reaching out across the indefinable distance, she handed him the fruit. “Here, it’s no big deal. Take a bite. Look at me, I’m not dead.” Please, please, she thought desperately. Please don’t leave me all alone. Adam gingerly took the fruit from her, examining the mark of her teeth carefully. He studied it for a long time. She could almost see his mind turning. He turned his gaze to her and reached out and brushed her cheek with his hands, as though to make sure she was still real and solid. Then raising the fruit to his lips, he took a bite. She could see it in his eyes as it happened. Her heart filled with hope - at least now she wasn’t alone. 33

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Tears filled her eyes as stark realization hit her. He sank to the ground, shaking slightly. He raised his hands before his face, as though feeling them for the first time. He stood quickly and winced as something popped in his knee. He raised his eyes to hers. “What happened?” he asked hoarsely. She came to him, embracing him. She buried her face in his chest, not wanting to know the answer to his question. His arms, usually so strong and warm, fell limply at her sides. She felt tears stinging the corners of her eyes. She stepped away from him, and felt his gaze travel down her body. “What?” she asked, startled. Could he suddenly see the change she had felt? How did it make him feel? He said nothing, but continued to stare until her face burned. She turned away from him, shielding her body from his gaze. “How can you look at me like that at a time like this?” She turned her eyes away from him. “Cover yourself, will you?” He shook his head as though coming out of a trance. He reached over to the nearest bush – a fig tree – pulled off some leaves, and handed the first few to her. She carefully held them in place, the coarse fibers rubbing the skin of her breasts and abdomen raw. She bit her lip, experiencing again the awful sensation she had felt by the tree. We should have never done it. Never. Adam stood nearby, carefully lacing the torn leaves together with the dark green veining that once ran through them. He winced again as he carefully tied them around his waist. He raised his eyes to hers and glared at her. He blames me. Her stomach lurched again, and she bent over and vomited the contents of her

stomach onto the grass. As though mocking her, she saw a portion of the bright red fruit skin in the puddle. Hope blossomed in her chest. It’s out! It’s not in my body anymore! Things can go back to how they were before. She threw her head back and breathed deeply, waiting for the constriction on her chest to lift. It didn’t. Tears filled her eyes as stark realization hit her. The curse isn’t in the fruit. The curse is in my disobedience. She sank down and wrapped her arms around her knees, sobs rising heavily from her chest. Adam kicked at a rock and watched it scuttle across the grass. A rustling came from nearby, making both of them jump. The Lord God was coming! Eve hurriedly wiped the tears off her face and started to stand. Adam pushed down on her shoulder keeping her low as he dropped beside her. He raised a single finger to his lips. She nodded, understanding. The rustling stopped. The deep voice of the Lord God rang out. “Adam, where are you?” Adam closed his eyes and lowered his head. She smirked. At least God wasn’t asking for her. Adam rose to his feet, asserting himself at his full height. “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” Impressed, she smiled to herself. Adam sounded collected, not at all shaken. “And who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. Adam did not answer. She looked up, seeing Adam’s hand curling into a fist. He knows. The Lord God knows. The Lord spoke again. “Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” She put her head in her hands, grasping at the strands of her hair. She tugged until she felt like her scalp would rip off and waited for Adam’s confession.

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“I have made you a covering so that you may stand in my presence.” Adam stepped out from behind the bush to face the Lord. “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” His voice rang with accusation for God, condemnation for her. Feeling as though her very heart had been taken from her body, she began to cry again. She stood carefully, her legs wobbling in weakness and fear. She did not raise her eyes to the Lord. “What is this you have done?” He asked her quietly. She searched His voice for a sign of what He was feeling, but could discern nothing. She decided to try Adam’s tactic, since his vehement blaming of her took the Lord God’s attention off of him. “The serpent deceived me,” she managed, swallowing thickly, “and I ate.” The words hung heavily in the air, a ringing reminder of her mistake. The Lord turned away from her, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Her palms were damp with anxiety. The Lord God spoke again, in a voice more deep and terrible than she had ever heard. “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” As He spoke, the serpent was drawn out from the brush, his body writhing on the ground before the Lord. She shook at the force of His words. The Lord God turned to her, and she trembled harder before Him. “Woman,” He said in a much calmer, gentler voice, “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” Pain, she thought, glancing down at

her torn and lacerated fingernails. It suddenly made sense. Pain was now her companion. The Lord turned finally to Adam. Disappointment radiated from His face. “Because you listened to your wife” – she felt her face flush with embarrassment and shame – “and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,': Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” She chanced a glance at Adam’s face. A lone tear tracked gently down his cheek. He turned to her, his eyes full of unfamiliar emotion, yet as she searched them she understood it was sorrow. Adam gave a selfdeprecating laugh and glanced around the garden. A pair of lambs sat nearby against a bush. He turned to her and placed his hand on her head, much as he had done with the animals. “Your name is now Eve, because you will become the mother of all living.” His pronouncement brought back the words of the Lord God – her ultimate penalty – to her mind and she began to weep again. She looked up as she heard soft bleating. The Lord had taken one of the lambs and laid it out on a smooth stone. She cried out as He slaughtered the small, helpless animal, turning away in revulsion as the crimson blood, so bright like the skin of the cursed fruit, coursed down the side of the stone. The Lord worked expertly, swiftly removing the skin from the small animal. His hands stained with blood, He reached out and handed them the skins, not meeting their eyes. “Here,” He called, gesturing for them to take the skins. “I have made you a covering so that you may stand in my presence.” 35

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MARCH 2009

“The freshness of the sacrifice left stripes of blood on her skin. Eve’s face burned again with shame, and she quickly took the skin and wrapped it around her torso. The freshness of the sacrifice left stripes of blood on her skin. The Lord God turned away, looking towards the heavens. “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” Eve saw the same sorrow burning in Adam’s eyes reflected in the countenance of the Lord. The Lord God turned squarely to face them, a firmness resonating from His being. “You must leave. You cannot remain here with Me.” He guided them towards the exit of the Garden. Eve clutched the skins to her chest, staring at the sandy wasteland outside the gate. They walked forward, off of the cool grass and onto the sandy dunes. Adam stooped down and lifted a palm full of sand. The grains strained through his fingers. He lowered his head and sobbed, his entire body rocking with emotion. Eve stood beside him, not knowing what to say or do. She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. His head came up and he slapped her away. “Do not touch me,” he barked. “You are the reason this has happened.” Pain, horrible, choking pain, gripped at her insides and in her throat. “Adam,” she pleaded softly. He stood and walked several paces away from her, keeping his back to her. She wanted to die. She wanted it to end. And yet, death was what she was living. For several days they remained outside the Garden, Adam scheming and searching for a way back inside. The Lord God had appointed an angel to stand in the gate, a brilliant flaming sword gripped in its hands. Adam tried to gain reentry by the cover of night, creeping through the brush, but the angel never slept, and was always on guard with its fearsome sword.

On the morning of the fourth day, Eve approached Adam again, cautiously coming to him as he sat and brooded. “Adam,” she asked tentatively, “I’m hungry. We need to find some food.” “Find your own food,” he snapped, staring resolutely at the angel. She felt anger spiraling inside of her. “Look,” she snapped, setting herself before him and in his line of vision, “We can’t go back. We’re done. It’s over. We have to move on.” She grasped his hands, cold in her palms. “Please, Adam. I’m hungry and I’m lonely. And the Lord God said it was up to you to work the land. Please. We have to move on.” Adam lowered his head, dropping it between his raised knees. She expected him to lash out at her, but when he raised it again there was nothing but despair in his eyes. “I can’t do it,” he muttered, his voice cracking. “I’ve tried every way I can think of to get back in, to be restored. Nothing I can do works.” He paused, gazing toward the green Paradise. “I just thought… I thought if I got out because of something I did, I could get back in by the same means.” His eyes filled with shining tears and he blinked hard and sighed. “But I can’t. You’re right. It’s over. We have to go on.” He got to his feet, brushing the sand from his thighs. He reached out a hand to her. “Come on.” There was no warmth in his voice. Eve jumped up, following him despite the coolness in his demeanor. She was in too great a need for his companionship to allow her smarting pride to win out. They walked out onto the dunes, the heavy sand pulling against their legs and keeping them rooted. It’s even harder to walk out here, Eve thought miserably. She cast one glance back at the angel, the flaming sword searing her eyes, and wondered if it could possibly get any worse.

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SPRING 2012

Coming To Exemplify!

In coming months Exemplify is pleased to feature interviews, spotlights on powerful ministries and articles from women you know well in the blog-osphere. Because of your overwhelming response, we are now accepting articles for the 2010 magazine year. If you are interested in submitting or being a featured blogger we recommend you contact us as soon as possible. Our available slots are filling up quick! To contact Exemplify for writer’s guidelines or with a ministry that you wish to have spotlighted please conact Kristen through our website. 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 March be abundantly blessed, The Exemplify Team © Exemplify 2009 - The contents of this publication are the copyright of either the individual columnists or Exemplify itself and cannot be reproduced in any form without prior written consent from the author or editor-in-chief, Kristen Schiffman.