October Exemplify Magazine Issue

living lives that

glorify

Exemplify Magazine The Seasons Within The Season of Motherhood How to Retain What You Read Meet Michelle Beck: Designer Extraordinaire Tips for Submitting to Magazines Color Me Green: Finding Satisfaction in God No Matter Your Marital Status

see page 6 A Look Inside: Meet Babu & Learn How You Can Help Minister in Southern India

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editor’s welcome

“...let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:22

Fall has always been my favorite season. In my home Autumn is an event. It calls for decorations, warm apple cider, delicious desserts, harvest activities and, of course, the anticipation of Christmas wishes! Growing up, my Dad would have my brothers, sister and I sit down to make our Christmas lists in October. We would play Christmas music, get out the Sears Wishlist Catalogue and get to work! No wonder my parents were the envy of all my friends! The thing is, I probably couldn’t name what I received those years for Christmas to you if I tried. But I remember every single year I sat down with my siblings, my Mom and Dad and took part in our fun family tradition.

Just take a look around and see how our God am pleased to feature the writing of Lori shows off during this season! He makes trees MacMath of All You Have to Give and The resemble burning bushes. Internet Cafe. Lori works behind the scenes at many of the ministries you’ve come to He allows the air to crisp over so that our know and love. Her piece this month is a homes are all the more cozy. beautiful telling of the seasons of motherhood. He causes ocean waves to crash with more weight and pumpkin patches to spring to life. Squirrels begin building their winter nests and birds go on vacation. All of creation gets in on His Autumn Song. Even Starbucks joins the tune and serves up a Pumpkin Spice Latte! Have you tasted that thing? It’s bliss for your taste buds. It seems everywhere we turn, the Lord invites our conversation with Him during this season. He invites us to sit down at His table and listen to the song, while we share our hearts with Him. If I have learned anything from my Dad, it is that.

I don’t think it is an accident that even now as an adult something very real fills my heart in these months.

I encourage you this October to take some time to get alone with your Father God and share your heart with Him.

Something beckons me to wait before my Heavenly Father with joyful expectation.

Draw near to Him with a sincere heart.

Just as my Dad would usher excitement into our home during these Fall months, so does our Heavenly Father!

Alisa Hope also shares with us the overflow that comes from pouring ourselves out into the lives of others and Tara Rachel, a staff writer here at Exemplify, is sharing the story of Babu, a man who is changing the lives of hundreds of orphans in Southern India. His is a story you do not want to miss and one that calls for our involvement. As always, it is my joy to present this issue of Exemplify Magazine to you. Our theme this month is in keeping with the season: Autumn. Come celebrate the beauty of this month with us! In King Jesus, Kristen Schiffman

Open up your life to His outstretched arms and receive the bounty of His harvest.

This issue is overflowing with goodness! I © Exemplify Online & Magazine

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Get to know our team online!

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Founder/Editor in Chief Kristen Schiffman Assistant Editor/Family Columnist Andrea Mitchell In 10 Minutes or Less Carol Moxley Advice Column Christine Johnston Singles Columnist Christy McGraw Sanctuary Columnist Christy Klein Marriage Columnist Jenifer Jernigan Fashion Columnist Jennifer Interview Columnist Judith Roberts

Blog Team Andrea Mitchell

Ministry: Online! Columnist Amy Bayliss

Christy McGraw Victoria Jenkins Patty Wysong Marsha Harwood Joanne Sher Wendy Miller Sonia Chacon

Do you vlog? We are looking for video bloggers to join our team! Shoot us an email with a link to a video sample at [email protected]!

© Exemplify Online & Magazine

Shane Schwichtenberg Kelli Reagan Christa Allan Daisy Olsen

Devotion Columnist Kara Cox Book Review Columnist Kate Fiction Columnist Tara Rachel Health Columnist Shannon Bible Study Columnist Victoria Jenkins How-To Columnist Wendy Miller 3

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Editor’s Pick As Tara Rachel shares the story of her friend, Babu, the very mission of serving the “least of these” springs to life.

6 features

Babu: Laborer The Seasons Within The Season of Motherhood All You Have to Give Blog Feature Gathering Empty Pitchers Meet Michelle Beck: Designer Extraordinaire

I must call attention to the ministry of Babu and encourage each of us to somehow get involved.

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columns 5 9 10 11 13 18 24 25 27 29 31

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Ways to Welcome Autumn in 10 Minutes or Less Vibrant Beauty:Devotional Column The Book Nook: The Practice of the Presence of God Color Me Green: Singles Column Linda Osborne, Woman on a Mission: Interview Painting Your Sanctuary: Home Decor Column Firsts & Lasts: Family Channel How to Retain What You Read: How-To Column Seedtime & Harvest: Bible Study Falling in Love Again: Marriage Column Tips for Submitting an Article: Editor’s Note

22 © Exemplify Online & Magazine

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Ways To Welcome Autumn In 10 Minutes 0r Less Written by Carol Moxley

Bye-bye, summer! Hello, fall! With a few minutes here and there, you can be prepared when cooler temperatures blow in from the north.

• Break out the throws and afghans. If they were clean when you packed them away, a quick toss in the dryer with a dryer sheet will freshen them up. Lay them out on sofas and beds to prepare for that first cool front.

• Have your heater checked. Call to schedule service for your heating system before you actually need it. • Let there be light. Check to make sure flashlights work and you have candles on hand in case of power shortages. While you’re at it, re-light the pilots on the gas fire places. • Create a little ambiance. Decorative, scented candles create a sense of warmth during cooler months, so pick up a few next time you’re out shopping. • Check the décor. Pull out the fall decoration and do a quick inventory. Toss out anything that is no longer useable. Decorate later when you can take your time. • Make a grocery list. Keep frozen and nonperishable items on hand for your favorite cold weather meals. When the cool front blows in, you’ll be ready to make that chili or stew! • Swap out makeup. Time to change from those summer tones for fall ones. And don’t © Exemplify Online & Magazine

forget to replace old mascara that may be harboring bacteria! • Warm your tootsies. As you move from sandals to boots, wipe shoes down with a onestep polisher or soft cloth so they’ll be ready to go when you are. • Swap your closet. Don’t have time to clean out the closet? Simply move spring/ summer garments to the back and bring the fall/winter clothes to the front. This can be done quickly as you pull out items you no longer wear for donation. Now your wardrobe is ready! • Box up donation items and put them in the car. You can drop them off next time you’re out running errands. • Start your Christmas gift list. By keeping it in your purse or hand-held, you’ll always be prepared to shop-as-you-go throughout the fall. • Sign up for a Bible Study! The kids are going back to school; why not take a class, too? Many of today’s studies have homework that takes about ten minutes each day to complete.

• A study doesn’t fit your schedule? Set aside ten minutes each day to read your Bible. By giving the Lord back some of the time He has given you, you allow Him a little more control over your schedule. And He never messes it up!

“Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration.” Jeremiah 8:7a _____________

Married 22 years, Carol is mom to a teen and a tween. She is also a Registered Nurse, a Bible study leader, volunteers at her kids’ schools, plays electric bass in two rock bands, and gardens her acre in the country. In her spare time, she does laundry. 5

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Babu: Laborer Written by Tara Rachel

What if your parents abandoned you as a child? What if the only way you could learn a Bible verse is to memorize what someone else read? What if you could only eat one meal a day, and that meal was rice? What if you didn’t eat at all unless someone left an egg in your offering plate? What if you had to go to church underground because you would be thrown in jail if the government caught you? What if your home got burned simply because you preach the Gospel? What if your children were abducted because of what you believe? What if… you didn’t live here? You lived there. How then would you live? How should you live now? 6

“And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:35-38, NIV) *** The young boy stood, six years old, starving, on the side of the road, the stench of poverty all around him. His stomach protruded from malnutrition. Others passed him by; his skin color told them he was not worthy of their time or trouble.

He had not been worth the trouble for his own mother. He stared as a couple – a man and woman – stopped when they heard his cry. They were strange to him, with their ivory skin and fair eyes. They spoke a broken version of his language and beckoned him to come with them. They offered to take him off the streets, to feed and to clothe him. He didn’t know them. He didn’t know if he could trust them.

they had come to India to do “the Lord’s work.” He did not understand this work they spoke of. He did not understand their Lord. They revered this Jesus as God, yet there was no shrine or temple erected to Him. This Jesus was greater and mightier than the rat god, than the snake god. This Jesus could not be contained in a temple.

The one thing he did know was that if he didn’t go with them, he would surely die. *** The boy was lower than the dust of the earth in the eyes of his native people, but in the eyes of God and in God’s family, he was accepted. For the first time in his life, he was accepted. The boy grew under their care. As he aged he learned that they were from a faraway nation called Finland, and © Exemplify Online & Magazine

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The young man studied with the other orphaned Dalit children the Finnish couple had taken into their home. He was given rice to eat at each meal, more provision than he had ever dreamed of. He was educated by them, medicated by them when he fell ill. They gave him clothing to cover his body. And they told him of Jesus. He listened, drinking in the stories of God come down in flesh. They spoke of His power, His healing, His life. How Jesus came and paid for our sins – our wrongdoings – so that we may live forever with God. They spoke of the goodness of the life to come, if one would only believe. And the boy believed. When he was a teen, the Finnish couple laid their hands on him and prayed over him, speaking the Lord’s words that this young man would grow up in the most holy faith and be the instrument God would use to reach southern India. The peace and power of God settled over the him. His calling had been received. *** Several years later the young boy had grown into a young man, and at his discharge from the orphanage, started a life of his own. He married a young woman from a wealthy, higher-caste family. It was unheard of for a Dalit, a person lower than a common dog, to marry up. The only reason this happened is because the young woman and her entire family were believers in Christ. The young couple spent the first several years living in a bamboo pole home with leaves for the roof and dirt for the floor. She had left a home with concrete walls to come to this hand-built hut with her new husband. He had a calling on his life, and she trusted God that He would fulfill that calling. *** The young man stood one day, looking over the mass grave the city used to bury the impoverished and Dalit dead. The stench was overpowering. Then he heard the voice of the Lord speak to him. “Look out, My son, for this is the land I am going to give you for you to do My work in this place.” The young man could have disagreed. He could have said there was no way any would could have been done in a place of death. How could life exist where death reigned? But he didn’t. He lowered his head and prayed, “Lord, Your will be done.” *** It was a hot morning and he was walking to preach the Gospel to the village. His heart was heavy, as his wife had told him that very morning they had no food left. As he passed the field, he heard a breaking cry. He stopped and saw two infants abandoned in poverty. They lie dying in the field, crying to a non-

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existent mother. He continued to walk, as this is a common site in India. The Lord spoke again: “Go back and get those babies.” He could have said no. He could have said there was no food. The children could die in the field or die in his home. Either way they would die. But he didn’t. Instead he picked up the babies and carried them home to his wife. She met him at the door, her eyes swimming with tears. After he had left, a rice truck had driven by the house. Two bags of rice had fallen off the back of the truck right in front of their home. They had food. The Lord had provided. He looked at the two babies as his wife cleaned them and wrapped them in blankets. He knew what he had to do. God wanted him to reach his country, and he would start with the orphans. He would start with the least, working for the greatest. *** Trials met him at every turn. His son, who was born deaf and mute, was abducted. By the grace of God he was returned before he was sold into slavery. He praised God for the return of his son, instead of cursing Him for allowing the kidnapping. The Hindus persecuted him mercilessly. Even though he was helping children, they despised his work because with his work came the Gospel. Slowly, surely, with the help of donations from a family in Oregon, he was able to build an orphanage, on the very land the Lord had promised to him. The Lord broke down the social and caste barriers in Christ. The young man rose up and became a leader in his community, and subsequently in his entire state. As young men left his orphanage, they became pastors, ministering the Gospel to villages. Each week they would spend three days traveling many miles on foot to eleven or twelve different home churches, preaching the good news of Jesus Christ to anyone who would listen. The women would teach other women, sharing with them the things of God they learned in their time at the orphanage. And the former Dalit boy, rejected by the world and accepted by God, continued his work of ministering to the orphans. As his Finnish parents did for him, so he did for the next generation of Indian orphans. He clothed them, he fed them, he educated them, he medicated them, he sheltered them. And he gave them the most important thing anyone can give another person: knowledge of the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

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Persecution increased over the years as the Church in southern India continued to grow. Children who got too close to the gate around the orphanage were be abducted, sold into slavery or prostitution, beaten, and even killed. Pastors received even worse. Burning of homes, murder of family members, destruction of home churches. One such pastor was captured by the Hindus, covered in oil, set on fire, and dragged through the streets. He sang praises to God over the burning until they finally used a gun to silence him. All because he believed in Jesus. He sings still, in the heavenly choir. Directly to Jesus, whom he gave his life for. *** The young man was growing older, his children grown and getting ready to leave the home. He could see a greater need as the Church continued to spread and grow. The people need Bibles. And so with the help of American churches, he started an annual conference, bringing American pastors over to teach and share their knowledge. At the end of the conference, each Indian pastor or teacher received a Bible in their native language. The first year the conference was held, enough money was raised for 600 pastors. At the last conference, over 4,000 pastors were in attendance. They were able to listen to the Word of God being taught. They received a Bible in their language that they were able to take back to their home and churches. For the first time in their lives, they could open the Bible and read it for themselves, and not just recite what someone else had said. *** There is a revival going on in southern India. The Gospel is spreading like wildfire in the remote villages, through a people who are worthless in the eyes of men but beautiful in the sight of God. Men and women die each day for their faith. They struggle to feed their families. They live with the constant threat of persecution from their Hindu & Muslim brothers. They know any moment could be their last. And they have next to nothing. Many don’t have Bibles. They rely on oral testimony and recitation of the Word of God. And still they preach. Still they pray. Still they labor. And the man with the orphans?

***

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Currently Orphan’s Faith Home houses 300 children. The man has to, due to finances, turn away thousands of children a year from begging mothers because they know their babies will receive better care from him than they will from the mothers. The orphanage is 100% donation-supported from American churches and believers. It receives no stipends or grants from the Indian government. Everything they have, they have because of the generosity of American Christians. Souls are being harvested daily in southern India, because one man determined to be obedient. One man decided that, against all odds, against everything the world told him, he would believe God and His Word. He knew the power of God, because the power of God raised him from nothing and made him something. He saw with his very own eyes how God makes beauty from ashes. His name is Babu. And he is a laborer.

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For more information about Pastor Babu’s ministries, visit the Orphan’s Faith Home site at: http://www.indiapartners.org/ partners/ofh.php If you are interested in supporting Pastor Babu’s ministries financially or have a specific question about his ministries, please contact the Exemplify team at [email protected]. Please put “India” in the subject line of your email.

Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” (John 4:34-38, NIV)

___________________ Tara Rachel is a born-and-bred Southern girl who loves sweet tea, Jesus, and football - and not necessarily in that order. Visit her at Musings of a Future Pastor's Wife, where she blogs about her day-to-day life as the wife of a seminary student/youth pastor and mom to a precious toddler girl, and the daily truths the Lord teaches her. 8

© Exemplify Online & Magazine

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Vibrant Beauty

“October is the month of painted leaves. Their rich glow now flashes round the world. As fruits and leaves and the day itself acquire a bright tint just before they fall, so the year near its setting. October is its sunset sky; November the later twilight.” -Henry David Thoreau Autumn. I love everything about the season. The sights, the smells, the events, the temperature, the leaves! I think a sweater looks better on me than shorts. I think apple cider is more divine than iced tea. I prefer warm, filling soups to cool salads. I adore pumpkins. I relish leaf covered lawns.

the leaf long before Autumn arrives? As summer draws to a close and the days get shorter, less and less chlorophyll (which gives the leaves their green hue, thank you Coach Rickard, biology teacher extraordinaire!) is formed, thus resulting in the dramatic display of color I’ve come to love.

All this autumn meditating has me daydreaming about trees today. Leaves on trees, actually. Right now every tree in sight is a bright green. But I know that by the time you read this, many of them will have unleashed a display of crimson, gold and amber foliage that sends my heart into shivers of delight. And I just cannot wait. So on this incredibly hot, dry end of summer day I’m thinking about leaves. I know, I’m a weird one.

God takes us through similar seasons. The times when what is really on the inside is hidden, waiting for the big reveal. We may appear to look like everyone else, but we are wildly unique and God is preparing us for His individual purposes. It’s not easy to sit back and wait during these times, but we can rest in this promise found in Ecclesiastes 3:11: “He has made everything beautiful in it’s time.” Rest assured, there will come a time when God unveils you in all your beauty. I don’t know about you, but I want to be ready for that unveiling. I don’t want to just wither, I want to radiate!

I marvel at much in God’s creation, and colorful fall leaves are no exception. How beautiful is the bright red maple? How incredible the yellow gold of the beech tree? Oh, the imagination and creativity our God puts on display! Like viewing an awe-inspiring sunset, these trees proclaim our God is a God of beauty and purpose. I believe He delights in showing us His wonders in nature and I don’t want to miss any of it. What God has brought to my attention today as I was daydreaming is the process of leaves changing. Did you know that those brilliant colors are there in © Exemplify Online & Magazine

During the summer leaves take in certain nutrients that determine their color. For instance, the maple stores a lot of glucose that causes the vibrant red. We are much the same. What we store in our heart is going to come out. Luke 6:45 says it well: The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart

Written by Kara Cox the mouth speaks. If I want the vibrant beauty of Jesus Christ to come forth in me, I’ve got to get His word into my heart. I shudder to think of the alternative. Another truth I pondered about the leaves is their destiny. Oak leaves can’t decide they want to look like Maple leaves and maple leaves can’t decide to be birch leaves. Just as I cannot decide that I want to be you when God calls me to be Kara. It would be futile of me to try. If I’m gold I can speak red and think red and act red but I’m still gold. I’ve been given my own color to shine forth, and when I’m joined up with all of the rest of the body of Christ we make a glorious display. It’s such a beautiful honor just be a part, don’t you think? ______________________________ Kara is a single, thirtysomething follower of Christ who loves to laugh and makes others laugh in the process. She is devoted to all things Autumn and thinks that pumpkins, fallen leaves and fall TV premieres are a highlight of life. She would also like you to know she is the most extroverted introvert you will ever meet. 9

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!e Practice of " Presence of God by Bro$er Lawrence

Review by Kate

In the late 1600’s, a French monk on his deathbed told those around him, “I am doing what I shall do, through all eternity- blessing God, praising God, adoring God, giving Him the love of my whole heart. It is our one business, my brethren, to worship Him and love Him, without thought of anything else.” That monk was called Brother Lawrence and even though he lived over 300 years ago, his words and thoughts are preserved in a slim book titled The Practice of the Presence of God. This little book is so packed with wisdom and practical truth that, when I began highlighting my favorite lines, the book ended up looking solidly orange. Brother Lawrence, who lived from 1614 to 1691, was born Nicholas Herman in the Lorraine region of eastern France. At the age of 18, he saw the condition of his soul reflected in a bare tree, seemingly dead, one winter’s day. Like the tree, which would be granted new life by God in its proper season, he himself could be renewed through the power and grace of God. Six years later, he joined the Carmelite monastery in Paris and took the name Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence was well aware of his sinful nature, and he believed that the austere life of a monk would serve as a punishment, as he wished to suffer for his sins. For the first few years, his heart was heavy with thoughts of the punishment he deserved and with wondering whether he was saved. By the grace of God, he was gradually able to shift his focus from himself to his Creator with what he called “the practice of the presence of God.” This book consists of three parts: First are notes by one M. Beaufort, a grand vicar, recounting conversations between himself and Brother Lawrence. Second is a collection of spiritual maxims written by Brother Lawrence and intended to teach others how to practice the presence of God. Finally, a chapter entitled “The Character of Brother Lawrence,” thought to have been written by M. Beaufort, describes Brother Lawrence and his teachings. Although each part is written in a different style, they all convey the same three virtues: Do all things for the love of God. While at first it may seem difficult to relate to a monk who lived in the 17th century, it is interesting to note that Brother Lawrence was assigned the job of cooking meals for the monastery, despite a natural aversion to cooking. He recounts occasions on which several people were asking different things of him simultaneously while he was trying to “get dinner on the table.” Can you relate? Brother Lawrence was able to handle these challenges with peace because he lived as though

there was no one else on Earth but himself and God. He performed even the simplest tasks for the love of God. As he said, “Our sanctification did not depend upon changing our works, but in doing that for God’s sake which we commonly do for our own.” Develop the habit of the practice of the presence of God. By this Brother Lawrence refers to the habit of continually focusing one’s thoughts on God. He initially had great difficulty cultivating this habit: he admits that his thoughts continually wandered, even during appointed prayer times. (Again, can you relate?) Brother Lawrence offers this advice: “In order to form a habit of conversing with God continually, and referring all we do to Him, we must first apply to Him with some diligence; but that after a little care we should find His love inwardly excite us to it without any difficulty.” Whenever Brother Lawrence realized his thoughts had wandered, whether during prayer times or in daily living, he simply brought his mind back to God. By reminding himself whenever he realized his error, he developed the habit of continually thinking about God and enjoying his presence. Accept the forgiveness offered by God. Although at first Brother Lawrence wished to suffer for his sins, he soon came to accept the complete and perfect forgiveness offered by God through Christ. M. Beaufort recounted from one conversation, “That [Brother Lawrence] was very sensible of his faults, but not discouraged by them; that he confessed them to God, but did not plead against Him to excuse them. When he had so done, he peaceably resumed his usual practice of love and adoration.” Instead of feeling guilty for his mistakes, Brother Lawrence simply confessed and moved on. With Christ, there is no need for guilt; only love. It is remarkable how well today’s woman can relate to a 17th century monk. Brother Lawrence’s maxims are as relevant now as they were over 300 years ago, and The Practice of the Presence of God is so full of wisdom and so practical that it deserves a place of honor on every Christian’s bookshelf. This is the kind of book that can be read repeatedly, with new wisdom being gleaned with each reading. Much of the wisdom of the “Christian living” genre is summed up in this book, and much of this book is summed up in its last sentence: “Believe me, count as lost each day you have not used in loving God.”

© Exemplify Online & Magazine

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Color Me Green Written by Christy McGraw

Of all the things about being single, for me, one of the hardest things is being jealous of others. I don’t want to be jealous but there I am so many times…green with envy at the couple snuggling at the movie theater or the woman showering kisses over her child’s face. While I may not want to spend time being jealous, I do. Before I know it it has consumed my thoughts. I can vividly remember when it struck me how much of a problem I had with jealousy. I was complaining to God one day about a friend getting married...

My friend was not a Christian and I started whining (oh yes my sisters, I was whining) to God about how they did not even have a relationship with Him and how they were living together and that was a sin….and the whining went on and on. I am sure the words, it’s not fair, came out of my mouth more than once. All of the sudden I hear, in a commanding voice, How are you any different? Here I was doing one of the very things I hate most, judging others. Judging them out of a jealousy that was consuming me. When truth is that I am a sinner too. Just as I was saying they were. Even more I am cognizant of it. I know that I am a sinner but even more than that I know I have been redeemed.

time I spent wanting what they had. Even more He was jealous over the time I spent wanting a husband and a family. The Bible tells us, more than once, that our God is a jealous God. In fact Exodus 34 tells us one of the names of the Lord is Jealous.

I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you. (Isaiah 44:22, NIV)

Resonate on that line for a minute.

He does that. For us. Sadly the friend I was complaining about did not know of this truth yet. I did. Because of my relationship with my Abba Daddy I know when I sin and at times I choose to sin deliberately. And there are times it sneaks up on us and before we know it there we are. Of course it was not very long before I was turning green again….. Once I realized how much of a problem I was having with the jealousy I went to Him about the issue, often! He slowly revealed to me that as much as I was jealous over what others had He was jealous over the © Exemplify Online & Magazine

DO NOT WORSHIP ANY OTHER GOD, FOR THE LORD, WHOSE NAME IS JEALOUS, IS A JEALOUS GOD. (EXODUS 34:14 , NIV) One of my most favorite of songs says this at the very beginning: He is jealous for me (How He Love Us, John Mark McMillian)

He is jealous for us sweet sisters. He wants to spend time with us. He wants to dance with us, He wants to hold us, He wants to have conversation with us, He wants to LOVE us. More often than not I was so caught up in my jealousy that I was not spending time with Him. I was not letting Him hold me, talk with me, love me. Because I was too concerned with wanting other things I was missing out on the very best thing in my life, Jesus! Over the last few months this has been something I have worked on diligently. I prayed about it consistently and I started holding my thoughts of jealousy captive. To be honest there are still times I struggle with being green. Kermit definitely knew what he was talking about when he said, “It’s not easy

being green”. Things are much better than what they once were. Could they be better? Of course! But this along with all of the other things He has been teaching me are a part of this journey. So what do I do now when I feel the jealousy creeping up….I automatically go to the Word. I have specific scriptures I have memorized. Ones that tell of His Love, a reminder that while I am striving for the love of others He already loves me more than I can even begin to comprehend. I also start spending more quite time with Abba Daddy. After the revelation of how He is jealous and wants to spend time with me, it is something I am diligent about. I remember the times when I wanted to spend time with others around me and they were too busy. I know how much that hurt at times. Along the way I have realized that God has feelings just like we do. And while He is God we can still hurt Him. I don’t want to hurt Him and that is what I was doing every time I thought other things, earthly things, could satisfy my needs. Nothing can truly ever satisfy my needs, all of my needs, but Him. ______ Christy is on a journey to becoming a woman after God’s own heart. She delights in books, photography, her family and her friends. Christy has a heart for young women and single women. She also loves emails! [email protected]

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A Woman Inspired Conference

October 5-9 2009 http://www.awomaninspiredconference.org/ Have you been in touch with your inner creative diva? Do you want to learn to express yourself through paint mediums, culinary masterpieces, vibrant rooms or maybe through your own life as the canvas? Well, you can get inspired here. Whether you feel stuck in a rut or just don’t know where to begin we can help. I’m confident that many of you have a pile of unfinished projects or maybe put off doing things simply because you feel you don’t have the time. We have all been there and can definitely relate. We would like you help get some momentum going so that you can begin to create and design no matter what your canvas preference is.

Learn how to: develop your God given talents and gifts push past creative blocks further your education in the area of your choice (at no cost) be more productive be more focused let your light shine! Speakers include: Tricia Goyer, author of Life Interrupted Larissa Lam of Beautiful Faith, On the Way Up, and Larissa Lam.com Karla Porter, of Modern Media Mom Tania Willis, Pinecone Press scrapbook author Rhoda, of Southern Hospitality Carolyn J. Carleton, of Unlimited Potential International Leslie Valeska, of Simple Journey Ministries Kathryn Bonner, author of Confessions of a Pastor’s Wife Kathryn Lang, of Successful Freelance Writer Jill Novak, owner of Remembrance Press Kris Rhoades, of The Well Ministries Angela Parsley, of Refresh My Soul Ministries

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Linda Osborne, Woman on a Mission Written by Judith Roberts

She was the Baptist Collegiate Minister at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston when I met her seven years ago. This Mississippi State and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary alumna is well-known in the Baptist ministry as a woman who, with the help of God, can get things done. Linda Osborne, a vivacious blonde with an infectiously-optimistic personality, almost always has a smile from ear to ear, is barely containing barrels of energy, and, for a woman who’s been serving in the ministry for a little over 20 years, still often gets mistaken for a college student. She currently serves as national collegiate ministry leader – something none of us who attended Louisiana Tech when she was Baptist Collegiate Ministry director were surprised about. Linda’s always had a joyful heart and is able to make her bold dreams for the future come to life. I have no doubt her abilities are valuable assets to the national organization. “I sensed God's call into full time ministry as a sophomore in high school while leading backyard Bible clubs for sweet, energetic, unchurched kids in my hometown,” this mother © Exemplify Online & Magazine

of two said. “As a college student, I went on a gazillion mission trips and got my hands dirty in a variety of ministries. Ministry seemed to be a natural fit for who God made me.” She served as associate BCM director at Arkansas State University and BCM director at Florida State, the University of Louisiana at Monroe and Tech before making the move to Nashville. “Having a blast in college, I always thought college life would be incredibly fun without classes. Being a BCM director gave me a bit of this life,” Linda said. “Some say the most change in an adult’s life happens between high school graduation and the following Christmas. People make such life shaping decisions during their college years: lifestyle, career, relationships, religion. Walking alongside students during this significant time in their life is an honor.” Even though being a minister to so many collegiate students is not always a walk in the park, Linda said remembering God’s call for her life keeps her going. “Seeing a student decide to include God in this process in incredible,” she said. “Taking students on short term mission trips has always been a

treat. There are so many discoveries for students on these kinds of trips – learning the world is bigger than once believed, seeing great need for the first time, and really getting that God’s desire is to use people in responding to such great need.” She’s already imparting some of this wisdom to her two children, Julianna, who is in middle school, and Evan, 8, both whom she adopted. “Adoption is something that interested me early in life,” Linda said. “Julianna stole my heart instantly. I had read that being a mom was like having your heart walk around outside of your body. I got that when I looked at Julianna for the first time. It was a fun surprise that she looked like me. “Evan’s big brown eyes were captivating — still are! He has very expressive eyes that draw you in and make you wonder. Evan was born right after 9/11, which made it an interesting time to hold a child whom God placed in your care. I was filled with both extreme joy and concern.” Evan and Julianna have picked up on their mama’s teaching techniques, too. 13

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“I love to ‘catch them being good’ — makes pointing out less than good behavior easier,” Linda said. “Often, Evan will say, ‘Mom, I picked up my toys. You forgot to catch me being good.’ Then, I’ll say, ‘Caught ya!” and run give him a hug. It’s fun.” And while she doesn’t Twitter (“I have way more things to say than 140 characters worth, and I don’t think people really want to know when I am buying milk,” she said.), she is active with Facebook – as is Julianna.

“Facebook is a great tool in college ministry. It makes keeping in touch with students, former students, and college ministers much easier than pre-social networking days,” Linda said. “Julianna is my friend on Facebook. I have her passwords. She knows that I randomly read her inbox, etc. This is a healthy boundary for this season as she navigates her way through early teen years.”

Back in my college days, not that long ago, I remembered how easy Linda made everything look. She never seemed to tire, always had a positive attitude and words of encouragement, and even had time to be a mom to hundreds of college students, not just her two kids living at home! “It surprises me that it seems effortless. You saw me on many frazzled, bad hair days,” she joked. “I like to organize, and I work hard at balance. I think a person can do it all…just not on the same day. I do try to look at a week or a month or even a year to see if there is balance. I recognize that certain seasons are busier at work, and certain seasons require more attention at home. Looking at the big picture helps with balance.”

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Are you running a women’s ministry or making a difference in your community? Have something to share with our readers? We love interviewing women who are living lives that glorify! Contact us at [email protected] for more details!

Oh, Linda O. What w%ld we do wi$%t y%?

From spending quality time with her kids to traveling around the globe witnessing to others to helping college students find their way, Linda O is one of a kind. She’s a gold mine of information and energy – and did I mention she has dressed up as Superman?

Judith Roberts has been married to her college sweetheart for four years, and both she and her husband are active in their church. She is a college instructor pursuing her doctorate and hopes to mirror Jesus in her everyday life.

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© Exemplify Online & Magazine

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The Seasons Within The Season of Motherhood

Written by Lori MacMath

“Wise is the woman who cherishes each season and cheerfully anticipates the next.” ~ Author unknown As the leaves begin to delight us with their colorful hues, and the scorching sun begins to prepare for a much deserved respite, autumn is a season like no other. The changes are evident and obvious as we look around and unlike spring, autumn prepares us for a different kind of change, much like those changes that we experience in motherhood. While spring is a season of birth and renewal, autumn finds us surrendering and embracing the changing winds. After all, there is no stopping either!

Seasons of our lives are ever changing. We live through a difficult situation as we live through the long nights of winter, only to emerge © Exemplify Online & Magazine

stronger and better in our springtime. In the autumns of our lives we see unpredictable and magnificent changes that have us looking back to the days of the summer season, when things were quieter and predictable. When we become mothers, we enter a Season of Motherhood which will last for the rest of our lives. It is the beginning of a season of new submission. We find ourselves submitting to the needs of another human being, a helpless human being. It is, in many ways, our springtime. Babies will do what they do best, they grow. They toddle, they tantrum and they teach us to notice things along the way that we’ve perhaps not taken notice of in a very long time. But soon, they toddle out of that and are fully immersed in the life that is childhood. With all of its bumps and bruises, it’s a time of delight. Trees are climbed and dolls are dressed, indeed a special time. All too soon it seems, those tea parties and dress up’s are traded out for more “grown up” sorts of things. The talk soon turns to, “How do I

look?” and these babies of ours begin to notice the changes themselves. Autumn has me reflecting on these changes, the changes that we experience in this amazing journey of motherhood. While we tend to see the seasons of motherhood clearly, we often don’t recognize the “seasons within the seasons.” It is within each stage we have the opportunity to experience the seasons of our children's ever-changing lives, but only if we are carefully observing. I am drawn to the words of Mary, Jesus’ mother;

“But His mother treasured all these things in her heart.” Luke 2:51 15

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The seasons of our lives are ever changing... Quiet Winter tends to draw us all inward. We find ourselves at home, lingering and enjoying all that is within our homes. So too we can see the Winter as our little ones quiet down after a bath and cuddle up to share stories. As those babies grow, we cherish “Winter” when life finds them having heart to heart talks with us. In the life of a teen, winter blahs can seem to last forever, and it’s up to us as mom’s to notice that they just may be feeling the chill that winter can often bring. As our children leave home, we may have to help them endure their own “hard Winter,” that is after all what mom is there for.

All too often we let the hurried and rushed pace of our lives remove us from the spectacular season we are living. In each

stage of mothering life, we’ll see the “Spring!” In all her glory, we will see the newness that each stage brings. From learning how to crawl or walk, to learning how to drive, to walking down the aisle. Spring bursts forth in new skills mastered and new independence found. Take time to notice the Spring within the season, it is full of wonder and excitement. As those children of ours take wings and fly out into their own lives, we continue to embrace the Springtime that God has in store for them.

As Spring moves into Summer, so do our children. They have energy that is contagious whether they are toddlers up at daybreak to greet the sun and experience all of life’s surprises to the athlete who brings home a gym bag full of “stinky, sweaty” equipment. There is nothing that exemplifies the spirit of Summer like the act of doing. Embrace those sweaty socks, and when you find yourself bathing a child who is dirty, “even behind her ears,” know that you are witnessing Summer in the seasons of motherhood. As mother’s we know full well about the “lazy days” of Summer and as our children grow and mature, we celebrate with them those times in their lives where it’s all going well. The sun shines and the pace is relaxed.

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Then in all her glory, Autumn ushers in a brand new season. She stands in splendor, dressed in color and even stirs up a cool breeze. She also stands preparing us for what we know will come, Winter. It’s in our Autumn days that we notice the changes in our own children too. One gives up a pacifier, or the need to sneak down to mom and dad’s room, while our teens literally change before our eyes. Little girls seem to change overnight into young women, and our boys’ voices are as if someone has replaced them with a stranger. Even our grown children find themselves in seasons of change. The winds do blow, but the colors of change are magnificent, nothing quite like them. Again as mother’s we must embrace those little changes that sometimes quietly sneak in like a slowly changing fall leaf, at the same time weathering the cool breezes that surprise us.

God planned it as such. “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) The seasons within the seasons. They are there. They are embraceable, but only if we are tuned into them. If we are not watching, the years pass on without a notice, until one day we look up and realize just how many miraculous seasons we’ve missed. I encourage you to spend some time this Autumn to discover the “seasons within the season of motherhood” regardless of which season you are in. Regardless of whether you are in the Springtime of motherhood as a new mother, living the Summertime of young children, in the Autumn season of change with teenagers. Perhaps you are standing in the Winter of motherhood, waiting for the next Spring to arrive (in the form of grandchildren). Wherever you are, I encourage you to take notice of the “seasons within.” They are remarkable, just as each season has her splendor, so do the moments of each day.

© Exemplify Online & Magazine

Visit Lori’s Blog, All You Have to Give!

Lori's mom insists that she came out of the womb 'talking' and has not stopped since. Lori however, insists that over the past 41 years she has learned a thing or two about listening as well. Especially, when it is God who is doing the talking. Hearing the voice of God has led her out of a 'desert place' and into a garden full of praise for the King. People often compare Lori to the "energizer bunny," but she is quick to comment that the energy that she has is from the LORD..."if HE is going to supply it, I'd better use it...lest He think that I don't need it...and I do!!" Lori claims the phrase, "no storm can shake my inmost calm, when to this rock I'm clinging..." and insists that she will "take it Lord, ALL you have to give...." Praising HIM every step of the way.... She encourages you to enjoy the journey with her at her personal website, All You Have to Give, where she can be found daily... enjoying each and every season to its fullest!

www.allyouhavetogive.com

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Painting Your Sanctuary

“I like to think of paint as a room’s eyeshadow.”

Written by Christy Klein

As I stood there with paint roller in hand staring at the blank-slate-of-a-wall in front of me, I began to ponder the delicate art of painting a room. Much like people, every sanctuary is unique in it’s design, style, and personality. No two sanctuaries are exactly the same and each one is uniquely dressed by it’s inhabitants. But there is one commonality you are sure to find in every sanctuary, and that one thing is paint.

season, and year to year. So if you pick a color simply based on the current trend, you will find yourself disappointed and discontent when the trend changes. You’ll then feel compelled to repaint again and your loved ones will feel compelled to smother you with a pillow.

I like to think of paint as a room’s eyeshadow. To me, the paint color you choose for your walls is one of the most important decisions you make when decorating a room. It often dictates what type of personality the room will take on and sets the mood of the room long before one stick of furniture is moved in. A well chosen paint color can serve as a wonderful source for inspiration, too. Many people make the mistake of selecting a wall color based on what is hot that season. Try to avoid doing this unless the color you’ve selected is one you really love. Color trends change from season to

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I believe that every color has a personality. It’s up to you to determine what that personality is and if it will work for your room. I will often sit in the room I’m thinking of repainting and imagine different colors in that space – keeping in mind the

architectural details and the furniture pieces that are in the room. By doing this you will be able to rule out certain colors completely. Once you’ve got three or four color possibilities, it’s time to go to your local hardware store and raid their color samples. Caution: Be prepared to feel like a thief as you walk out with about 40 color sample cards stuffed into your purse. But it’s okay, that’s what they are there for. Grab dozens of different shades of the same color. The variations in hues may seem too subtle to matter, but trust me, there is a huge difference. This is usually where I spend dozens of hours obsessing over color cards waiting for one to speak to me. Play with your color samples. Put them up against the furniture pieces, see how each one looks with your flooring, and ask yourself if it works with the rooms nearby. Tape your samples to the walls for a day or two. Soon, you will find yourself going back to the same one. Congratulations… your color has spoken.

© Exemplify Online & Magazine

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Now all that’s left is the actual painting process. I cannot stress to you enough how important it is for you to take your time on this. One of my biggest pet peeves in home decorating is a bad paint job. Nothing is more unattractive than messy edge work, paint booboos on the ceiling, door frames, and baseboards, and missed spots where the former color is peeking out at you. When I walk into a room that has been painted in haste and shows the telltale signs of it – that is all I see. It brings the entire atmosphere down a couple of notches. It doesn’t matter how beautifully decorated a room is – if the paint job is a mess – the room is a mess.

Take the time to properly prep your walls before you start. Patch all of the nail holes, make sure the walls and ceiling are free from dust and cob webs, and slap on a coat or two of primer if the current wall color is dark or if it’s a semigloss. Once your walls are prepared then it’s time to get painting. Many people use that blue painter’s tape to tape off their edges. This does not work, ladies. It does not matter how well you tape around your frames and baseboards – paint always manages to seep in. Personally, I tape off nothing… not one single thing. Take your roller and get as close as you comfortably can to the edges without having any boo-boos. After all the walls have been rolled, go back with a small bristle paint brush and fill in the rest stopping about 1/4 inch away from the edges. This is when I get out a fine artist’s paintbrush, and with a steady hand, slowly and lovingly paint a very smooth line around the edges. I know it sounds about as fun as removing your own wisdom teeth using nothing but a spoon and some Tylenol. But trust me, you absolutely cannot beat the results. You will end up with a paint job that is so perfect no one will even notice… and that is the point.

Last quick tip: Keep a container of baby wipes handy while painting. These will clean up any painting boo-boos if caught right away. As I go around the edges with my tiny brush, I keep a wipe in one hand so I can immediately take care of any little mistakes that I make. They’re also great for getting small paint spots and smears out of the carpet.

Christy is lucky enough to be married to the perfect guy (for her). Together, they are raising two children for the Lord. Christy thrives on turning trash into treasure, loves thrift stores, and can often be found wondering the aisles of Home Depot with a light bulb gleaming over her head.

© Exemplify Online & Magazine

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Mauris egestasEmpty lacus sit Pitchers ame Ga$e&ng Vivamus pulvinar, purus ultricies ultrices ullamcorper, dolor diam euismod nisl, vel consectetuer eros mi sit amet lorem. — Quisque Massa

Written by Alisa Hope

Women are constantly serving the needs of others. Almost every night we fall into our beds depleted of energy and devoid of passion. We are completely empty, and we wonder how we’ll find the strength to make it through another day. I’ve had many nights like this. Out of obedience, I pour into the lives of family and friends, and I fulfill the many obligations that come with life. Hands continuously grope at the fleeting seconds of my day, and I desperately search for the scraps. When there are no leftovers to be found, I hold my empty hands up to God and cry out, “Lord, there is nothing left for me!” As I contemplated more ways to hoard my little scraps, God taught me a beautiful lesson that has forever changed my life. He taught me how to gather empty pitchers! I read the story about Elisha and the widow found in 2 Kings: 4.1-7.

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A prophet died and left his wife and sons with a considerable debt. The debtor was going to come and take the widow’s sons away to pay for the debt. The widow came to Elisha and asked for his help. Elisha asked the woman if she had anything of value, and at first the woman said no; but then she admitted to having a little oil. Elisha told the woman to gather all the pitchers she could find and take the oil and fill each of them. The oil poured out until there were no more empty pitchers. The woman was able to sell the oil and keep her sons. When I read this story, I imagined the woman carefully pouring her oil into each pitcher. As she held one of the pitchers and poured oil to its rim, she cried out, “Another pitcher, please!” But there were no more. I could see the desperation on the woman’s face as she realized how very few pitchers she had filled.

I felt the woman’s anguish over not having more pitchers. I wished that she would have been more prepared. If she would have taken Elisha’s words more seriously, she would have

spent weeks or even months gathering empty pitchers. That’s when I felt God say to me, “You are gathering empty pitchers.” I didn’t quite understand what God meant, but I knew He was about to give me hope in my obedient emptiness. I meditated on the story for several days, discussing it with God and friends. Finally, I felt the last puzzle piece fall into place and an amazing image of empty pitchers appeared in my mind. I figured out how I could gather empty pitchers! At long last, I understood how I could find my “true self” by sacrificing myself!

Jesus said, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat—I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you?” (Luke 9.23 Message).

© Exemplify Online & Magazine

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How could “self-sacrifice” be beneficial to finding my “true self”? If God is my Creator and the Creator of all things, wouldn’t it stand to reason that He knows me better than I know myself? And if He designed me for a specific purpose, wouldn’t it be to my benefit that I surrender to His will completely? But why does it seem that God would have us continuously pour ourselves into those around us? So many times we want to be like the widow. She didn’t want to let Elisha know that she had a small jar of oil at home. We do the same thing. We don’t want to let go of the little time, resources and energy we have because we’re scared there will be nothing left for us. But this is not the case. Every time we pour our lives out for God’s glory, we leave an empty pitcher for God to fill. Every time we serve the needs of our children, we leave an empty pitcher. Every time we sacrifice our bodies for our husbands, we leave an empty pitcher. Every time we pour into the lives of our friends, we leave an empty pitcher. Every time we give resources to the poor and disadvantaged, we leave an empty pitcher. And every time we surrender our desires to the Holy Spirit, we leave an empty pitcher. Be constantly mindful, though, that you do not try to get others to fill your pitchers. Wait on God’s hand! If we expect others to give us something in return, God will not bless our actions. He only fills empty pitchers (Matthew 6.1). Sometimes God fills those empty pitchers immediately, and we are instantly blessed for our sacrifice. However, most of the time, the empty pitchers gather. God allows them to gather because He knows that He is about to open the heavens and pour down the blessings. He wants you to be ready with a bunch of empty pitchers, so you do not cry out, “Another pitcher, please!” This revelation has helped me because now I look forward to leaving empty pitchers. Every time I serve those around me, I open myself to be blessed by God. And the most awesome part about pouring myself out to others is that God loves my emptiness! He can complete His divine work only in my emptiness! The “real me” shows up when I have nothing left to hoard! Sometimes we forget that God is the everlasting Creator. He specializes in creating something out of nothing. In the Old Testament God created life out of emptiness: “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters” (Genesis 1.2 NIV). And in the New Testament God created new life from an empty tomb (John 20).

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the best two-for-one-deal in the entire universe! This is why Jesus said that the only way to find your “true self” is to sacrifice yourself. Only God knows our “true self” and only He can complete His design. So the next time you feel exhausted and your lift your empty hands up to God, cry out to Him, “God, create life in me!” And if you feel like you’ve messed up the life He has already given you, lift up your hands to Him and cry out, “God, create new life in me!” If you can stay broken by continually pouring yourself into the lives of others, God will be able to bless you and create your emptiness into a thing of beauty. Don’t hold anything back! Trust God with all you have and start gathering empty pitchers!

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Alisa Hope Wagner gave her life to Jesus at the age of 14 in a small Baptist church in South Texas. All she wanted was to be loved, and she found that love through Jesus Christ. Alisa has never felt unloved since that day! Alisa has her BA degree in English from A & M - Corpus Christi and her MA degree in English - Applied Linguistics from the University of Houston. She has taught English to every age group: elementary, junior high, high school and college. Alisa is a full-time mother who is able to write while raising her three vivacious children. She has a God-given passion to write, and she loves to write about what the Holy Spirit is currently teaching her. Alisa has published devotionals, articles and poetry; and she is continuously trying to reach people for Christ with her writing. She has also written her first novel and is currently seeking publication. Alisa is the chief editor of the Granola Bar Devotional and is always looking for new ways to help people share their faith story. She is also a contributing writer for the Internet Cafe and Take Root and Write. Alisa married her high school sweetheart and has been married for over ten years. Her husband is the greatest supporter of her writing ministry. Alisa's twin-sister, Christina, is her ministry help-mate. Alisa's two sons and daughter offer her constant joy and continuous lessons on the Fruits of the Spirit. Alisa's true hope with her writing is that through it people are brought closer to God!

If we are constantly pouring ourselves into the lives others, God is able to create something beautiful within our emptiness. So many times we think we could do a better job than God can at molding us. We pray to God to make us more like Him; then, we scold Him for not doing things our way (Isaiah 29.16). God created life! How could we possibly top that? Whenever we try to take control, we just create chaos and heartache. God in His infinite wisdom knows that we want to meddle with His creation, so He ensures our humbleness by keeping us continually poured out to others. Our brokenness allows the Holy Spirit to easily pour through us, and it makes us more malleable so that God can complete the good work He started in us (Philippians 1.6). God is so awesome because He made our self-sacrifice doubly good. God blesses us when we sacrifice for others because we are able to leave empty pitchers for Him to fill and He blesses us when we sacrifice for others because He is able to create us into His image. It’s © Exemplify Online & Magazine

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Michelle Beck

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Meet Michelle Beck:

Designer Extraordinaire Written by Jennifer Recently, I had the privilege of interviewing Michelle Beck, designer extraordinaire to talk about her fabulous headbands, fashion, and what defines her. You can check out Michelle's Etsy shop at lillybeck.etsy.com. Sit back & enjoy the creativity of Michelle.

Please tell us a little bit about how you got into making these fabulous headbands? Well, I have always loved hair accessories. I think it adds a fun and cute flair to an outfit. I love headbands the most. I even wore one for my wedding. I actually started making my headbands in 2008. I was looking in a store and saw a very cute but way overpriced headband and I thought to myself, “you know, I could probably make my own headband, for cheaper:)” So I did! I wore it to church that next Sunday. I got so many compliments on it and a lot of girls asked me where I bought it. When I told them I made it, some of them asked if I could make them one. It was then when I realized I could start making my own unique designs and start selling them as long as ladies wanted to buy them. I am still making them, and it is so much fun!

Where does your inspiration for the headbands come from? Well, I love fashion from the 1920s era. My headbands remind me of the headpieces and headbands ladies would wear during that time. I love that look. I am also really into anything native American these days. I think the beading and feathers are so beautiful. I also love bright colors and mixing patterns together. There are so many feather headbands out there right now © Exemplify Online & Magazine

so I like to come up with different things to make them stand out, whether it is adding vintage buttons or putting colors together that you wouldn’t normally put together. I think that is what makes them unique. I really try to come up with my own individual designs that will stand out. Do you enjoy fashion? Are you a fashionista? I do enjoy fashion. I guess you could call me a fashionista. Fashion isn’t something I live for, but I do enjoy putting together outfits and expressing my personality in the things that I wear. I love to take fashion risks.

Do you have a favorite piece of clothing? If so, what is it? Lately I have been wearing casual dresses all the time. I have this one totally cute vintage looking floral dress that I adore. I never really have one favorite, but I guess dresses are my favorite for now.

Would you prefer a new pair of shoes or chocolate? Oh wow, chocolate is good, but I would have to choose the pair of shoes. Shoes will last a while, chocolate is gone in a second. I would

especially love a pair of vintage boots or gladiator sandals.

Is there anything else you would like our readers to know? Clothes and accessories don’t define me, I know who I am in Christ and that’s the most important thing I want people to know. I believe it is OK for Christian women to have fun with their clothing and wear things that will express their personalities, as long as it is appropriate. Be yourself and be confident in Christ. Make sure your focus is not just on earthly possessions and the things that you wear, but on your relationship with the Lord. If you have a creative side and have always wanted to do something crafty like this but have never tried, go for it! God gave you those gifts and talents and you need to put them to use. The Lord will bless your efforts! ______________________ Jennifer is a major chocoholic. She is so happy that flats are back in style and believes that the iPod is one of the greatest inventions ever. You can find her at So Many Books… So Little Time, where she love to pass along her thoughts on a good read.

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Firsts & Lasts Written by Andrea Mitchell

I normally love fall. I love how the leaves turn their beautiful reds, oranges, and yellows as they lose their chlorophyll. I love the crispness and the scent of the air (Well, usually. I do live near several dairy farms!). I enjoy the return to routine as our regular activities pick back up again. But this year I find I am dreading the change in season. And as much as I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of things, I am finding there is one day above all others that I would rather put off as long as possible, if I had a choice. My son’s first day of Kindergarten. My baby’s first day of Kindergarten. I know what you’re thinking. It’s not really that big of a deal. And I did manage to survive both my girls starting school, although barely.

I cried the first time I cut my daughter’s baby fine hair off.

I cried when Ethan switched to a big boy bed from his crib. I even cried this Spring when we sold our baby bathtub, the one we hadn’t actually used in four years, because I realized my babies were babies no longer. I blame hormones. I haven’t been the same person since I found out I was pregnant the first time. I mean, I do cry at just about everything. It can be rather annoying, especially since my new, organic mascara is not waterproof!

But still, there is something bittersweet about our children growing up. On the one hand, I am so excited for them to discover the world around them, to discover who God is making them into and all His wonderful plans for them.

My son, Ethan, is beginning to get excited about going to school with his sisters. This is a big, momentous first for him.

But on the other hand, I just want them to stay six months old. Is that really too much to ask?

But it is a big, momentous last for me, for this is the last child we will be sending off to Kindergarten. Ever.

It is so tempting to try and keep our children to ourselves, to not allow them to grow up and spread their wings. And yet that isn’t God’s desire or plan for them at all.

I’ve never been very good at these last firsts. I cried when I weaned my boy from breast-feeding (even though I was also secretly relieved it was over!).

When all of my children were born, I offered them up to the Lord. Like Moses’ mother, I realize that my

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time with them will be limited. Like Hannah, I need to instill faith in God in them while they are little so they are prepared to serve the Lord when they are older. And like Mary, I will be called upon to let my children go and carry out the plans God has for them. Even though it may be the most difficult thing I ever do. I know that I still have my children with me for hopefully some time to come. And yet sending them off to school just seems to signal the beginning of the end. As I begin to adjust to this new season of our parenting, I am frequently calling out to my Father, begging Him for my children’s protection and for each of them to live lives that glorify Him. And maybe to let me hold them just a wee bit longer.

__________________________ Andrea Mitchell is a coffee drinking, Jesus-loving wife and stay-at-home mom of three in constant search of just the right mug for her brew. You can find her at her blog, UnderGraceOverCoffee.com where she shares the love she has found in Jesus, along with the caffeine-laden randomness that makes up the majority of her day. Grab your cup and come on over! © Exemplify Online & Magazine

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How to Retain What You Read Written by Wendy Miller

It’s a privilege to be able to read. The next time you select a book off the shelf and curl up on your couch in hopes to be inspired or taken to the world inside your book, remember what you read not only influences you, it helps shape you and has the power to transform your thinking. If you’re like me you don’t have difficulty selecting good books. I’ve read more good books than I could possibly count. The difficulty comes when I try to remember plot lines or great lines from these books. Most of the time I recollect the message but there are times when I want to remember more. I want to retain what I’ve read. I’m going to present examples of ways I’ve strengthened my reading retention. But before I do that, I want to address why we should even care about retaining what we read. Remember my first line, “It’s a privilege to be able to read”? (I’m testing you already) I believe whenever we’ve been given a gift we are responsible to use it wisely. How can we let what we read truly impact us if we aren’t absorbing it or applying it to our lives? Other more simplified reasons for wanting to register what we read include having excellent dinner party conversation starters, sharpening memory and building on intelligence. But the © Exemplify Online & Magazine

reason I care most about is my hope to remember more of what I read in order to positively influence God’s kingdom. You’ve probably heard of memorization techniques like the Rosetta Stone, or programs for children like Hooked on Phonics. You might have even heard of setting lessons to music because children remember more when things are accompanied with lyrics. As I provide my examples, you’re likely to see traces of all of these techniques and then some.

Underline Regardless of whether you want to remember Scripture, a solid piece of advice from an inspirational non-fiction or an excellent descriptive line, one of the best ways to make something stick in your mind is to underline it. The reason this works so well is because you are stopping. You aren’t skimming ahead mindlessly. Underling something requires you to physically grab a pencil or pen and make a mark on the page. This is an uncomplicated but powerful gesture because of what it communicates to your brain. There’s something important on this page, something

to pay attention to, and even perhaps something to return to.

Strike up conversation People, both introverted and extroverted are wired to be in relationships. One of the key ways to preserve something you’ve read is to grab your husband or friend and talk about it with them. Say, “Have you ever heard of anything put more beautifully?” I love doing this with Bible verses. Recently, one verse in particular greatly impacted how I took on new projects. It might sound like I’m cheating because it’s Jesus’ speaking two words, “Take courage!” but the more I talked about these words, the more they became ingrained in my actions and how I chose to behave. Sharing verses and or favorite paragraphs from books with others invites a pleasant accountability and potentially rich conversation into the memorization process.

A book is a garden, an orchard, a storehouse, a party, a company by the way, a counselor, a multitude of counselors. ~ Henry Ward Beecher ~ 25

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PUT YOURSELF IN NEW SHOES-EMPATHIZE

There are few things I find to be as universal for helping people understand one another as learning to empathize. Not only does this work for understanding people in the world around you, but by “putting yourself in the shoes” of the character or Biblical figure you transfer what might have begun as an unemotional and distant experience of reading into a personal and influential one. By empathizing we not only gain a heightened awareness of what we read, but we have the potential to become more humble and forgiving individuals. Take David for example. How easy is it for us to judge him as he was with Bathsheba, then sending her husband to die? As I completed a Bible study on David years ago, the leader reminded me that David was a man after God’s own heart and how overwhelmingly willing God is to forgive.

A library is a hospital for the mind. ~ Anonymous ~ MEMORIZE FAVORITE QUOTES

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The second way I alluded to earlier. Sync up what you’ve read to music. I’m not talking about concocting a rap out of the psalms or your favorite line from Crime and Punishment. What I am suggesting is that if one line really speaks to you; find a way to connect it to music, a song you like with a beautiful rhythm. I’ve also heard some people do this to memorize people’s names (which I am horrible at).

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Reading furnishes the mind only with materials for knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours. ~ John Locke ~

REREAD

REFLECTION — TAKING TIME TO THINK ON IT Lather, rinse, repeat. Remember those instructions on the back of shampoo bottles? (Here I go testing you again!) Those In this fast paced society it can be tempting to jump from book to book just to say you’ve directions might still be commonly listed on shampoo bottles; I haven’t bothered to look read something or to check it off some floating list in your mind. I think something in awhile. Like the set of steps for washing hair, we can read, reflect and repeat if need is lost in translation when we do this. We lose the precious time it might take to allow be. It would be absurd to suggest we always need to read a book twice, but it certainly that remarkably worded sentence that sent shivers down the spine to sink in, to stir and can’t hurt to do so. Several years ago, a ultimately dwell within us. We’re only doing friend told me she read the book, Boundaries by Cloud and Townsend three ourselves a favor when we step back from times. It should come as no surprise that this something that overwhelms us with woman has excellent boundaries in her life. punctuated truth or beautifully written eloquence and allow for it to simmer and to My point: there’s a time for everything and sometimes if the book or verse is just that enter all corridors of our thinking. good, it might be worth rereading. (This is especially true of Bible verses)

Force yourself to reflect on what you read, paragraph by paragraph. ~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge ~

Every week during the summer my children and I have picked a Bible verse for them to WRITE ON IT memorize. I bet you know what’s coming. Yes, they have their verses memorized and guess who has all of them down pat as well? You guessed it, me. One of the most effective Much like jotting down sentences or verses routes to recalling what we’ve read is by on a note card, journaling or writing about intentionally trying to memorize it. what you’ve read is sure to cause you to remember it more readily. This one is like empathizing because you are personalizing Two of the best ways I can suggest to help the words you’ve read somehow and memorize what you read are: applying them to your specific circumstances. We are engineered to care more about something if it somehow involves us. I know, embarrassing to write, Writing note cards and affixing them in but true nonetheless. So next time you read obvious places. You’ve heard of writers something you suspect might have taping inspirational sayings near computers. substantial meaty promise, keep a journal Why do they do this? To be inspired. To be close by. influenced. Other noticeable places include on the mirror, on the inside of a cabinet, on your dashboard, on your bedpost and on your bathroom mirror.

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That’s your step by step guide to learning how to retain more of what you read.

UNDERLINE, CONVERSE, EMPATHIZE, MEMORIZE, REFLECT, WRITE AND IF ALL ELSE FAILS, REREAD. ________ Wendy Miller is a butcher (of words as she edits her novels), a baker (of birthday cakes and treats for her beloved family members and friends), and a candlestick maker (not quite, but she enjoys crafts of all kinds). She appreciates the outdoors, writing and laughing with loved ones. Wendy’s mission statement is to a live a passionate life filled with compassion, grateful to be called daughter of the Most High God. Visit Wendy at http:// thoughtsthatmove.blogspot.com/ or http:// wendypainemiller.wordpress.com/. © Exemplify Online & Magazine

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Seedtime & Harvest Written by Victoria Jenkins

Before we dive into the riches of Scripture, let’s join together in prayer. It is so important to seek Godly wisdom before venturing into His Word. Let us not lean on our own understanding, but on that of our Lord. Father, as we study from Your Word today, we ask that you would fill us with Your supernatural wisdom so that we might understand the lessons you have for us. Lord, please give us ears to listen and hearts to obey as we seek to apply Your Truth to our lives, daily. Thank you for this time in fellowship with those who walked the streets with Christ Jesus. Your Word amazes and we’re so grateful to be able to nourish our souls with these precious Scriptures. It is in the name of Jesus that we pray. Amen. Autumn. Just the mere mention has me all aflutter with anticipation of rewards to come. The changing leaves, in all their God-given beauty, line the streets and fill the yards with the promise of rest. All summer, we’ve tended to our lawns and gardens; the crispness of the autumn air invites us to savor the harvest of our efforts. Sharing what the Lord had revealed to him, Moses instructs God’s people on how they can best care for their promised land.

you will gather in your grain, your wine, and your oil; and He will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you will eat your fill. Take care, or you will be seduced into turning away, serving other gods and worshiping them, for then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you and He will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain and the land will yield no fruit; then you will perish quickly off the good land that the Lord is giving you” (Deuteronomy 11:13-17, NRSV). Dear One, through these same words, God is urging us to prepare our hearts and souls for His spiritual gardening. Let’s harvest the goodness of His Word together, finding each Living Bread crumb our Father has left in order that He might lead us home. “If you will only heed His every commandment that I am commanding you today–”

These commandments and other religious laws were rigidly sought after in the time before the Resurrection. “If you will only heed His every Moses was only given Ten commandment that I am commanding Commandments to teach God’s people, you today—loving the Lord your God, and His people fell short; we all fall and serving Him with all your heart short of the glory of God. Since our sin and with all your soul—then He will give the rain for your land in its season, must be covered in a veil of innocent blood in order to keep our iniquities the early rain and the later rain, and © Exemplify Online & Magazine

from separating us from our Father, many sacrifices were made in order to atone for the inevitable sins of man. How fortunate we are, as the bloodbought saints of the Living God! Having been ransomed by Christ’s death on the cross, we are freed from the shackles of the rules of old. We are to love God’s commands and strive to meet them, but the only sacrifice we must make is to die to ourselves in effort to live for our Lord. A healthy love for the Lord’s statutes is like a rich fertilizer that fuels our spiritual growth.

The cornerstone to any garden grown in the Spirit is “loving the Lord your God, and serving Him with all your heart and with all your soul–”. If we ever want to make it to autumn and all of its rewards, we must first and foremost love our Heavenly Father. In my own life, it took a while to connect on this level with the Lord. Eventually, the love that God lavishes on us through Scripture helped me to experience a love like I’ve never known. Reading in Ephesians always leaves me feeling so loved that I simply cannot help but reciprocate!

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Give yourself to God, in all encompassing love, “then He will give the rain for your land in its season,” because the Creator knows just when to water His creation. He sees when our thirst is overwhelming and He knows when we will benefit most from each refreshing and lifesustaining drop. He is faithful to provide our every need;“ the early rain and the later rain,” making the soul more penetrable for planting and pliable for the harvest ahead. Submit your work unto the Lord in loving obedience“ and you will gather in your grain, your wine, and your oil;” it is our responsibility to seek the rewards that God wants us to receive. Seek Him as you work toward His commands with heart and soul devoted in service, “ and He will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you will eat your fill.” Divine Provision is one of many riches with which the Lord is waiting to graciously bless His children. “Take care, or you will be seduced into turning away, serving other gods and worshiping them,” before you know it. Believing that it is our effort that brings about our harvest corrupts our motivation and distorts our view of our own power, thus building ourselves into the false gods we serve in place of the One True God. Resting in our riches instead of in the Presence of God can quickly shift our heart from one of worship to one of misdirected veneration—adoration taken from the Lord and given to anything or anyone else is the root of idolatry. When we allow ourselves to be seduced into turning away from the Lord, the fruits of our labor soon run out,“ for then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you and He will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain and the land will yield no fruit; then you will perish quickly off the good land that the Lord is giving you.”

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Comforter, who tells us in Psalm 126:5 that those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. “My child, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of His reproof, for the Lord reproves the one He loves as a father the son in whom he delights” (Proverbs 9:11-12, NRSV). Instead, let us rejoice in such promises as this, “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22, NRSV)”

When we allow God to dig, plant, grow, and prune within us, our spirits will experience a reaping season that surpasses all worldly imagination. What has our Father been digging up from inside you recently? List any of the secret sins lurking within that God has been working to uproot. Beside each struggle listed, write an aspect of our Savior that speaks of His power and desire to bring you to victory over that particular sin. Pray specifically, in praise and in appeal, regarding each of these sins. Has God planted a passion, a concern, or a desire within you that you need to nurture? List these longings and your feelings about each. Are you hesitant, excited, or perhaps in opposition to what God purposes to grow in you? Recite these Scriptures, write them down and carry them about, memorize them; just don’t lose sight of the truth, love and hope in each word.

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opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith” (Galatians 6:9-10, NRSV).

“Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, that He may come and rain righteousness upon you” (Hosea 10:12, NRSV). Heavenly Father, We seek to honor You with our substance and with the first fruits of our produce. Lord, we ask that you will strengthen us during those difficult seasons of transformation when we are tempted to forget that autumn is just around the bend. Let our food be to do Your will and our desire be to complete the work You have set before us. In times of harvest, let us not forget from whom all blessings flow. Father, let us rest in You alone.

With thankfulness, we pray in the name of Christ Jesus, Amen.

• Ephesians 3:20-21 He’s continually giving us “good land”, even if we’re not always sure how to cultivate it. Praise the King of Kings with me, ladies! We are not left to our own devices in this world. The One who formed a human being from the dust of the ground wants to teach us how to reap what we sow in His name, even when it seems impossible. God desires to lead us to sowing something above and beyond what we ever thought we could harvest.

If we’re ever to reach autumn, we’ve got to allow God to remove some weeds and plant some seeds of change. Change is seldom easy and growing has its pains, but we must see past our temporary discomfort to our eternal 28

• Romans 9: 28-31, 12:2

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Are there any areas of disobedience that the Lord wants to prune from your life today? Write each one down, weakening their stronghold and strengthening your resolve to allow God to remove them in His time. Prayerfully consider asking a trusted and Godly friend or fellow church member to help Victoria began writing from Scripture out of the sheer you stay accountable to the commitments you inability to keep a good thing to herself--the exception being brownies, those she refuses to share. Soon after delving into make to the Lord.

“So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest-time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an

her first Bible study, it became clear that God was building a ministry through this new-found love for His Word. Whether she is homeschooling, housewifing, or hiding from the laundry heap, God continues to grow Victoria through the ministry He set in motion...and she continues to hog all the brownies. © Exemplify Online & Magazine

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Faing in Love Again

Written by Jenifer Jernigan

Spring. Summer. Fall. Winter. Each season brings with it a new, fresh adventure of its very own...

Ask me which season is my favorite and I would have to say Fall. When I think about Fall I can smell the pumpkin pies baking in the oven and the banana muffins cooling on the counter. I can see the brilliant colors of the leaves changing from green to yellow, then to orange and then to red. Just the thought of Fall makes my heart smile. Oh and there’s nothing like curling up in a swing with a warm cup of coffee and a blanket snuggling next to my man as the cool breeze blows the swing gently back and forth, back and forth. Not only do I enjoy the smells, the colors, and the coolness in the air of Fall, but I also enjoy this time of year because it reminds me of a season in my life when I had to make the conscience choice to fall in love with my husband all over again. Times were hard for us; very hard. The love had fizzled into nothing. We were literally at a cross roads in our marriage. It was either hit the road or © Exemplify Online & Magazine

fight for our lives together. Take it or leave seemed to be our motto at the time. Praise the Lord, we chose to take the good with the bad and fight for our future together as husband and wife. Falling in love with my husband was not an easy thing for me to do. There was a lot of water that had flowed under our bridge and choosing love over hate didn’t come naturally for either of us. We had both wounded the other deeply, but we both made the decision to choose love and commitment. I don’t know where you are in your marriage today. Maybe you and your spouse are traveling down a rocky road right now. It could be that the two of you co-exist in the same house. Or, perhaps one of you has moved out. I know what it’s like to have a heart filled with anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, hate, and regret. I understand the feeling of being all alone even when my

husband is sitting right next to me. I’ve felt the pain of rejection from the man who I thought was my knight in shining armor. I feel your pain. I know your hurt. Those tears that flow from your eyes flowed from mine as well. Believe me when I say, “I know.” I rejoice with those of you who have not felt the pain of marital hardships. I pray that today finds you and your spouse in a marriage that is thriving; one full of excitement and passion. Wherever you are in your marriage right now, be it smack dab in the middle of a trial or high atop the mountain of love, I think we can all agree that loving our mate is a choice we must make every single day. Love displays itself in action; merely “thinking” you love your spouse is not enough. We must act on that thought and choose to demonstrate our love in tangible ways. 29

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I enlisted my husband to help me out with a little exercise. In order for me to know how to love him in a way that truly makes him feel love from me, I have to know those things Here is the list I put that speak love to him. I asked him to make a list of five things he needs from me that will together: help him see my love for him. I made the same list for myself and gave it to him. Through this list I learned things about him I didn’t know. I discovered new ways to love • When I talk to you, I need you to focus on him and make him feel special. me, not the TV or the computer, me.

Here is the list my

husband put together: • Don’t treat me like one of the kids even though I act like one. • Understand that while I don’t mind taking the kids off of your hands when I get home, sometimes I don’t want them either. • I need to know that you put me first even before your wants and desires. I put an enormous effort into taking care of you and meeting your needs, financially, emotionally, and physically. Sometimes I need to see you do things you may not want to do just so I understand your desire is my happiness & not yours. • Respect the work I do outside of the home. Across the board, there seems to be a lack of understanding for husbands who leave to go to work.

• Sometimes I just want to hold your hand or snuggle, nothing more. Please understand that sometimes just a simple touch means more to me than anything else. • I need you to talk to me more so that I know how you feel about things. When I ask your opinion, I really do want it. • I like it when we get in bed together at night. I feel safe having you beside me. • I need the two of us to have more us time. When it’s just the two of us, I feel like your princess.

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I encourage you and your spouse to each make a list of needs you have; things the other one can do to show you his/her love for you. If it’s hard for you to come up with ideas of your own, there is an excellent book available right now entitled Love Dare. In this book you will find “dares” for a forty day time period. These “dares” will help you to focus your attention on your spouse and fall in love with him/ her all the more.

Jenifer makes her home in North Carolina with her husband of ten years, three children, and English black lab, Bella. On a typical day, if there is such a thing, you will find her sipping a cup of coffee, home schooling her children, and digging into the Word. A former pit-dweller who has been saved by God's amazing grace, Jenifer has a burning passion to share with women of all ages His unconditional love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness.

• Be aggressive. Men are, like it or not, cavemen. We used to go around clubbing women if we wanted them. Sometimes I need you to club me; it feels good to be wanted.

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© Exemplify Online & Magazine

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Thinking of submitting an article to our magazine? Interested in submitting pieces for consideration on other ministry sites? Consider these tips before submitting... 1. Familiarize yourself with the magazine/ website you are submitting to. Every magazine, website and ministry has their own specific purpose and personality. You don’t want to submit an article on hunting to a magazine on fashion. This is why it is very important to get the feel of the magazine you are submitting to. Once you have the personality of the magazine down, then sit down to craft an article that will best compliment an upcoming issue.

2. Get involved in the community. One of the first things I look for when I have a potential submission in front of me is if the writer is involved in the community we’re building at Exemplify. This is not the only thing I look for but it is does contribute. By getting involved in the community you long to write for, you learn invaluable information about the readership and their interests. Often times, I know a writer’s name before I even open the email they sent me because I’ve seen them commenting on Exemplify’s blog, active in our social site or on our blogroll. I do give preference to those who are actively engaged in our ministry because it is clear they value our mission and support our ministry.

3. Read the submission guidelines. Different ministries and publications have different submission guidelines. What Heart of the Matter Online is looking for may not be what Exemplify Magazine is looking for. Both ministries strive to serve their community of readers with an excellence tailored to their readership which is why there is a submission guideline process to begin with! Be sure to read up on it and follow it closely.

4. Triple check your work. Ladies, this is such a big one. I cannot tell you the amount of submissions I receive that are filled to the brim with typos, grammatical errors and common mistakes. I’m not looking for perfection when an article hits my desk but I am looking for an article that looks as though some time and effort went into it. There is a certain level of

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professionalism that is needed when trying to get published.

Here are some quick tips to submitting a better article: •

Have a friend proof your work before you send it in for consideration.

•

Read it aloud a few times before hitting that send button.

•

Write on a topic you are passionate about. This alone will raise the bar for your submission.

•

Spell check, spell check, spell check!

5. Triple check your work! In case you missed it, proof your work!

6. Be personable. If you are pitching an article, show some personality in your email to the editor or team member you contacted. Editors see a lot of article pitches and not every one will be able to make it to publication. I can’t tell you how many women contact me on a daily basis and don’t even spell my first name correctly! Now, I don’t base whether or not a pitch will make it into article form on that alone but take some time to consider what you are going to write and who you are writing to. Aim to make an impression and you are much more likely to get the go ahead to write that article you’ve been itching to share.

you leave the editor with a choice to make: Track down a writing sample or move on. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, more often than not that editor is going to move on. 9. Submit for the right reasons. Don’t submit an article just because you want to get published. Submit an article because you feel strongly about the topic you are writing on and the ministry you are submitting to. Submitting simply to get published comes off as impassive and rarely results in the edification of the reader.

10. Be patient. Often times I find that I receive multiple emails asking if I’ve had a chance to look over a submission that was sent in a day or so earlier. Please keep in mind that the women who serve you behind the scenes of publication driven sites, conference sites and devotional sites work very hard at at bringing you the best content they can. They are very busy. You may have to wait a few weeks to hear back on that email. Instead of getting impatient about it, take that time to pray for the ministry you want to write for. God will honor your patience. And every ministry I know of would welcome the prayer!

It is my hope these practical tips will help you get published the next time you submit an 7. Include all of your contact information. This article to the ministry you’d like to support. one seems like a given, but I promise you, it is not. Don’t forget to include your name, email and blog link at the bottom of your email. Many of the ministries that accept submissions are receiving a lot of submissions. If an editor has to search for the person’s contact information, chances are that editor will move on to the next email. 8. Include a writing sample and a link to your blog. This is by far the most common mistake I see. If you send an email seeking the go-ahead to submit an article be sure to include a writing reference. If you don’t include a writing sample, or at the very least, a link to your blog

As a matter of fact, if you put these tips into practice I welcome you to submit an article to Exemplify Online & Magazine. We are currently looking for new writers to join our team and articles for the 2010 year! Hop on over to http://exemplifyonline.com/ media/ to read those details. In King Jesus, Kristen Schiffman 31

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We’re looking for holiday recipes, tips & photos! If you are interested in submitting contact us at [email protected]!