Salt & Light Magazine October 09

3rd issue, Oct 2009, 4Q

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are AbraGalatians 3:28-29 ham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.

God’s Family

Featured in the Family Section Pg.19

Feature:

Joyelles’s Story

Political Section Pg. 25

Editor in Chief Daniel Ruiz

Graphic Design Scott Paden

Photography

Gabriella Sanchez Rachel Baros

Distribution

Target Distributing, Inc.

Special Thanks to:

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New Mexico’s Body of Christ The men, women, and youth who took time to Salt & Light Magazine 2010 Subscription meet with us for an interPO Box 3495 view or who wrote an article. To the Christian owned Albuquerque, NM 87190 businesses who paid for ads to support our magazine. This magazine would not and will not move forward without the financial support of our Christian businesses. So please give them the opportunity to earn your business. To the Pastor Section ..........................4 International Section ...............23 volunteers who helped with articles, thank you all for your help, support and College Section .........................9 Political Section .......................25 prayers!

of Contents

Our hope for the third issue is to

Youth Section ..........................12 Featured Story .......................28 Family Section .........................15 Event Guide ............................30 Outreach Section .....................20

N e w M e x ic o s B o d y o fC h r i st.com

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’ve been pastoring for almost thirty years now, twenty as a bi-vocational pastor and the last ten as the fulltime Senior Pastor at Rio West Community Church in Rio Rancho. This past spring I was feeling more pressure and apprehension and less joy in my duties as a pastor. I knew there were some “faith” issues that weren’t in sink and I felt like I was losing the faith battle, not enjoying my job and feeling very inadequate in my leadership and at the pulpit. I was in a rut and needed a faith renewal. There have been other times like this over the years when I would doubt my calling and then question my vocation, but by God’s grace I sensed that was not the issue or the question, but rather a need for faith renewal. I didn’t just need physical rest, I needed a faith correction.

I didn’t come off the mountain with a halo on my head, or full of fire in my faith, but I did get a clear picture of what I needed to do to get back on track with the Lord. If I pursued those new habits, and renewed my mind more diligently, I could anticipate a renewed faith for the work ahead and so that is how it has worked out. Changing habits of any kind, in body, mind, or spirit are rarely easy, but they are necessary if we are to grow and please God. It’s been a fight of faith since my sabbatical, but I’ve been winning more than losing and my mind is steady on Him, on His power and His promises. And “this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.”

Pastor Don Schilichte Rio West Community Church www.riowest.org

I requested a five week sabbatical to lay low, stay away, and take a couple of two night get-aways with God in Jemez. My wife and I didn’t travel, but stayed local, unencumbered by the normal busyness of modern American life, including vacation travels. I was a little nervous that my fellow elders would expect me to come off the mountain full of faith and fire and I wasn’t so sure that would happen, nor did I want that pressure on me. By God’s grace, and the prayers of my congregation, whom I had prepped that I needed a faith renewal, the Holy Spirit spoke to me in simple but clear ways. I had left my first love and needed to repent and do the things I did at first, with a renewed vision and faith for those first love things. Second, I needed to be much more vigilant in renewing my mind with God’s word and promises. I had allowed my thoughts to be unbelieving, and my self talk to be overly negative, and thus quenching vibrant faith in my life. Fear and inadequacy were winning me over. Lastly, I needed to make sure I scheduled more alone quiet time with the Lord on a weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis. I had neglected the “principle” of the Sabbath in my schedule and was paying a price of diminishing faith.

If you are a Christian business or know one we want to know about it! Have them visit NewMexicosBodyofChrist.com, or contact: Daniel Ruiz at: (505) 264-5201 or [email protected]

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The world wants to see us live out Unity. Jenity is something that we can really sus told us that by this we would know that have and experience as the Body of we are His disciples, if we have love for one Christ. With today’s technology another. The story of David and Jonathon the world seems to be shrinking. You can teaches us what we have to do to live in unity. have teleconferences with people around In I Samuel 18:1-4, we see two men that on the world without leaving the comfort of the surface were totally different yet ended up your home. Yet there are still so many with knitted souls. “Now when he had finthings that are splintering the world as well ished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan as the church. Sunday morning is still one was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan of the most segregated hours in America. loved him as his own soul. 2Saul took him People look for the “right” church instead that day, and would not let him go home to of His church. The challenge is to develop a his father’s house anymore. 3Then Jonathan convincing unity-knitted hearts. The world and David made a covenant, because he loved doesn’t want to just hear about it, but they him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan took off want to see it. The hope is in the hands of the robe that was on him and gave it to Daall of those who will embrace one another vid, with his armor, even to his sword and his because of His presence. We’ve got to understand that we’re all different. Someone Reference Text: I Sam. 18:1-4 bow and his belt.” David was a shepherd boy; once said that America is one big “tossed salad”; each maintain- Jonathan was an heir to the throne. No vote, no committee, or ing his culture while adding to everyone else’s. God brings us commission sanctioned their relationship. Unity comes by the spirit of the living God. all together to add to His song. People often tell me that when they look at me that “They don’t see a Hispanic, they just see a man!” I am a Hispanic! When you see that you might understand me better. Yet it shouldn’t make a difference because I am a Christian first! Our maturity in Christ should help us realize that we are all many members of one body--The Body of Christ!

After David killed Goliath, he was invited to live in the king’s palace. This is when David and Jonathan souls were knitted together and they became best friends. What must happen for us to become knitted together? First, we must be companions and not competitors. Now think about it, here’s David on his way to the throne and Jonathan is on his way out. Jonathan was to be the king by appointment but David was to be the king by anointment. I’d rather have anointment than appointment any day. People appoint people to many things, they raise you up and sit you down, but anointment comes from the Lord. If anyone had the right to be intimidated by David it was Jonathan, but he wasn’t. We need to quit looking at each other as threats and start seeing others as companions. I’ve heard people say things such as, “they’re so many of them in charge.” The only time we think like this is when we are competing with one another. We shouldn’t let that bother us. What matters is to identify who the anointed man for the hour is. Jonathan had the papers but David had the favor of God: quit competing with one another! Its amazing what people compete about; new ideas versus old ideas, music styles, denominations, and on, and on! David and Jonathan became best friends and best friends don’t compete and fight, but love and help each other. We also need to be willing to be vulnerable with one another. Jonathan honestly and lovingly welcomed David into his house. He said, “Mi casa es su casa!” Jonathon surrendered everything to David. He made a covenant with David saying this. He literally gave him the robe off his back. He was saying that what’s mine is yours and because we’re not competing against each other it’s yours too. Incredible trust is built when we get open and transparent before each other. Jonathan also gave David his

sword. He was saying I won’t fight with you. Here’s my weapon to prove it. I won’t attack you because I am your brother, your friend and your companion. David, I promise not to hurt you. He also gave him his bow. I promise not to hurt you from afar. Have you ever noticed how some people will love you to your face, but turn away and take a few steps and it’s a different story. The arrows start flying! Things are said about you that are far from the truth and you are attacked. Put down your bow and arrows! He also gave up his belt. This is where they carried a small dagger to use on their enemies on any close up situations. He was saying, “David, I’m not going to attack you up close and personal.” My friends, we need to lay down our weapons and allow God to knit our souls together. We are way too dressed up in church today. No one knows us, no one sees our pain. When we can strip down to nothing and not be afraid of anyone using weapons against us, that’s when healing begins. We have been carrying many hurts since we were kids and we need to deal with them. The last thing I want to encourage you to do to have knitted souls is to take risks. Let me explain. Saul wanted to kill David yet Jonathan, his son, helped David. It wasn’t that Jonathan rebelled against his father; it was because of his love for David that he stood on the side of truth. Jonathan took a risk by maintaining his relationship with David. If his father would have found out, it could have cost him his life. We too must be willing to take risks in our lives. Be willing to be a real Christian every place you go. Too many Christians are afraid to live out their Christianity in the marketplace. Don’t be an undercover Christian. Be willing to be misunderstood. Some people won’t understand some of your decisions because of your commitment to Christ but that’s okay. Jesus was also misunderstood. Living out the Word of God can be misunderstood. And finally, be willing to pay a price for your convictions. Jonathan died before he ever became king, but he celebrated David’s position. He celebrated God’s man for the hour. I believe that we as the Body of Christ can have knitted souls, working together as companions and not competitors. As we learn to lay down our weapons and become vulnerable with each other, we will take risks and have the knitted souls God wants us to have.

Pastor Richard Mansfield New Beginnings Church of God www.newbeginningsabq.com

If you are a ministry leader at your church and would like to submit an article visit NewMexicosBodyofChrist.com, or contact: Daniel Ruiz at: (505) 264-5201 or [email protected]

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t is said to be almost impossible to successfully grow a truly diverse family oriented church. Churches everywhere are segregated not only by denomination and doctrine, but even more by ethnicity, culture, socioeconomic status, language and generation. Few church bodies ever cross these seemingly unbreakable boundaries. The Reverend Ruben A. Guajardo Jr., who serves as the Senior Pastor of Casa Del Rey in Albuquerque, NM, has made building this type of congregation a personal mission of his. Though proven to be one of the most challenging and stressful tasks any minister could undertake, Pastor Guajardo still has committed his life to this effort and has seen great success.

During his youth, Ruben Guajardo Jr. developed a passion to forge a multicultural and multigenerational church community with various ministries to reach everyone, despite their age or background. He grew up in Albuquerque, the city where his father, a world renowned Mexican Preacher and Evangelist, pastored a thriving Spanish congregation in the famous Barelas neighborhood. Having been raised in an all Spanish-speaking church, the young Ruben learned and picked up on a few things that would lead him to develop this passion. He noticed that despite all of the newly American Spanish speakers coming to salvation in his church, many of their family members were 2nd, 3rd, and even 4th generation Americans and were not comfortable in their parent’s church setting. Guajardo says, “These were the children and grandchildren of our parishioners. Many of them were moving to other congregations while others were leaving the faith completely. It was clear to me that this was because of language barriers, cultural differences and changes in economic status. The institution of the family was one created by God Himself. It broke my heart to see these families, though alike in faith, split up because they could not find a church that met the diverse needs of all of their members.” Guajardo claims that this family breakup was not only characteristic of those in his childhood church, but that it is a regular pattern seen amongst Christian Hispanics all over the U.S, today. It was Pastor Ruben’s dream to put a stop to this and create a new kind of church. He wanted to make it possible for the young Hispanic man, who speaks no Spanish, who’s best

N e wMe xi co sB o dy o fC hri st. co m friends are African-American and who is married to the Anglo girl, to take his kids to the same church that his Bilingual mom and dad love and yet still the same church that his Spanishspeaking immigrant grandparents call home. He, along with his father and children, has worked tirelessly to make this a reality. Sandra Lopez, a long time member of Casa Del Rey remembers what all those years were like. She says, “Creating that kind of

church was hard because we had to do so much extra work to meet needs and reach all of those cultures and generations. And then after that we had to do it all again in another language! It took lots of hard work and training. Pastor Ruben kept working hard, reinventing and pushing forward the vision that God had given him despite ridicule and opposition.” Now, twenty seven years later, at the age of 48, Pastor Guajardo has seen his dream come to pass. His congregation, now numbering in the thousands, is a blend of immigrants from dozens of countries and Americans of various ethnic groups. His vision has now become a leading model for Multicultural and Multigenerational family-oriented ministry.

Pastor Rueben Guajardo, Jr. Casa Del Rey www.casadelrey.info

If you find an article you would like more copies of for your group or class visit NewMexicosBodyofChrist.com, or contact: Daniel Ruiz at: (505) 264-5201 or [email protected]

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he world may do for a cheap hotel, but it will never do for a home. Our real home is a mansion a Heavenly Kingdom, and its King, is a Prince, a Lamb, and Our Savior. So, just for now anyway, to His kids, home is just a filling-station (smile)… As for husband and wife, here is wisdom. Preserve sacredly the privacies of your own house, your married state, and your heart. Let no father, or mother, or sister, or brother, ever presume to come between you, or share the joys that belong to you two alone. With mutual help build your quiet world, not allowing your dearest earthly friend to be the confidant of anything that concerns your domestic peace. Let moments of alienation, if they occur, be healed at once. Never, no never, speak of it outside; but to each other confess and all will come out right. Never let tomorrow’s sun still find you at variance. Renew and renew your vows. It will do you good, and thereby your mind, will grow together contented in that Love which is stronger than death and you will truly be one.

So let’s live in our cheap hotels, at peace with each other and with God, til we all go to, our Heavenly Home… AMEN Ray of Hope Ministries has many layers, taking the word to crusades, revivals, meetings, teachings, hospitals and nursing homes, and outreach at homeless-shelters with free bibles, Christian books, booklets, tapes, and tracts; anywhere God will open a door. Become a prayer partner; your contributions are welcomed (make checks payable to) “New Beginnings Church- R.O.H.M.” God bless you.

Mike Hoffman Ray of Hope Ministries *See Card Above

ONLINE VIDEO INTERVIEW

ONLINE VIDEO INTERVIEW

Salt & Light Magazine spoke with Pastor Troy Smothermon in a video recorded interview. We discuss his concern for men of the household to take on sowing into the spirit for their families. We talk about the difference between being a godly husband and a worldly husband and the corruption of pornography and other sexual sins and helpful ways to overcome and fight these battles. If you desire to be a stronger man and/or husband spiritually then we highly recommend you watch this video.

Salt & Light Magazine spoke with Pastor Steve Freeman in a video recorded interview. We discuss his desire and some examples of the breaking down of denominational walls to do God’s work and how when churches combine there efforts together wither Baptist, Christian, Lutheran, Etc... We can multiply and strength God’s work in our communities. Go to www.NewMexicosBodyofChrist.com to watch this video interview in our online magazine November 1st.

Go to www.NewMexicosBodyofChrist.com to watch this video interview in our online magazine November 1st.

Pastor Troy Smothermon Church on the Move Roswell, NM

Pastor Steve Freeman Crestview Baptist Church Albuquerque, NM

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ouldn’t it be great if there was a class that you could take before you got married so that you would know what in the world you were doing? Oh yeah, I guess there is. It’s called pre-marital counseling, and if you were fortunate you attended. What’s far less available is advice during the first few years of marriage. It’s a critical time when as couples we move from the utopian dreams that we incorporated into our vows and start asking the hard questions about how the marriage relationship is going to really work. The process usually starts with that morning or moment when you say to yourself, “What on earth have I done, and what was I thinking? This is too hard!” Most of us really want to honor our vows when we stand up in front of our family and friends to recite them. It’s pretty cool and often poetic stuff. However, most often we don’t have a clue what in the world we’re talking about. We may have thought about what marriage will be like. We might even have participated in wonderful premarital counseling. Nevertheless, we can’t know what its like to be married to our spouse until we’ve actually lived with them (married) for a while. As far as I can tell there are three challenges that we all face. First, the covenant that we entered into was not like a set of handcuffs and chains that mean our spouse is now our servant and that we have the right to be angry and do all sorts of inappropriate or mean things when they don’t live up to our expectations. Sure they vowed to love us and etcetera, etcetera. But that was not the focus of our vows. The bottom line is that we promised to love our spouse through the worst: through sickness, through poverty, and through anything else that might come up. Ephesians 5:25 and 33 makes it clear that as spouses we have committed to out serve one another. The admonitions “Husbands love your wife,” and, “Wife respect your husband,” make it clear that the marriage covenant is based on agape love. The following is a definition that I use for agape to keep myself straight. It’s based on Ephesians 5. “Love is an unconditional commitment to be a chief means of nurture and safety in the life of the person with whom I have a relationship.” Further, unconditional means that you will continue the commitment regardless of what you have perceived the person to have thought, said, or done.

Therefore, second, we need to get that the covenant we entered into at the altar was not with our spouse at all, but with God. If the marriage covenant was with our spouse then we could see it as merely conditional. However, because the covenant is with God, we have taken on the nurture and safety of our spouse as a ministry. Could you imagine Jesus’ words in the parable of the Sheep and the Goats where the “least of these my brothers” he was talking about is your spouse. Therefore, how we treat the person who we’ve said is one of the most important people in the world to us is our greatest ministry and the greatest statement of our spiritual walk.

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Last, we need to be clear with ourselves that the covenant that we entered into was to out-serve our spouse. Jesus said that if you want to be the greatest then be a servant. He also suggested that if you give (including agape) it would be given to you “pressed down, shaken together and running over.” What I wanted when I got married a few years ago was to find fulfillment in my relationship, and I did. I found fulfillment in my relationship with God by learning to honor (even though sometimes I was dishonorable) my covenant. I also found fulfillment in my relationship with myself as I have learned and am learning what “being faithful” means. I finally have found fulfillment in my marriage as I have learned and am learning that there is blessing in being a chief means of nurture and safety for my wife.

Dr. Joseph Miller LISW New Life Christian Fellowship (505) 323-3665 ext.2

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ecently, I have realized how important it is for me to love God with all my heart, soul, and mind (Mt 22:37). He has taught me so much, and He is growing me every day to the point that I can honestly say that I love God more than any one or thing in my life! I would rather give Him glory and do what is pleasing to Him than anything else. I have many desires for my future, like being a missionary, wife, mother, teacher, etc. One of the hardest things I have prayed about in a long time was a prayer I just prayed not too long ago. A lot of my very close friends are dating, getting married, or are married. With all this going on, I was thinking, praying, and learning about marriage. I heard people say how important it is to surrender every area of our lives to God, but I never applied it to this area of my life, because I wanted to be married more than anything! About a year ago (and a few times since then,) God challenged my heart to surrender this area of my life to Him. Not too long ago, the thought came to me again, and this time I told God that if He didn’t have marriage in my future, then that would be okay with me. I told Him how I wanted to serve Him with my whole life whether single or married and I honestly meant it (and still do.) Wow friends, ever since I prayed that prayer, I have found myself growing so much closer to the Lord, my True Love. I have never loved Him so much in my whole life. I know in my heart that if we put God first in our lives and allow Him to have complete control, then whatever happens (whether the way we plan it or not,) we will not turn away from God because our heart’s desire will be for Him to be glorified because we love Him.   I challenge you to ask God what is it that He wants you to give over to Him. Is there anything you have been holding onto that God wants you to surrender to Him fully? Is it your life, future, job path, money, dreams, relationships, etc?  Just know when you do, He will bless you more than you could ever imagine! Go ahead, say a little prayer right now asking Him what you can give over to Him. Rachel Jones Hoffmantown Church www.hoffmantownchurch.org

Buy 1 round and get 1 free per family. Offer good til 12/31/09. Not valid with any other offer

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Summer Hours Tue-Sat 11am to 9pm • Winter Hours Tue-Sat 11am 8pm

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Abstinence Until Marriage: Discovering the Gift of Purity 12th Annual Father/Daughter Purity Ball (ages 11-17) Sheraton Uptown Hotel Friday, November 6, 2009 6:30-10:30p.m.

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y name is Vanessa Griego and I am eighteen years old. I am originally from California, but moved to Albuquerque when I was 8 years old. I have 3 brothers and 5 sisters and I am the sixth child out of nine. When we arrived in Albuquerque, my parents went to the School of Ministry (SOM). My Dad has been an Assistant Pastor at Calvary of Albuquerque for almost five years now. I just recently graduated from the SOM and I am looking forward to what God is going to do with my life. Family is something very important to me and I feel that it is something we should always cherish. God has put us in a family for a reason, even though we may not think so. I pray for my siblings because half of them are believers and the other half are not. I was raised in a Christian home and home-schooled all my life. We attended Calvary Chapel Montebello and our Pastor was Pancho Juarez. I gave my life to the Lord when I was 4 years old at a puppet show. At that time I didn’t really know what it meant to have Jesus in my life, so I rededicated my life when I was 5 years old at a Greg Laurie Harvest Crusade. It was at this time that I realized the true meaning of what it was to have Jesus in my life. When I was fifteen years old, I went on a mission trip to England with a high-school group and realized that I had a fire for mission ministry. I had plans on being a Veterinarian, but God changed my plans. I began wondering if God was real and asked Him to show me what my future would be in life. My Dad asked me if I wanted to go to Belize with a highschool group and I went for two weeks. Boy, did God rock my world; I

was sitting on the dock doing my daily devotional and the bible pages turned by themselves. I was called to read 2 Timothy 4:17-18 which reads, “But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!” Then I heard a whisper telling me that I was going to be a missionary and that He would guide me. At this time I had a feeling of peace. God gave me this verse to remember and to tell me not to be discouraged and to know that He will give me the words to speak. I have learned to wait for God to continue to speak to me because I know that everything is in His timing, not mine. I would like to continue to go to the mission field. I hope that this will be an encouragement to you and that it will make you think about what God might have you do. God will speak to us all, if we just listen to what He is trying to tell us. Remember that you may or may not know your calling in life, but God has it all planned out. Also remember that it is all in God’s timing, and not ours! We all have gifts that God will reveal to us and to others. So listen to His still small voice, to what He is trying to tell you, and take the next step.

Vanessa Griego Calvary Chapel www.calvaryabq.org

N e wMe xi co sB o dy o fC hri st. co m Friends, let us probe the depths of God’s redemptive work for us in Christ. We protesting types are fond of parroting our patron saint Paul, we are saved by grace alone. Works are neither sufficient nor necessary for God’s free act of saving us. Of course once we have been rescued by infinite love we will have no other proper reaction than love, but our standing before God is not contingent on our inherent goodness. It is the goodness, even the perfection, of Christ which stands in our place. His righteous body, ripped by man’s ignorance and arrogance, raised to new life, in the place of our filthy rags. Is God then just? By all means, the punishment we deserve was poured out on the Son. We are free.

“But since our thoughts are not fixed on the present, we are not concerned when men cut us off; since also death is debt which must at all events be paid.” -Justin Martyr, 1st Apology

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want to grab onto your shirt, to shake you, and to speak in strong words with penetrating eyes the following: no trial is deeper than His love. I want you to do the same to me. Stop me in the happy tracks of my apathy. Arrest my comfort. Slow down my fast paced blogging-tweeting-texting self and force me in love to think on the scandal of the gospel. No secret, no trial, no darkness can ever find deeper footing, a more firm foundation, than the love of God in Christ. He is a shelter to us, our father in heaven. Glory to His name. Recently, I was teaching to some of my brothers and sisters in the juvenile detention center. Our time together is always a blessing. These kids get it. They see their sin, they wear their shame, they are ready for grace. Yet I always consider the danger of coming off as a well groomed (maybe,) buttoned up, perceptively pleasing church guy. I pray that they know, while seated in order and uniforms, that before the cross we are equal. The scandal of Messiah is not only his preeminent Kingship but also man’s humble leveling.

My senses are indignant. They should be. It is foolish in the world’s eyes. To seekers of wisdom it is irrational. To those who long for signs it doesn’t add up. Yet to us who are being saved by this good news, it is the essence of power, freedom, and love. Think on this radical notion. Pause, ponder, and wonder at the work of Christ for YOU. Who are we? Cosmic criminals, made in God’s image, yet inclined toward rebellion. Lost in sin. Steeped in law. Who will save us from this body of sin? Who will do what we know we cannot? It is already done. He has stretched out His hand to lepers, called tax collectors, reclined with sinners, of which you are one. It is done. Yes, yes, your better judgment protests, ‘death is a debt that must be paid.’ It has. Be free. Fix your thoughts not on your present trial. His love extends to its darkest depth and consumes it with love. Instead, let your head by lifted by the strong hand of Christ and marvel in the scandal of His grace.

Greg Schneeberger - Youth Minister Desert Springs Church www.desertspringschurch.org

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hat is love anymore? A convenience? A comfort? In our society, we have completely diluted the reality and meaning of what love is. Listen to pop music on the radio and tell me that we know what love is! Then we wonder why we have an unprecedented amount of broken families in our nation or the abundance of crimes and violence. Today it is all about the next “hook-up” or how cute someone is. Or my favorite, what you are going to get out of being with that person, like love is a business deal. Do you realize the power of love? The count I found was 697 verses in the Bible with ‘love’. Some of these verses contained love more than once! SO, instead of me explaining love and not doing a good job, listen to God’s opinion on love: Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. - Romans 12:9-10 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandments there may be, they, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. - Romans 13:8-10 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child; I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. - 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Take this to heart! The next time you are at school, work, or church, consider this: Why do we not love our brother? The one guy at work who annoys us? The pregnant 16 year old? The drug addict? Hate the sin, not the sinner was supposed to be what this was about and love would handle the rest. Instead we judge and ignore. To truly make a difference, true, pure, honest love has to be apparent in our every action and in every aspect of our lives. That is what will make a difference in this world and truly set us apart like we are supposed to be. How much easier would it be to, “Go Scott Paden unto all the world and New Mexico’s Body of Christ make believers” if we www.newmexicosbodyofchrist.com truly loved them all?

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have never met a parent who looked into their newborn’s eyes in awe of their new child’s beauty and then stated that they hoped that the child would live a life of godlessness and sin. Every Christian parent that I meet will state emphatically that they want their children to love God and serve Jesus all their lives. Yet research done by George Barna and others give us a startling reality, 90% of our evangelical children growing up in “committed” Christian families are jumping ship and going the way of the world. What is going on today? Where is the disconnect between our desires and the outcome? I believe the Christian community has forsaken the God breathed scripture in regards to how we raise our kids and we have adopted far too much of the world into our families. I believe the #1 issue in family disintegration is vision. Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” When was the last time you thought about, then articulated, a vision or a goal to your family? Something like, “My family will be a kind, generous and God fearing family that is a light to the world. We will be evangelistically minded, a help to the poor, and be an encouragement to our friends and neighbors.” Once you have a vision statement, you have to act on it and evaluate everything you do against your vision. It is so easy to go on autopilot in life, going to work, school, and church without a significant thought to what we are really doing. We pray and sing songs about God using us, but weeks and years go buy with no real effort on our part to truly make a difference. If an activity doesn’t support your vision or if it occupies time that could be dedicated to the vision, don’t do it! Trade a year off from little league and tumbling classes to visit retirement homes, serve together in the food bank, soup kitchen, help clean the church or pull an elderly neighbor’s weeds. If you want your kids to have a godly worldview, you need to turn off the

TV and read the Bible with your kids. Give them the armor of God to protect them from evil influences. Know who your kids are hanging out with and remove them from situations that tear them down instead of lifting them up. Proverbs 22:6 commands that we should “train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Consider seriously and pray about homeschooling. Deut 6:7-9 says that we should speak of the Lord when we get up, while in the house, go about our business, and when we lie down. God and His wonders should be ingrained in everything we do. The American school system is about as far from that as possible. It is a godless anti-Christian institution that is poorly educating your children and has 40 hours of influence on your children every week! Do you honestly think that 45 minutes of Sunday school a week can undo the damage done 5 days a week in public school? You may claim, “that’s too radical!” You need not go far to find a multitude of couples in church that lost some or even all of their children to the world as soon as the children left home. Take them out to lunch and ask whether or not daily devotions, homeschooling and guarding their hearts from wicked friends and ungodly media would have made a huge difference in their kids lives. Ask them about the heartache that comes from knowing their kids will not be with them in heaven and ask them what they would have done differently if they could do it over again. Would they have spent less time working and more time talking about God’s truth, living a joy filled life and sharing the gospel like crazy? Dear friends, I encourage you to look at your current place in life through the telescope of the end of your life. If you want a legacy of godly offspring, make tough choices today that will lead to pride and joy over your children and not regret. Seek the scriptures on how to raise your kids and ask the Holy Spirit to guide your application of those scriptures in your daily life. God will richly bless you. Adam Getty, husband of one wife for 11 years and struggling daily to raise my four kids to God’s glory.

Adam Getty Rio West Community Church www.riowest.org

of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” The passage is clear that not everyone is a teacher. It is a spiritual gift given by God to help believers understand Christian truths more clearly. In this way the church is kept safe from spiritual harm.

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he Great Chicago Fire began on October 8, 1871 at 8:30 pm. The fire cost 100,000 people their homes. 17,500 buildings were destroyed, 300 people died, and it cost the city 400 million dollars to recover. You’ve probably heard that Mrs. O’Leary’s cow, Daisy, kicked over a lantern in the barn and started the fire. But it was never proven that the cow was to blame. The Chicago tragedy burned Mrs. O’Leary’s reputation beyond belief. Her life was in ruins despite any proof that she had a hand in the fire. Chicago Tribune reporter, Michael Ahern, later retracted the story, but it was too late to save O’Leary’s reputation. Her story is proof that the tongue can either be a fire igniter or a fire extinguisher. The book of James warns us of this, and Scripture teaches us how to prevent fires caused by words blazing out of control.

One of the objectives in fire safety is to contain fires within a small area. This protects both lives and property. James 3:2 reminds us that this principle works concerning the words we speak, as well. As believers, we must restrain or set a guard over our tongues: “For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.” However, James admits that “no man can tame the tongue” (James 3:8). So what’s the point? I believe that James is directing us to the One who can tame the tongue. We can’t contain our words on our own. The psalmist prayed, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3). Maybe it would be helpful for us to ask God, “Please, seal my lips that I may not sin against You or others.”

It may seem paradoxical, but sometimes firefighters set a small fire to prevent a larger one. It is believed that controlled burning stimulates germination and forestation renewal. One force is used to overcome another. Likewise, James reminds us that “we put bits in horses’ mouths” (James 3:3) and use small rudders to turn a ship “wherever the pilot desires.” (James 3:4). Bits and rudders must overcome contrary forces—a bit overcomes the wild nature of a horse and a rudder overcomes wind, currents, The King James translation of James 3:1 says: “My brethren, and other forces that could take a ship off course. Our human be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater tongue must overcome the opposing force of the flesh and our condemnation.” ‘Master’ literally means instructor or teacher. sinful nature or we will go off course. Let’s ask ourselves the ancient question, “Art thou the master of Proverbs 15:1 gives a great example of a controlled burn, “A soft the unspoken word, or is the spoken word the master of you?” answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” The Truly, the tongue can spark scandals or save reputations. next time you encounter heated words, try the counterbalance of In the forest world, the forest ranger is the ‘master’ of his domain, a calming tone. sitting in his tower watching for fires. In dry seasons, the rangers are especially vigilant. When they detect smoke, they summon firefighters who try to stop the fire before it gets out of hand. Sometimes fires are started by natural means – like a strike of They also determine which trees, because of disease or decaying, need to be cut down. In addition, they diagnose how to save nearby healthy trees. In the church, there are pastors and teachers who vigilantly guard the church. They are much like the forest ranger, watching vigilantly for danger, disease, and diagnosing trouble within the church. As James warns, it’s crucial that the right person is in the pulpit. The teacher or master must be called or gifted by the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 4:11-12 tells us, “He [the Holy Spirit] Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work

N e wMe xi co sB o dy o fC hri st. co m an unloving manner. lightning. But nine out of ten fires are started by human negligence. The same is true with burning words. In James 3:5 we Let’s face it, we’ve all been guilty of polluting the air with damread, “Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great aging dialogue. Thankfully, God does not want us to remain things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!” defiled. Allow me to walk you through the three steps to deconJames explains that there are two ways the fiery tongue becomes tamination. irrepressible. The first of these is boasting: “Even so the tongue 1. Repent: Pray for God to cleanse your mind from the defileis a little member and boasts great things.” (James 3:5). It ment of spreading or listening to gossip. reminds me of the boastful frog who wanted to go south with the 2. Restore: Pray for God to give you genuine love for each migrating geese. The frog called out to a goose and asked him person involved in the gossip, and if you have sinned against for a ride. The goose replied, “We have no idea how you could someone, to make it right. fly south with us.” But the vain frog had a plan. He plucked a cattail and asked two geese to use it as a pole for him to hold on 3. Renew: Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to to with his mouth. A farmer looked up and saw two geese with this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” a frog hanging by a reed and said, “Which one of you figured God’s Word is truth and it will cleanse you. If you feel conthat out?” The frog said, “It was I...I…I…yi… yi!” As Proverbs taminated, you can rest assured that God’s word will cleanse 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit you once you confess. before a fall.” Haven’t you noticed that the very things you boast In 1944 there was a fire in Capitan, New Mexico where 17,000 about lead to your downfall? acres were burned. A tiny little bear cub was found hiding up The second fire hazard is strife. The person who stirs up strife in a pine tree. His little paws were singed and burned. One of is like a person who stirs up coals to get a fire blazing. Proverbs the forest rangers found him and the department adopted him 26:20-21 says, “Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; and as Smokey the Bear. To this day, most kids can recognize the where there is no talebearer, strife ceases. As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindle strife.” I’m sure you know people who add fuel to the fire of hot Lenya Heitzig situations. Please make sure you’re not one of them. Calvary Chapel www.calvaryabq.org If you’ve ever been near a campfire you know that when you come home, everything smells of smoke. In James 3:6 we learn, “The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body.” Just as smoke permeates everything it comes in contact with, words can be defiling—they can stink. Here are four symptoms to let you know you’ve been contaminated by tainted talking: 1. Dislike: Developing bitterness or resentment toward someone who did not directly offend you. 2. Disapproval: Maintaining a critical attitude or recruiting others to take your side in a conflict. 3. Distortion: Distorting a situation to give a bad impression of another or to make you appear more spiritual. 4. Deception: Deceiving yourself into believing that such actions are actually accomplishing God’s will rather than realizing that you are acting in

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ouples fight!  The key to any fight is to maintain control.  You do not have the right to be immature, childish or abusive.  If you do have legitimate feelings and issues, you are entitled to give a reasonable voice to those feelings in a constructive way. (That includes not being selfrighteous or taking yourself too seriously.) Proverbs 29:11, “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man holds it back.”

9. Commit yourself to openness, honesty, and acceptance.  This will help you relax, listen, and give feedback.  10.  Allow yourself and your partner to retreat with dignity.  How a fight ends is crucial.  Recognize when an olive branch is being offered to you (it might be disguised as an apology or a joke,) and give each other a facesaving way out of the disagreement.

  1. Take it private and keep it private. Fighting in front of your kids is nothing short of child abuse.  It can and will scar them emotionally and spiritually all because you don’t have the self-control to keep it together until you can talk about it privately. It also not advisable Osuna NE, Suite, H-4friends to share information about your fights 320 with family and – the information always gets twisted and enhanced. Proverbs Albuquerque, NM 87107 15:18, “ A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow Office: 505-345-2778 to anger pacifies contention.” Mobile: 505-306-0395

11. Pray privately and together about each conflict before discussing it. Prayer can never hurt any situation. Stuck? Need some help? Email John today: [email protected].

John Thurman, Professional Counselor Sagebrush Community Church www.johnthurman.net

2. Deal with the issue at hand!  Keep www.johnthurman.net it relevant!  Stay on task! Focus on the issues rather than attacking each other. Don’t John Thurman M.Div., M.A. [email protected] bring up old issues or grudges when they are not a part ofSpeaker, the Writer, Professional Counselor solution. Put boundaries around the subject so it won’t turn into a free for all. Limit the discussion to the one issue at the center 320 Osuna NE, Suite, H-4 of the conflict.  3. Stay in the room emotionally, keep it real.  Deal with the issues not with symptoms. Tell your spouse what is bothering you. Focus on the issue rather than the attack! Proverbs 11:2, “He who belittles his neighbor lacks sense.”

Albuquerque, NM 87107

4. Eliminate “You never,” “You always.”  These phrases will always lead to some place you really don’t want to go.

www.johnthurman.net

5. Avoid character assassination.   Stay focused on the issue rather than ripping into your spouse’s personality, family, or past. 6.  Don’t “mind read!”  If you are not sure what your partner meant by something they said, ask for clarification. 7.  Stay on task! The mission is to resolve to conflict and come out with a “win-win” not a “I win you lose outcome.” 8.  Be proportional in your intensity. You don’t kill a fly with a cannon.   There are basically only two types of problems people have – solvable and unsolvable (or not solvable right now.) Everything that you disagree on is not an earth shattering issue.  Remember, you don’t have to get mad and upset every time you have a cause to be.

Office: 505-345-2778 Mobile: 505-306-0395

[email protected]

John Thurman M.Div., M.A. Speaker, Writer, Professional Counselor

N e wMe xi co sB o dy o fC hri st. co m Are we divided? Have we allowed ourselves to be divided by denominations, church affiliation and some biblical differences that do not separate us as God’s children or being one body in Christ? Have we kept church locked up in church and do we ever see multiple churches supporting an event or outreach? Paul writes, no he PLEADS, in 1 Cor. 1:10 - Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Divided, Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

ors and from Central to Montgomery. In the same mind through prayer and spreading the Gospel in love, after all isn’t that our instruction. We don’t have to imagine! UNITED we can do this. Eph. 4:15-16 reads: speaking the truth in love, so we may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in Lost?!? love.

God’s Family Blind and

Are we blind and lost? We as members of the church, yes you and me who sit in the seats of the church we attend, have we become blind and unaware of our purpose as children of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Are we lost in the cares of this world? Are we blind? How do we see homosexuals, atheist, homeless, and those who worship false gods? Do we not see them as God’s creation in whom He died for, a lost soul being lead to the slaughter? Do we avoid them like some plague or does our heart feel love and compassion? Who did Christ die for? If we are to be Christ like how are we dying and showing love to the lost? Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 9:19, 22b For though I am free from all  men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.  Unity starts with UnI. Why would Paul tell us to be united, no perfectly joined together? Maybe for such a time as this! The enemy is trying to keep us divided by denomination or church affiliation and now he is using political party, government, our president, and some media to keep us separated. There are even so called christian churches that say same sex marriage is ok. We lost prayer in school and did nothing about it. New Mexico is number four in the nation in suicide. What about rape? Did you know 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men will be a victim of sexual assault in their lifetime. UNITED for such a time as this! Imagine our churches being united in prayer for our state and nation. We could have 365 churches pick one day to pray. We even have a few churches that could do one day every month. We read in 2 Chron. 7:14, “if My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” We can do this! Imagine one weekend every church in Albuquerque united in a street outreach. We could have church members at every block from Juan Tabo to Co-

Prayer Mission. Never before has the churches in New Mexico been more unified, but we still have a long way to go. Several churches, organizations, and fellow Christians have felt a call to pray for New Mexico 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all 365 days next year. We are looking for churches and Christian organizations who would like to take a day, or a day a month, to be in prayer. What about your church? Unity starts with UnI! We can not leave this entirely up to churches or the pastors! You and I, (UnI) the members of the churches need to drive this mission! Only together and united can we accomplish such a task. Go to www.NewMexicosBodyofChrist. com and click on the Prayer Mission Tab to learn how you and your church can be involved.

Daniel Ruiz New Mexicos Body fo Christ [email protected]

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lone, abandoned and abused? Sounds a lot like us before Christ. Rom 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Some of us have good fathers, some of us bad fathers, and some having no fathers at all. As Christians we all have a perfect Father, a Father who gave up everything so that we could become sons and daughters of His eternal family. As His sons or daughters we are able to enter into the throne room of King of Kings and cry out Abba Father (Daddy) Rom 8:15-17, “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with [Him], that we may also be glorified together.” In the eye of God we are as much a son or a daughter of His family as one being born into it. This word adoption comes from 2 Greek words, the first, Huios that means “Son” and the second Thesis means “Placement.” Adoption is a legal term, and in the above context indicates that the believer has been given full privileges of sonship. Adoption was God’s plan for us from the very beginning. In the same way adoption is a reflection of the very nature of God to rescue His lost children. Christian couples considering adoption are mirroring the love, grace, and mercy that God has shown us in rescuing a lost or fatherless child. Take a close look as God calls us to make disciples of all men. Mat 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, [even] to the end of the age.” Amen. How better to preach the gospel and make disciples, teaching them to observe all things, then to bring a child into our home where they can see and hear daily the love and truth of the God we follow. At Aspen Project our mission is to challenge the church community to follow the Lord’s command as set forth in Exodus, Deuteronomy, Job, and Psalms, to care for the fatherless. It is an area where we feel the church community as a whole, falls short. Please do not misunderstand. Not all are called to adopt, not all are called to foster. But we are all called to help care for the fatherless. Consider this, for our adoption God gave up heaven and came

to earth where He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. As He hung on that cross He became Fatherless so we would never have to. There are over 2000 orphaned in New Mexico. 858 are ready for adoption now! New Mexico has 1615 churches, so we must ask ourselves why? If only one person per church were to adopt a child we would be fighting over who would get a child instead of fighting to find them a home. All these kids want is to be loved, to be safe, and to be wanted. How can you help? 1. Pray: Hold these children here in New Mexico and the millions around the world up before the Lord who we call Father; that His good news of salvation finds them, that they find safety, comfort and love, and that their daily needs are met. Pray that hearts of the Christian community open to the call to care for the fatherless. 2. Foster a child: Bringing a child into a home where they can be loved unconditionally as Christ loved us. Teach them by your example that the God we follow loves them, and show them there is a better life in Christ. 3. Adopt a Child: Become a forever family for a child. Make them heirs of your family and by example, heir to the kingdom of God. 4. Volunteer: Become a big brother or big sister. Serve in your church’s Sunday school. Get involved in a child’s life where you can imprint the love of Christ on their hearts. 5. Financial support: Not all fill the calling to bring a fatherless child into their homes, please help those who do. In many cases the adoption fees are too high for an average family to adopt. Your financial support goes a long way to come along side the families and the orphaned child. Your support can make a difference. For questions or help getting plugged in, call 410-4460, or email schroff@aspenproject. org. Free 4 band concert to benefit Aspen Project at the El Rey theatre Oct 16th doors open at 6:30n ends at 10pm. Featured bands POEMA, NICK CRESPO, CHUCK ELMORE, and IVES!!! Clay Schroff Aspen Project (505) 410-4460

N e wMe xi co sB o dy o fC hri st. co m “If anyone has material possessions, and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?…” - 1 John 3:17 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison and did not help you?’ He will reply ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me’.” - Matt 25:44-45 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after widows and orphans in their distress and to keep ones self from being polluted by the world.” - James 1:27

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hat if we are NOT called to gather together as many as we can fit into our building, but to go out and be Jesus among the watching world? What if church has nothing to do with sound systems, padded pews and bulletins? What if every believer was involved in outreach outside his church walls and the coming together was to worship and give good reports of the things that God has done through each member while they were NOT in the building? What if there is NO SUCH THING as a layman, and God has called ALL OF US to be ministers? What if every time we saw a vagrant or a person in front of us in the grocery store line or someone standing at the exit ramp holding a “will work for food” sign, we looked hard enough to see nail prints in their hands and feet and recognize them as Jesus? God’s people are stewards of those who He desires to be His people. The lost and broken are His first priority. That is why He became man and endured death on the cross. Since we are His Body and are inhabited by His Spirit, then the lost and the broken should be our first priority too. Instead of showing our God how much we love Him by going to Church four times a week, what if we showed up at the prisons, the hospitals, the orphanages and the convalescent homes? Then gathering on Sunday mornings would truly be a

celebration. Unconventional steps? Sure. Required steps? Read the scriptures at the beginning again and decide for yourself.

Juliet Tross Ekklesia Church Outreach Rio Rancho, NM

YOU can help bring real and permanent hope to poor, needy, and homeless people. 1.PRAY---Prayer is vital to the work of A.R.M. 2.DONATE---A.R.M. depends entirely on financial contributions from individuals, churches, businesses, and organizations.

“ You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress. A shelter from the storm…” 1 Peter 5:2 Giving Refuge to the Homeless:

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he Southwest morning sun breaks over the Sandia Mountains and filters down to touch the people standing outside our gates this morning at the Albuquerque Rescue Mission. Tall, short, young, old, men, women, and children are bundled up as best they can be against the chilly night they just survived. Their faces pinched against the cold; are tinged with anxiety, as they know that the nights and days are going to get colder, wetter and more dangerous for them as fall slips into winter. For over 55 years, the Albuquerque Rescue Mission has opened its doors to thousands of hungry, homeless and hurting men, women, and children in New Mexico. Each day homeless and hurting people are comforted, supported, encouraged and transformed through what may seem to be so basic: a meal, warm clothing, and a safe place to rest. Breakfast starts with hats pulled from bent heads, hands clasped as God is thanked for the food He has provided. The plate of hot, nourishing food set down in front of each person is accompanied with a smile and the opportunity to talk to someone who cares. Times are hard right now and the Albuquerque Rescue Mission is not immune to the shifts in the economy. As more people fall victim to high unemployment and rising costs of food and utilities, we find our services in even more demand for the newly homeless or near homeless, while donations are down to the lowest levels in many years. One hundred percent of the funding for the ongoing programs and services we offer comes from private donors. The Albuquerque Rescue Mission does not receive federal, state, county, or United Way funding. Every night the lives of the countless homeless men, women, and children on the streets of Albuquerque are challenged due to the lack of food and shelter. Their need is great, but few know of it. Our work at the Albuquerque Rescue Mission is to restore value to the lives of the homeless of our city with food, clothing, shelter and biblical counsel. Call (505) 346-HOPE (4673) or go to our website www.abqrescue.org to learn more about how you can help us restore value to the lives of the many homeless men, women, and children on our streets today.

3.GIFTS-IN-KIND---Donations of food, clothing, bed and bath articles, personal hygiene supplies and other items are needed. Every gift saves the Mission money by reducing our shopping expenses. Donations may be dropped off at the Mission, located at 525 2nd St. SW, Mon. through Sat. from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 4.VOLUNTEER---Experience the joy of serving with your time, talents, skills, and energy for people in need. To find out more about how you can participate in this valuable ministry, call our Volunteer Coordinator at (505) 346-4673 extension 235.

Jannetta LaMort Albuquerque Rescue Mission 505-346-4673 ext. 236

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e at Rivers of Living Waters are happy to present to the community of Albuquerque a team of ministers and volunteer helpers who love coming together to serve you in this time of economic uncertainty; we enjoy feeding people. Thanks to Angel Food Ministries we can offer food at a fraction of the cost. We invite and welcome churches, community centers, and individuals to participate. http://www.rivers-angelfood.qwestoffice.net or call (505) 898-0044 or (505) 385-3428.

Cail and Sharon Morris have been serving our community one family at a time. Please know that each month gives you the opportunity to feed families in need during this challenging economic time. Please make a tax-deductible contribution to our ministry and mail your donation to: 12500 Montgomery Blvd. NE Ste. 112- Albuquerque, New Mexico – 87111 Angel Food is available in a quantity that can easily fit into a medium-sized box at $30 per unit. Each month’s menu is different than the previous month and consists of both fresh and frozen items with an average retail value of $60. http://www.angelfoodministries.com

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nfamous maltreatment of Christians throughout the world is a widely recognized reality that varies from severe persecution (e.g. N. Korea) to minor inconveniences (e.g. America). This quarter’s “International Section” was written to promote prayerful discussion about the possibility of increased persecution cutting into our own slice of the world – “the land of the free”. Economic, political and social tempests may already be tracking toward the “perfect storm” of societal upheaval in America.

Imagine Circumstances are extremely challenging for all, and worse yet for the Body of Christ. The secular and “religious” alike have blamed Christians for the onset and development of terrifying troubles at home and abroad. In New Mexico cities, the threat to life and limb is such that the vast majority of pastors prayerfully determine it is best for their congregations to morph – almost overnight – into thousands upon thousands of micro-churches that must meet in homes. A Chinese proverb popular among persecuted Christians states, “If we appear as a small group of ants we will probably be ok, but if we begin to look like a colony we must beware of the feet that will stomp on us.” For the foreseeable future, it is best for us to walk with the wise in this way. All Christian media has been shut down. When the internet is up every web page and email goes through exceptionally sophisticated government filters. There is no way to disguise your IP address or anonymize your activity. Are we ready for such a time as this? Are there enough Biblically literate and experienced disciplers to serve thousands upon thousands of N.M. house churches necessary to meet gathering-in-safety requirements? Who will risk hosting and/or leading 3,000 – 4,000 new “home groups” in, for example, Albuquerque? How small should our groups be so as not to draw undue attention? How much time should we allow before the next person comes or goes to avoid detection? If an unrecognized person spots us approaching the meeting place, shall we continue to our destination or go back the way we came? Evangelism has not stopped, it has simply taken on a new shape, and increased! Spontaneous exponential expansion of the Church now accurately describes how the Lord has been adding to the Church daily! However, qualified leaders cannot be found. We need to develop secret intensive training centers even as regular gathering to continue in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship. Breaking of bread and prayer is increasingly risky. Add new believers to the equation and the amazing has become somewhat perplexing. More grace Lord; send help Lord! Even as we contemplate the possibility of “us” becoming “them” and how we might prepare accordingly, may we continue to

“remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.” (Heb 13:3) To learn more about how to help your spiritual family in access-restricted Asia that is deeply familiar with persecution, go to www. frontlineresources.org. Ian Marshall Front Line Resources www.frontlineresources.org

If you know of awesome International efforts or missions let us know by visiting us at NewMexicosBodyofChrist.com, or contact: Daniel Ruiz at: (505) 264-5201 or [email protected]

My wife Meagen and I have been working with Musicians For Missions International since January of 2007. MFMI was founded in Amsterdam, Holland by Karen Lafferty in 1981 and it is now based in Santa Fe, NM. The purpose MFMI is to encourage, train and mobilize Christian musicians who have a heart for God, a compassion for people, a high standard of artistic excellence and seriousness for ministry. MFMI focuses on evangelism, training, tours, and recording projects as a means to reaching the lost encouraging Believers and equipping others for music ministry. Our most recent project was a 3-week music seminar in the Quito, Ecuador. We have spent extensive time in Mexico and Honduras but this was the first time to South America. We were invited by the Christian Missionary Alliance Church of Cumbaya to be part of the Music and Arts seminar. Quito is a beautiful city set in the Andes Mountains with a population of 1.4 million people. Ecuador is made up of many indigenous people groups and is rich in resources such as oil, timber, and gold. It is also one of only 18 countries in the world having a “mega diverse biosystem”, meaning Ecuador hosts a large variety of plant and animal life. The Music and Arts seminar hosted about 70 students over the 3-week period. The classes included music theory, piano, voice, guitar, bass guitar, drums, painting and cooking. My wife and I were teaching music theory, piano, voice, guitar and bass guitar. It was an amazing time for the two of us to see the students so eager to learn and to grow in excellence, and to use their talents to glorify God. We also found God giving us a heart to invest in the students and to trust in Him to use these men and women in the future for His purposes. The long-term vision of worship pastor Gustavo Samaniego, who was over seeing the seminar is to have a full time Christian music and arts school operating alongside of CMA Church of Cumbaya. We were privileged to be a part of the first steps of working towards that goal. Classes will continue once a week from now until the end of the year and possibly by then the Music and Arts school will begin to operate in it’s own building on a full time basis. The arts are such an important part of Christian culture and Worship and we need to continue to encourage excellence in Christian Art and Music. Meagen and I always find that as we step out in obedience to Him, He is always faithful lead us and to work in us. We are so thankful for the opportunity we had to glorify Him in Ecuador and we look forward to seeing how God will use the many musicians and artist who are being trained in Ecuador to be worshippers in Spirit and in Truth. You can find out more about Chad and Meagen Moody and Musicians For Missions International at www.

musiciansformissions.com Also Meagen Moody just released her studio album called “Notes To The Author” and samples of that album can be heard at www.myspace.com/moodynotes or on iTunes.

Chad & Meagan Moody Musicians For Missions International www.musiciansformissions.com

ONLINE VIDEO INTERVIEW

Salt & Light Magazine spoke with Missions Pastor Matt Bradshaw. We discuss their recent mission trip to Marseille, France where they were meeting people (mostly Muslims) who arrive at the port there and handing them material to read about Jesus. If you have ever been interested in missions we encourage you to come watch this video as Matt talks about their 10 day trip to France and how the people there reacted to them being there. Go to www.NewMexicosBodyofChrist.com to watch this video interview in our online magazine November 1st.

Pastor Matt Bradshaw Sagebrush Community Church www.sagebrush.cc

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It has been my experience and it is my opinion that the church has withdrawn from the realm of political controversy. Why? Maybe it’s because of the old adage which says, “If you want to keep friends avoid conversations about politics and religion.” Or here’s another favorite viewpoint, “Whatever you do, maintain separation between church and state.” Pastors and church leaders everywhere live in fear of “crossing the line.” What is the biblically correct stance when it comes to the church and government, along with the active participation of Christ’s followers? The apostle Peter makes it very clear that we are to be subject to every human institution. We are to honor everyone, love fellow believers, fear God, and honor the king. (1Peter 2:13, 17) In other words we are called to be model citizens. But the question that remains with many Christians is; to what extent are we to be involved in the political process of our nation? Let’s look at what government and politics are supposed to be. First, the definition of government is the act or process of governing; specifically: authoritative direction or control. Second, the definition of politics is a: the art or science of government b: the art or science concerned with guiding or influencing governmental policy c: the art or science concerned with winning and holding control over a government. In a nutshell government and politics go hand and hand. You can’t have one without the other. As a Christian we need to recognize that God has established civil government for the good of the people. After God’s chosen people, the Israelites, came out of Egypt and 400 years of slavery God led them into the wilderness and made a mighty nation out of them. At the foot of Mount Sinai they received not only the Ten Commandments (moral laws) but they also re-

ceived ceremonial laws regarding their worship, and civil laws regarding their relationships with one another. The observance of these laws required governmental activity.

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ave you attended a tea party? Have you been to a townhall meeting? These are good questions in light of the political unrest in our nation. But there is a more important question; should you as a Christian participate in the volatile arena of politics and government?

The biblical pattern of government is shown in the Old Testament Scriptures: first there was a theocracy, the rule of God. Adam and Eve, Noah, and early descendants of man lived under this perfect form of government. As the population of the earth expanded we see the institution of the patriarchs, the rule of fathers. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are examples of this kind of leadership. Finally, the people cried out for a king, and God granted their request by anointing Saul to be the first monarch, a sovereign ruler, over Israel.

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The New Testament writers also provide details on the governance of the people, whether Christian or not. The apostle Paul says, “Let every person be subject (submitted to) the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” (Romans 13:1) It becomes evidently clear from a study of God’s word that government isn’t a man-made institution; rather it is the system God has ordained for the orderly conduct of human affairs. Since God has established moral standards and holds all people accountable to him, Christians should take every opportunity to influence the government to make laws consistent with the Bible’s moral standards. This, out of necessity, will require the Christian to engage in the political process that ultimately determines who has authority in government. Jesus was once questioned about his political allegiances and whether or not he should keep the law regarding paying taxes. His answer was simple, Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s. As a Christian, will you respond accordingly, serving the Lord with wholehearted devotion, participating in the process of government and politics that leads to good citizenship here on the earth? Carl Mahler is an associate pastor with Apostles Lutheran Church in Chesapeake, Virginia. He leads the church’s small group ministry and conducts Bible studies. He and his wife Rita are the parents of four children and ten grandchildren. They are Christian marriage counselors and have conducted parenting classes for many years.

Pastor Carl Mahler Apostles Lutheran Church Chesapeake, Virginia

New Mexico Watchman www.nmwatchman.com Christian Coverage of National and Local Events The New Mexico Watchman meets the need for information concerning the New Mexico Christian community and our civic concerns. NM Watchman began when legislation proposed by New Mexico State Legislature was not reported through other media. Receive emails regarding the New Mexico State Legislature and other national and local events that affect the Christian community by visiting our website and subscribe. May God bless you today. This section is not about Republican or Democrat but bringing you a more personal side of the people in government. If you are running for office or are already in a position we would like to interview you. Daniel Ruiz at: (505) 264-5201 or [email protected]

ONLINE VIDEO INTERVIEW

Salt & Light Magazine spoke with Steve Pearce in a video recorded interview. Steve is running for Congress, 2nd district which is the Southern district of New Mexico. We discuss the changes and vision he has for New Mexico and how we need to start voting our faith over our political party. If you would like to know more about Steve Pearce go to www.NewMexicosBodyofChrist.com to watch this video interview in our online magazine November 1st.

Former Congressman Steve Pearce Taylor Memorial Baptist Church Hobbs, NM

ONLINE VIDEO INTERVIEW

Salt & Light Magazine spoke with State Representative Nora Espinoza in a video recorded interview. We discuss voting biblical values not political party. We ask her why she thinks Christians should be involved in politics and what she would like pastors in New Mexico to say about voting to their congregations. To hear her answers and more go to www.NewMexicosBodyofChrist.com to watch this video interview in our online magazine November 1st.

Nora Espinoza NM House Representative District 59 Church on the Move

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ast December, Terri Krueger, the mother of two Naval Academy sons, was attending the Army/Navy football game. During halftime, a check was presented to the Wounded Warrior Project. During the applause she knew, together with her friends and their friends back in New Mexico that she could raise even more money for this worthy cause. Terri became passionate about raising money and awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project. And since she is a successful and respected designer, you do what you do best. The Ooh La La Christmas Home Tour was born. The group she organized is called Ooh La La Christmas and is a new, local 501 ( c ) (3) non-profit organization whose mission is to help fund and promote awareness of organizations that support the needs of severely injured service men and women. This year the group is supporting the Wounded Warrior Project. The Wounded Warrior Project was founded in 2002 by a group of veterans and brothers who decided that wounded service members returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan deserved more than brass bands and ticker tape parades. They needed tangible support and help on their road to healing, both physically and mentally. The Wounded Warrior Project provides a range of programs and events designed for these heroes beyond their hospital stay that include outdoor rehabilitation retreats, cross-country cycling, career guidance, college preparatory classes, year round sports programs, backpacks of personal items, caregiver retreats, and advocacy programs that work on legislation for the injured military. For more information see the ad below or visit : www.oohlalachristmas.org or call (505) 856-8582

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any of us know one of the many heroes who serve in our armed forces andkeep us safe both here and abroad. We want to hear about service men and women who are not only heroes for their country but are also heroes for Christ. We would like to feature a special section just to our military men and women and show how they are making an impact for Christ. So if you know some of these amazing men and women please contact us and give us their story or we can interview them. January 2010 will have our first full Military Section, let’s kick it off with a bang!

We want to hear about amazing military personnel who are letting their light shine please let us know so that we can include them in our new military section! Daniel Ruiz at: (505) 264-5201 or [email protected]

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don’t think I will ever forget the sound that the door made when the staff at the psychiatric hospital took Joyelle from us. They told us they would stay in touch, but for us to not contact her for at least two weeks. When that door closed we knew in our hearts that life for Joyelle was hanging by a thread. The little girl that we knew and loved would never be the same again. We continued contact with Joyelle’s doctor at the hospital calling every day to see what was happening. He explained to us that Joyelle had to face her demon and it was probably one of the most difficult things she will ever experience. When we were finally able to see Joyelle we were in shock. Joyelle had lost weight and was extremely weak and very angry with us. Her first words to us were, “You always said you would be there for me, where were you?” I personally felt like I had been hit by a truck and I knew it was going to take extensive counseling for all of us to get through this crisis. You realize that you must put on your strength and trust in your Heavenly Father to get you through trying times like this. We spoke often with our Pastor and asked him to please visit Joyelle. After one of his visits with Joyelle he dropped by to see us and he was in tears. Joyelle had asked him, “where was God when HE was raping us, You said in church that ‘God is always with us?’ I finally realize what they mean when they say “time is a healer.” Joyelle was so fortunate to have the team of therapists she had. Every night we drove forty miles round trip to meet with other parents whose children were in the hospital with Joyelle. Joyelle was inpatient for thirty days and then transferred to outpatient services for sixty days while also attending AA and Tough Love groups for over a year. We had individual family counseling and we learned what our daughter had been going through

alone. We found out that Joyelle had been drinking everyday since the first rape. It is hard to comprehend that our child became an alcoholic at age twelve and we did not even see the signs. So we finally realized Joyelle did not have headaches from allergies but had a hangover every morning for 4 years. Don’t forget the $10,000 phone bills; it seems that Joyelle would call Courtney in MA and her friend Rick, who had moved from Miami to CA, on three way calling. Joyelle would pass out and Courtney and Rick became very good friends talking on the phone every night most of the night. As we continued our counseling, we realized the pain our daughter must have been suffering daily. Apparently, the perpetrator had such a hold on the children in Fall River, MA because he always knew where Joyelle was until she moved to Dallas, TX. You see Joyelle never told Courtney about Dallas, we thought it strange she stopped asking us if Courtney could come for her yearly visits and we just thought maybe they had just out grown each other. Now that we put things together we realize they did always stay in touch but Joyelle always made up excuses as to why Courtney could not come to visit. Joyelle knew that if she told Courtney where we were living in Dallas her rapist would find her. We did not know he kept calling her and threatening her while we lived in Miami, saying there was no place she would be safe and he would always find her. He told her he was going to rape her and her best friend and he did. He also said he would kill her dog and he did. So when he said he was going to kill her parents and make her watch if she told anyone, then she thought he would. It is hard for us to try to comprehend what she went through as she (at age 12) was trying to protect her mother from a rapist/killer and her dad from a killer. The threats were so believable to her. She said he always knew when Jack was out of town and would call her. The hold that a perpetrator has on his victim is monumental. She finally felt safe when we moved to Dallas and this was why the truth could finally come out.

N e w M e x ic o s B o d y o fC h r is t .c o m One of the things we learned going through therapy being parents of an alcoholic is that you must work the program with your child or there will never be total success. The first night we found out about Joyelle’s drinking we went home and threw out all the alcohol we had in our home. At the time my parents lived overseas and would always bring us these wonderful wines from different countries, needless to say that night our home had a very strong smell as we poured everything down the drain. Of course we all know that alcoholics will relapse at least once and it did happen on Joyelle’s first weekend pass. After that weekend, and a heart to heart talk, we all made the commitment as a family to never touch a drop of alcohol again. Through our strong faith and love for ourselves and each other we have all been alcohol free for the last seventeen years. Read the rest of Joyelle’s Story in our online magazine November 1st. Resources:

Local Alcoholics Anonymous (Albuquerque, NM) : 505266-1900 Rape Crisis Center (Albuquerque, NM) : 505-266-7711 UNM Children ‘s Psychiatric Center: 505-272-2890 Desert Hills Behavioral Health Center: 505-836-7330 Lovelace Behavioral Health: 505-727-8855 Albuquerque Family Mental Health Clinic: 505-256-0065 Sequoyah Adolescent Treatment Center: 505-222-0300

Christ-centered recourses:

Christian Counseling Center of New Mexico: 505-856-0300 Family Therapy of Albuquerque: 505-821-3628 Healthy Families: 505-842-9911

New Life Center for Family Development: 505-323-3665 Healthy Families: 505-842-9911 Christian Therapy Services – 505-345-2778

10/2-4/09 – Festival of Marriage - www.lifeway.com/conferencecenters 10/5-9/09 – Fall Senior Celebration - www.lifeway.com/conferencecenters 10/9-12/09 - Help the orphans from Juarez  on a campout - www.bettertogethermexico.org/19701/68501.html 10/10/09 - 2009 City Wide Homeless Crusade 10/10/09 - Starfield w/ Article One – www.legacychurchnm.com 10/16/09 - Free 4 band concert to benefit Aspen Project at the El Rey -Theatre doors open at 6:30n ends at 10pm. Featured bands POEMA, NICK CRESPO, CHUCK, ELMORE, and IVES!!! 10/18/09 - Skillet, Hawk Nelson, Decyfer Down, & The Letter Black (Kiva Auditorium - ABQ)  10/20/09 - Skillet, Hawk Nelson, Decyfer Down, & The Letter Black (McGee Park Memorial Coliseum – Farmington) 10/19-23/09 - IFOC Basic Chaplain Training Class – www.ifoc.org 10/22/09 - Sunport Serenade - Located at the Sunport Airport in Alb NM -Come out and hear the choir serenade the passengers at the airport - http://www.newmexicomasschoir.org/news.htm 10/24/09 – Basket of Hope second Walk of Hope – Please call 803-4009 for more info. 10/26/09 - Remedy Drive – (Ocotillo Performing Arts – Artesia) 10/28/09 - The Way We Roll Tour Newsboys w/ Seventh Day Slumber – (Farmington – Please call 505-327-7202 for more info.) 10/31/09 – View our calendar for Fall Festivals throughout New Mexico 11/1/09 - The Way We Roll Tour Newsboys w/ Seventh Day Slumber – (Las Cruces – Please call 575-646-1420 for more info.) 11/1/09 - Creation Festival: The Tour Jars of Clay w/ Thousand Foot Krutch – (Believers Center – ABQ) 11/8/09 - Jeremy Camp, Natalie Grant, Bebo Norman – (NMMI - Pearson Auditorium – Roswell) 11/10/09 - Jeremy Camp, Natalie Grant, Bebo Norman - (Hoffmantown - ABQ). 11/6/09 - Purity Ball – www.carenetabq.org 11/13-15/09 - Christmas for the orphans in Madera, Mexico - www.bettertogethermexico.org/19701/69701.html 11/19/09 - Altered Minds Tour - Lecrae w/ After Edmund – (Carlsbad – Please call 575-499-9973 for more info.) 11/20/09 – Albuquerque Christian Children’s Home Benefit Dinner & Auction – (505) 898-5520 or www.acch4kids.org 12/20/09 - Childrens Christmas Play - Crestview Baptist 301 Chama N.E. Albq NM 12/29/09 – FUGE Winter Camp - http://www.lifeway.com/conferencecenters

To advertise your Events, Fundraisers, Concerts, Bible studies, Ministry & counseling classes on the NewMexicosBodyofChrist.com web calendar, contact Daniel Ruiz at: (505) 264-5201 or [email protected]

A Picture 2 Treasure............................................... 23 A&S Automotive .................................................... 29 ACI Financial.......................................................... 18 Amor Reality............................................................. 7 Believer’s in Business.............................................. 19 Computer Network Design....................................... 12 Dearholt Autocare .................................................. 17 Dwain’s Automotive................................................ 24 Ekklesia Church .................................................... 21 Global Destiny Ministry............................................ 4 Global Security Agency............................................ 7 Golfernoggins .........................................................10 John Thurman.......................................................... 18 Joy Junction............................................................ 21 Justice Grace and Joy Bookstore............................. 32 Kenyon Plastering.................................................... 13 KKIM ...................................................................... 5 Koinonia Coffee House............................................ 4 Lisa Ortiz .............................................................10 Mesa Reprographics .............................................. 14 New Life Center for Development.............................. 9 Options Acupuncture & Acutonics.......................... 25 Print Mart ............................................................... 16 PTL Trades ............................................................ 23 Purity Ball............................................................... 11 Quic Transmission .................................................. 26 Ray of Hope Ministries.......................................... 8 RCG ......................................................................... 2 RE/Max ................................................................... 7 Shaklee .................................................................. 10 Shorty’s BBQ.......................................................... 11 Special Touch Salon................................................ 15 Starline Printing ....................................................... 31 Storms Insurance ..................................................... 7 Stribling Chiro ........................................................ 24 Target Distribution ................................................... 3 Theobrama ............................................................ 29 TrueVine Painting.................................................... 10