austin faith and family november 2011

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STRENGTH FOR THE FAMILY, HOPE FOR THE CITY

Faith&FamilyAUSTIN

NOvEMbER 2011

FREE

COME TO THE WELL

Why Are So Many Still

Thirsty? stress fractures

And How to Fix tHem

Baby Boomers:4 things You WillNeed to consider

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Tune in and hear stories that will inspire and encourage you to live out your destiny and purpose!

Get advice on everything from relationships, work, parenting and more!

At FamilyLink we have placed over 600 children in loving foster families, but we are

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We have a vision of a place called Legacy Ranch. Here, children who need a family and are hurting will not be turned away and Seniors will be cherished for their wisdom, love and care they seek to give; a beautiful place of heal-ing and hope where children and seniors can minister to and draw strength from each other.

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“Life Matters! with Mariah”


November 2011contents

features22 Cover Story: Casting Crowns Laying it aLL Down: BiLLBoarD’s top-seLLing

Christian artist

21 Special Feature: Grace Academy the FaBriC oF eDuCation

columns 08 Journey for Two pause, Look, & Listen

10 Body Life the season oF reCeiving

12 Head to Heart stress FraCtures pt. 2

passages14 A Few Good Men the waLLs that Men BuiLD: anD how to tear theM Down

16 Living to the Max to eat or not to eat: that is the Question

16 The Studio Kitchen the piCky eater phenoMena

17 Erin’s Cooking gaMe-on ChiLi

18 Practical Parenting got stuFF-itis?

monthly faves19 Rave Reviews

27 Community Calendar

30 The Source Directory

22

0826

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20 Money want to retire soon?

24 Helpful Hints Being thankFuL For those who serve

26 Healthy Indeed FaQ’s on herBaL

suppLeMents

27 Ladies Top Ten serve soMething new

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Publisher1633 Ministries 501 (c) (3)[email protected] 512.584.6888

editorMarcy [email protected]

Art directorKyle [email protected]

Advertising sAlesSusan Stern| [email protected]

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Miranda Bradley | [email protected]

Ricca Keepers | [email protected]

contributing Writers

Marcy Lytle, Ginny Hurley, Mark Trice, John Pound, Erin Osborn, Georganne Schuch, David & Lynn Cherry, Al Jones, Gary Sinclair, Laura Bezden, Paul Tsui, Mike Giles, Joe Rodriguez, Raul Flores, Gary Thomas, Susan Schwab and Deborah Begley.

Austin Faith and Family is committed to encouraging individuals in their daily lives by presenting the faith stories of others and providing information that will point every person, at every stage of life, to a deeper, authentic, personal and life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ. Views expressed in Austin Faith & Family do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. Every effort has been made by the Austin Faith & Family staff to ensure accuracy of the publication contents. However, we do not guarantee the accuracy of all information, nor the absences of errors and omissions; hence, no responsibility can be, or is assumed. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2010 by 1633 Ministries 501 (c) (3).

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of International Bible Society.

Austin Faith & FamilyPO Box 2496 • Round Rock, TX 78680512.584.6888 (P)512.501.6760 (F)

Austin Faith & Family is published monthly and is available at high traffic locations throughout the metropolitan area. Copies are also available by subscription, $35 for one year. Single issues available for $3 an issue. volume 3, issue 6

Faith&FamilyAUSTIN ROBERT M. PHILLIPS

Robert M. Phillips2006, 2008 - 2010 Texas Monthly

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Letters

Editor's NoteGratitude

Did you know you can give thanks, but not have a grateful heart? If you have kids, I’m sure you’ve observed this a time or two, when you’ve asked them to say “Thank You,” but the tone was less than one of gratitude. Thankful hearts have to be cultivated, and sometimes we just have to be knocked around a time or two, to realize how good we really have it. Then from the bottom of our hearts arises, “Thank You” to the One who gives us all good things.

It’s hard to believe it is November already, and the summer heat is a thing of the past now (for which I am VERY thankful!) Perhaps as you read some of the articles in this month’s issue, you will notice yourself giving thanks, or praying for a heart of gratitude. On the light side, we have an article about picky eaters and how to handle this in your house. Perhaps our kids don’t realize the good food they have! I’m pretty sure that stopping to give thanks can alleviate that heavy stress we feel during the holiday season, and our “Stress Fractures” article can offer more insight on the subject, as well. Are you married? Read “Pause, Look and Listen” and then after you’ve taken the suggestions listed, tell your spouse how thankful you are for the gift he/she is to you! And for inspiration, be sure to read the entire cover story on a band that worships God and gives him thanks for every good gift they have received…and are still receiving! Casting Crowns certainly has developed an attitude of gratitude, and their songs reflect their hearts.

If you’re like me, sometimes you get so busy preparing the Thanksgiving spread that you become someone no one wants to be around – and it certainly does not make for a thankful bunch around the table! Check out the easy side recipes in Ladies Top Ten for something different, and ask for help from those around you so your Thanksgiving Day will be enjoyable.

Finally, we at AFF would like to thank YOU – our readers – for picking up a copy of Austin’s only faith-based magazine that’s free to those who ask. Thank You!

Marcy Lytle

Get Involvedwith

D e v e l o p i n g C h r i s t i a n l e a D e r s

Concordia University Texas | www.concordia.edu | 512 • 313 • 300011400 Concordia University Drive | Austin, TX 78726

Waters of Life A Fall Concert

November 6, 2011 - 3 p.m. - St. Martin’s Lutheran Church

Featuring the University Choir under the direction of Joshua Chai

Christmas at Concordia

December 11, 2011 - 3 p.m.

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athletics.concordia.edu

Men’s & Women’s Basketball vs. Centenary

Mr. Reid RyanCEO Round Rock Express

Mr. Peter lubellCOO Austin Toros

Mr. Arnold GarciaEditorial Page Editor Austin American-Statesman

Mr. John GarrettCEO & Founder Community Impact Newspapers

Building a Regional Sports Team November 3, 2011 - 11:30 a.m. - Building A

Influencing Community OpinionDecember 1, 2011 - 11:30 a.m. - Building A

Speaker Series Events

Dear AFF,I read last month’s issue

cover to cover and especially enjoyed the parenting article, and the marriage article, as well as the cover story. Love the new layout – great job. It’s much easier to find my favorite columns now…

K.W.

Hi Marcy, Just wanted to send a

quick note saying thanks for thinking of me when you guys put out your music edition.

I would have loved to have been a part of it. So sorry to have missed the opportunity! I hope to do more with you guys in the future!

Lainey W.

Dear Marcy,You know I first picked up an

issue of Faith and Family last year when my friends from The Reliques where written up the Aug 2010 issue. It’s a great magazine!

Rachel K.


Pause, Look, and ListenDavid smiled and shook his head in disbelief as I shared the contents of an email I had sent the day before. I was reaching out to a seasoned mom with questions and concerns about raising teenage boys and I poured my guts out to this woman I’d never met (Granted her sons turned out pretty great, so it seemed like a safe place to air my doubts and fears.) As I watched his response from across the table, I was confident of two things. One, he thought I’d surely gone off the deep end this time. Two, he was really listening to me.

If communication is the cornerstone of a healthy relationship, listening is the mortar that holds the stone in place! We want our marriages to thrive, so we have to become great listeners! In his book Am I Making Myself Clear? Terry Felber discusses the Art of Listening. He recommends four steps for mastering this skill:

Pause • Look • Listen • RespondWhen I was sharing my story with David he gave me his full attention. He didn’t take another bite of food. He paused to hear every crazy detail. He communicated value and his commitment to the ongoing challenge of understanding his wife. He wasn’t distracted by the servers walking by our table or the

adorable toddler in her pink tutu. His eyes were on me. He was listening intently in an effort to hear what I was saying and grasp what I was trying to say. He responded with grace and humor. I felt so loved.

Granted, not all our conversations go that smoothly. Sometimes they sound more like this:

“Why didn’t you tell me we were having dinner with the Smiths tonight?”

“I did. Why aren’t you listening to me?”

“I am listening, that’s how I know you never said anything about this.”

“Next time, I’ll just send a meeting request and you can either accept or decline.”

“That sounds like a good plan to me.”

Communication can be a struggle. The reality is there are so many opportunities to misunderstand each other. You start with what you want to say. That leads to what actually comes out of your mouth. Follow that with what your spouse hears. Factor in what they think about what they heard. Somewhere in the fog there is a message we are trying to share. We boost our ability to understand each other by first listening well.

If I (David here) could share one thought with husbands, I would challenge you to really value what your wife has to say. Value it enough to stop what you are doing. Pause the football game (one of my favorite features of DVR). Tune into your bride. She’s worth it! Even if you’ve heard the story before, you might pick up one more detail you’ve never seen and you’ll get fresh insight into her world.

Now girls (this is Lynn), my challenge for you is similar. When your husband wants to talk, it’s not time to multi-task! Set aside your need for constant productivity. Turn off your phone. Get one of the kids to unload the dishwasher. Sit down and focus on what your husband has to say and how he may be feeling. You might be surprised at how he opens up when he knows he has your complete concentration.

Greek philosopher Epictetus said, “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” Our faces reflect the purposeful design of our Creator. God must value listening. Remember to pause, look and really listen before you respond.

David & LynnCherryStaffShoreline Church

Journey for Two

Try ThisDr Henry Cloud and Dr John Townsend have a wealth of information about relationships on their website www.cloudtownsend.com. Click on Video Channels then select the Marriage Channel. Make some popcorn. Watch a few clips & share your highlights.

According to Cloud and Townsend there are two parts to listening. 1. You understand the other person’s perspective and emotions. 2. They know that you understand. Take turns sharing an experience. Listen with these two parts in mind. Discuss what you did well and how you might improve.


The Season of Receiving

John PoundPastorNew Hope Community Church

Body LifeWhile it is common knowledge that the season of giving is coming soon (Have you started your shopping yet? … Hello internet!!), I would like to highlight a need that many rarely consider. It is the need to be a good receiver. I don’t mean a gracious receiver. Hopefully your upbringing taught you a little something about that. I mean an able and practiced receiver.

Most in our culture give and give. We give our time, our creativity, our energy, our gifts, our taxes, our waking and sleeping hours to our families, our jobs, our friends, our churches, and even to total strangers. It’s no wonder that most folks are just given out! The people I know do pretty well with giving. It makes us feel good when we put our head on the pillow at night, knowing that we have done our duty and have helped someone else out during the day. But few are good receivers. I don’t believe God designed us to live that way.

As a minister, I learned years ago that I really have nothing to give unless I first receive it. The Apostle Paul said, “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you…” That phrase really struck me one day as I was thinking I had nothing left to give. Without receiving fresh spiritual food from the Lord, I have nothing. I think it is what Jesus meant when He said, “As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” (John 15:5)

And God wants to give to us! That is His nature. He is a giver and has the resources to do it. Of course we know that He gave His Son for us – but He has so much more. Paul said in Romans 8:32, “He who did not spare His own Son for us, but gave Him up for us all, how will he not also with Him graciously give us all things?” If God is willing to give us His Son, surely He will give us the other things we need in this life!

Why would God do that? First, He loves us and, as I said earlier, it is His nature. But He has another purpose. He wants us to be able to represent Him by helping others. God is a “more than enough” God and wants us to take the abundance He gives us, to be ready to share with others. God’s heart and strategy was revealed when He called Abraham, telling him, “I will bless you…so that you will be a blessing” and “In you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” God wants to bless us so that we will be a blessing. And God wants us to receive so that we will have more than enough to share.

There are several obstacles to being a good receiver. Some have feelings of unworthiness which cause them to believe that

they aren’t good enough for God to bless or speak to. Some feel condemned by God, that somehow God’s forgiveness can’t reach them. Some are too self-sufficient to feel the need to receive, not realizing that only God can give the grace we need to truly help others. Some are simply too proud to admit they have any need. The first step to being a good receiver is to know that you lack what you need. You know, “Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

With what does God want to bless us? Well, what do you need? Peace? He has more than enough. Put your thoughts on Him. Take some time to receive. Wisdom? Direction? He is wise counselor and a good shepherd. Ask Him to lead. Courage? He can give you His strength if you will receive. Get the idea? Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you.

With the holidays coming, it’s a good time to learn how to receive.

Did you know that you were “Born to Win?” Want to learn more about tools and techniques to make you successful? Take a lunch break with us from 11:30-12:45 on December 6th and you’ll hear international business consultant Lewis Timberlake

tell you about “The Second Greatest Story Ever Told.”

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Stress Fractures (Part 2)

Al H. Jones, Ph.D.Head to Heart Minsitrywww.headtoheart.org

Head-to-Heart

Wikipedia defines stress fractures as “one type of incomplete fracture in bones. It is caused by ‘unusual or repeated stress’.” You may not have stress fractures in your bones, but you probably have them in your life and emotions.

Behavioral or relational issues, life situations, physical problems, and spiritual and emotional issues are all common causes of stress. Our lives are complex, so generally none of us experience stress in one single area, or in isolation.

Behavioral or relational stress is caused by a breakdown in a relationship through conflict, distance or isolation. Some examples of negative reactions to relational or emotional stress are an increase in conflict, withdrawal, and excessive alcohol use.

Situational stress is caused by overly stressful current events. Situational stressors can be from positive or negative events. Signs of situational stress can be short temper, overreacting to events, anxiety, and a sense of loss of control.

Physical stress is caused by physical illness or injury. Some of the common physical stress related illnesses include heart disease, cancer, headaches, back ailments, and accidents.

Spiritual stress is caused by real or perceived guilt and shame. Real spiritual stress can be caused by active sin patterns or moral conflict. Perceived stress can be shame-based issues. Spiritual stressors can be exhibited by low self-esteem, anxiety, fear, and performance-based religious works.

Emotional stress is the negative emotional reaction to any of the other stressors. Signs of excessive emotional stress can be mood swings, irritability, aggression, low self-esteem, anxiety or panic, mild depression, and being overly emotional or tearful.

Since you cannot avoid stress, you need to apply techniques that help you deal more effectively with it. As a Christian, you have an added tool for dealing with stress.

One of my favorite passages is Isaiah 43: 2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; neither will the flames consume you.”

God does not promise that you will not go through trials or stressful situations. But he does promise that he will be with you.

In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” When you get wrapped up in trying to take

control of situations that are not within your control, you often find yourself more overwhelmed and stressed. Jesus calls you to rest.

A foundational block of “rest” is the acknowledgement that it is God’s desire to take control to lead you through the water and fire of life. You have to take the stressor and circumstances to him. Remember, the peace of God is not the removing of the obstacles, but the ability to rest in the midst of them.

Another foundational block is having a greater understanding of who you are in Christ. As God’s child you have total acceptance and approval. You can have rest and peace knowing that he can heal any zcircumstance and provide hope in any storm.

Sometimes the barrier to rest is unresolved life issues. Broken relationships, resentment, unforgiveness and unmet expectations can be critical life barriers. These barriers cause stress to increase, cloud your ability to think and see clearly, and lead to unhealthy guilt and shame.

You cannot prevent stress from entering your life, but you can find ways to effectively control it. Dealing with stress is unique to each person. If you feel overwhelmed by stress and can’t seem to find the peace and rest you need, I en-courage you to talk with a close friend or Pastoral Coun-selor. Ecclesiastes 4:9,10 reminds us that “Two are better than one…if one falls down, his friend can help him up.” Together you can navigate through life and stress.

Dealing with stress is unique to each person. ”

“


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I’ve only heard about the Berlin Wall, 90 miles of concrete and barbed wire, built in 1961 and torn down in 1989. It was designed to keep the East Germans in and others out. My wife and I climbed up to, walked on, and zip lined off (well I did) the Great Wall of China. No one even knows how long that wall is or was, but it too was designed to keep enemies away. And I recently made my 14th trip to Moscow where each time, sometimes more than once, I’ve seen and even gone inside the famous Kremlin wall that protects many of the government buildings.

Walls are sometimes helpful, as in load bearing walls in a structure. But many of our personal walls are destructive and keep us from meaningful, deep relationships and trapped in our own isolation.

As you may know, dozens of churches in Austin actually participated in a study called Walls, challenging people to look honestly at the personal walls they have erected that are separating themselves from God and others. And it’s possible as a result that hundreds, even thousands, will tear down the unhealthy walls that have hemmed them in for so long.

However, I think there are some common walls that we guys tend to put up and they are worth mentioning. Why? Well first of all, some of us are in pain. We’ve been hurt by people in our past, current relationships, disappointments, or other failures. So our walls provide shelter from more pain.

Some of us live in fear. We fear making mistakes, letting others down, or even facing the pain I just referred to. So in-stead of boldly engaging with others, we put up walls to shelter us from the scary world of relationships around us.

And others of us are just selfish. We feel like we’re entitled to our stuff, our way and our agenda, so we keep a distance. We have little time for others, deep conversation, or intimate relationships. We may choose a naturally destructive and socially unacceptable wall like an addiction to hide behind. Or like Adam and Eve hiding behind the bushes, we stand behind our own bushes that look pretty good to others… but they are still walls.

So what are some of the common walls that men in particular often seem to choose? One wall is success. We drive for the top, demand to be the best and produce. We get a wave of adrenaline each time our bosses or peers tell us how great we are. The next raise, promotion or award seems to fill our emotional tank . . . at least for awhile.

Another is surface relating. For many guys, the deepest emotions they feel are during the Super Bowl. But any other time everything talked about is for laughs, to impress, or about someone else. Our spouses and kids may be longing for more but we don’t care or we’re just too afraid, because we don’t know what to say.

A third common wall is sports or athletics. Of course physical fitness and enjoying golf, running, biking or whatever, can be healthy and fun. But working out can also become a wall. We hide behind

our new personal record, we keep push-ing ourselves to become better and better; and our practice becomes more than an activity. Our sport is now our life. And it’s a wall.

Hobbies are a related wall for many. If your hobby has literally taken over your mind, your extra time and a lot of your resources, it’s likely become an unhealthy wall of protection.

Finally, many men use addictions as their wall. Yes, sports, work, and even church can be addictive; but others are drugs, alcohol and pornography.

So how do we tear down our walls? First, identify your wall. Admit it to someone you can trust and to God. Second, examine your wrong thinking. Your wall is there because you think incorrectly about God and yourself. You think you’re a loser or that no one really wants to be your friend or that your past is so bad you could never amount to anything. Third, let God renew your mind and change how you think. Through the Bible, through good teaching, and through counseling you can learn new thoughts about God and you. Many things you may already know and have just forgotten.

The good news is that whatever walls you’ve built can be torn down with God’s help. It may take a while because old thinking isn’t easy to change sometimes. But keep at it. Living walled in is no way to live. Jesus said that the truth would set us free. Become free again. It’s time.

A Few Good Men by Gary Sinclair

And How to Tear Them DownAnd How to Tear Them Down

Walls that Men Build

'LIKE' US on Facebook! facebook.com/AustinFaith andFamily

www

http://www.neverquitclimbing.com


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AustinAustinFAI

TH & FAM

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AustinS T R E N G T H F O R T H E F A M I LY , H O P E F O R T H E C I T Y

AMILY

March 2011FREE

Altrua

HEALTHSHARE & MINISTRIES

RANDY & ROBBI SLUDER

THE MAGDALENE PROJECT

Unconditional Love

COR:6 FITNESS MINISTRY

Injecting Fitness into Church

CROWN HEALTHCARE

NEGOTIATORS

Saving YOU Money

COUPON INSIDE!

AFF0311.indd 1

2/20/11 7:41 PM

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www.AustinFaithandFamily.comAvailable at area Taco Bells

Faith&FamilyAUSTIN


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OCTOBER 2011

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JeremyCamp

PLUS: • The health of our body depends on action • True men risk sharing how they feel • Do we really ever outgrow our selfishness?

Sponsored by

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Where do we start in sifting through the deluge of food information being disseminated to us from every corner of America? How does one decide what to eat or not to eat? Conflicting and diverse opin-ions cry out in every form of media. What and who can be trusted? However, if we are hon-est, the fruit of partaking in the American mod-ern diet speaks for itself with 60 million “big” Americans and 30.5% obesity. Adolescent obesity has tripled and 20% of 4-year-olds are obese. Someone dies every 34 seconds from heart disease and 1500 die each day from cancer. We must conclude that a huge cause of these epidemics is in our personal choices of food; and we must wholeheart-edly do something about it for the sake of our future existence and for the sake of our chil-dren’s lives. It is being said that the newest generation of children will not outlive the cur-rent generation of adults if we continue down the path of nutritional suicide through our own careless, misinformed choices.

Essential #3, Maximized Quality Nutrients, is a call to become conscious of what you are putting into your body and why. Hopefully, we Christians desire to live a long, disease-free life and raise our children to also make healthy choices. But with so many ridiculous food options stacked on every aisle of super-sized grocery stores, we must become con-vinced about the dangers of processed and refined foods, especially the hundreds of differently-named sugars hidden in virtually every processed food, even table salt. Sci-ence has linked sugar to Type 2 Diabetes and cancer. Sugar actually feeds cancer cells and impedes the function of the immune system which identifies and destroys mutated and harmful cells. German Professor Otto War-burg, the 1931 Nobel Prize winner, hypoth-esized that cancer cells use sugar as their main source of energy, where healthy cells use oxygen. The great humanistic creation of man-made foods has borne its deadly and deceptive fruit. “Our civilization has stitched together a chemistry experiment involving chemically fertilized food, chemically sprayed to kill the bugs, chemically preserved for

shelf-life, chemically enhanced for flavor and lifelike color….And then, after the life and nutrition are completely processed out of our food, it is chemically re-enriched with syn-thetic vitamins and inorganic minerals. To no great surprise, after years of consuming such ‘Franken-foods,’ our bodies react to all those chemicals by getting sick. Eureka!” (George Malkmus, The Hallelujah Diet)

Now more than ever, it is imperative that we learn how to replace the foods produced in chemical laboratories with the organic live foods that grow in nature nourished by the sun. We must change the erroneous belief system that our bodies can tolerate man-made, dead foods, and that we are somehow different than the natural order of plants and animals. The further a food is from its natural state, the less efficiently the digestive system can break it down. “Food by Man” lacks life or any truly usable vitamins, minerals, or other nutrients. The correct deduction should be that anything devoid of life is unlikely to be able to sustain life. We must return to God’s blueprint for the earth and eat the foods that are congruent with our genetic make-up. Our bodies must be fed at the cellular level, not just at the taste level. In other words, we need to eat “Food by God.” God’s fundamen-tal provision is found in Genesis 1:29. The body created for Adam was the same body we all share now. We can think of our bodies as self-healing and self-regulating ecosystems composed of living cells working harmonious-ly together to maintain balance, health, and life. It makes sense that the life in Food by God is that which fuels the life in our bodies!

Let’s make the same choice as Daniel when he struck a bargain in Babylon to eat only veg-etables and water for ten days and was better in appearance than the youths who ate the king’s food. So when you sit down to eat with a ruler (The FDA), “observe carefully what is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite. Do not desire his delicacies for they are deceptive food.” Prov-erbs 23:1-3 ESV.

To Eat or Not to Eat: That is the Question

The Picky Eater PhenomenaIsn’t it funny,

the Kids’ Menu at most restau-rants usually reads the same: Cheese Pizza, Chicken Tenders, Hamburger or Hot Dogs. Is this really all kids are willing to eat?

My interest in the “Picky Eater” phenomena moved up to a whole new level after we started providing real food school lunches to a new charter school in Round Rock. We provide many of our most loved entrees from The Studio Kitchen. After the first month, I’m proud to say we got a 90.2% positive customer satisfaction rating from the parents whose children are eating our food.

But what about the parents who did not have their kids signed up for our school lunch? Our survey showed that most of those parents described their children as “Picky Eaters.” They wanted to see more “child friendly” meals, like – you guessed it – Cheese Pizza, Chicken Tenders, etc…

How did we arrive at this point?

I know, because I CREATED a picky eater of my own. It’s all wrapped up in our busy lifestyle where we say, “I’ll just feed my child what I know he is willing to eat. I don’t have time to battle with her over the next meal.” And so it starts …

Yes, I’m willing to admit it. Picky eaters are created. They are not born that way.

Many parents who buy our food to enjoy at home tell me, “Our kids will eat anything,” and then add, “We started them out that way. They’ve always eaten what we eat.”

So here’s the first thing to know as a parent: Do what you can to start your kids on a normal diet from an early age. Avoid the “easy way out” at all cost. I get many reports from people who are absolutely amazed at how their “Picky Eater” husband or children are eating our food. We have an entrée, Sausage Spinach Pockets, which kids just love. Another all-time favorite is our Chicken Pockets.

You CAN convert a “Picky Eater” to a “Normal Eater.” With my youngest, I provide him with items that I know he will eat – such as raw baby carrots. Next, I provide good food – particularly favorites from The Studio Kitchen. It’s not unusual to get a “This is GOOD mom!” as he eats away at a complex meal where “things are touching.”

It’s ultimately about providing good nutrition. So start them early and provide real food. Our kids deserve it.

- Laura Bezdenwww.thestudiokitchcen.com

The Studio Kitchen

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Living to the Max


Game-On ChiliMy parents raised me in a pretty straightforward Norman Rockwell kind of home. There was a work week (school), a day off (chores included) and a two-part Sabbath (Sunday school & Kids church/”big church”, as the years progressed). During the spring and summer we might mix in a couple picnics or an afternoon at the pool on Sundays. But, September through February my daddy raised himself an All-American football fan for a daughter.

A few years ago my family assembled our own Fantasy Football league. My dad, brother, & manly-man cousins jumped on that train real quick. I wasn’t about to let them leave me out so my dad helped me create my own team, Twinkle Toez. I knew ZIP about football in the 8th grade. All I knew was the occasional Friday Night Lights, Texas high school football game, experience. Dad has coached me through eight seasons now because I am still oblivious to all the technical “they traded him for this guy” routine as far as adjusting players on my team goes. He considers it one of his paternal duties and I gladly take his advice for the chance to mop the floor with him in week four of the season.

Dad’s chili recipe reminds me of the early years we spent in Arkansas. This recipe, in its original form, included ground venison instead of beef. Dad took me hunting with him one time when I was four years old (The first and last time he took me hunting with him.) Since then we have watched many hunting shows and too many football games to count. It is almost like his love language: T.V. and chocolate pie that’ll make you wanna slap your granny! The world isn’t ready for Memaw’s chocolate pie recipe…yet.

Daddy’s Chili2lbs ground beef1 large onion, chopped1 large can of Ranch beans 1 large can of tomato juice

2 packages of chili mix (name brand or store brand)1 15oz. can of stewed or diced tomatoes (if desired)

Brown beef in skillet. Add chili mix according to packet instructions. In a 5 quart pot add beef, Ranch beans, and tomato juice. Add water to desired thickness. Add chopped onion. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer for several hours, or as long as you can stand it. Add garlic, salt, and chili powder to personal taste. Serve over Fritos with cheese OR with Jiffy cornbread and sour cream.

Chef’s Note: I know it is not Texas chili or else there wouldn’t be any beans. Dad is not originally from Texas but he got here as fast as he could.

Erin’s Cooking by Erin Osborn


Practical Parenting

Christmas is just around the corner. Can you believe it? Seems like we just finished organizing last year’s haul. Now, I have to find room for more stuff? Ugh! I also dread the shopping frenzy and the crazy party schedule. Unless, of course, I come up with an alternative.

My kids might give me the stinker eye for my suggestion, but one day they will appreciate it. What if (are you sitting down?) we reduced the chaos by reducing the gifts? Okay, now pick yourself up off the floor. I’m not a party pooper. I just want Christmas to mean something besides gifts, or at least getting gifts. And I want to use the money we would have spent on toys (that will be at Goodwill within a year) on something more substantial.

So, here’s my counter-cultural plan. No toys, except for my two toddlers who will each get a new baby doll. They’ve loved our current dolls to death, literally. I’m not completely heartless. I propose gifts be limited to one clothing outfit or maybe one “big” piece of clothing, such as a nice coat. Another gift idea is something they can enjoy on a daily basis, such as a mini-room makeover.

No video games or movies. I’ve heard all kinds of arguments from both sides of the video game debate about brain stimulation and coordination, but I’m going to be practical here. Too much, of just about anything that isolates children from the world around them, is not a plan for good social development or healthy lifestyle choices. I prefer to spend that kind of money and time on something that develops a skill, such as a musical instrument, life skill, or craft. Such alternatives can be enjoyed into adulthood and used to bless other people. We regularly play piano recitals at nursing homes, for instance.

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Got Stuff-itis?

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A non-gift idea I have is to set up a vacation savings account that we fund with what we don’t spend on too many meaningless gifts. We have only taken a few mini-vacations as a family, usually to San Antonio to the zoo, or a side trip on the way to see family. I dream of the opportunity to take a real destination vacation. You know, where we go somewhere just because we want to be there. Not grabbing a spare afternoon to do something extra when we happen to be in town for work. We’ve always used the excuse that we couldn’t afford the extra time and money to take a real vacation, but if we stopped overspending at Christmas and birthdays, we could probably pay for an economical, but decent, vacation in a couple of years. What are my kids going to remember in 20 years? A week at the beach, or the latest Cabbage Patch baby?

Now, I don’t plan on going all Scrooge on them. Instead, we will involve them in planning our alternative gift allowance. Maybe we will wrap some things to take on our dream vacation and each of the older children will decide how much of their gift allowance to dedicate toward the fund. We will concentrate on other aspects of Christmas, such as the “reason for the season”… does anyone even remember what that is anymore? Instead of anxiously waiting for what they get,

I think I’ll help them concentrate on what they can give. We’ll organize another piano concert at a nursing home and fill shoe boxes for Samaritan’s Purse.

My master plan here is to instill responsible gift giving and receiving. Christmas and consumerism has become synonymous these days, and I’m stopping the trend of stuff-itis. The more we have, the more time required to take care of it, and the less time available for family and true fun. After all, the one who ends up with the most toys really doesn’t win. He is stuck fixing it and figuring out how to store it all.

www.blog.coffeedogz.com


by Georganne Schuch

Rave Reviews

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Quick RecommendationsHeavy Rain by Kris Vallotton

Heavy Rain is a gentle, yet direct book challenging the church’s awareness of culture and the dynamics of this generation. Having an ability to see from heaven’s perspective, Kris Vallotton deals with many issues confronting the church and the Kingdom of God in today’s world. Calling for an open mind,

the perspective of Heavy Rain asks for thinking outside of our own experiences and viewpoints.

With a desire for true heart transformation, Kris calls us to prepare for change. Like Joshua and Caleb, we have the opportunity to see the church’s greatest days of victory and power, while many are discouraged, defeated, and hopeless about

the vastness of God. The most exciting times are yet ahead. I could hardly put this book down to finish other tasks because it is so interesting.

I felt encouraged, hopeful, and challenged to be who God has called me to be.

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Beautiful Outlaw by John EldredgeThe New York Times bestselling author of Wild at Heart, John Eldredge, sheds new light on the humanity of Jesus in his recently released book,

Beautiful Outlaw. Taking the reader through the New Testament, he emphasizes not only a loving, compassionate Savior, but also one

with humor, anger, and playfulness. “Scandalous” is not often a word associated with Jesus, but Eldredge uses it often to remind us of what a colorful, rich, and controversial personality Jesus demonstrated. For those comfortable with a safe, stained-glass Jesus, Beautiful Outlaw will send you right back to the Gospels to discover and experience

more of this remarkable Jesus.-Deboran Begley

The Reckoning NeedtobreatheIt may be presumptuous for a band to name the opener of their latest album, “Oohs and Aahs.” How cocky of them, right? But, if you’ve just come off an award-winning previous

album and a smashing summer tour with Taylor Swift, then you’ve probably earned that right.The Reckoning finds Bear Rinehart and the boys going with a slightly more mysterious and somber tone. The bagpipe-infused “A Place Only You Can Go” marks some of the band’s

finest songwriting to date: “Grace, she comes with a heavy load/Memories, they can’t be erased/Like a pill I swallow that makes me well/But leaves an awful taste.”

Two of the slowest songs on the album are also two of the best: “Able” and “Wanted Man.” The crown jewel of The Reckoning; however, is “White Fences,” a rollicking number with a

chorus that will stick in your head for days.

-Mike Giles

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Money

Want to Retire soon?Some couples who are nearing retirement have pretty much given up on the concept. The number of boomers resorting to picking up a little extra income working part-time at Walmart, or delivering pizza, has been on the rise.

Why? Sometimes our mind plays tricks on us. If you have listened to the news at any point in time over the past several months you may have heard that the stock market lost a lot of its value. Many have incorrectly assumed that this must also mean that their portfolio may not provide enough income in retirement. This is a sad perception of the economic downturn that need not be a reality. The reality is that you most likely can retire when you want, but you need to take action.

Take responsibility for your moneyBurying your head in the sand has never been a good approach to money management. Many pre-retirees are so terrified that the money they have put aside is now lost forever, they avoid addressing the problem. After all, they can’t get hurt if they pull the covers over their head.

Take charge. No matter your age or position in life, your investments need to be actively managed – not by a stock broker or financial advisor – but by you. We may all need to seek the advice of a qualified financial advisor but ultimately we must take responsibility for our investments.

Make sure you understand the risks of investingTaking unnecessary risk is what led you to losing half the value in your portfolio in the last market downturn. The fact of the matter is that we are all too easily convinced by the finance industry to take unnecessary risk in order to meet lofty (unrealistic) financial goals. After all, we can’t really

be expected to reduce our spending income in retirement by 50% so we have to take greater risks. The result is a portfolio that is susceptible to dramatic upward and downward swings as our economy contracts and expands. You don’t know anyone with a portfolio like that, do you?

Risk needs to be managed and reduced. This includes those of you following the traditional buy-and-hold mantra. Evaluate your goals and retirement needs before you take on unnecessary risk.

Communicate With Your SpouseI more often play the role of therapist and counselor than I do financial advisor. Don’t pretend you don’t know why. The number one topic of contention among couples involves money. Or at least they think it is about money. The reality may be the contention arises from how we communicate about money. This phenomenon does not discriminate against any socio-economic class, race, gender or country club. Many Boomers have difficulty talking about money and retirement. I do not claim to know the cause, but we all need to work on our communication skills.

It is not a pleasant experience when a client discovers that their spouse has not been saving for retirement, after all. Or how about when you discover that your significant other has run up a $30,000 credit card bill?

Communication is key to spending your retirement well. A good financial advisor can help your family work through the money issues of life and retirement. In fact, some of the best firms will have a trained counselor on staff.

Plan on the InevitableYes, we all are going to die. We don’t like to talk about it but we should. Two of the most unexpected things that can destroy the quality of life for your family are a premature death and the need for long-term care.

Life insurance and long-term care needs are among the most confusing and often abused tools in the financial planning toolkit. We may need life insurance, but often we are coached by the financial industry to buy more coverage than we need and to hold it for longer than we need. If we don’t know what amount of money is needed to help our family maintain a level pattern of spending, we are more likely to over-insure. Plus, do we really need the same amount of insurance at age 60 as we do at age 35? It depends, but probably not.

If you are of the generation that learned not to trust anyone over the age of 30, well you are no longer under 30. Don’t put your trust in yourself. Trust in the Lord and seek advice from Him. Prayerfully consider talking with a Christian professional who can show you how to retire on time. It is so easy to avoid talking about retirement. It is even easier to fall victim to your own misconceptions and preconceived notions about money. You deserve to spend your life well.

by Mark Trice


by Mark Trice

The Fabric of Education

Technology has changed the workplace dramatically in just the last 20 years. Consider what it may look like in another 10-15 years by the time your student finishes college!

Numerous studies spotlight the link between the changing skills critical in the 21st Century workplace and the need to modify education in the U.S. to include these skills. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (www.P21.org) is one noteworthy effort, with large amounts of published research on the connection between education and necessary workplace skills. Given the extent to which technology drives our work environments, you might be surprised to learn what employers look for when hiring. The 2010 AMA Critical Skills Survey, which asked employers to rank job skills as ‘most important’ or ‘somewhat important’ to their organization’s growth, rated the following skills as highly desirable:

Critical thinkingCommunication

Creativity & innovationCollaboration & team building

P21.org research found that employers seek graduates who can apply the basic knowledge they learned in school. In other words, students need far more than the basic reading comprehension and mathematic skills to succeed in today’s workplace. In education-speak, these are called “Applied Skills.” Within the classical education at classical schools like Grace Academy, these applied skills are woven into the fabric of a student’s education.

While a classical education can take on various forms, the following table helps define the method and the analogous 21st century skills:

As you can see from the above graphic, there is a remarkable alignment between the common attributes of a ‘classical’ education and the most critical 21st century skills. The implications are encouraging. Those educators who best prepare their students for the demands of the new century need

not develop new techniques. Rather, the pathway to reform may take us back to a more traditional and familiar educational approach, the classical education model. As parents of students in the schools of Grammar, Logic and Rhetoric at Grace Academy, we have observed the intentional development of these skills in our own children and others. Though the classical model originated in the ancient Greco-Roman empire, and has been refined through the ages, the skills gained transcend the generations.

About the Authors Gary Thomas is a member of the Georgetown Chamber of Com-merce and currently serves as the Prepared Graduates Team Leader for the Georgetown Set 4 Success (www.gtset4success.org ) program. He is also the parent of three Grace Academy students.

Susan Schwab serves as the Director of Admission and College Advising for Grace Academy; her children are enrolled there as well. To learn more about classical education, and specifically classical Christian education at Grace Academy, please visit www.GraceAcademy-gt.org

Grace Academy


They were originally a trio. Juan DeVevo and his wife Melodee, along with Mark Hall, met at church in Daytona Beach, Florida and worshiped together. Eventually, the rest of the band joined (Megan Garrett, Hector Cervantes, Chris Huffman, and Brian Scoggin) and everyone moved to Atlanta, where Casting Crowns now calls home. All seven members of the band are on staff or volunteer at a church in Atlanta. What started as a few musicians making CD’s for students in their youth groups eventually grew into being noticed and picked up by a record label (Producer Mark A. Miller), and the rest is history.

Casting Crowns has been the recipient of many accolades over the years. They have received 14 GMA Dove Awards, three GRAMMY Awards, and have seen three RIAA Platinum Albums. This band has sold more than 8.2 million albums to date, and for the past four years has been named Billboard magazine’s top-selling Christian act. However, none of these awards keep this band going. It’s all about a relationship with the One who is the source of everything – Jesus.

Casting Crowns chose their name after hearing the lyrics of a Chris Tomlin song about

laying down our crowns at the feet of Jesus. Juan DeVevo also says that in the book of Revelation in the Bible, it talks of laying down our crowns at His feet, which is a true picture of true worship. And since everything they sing, write, and play is an act of worship to Him, it was only fitting to name the band “Casting Crowns.”

The members of the band face daily obstacles, just like those in any ministry. When on the road for a long stretch, personalities can conflict, isolation can set in, and those who leave their families start to miss them like crazy. They encounter equipment failures, sometimes forget

Casting Crowns Laying it All Down

by Marcy Lytle Editor of AFFwww.marcylytle.com Cover Story


the lyrics, and end up stretched to the limit, and tired. However, this band has learned the power of prayer. They have devotionals together and pray for each other in small groups (75 people tour when they’re on the road). During sound checks, before concerts, the band members sit out in the seats and pray for those attending the event that night. Juan states, “We pray a lot…together…and alone, and ask for His help.” And does the prayer produce results? You bet!

What inspires the songs that Casting Crowns sings? It’s simple. The scripture. They might be teaching their youth group, hearing a verse quoted, or just spending time in the Word… and inspiration comes. On their albums, there are scriptures under the titles of the songs so that people are confronted with the Word. Once confronted, Juan says people have to make a decision to “take it or reject it.” Each band member realizes the importance of being grounded in scripture, and they receive a lot of their spiritual “food” from attending, and serving in, their local churches. Otherwise, states Juan, “You just hollow out.” He says the connection to a body is paramount to staying encouraged and connected with the people to whom you are ministering. When they’re not on the road, the band members enjoy spending time with their physical family, and their church family – pouring out and being poured into – so that they are constantly full.

Mark Hall, lead singer with Casting Crowns, has a new book out called The Well: Why are so Many Still Thirsty? The message in the book parallels with the message of the band’s latest album, out just last month, called Come to the Well. He had been teaching his youth group from John, Chapter 4, sharing the story of the “woman at the well.” He noted Jesus didn’t mention her name, and he identified with that, realizing that any one of us could be the person in that story, finding ourselves at a well, drawing water that doesn’t satisfy. Jesus commented to the lady that He could offer her living water. He could be the source to which she could come daily, unafraid, and she would never be disappointed. The songs on Come to the Well encourage listeners to do just that – come to Jesus – the source of every-thing good and worthwhile. Hall states, “I knew before any other songs were written that this album had to be called ‘Come to the Well’ because that is the central theme of everything we’re going to talk about in the next two years.”

In the recent film Courageous, you will hear Casting Crowns sing at the end of the movie. The band attended a National Day of Prayer Breakfast a couple of years ago, where Alex Kendrick (main actor and producer of Courageous) was present. Kendrick shared his movie idea on encouraging fathers to step up and lead their families. It just so happened that Hall had been reading a book about fathering strategically (Raising a Modern Day Knight by Robert Lewis) and a song came out of this connection between Hall and Kendrick. With one day to record, Casting Crowns met the deadline, and the song says it all. Listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkM-gDcmJeM.

Concert after concert, Casting Crowns has the same message to those who come – Draw your energy from Christ, the Source. Love God…and love people. Juan says God made us all different for a reason, and no one should feel inferior to another. Whatever we do, whether it’s simply praying, writing thank-you notes, sing-ing on the stage, or using any skill we’ve been given, we should realize that each job is HUGE in His eyes. And when we are reading God’s word, listening to songs, or worshiping together, we must be changed…and then be agents of change in the world. Prayer, he says, is the key, to mak-ing things happen and seeing people come alive.

On a recent stop in Salt Lake City, a place where Christian concerts don’t take place very of-ten, a couple of pastors stopped by after the con-cert to say how refreshing it was to be in the “pres-ence of God,” to encounter Him, and rest in Him. Many of us live in places where Christian concerts are welcome and take place regularly, but Casting Crowns realized that what these pastors shared is the aim of the tour. They want people to meet Jesus and leave with Jesus, having seen and felt His goodness and love in the songs they sing. “Just Another Birthday” was written about a girl, one of the band members met, who grew up with-out a dad in her life. However, that song, written for one young lady, has ministered to many father-less kids in the audiences of concerts put on by Casting Crowns.

One thing Casting Crowns is very interested in letting people know about is their resource link on their website. “Our desire is to provide resources to people who need them!” They have a heart for youth pastors and want to help them connect with mission trip opportunities, aid them in the development of leaders, and empower them with vision. The name of their offering is Jump Start Resources, and it’s free!

As our interview with Casting Crowns wrapped up, we learned that they were just nominated for an American Music Award in the category “Favorite Contemporary Musical Artist,” a fan-voted award. What an honor it must be to know that those who listen appreciate and enjoy what they hear. But the real honor this band receives is in knowing they are pleasing the One about whom they sing. They each know that these music awards are temporary – here today – gone tomorrow. That’s why the lyrics, the melodies, and the praise we all hear at a Casting Crowns concert lift the spirit upwards to the Source of the only eternal reward – Jesus Christ.

Casting Crowns will be in Belton, Texas on December 2 in their Come to the Well Tour. Visit http://castingcrowns.com/ for more information.

It’s all about a relationship with the

One who is the source of everything – Jesus.


Thanksgiving is an American holiday celebrated nationwide on the 4th Thursday of November. People throughout the country take off work and gather with family and friends to celebrate. However, our military, police, fire, and EMS personnel are often at work, while most of us celebrate the holiday. Most of the time, people in these positions go unnoticed until we need them. Thanksgiving is an excellent time to acknowledge these heroes and express our thanks for the work that they do.

U.S. Military HeroesThere are over 2.9 million men and women in the U.S. military. Hundreds of thousands of American troops are deployed in remote parts of the world. Letters are the most requested item by U.S. military men and women. Write a letter of thanks and gratitude that shows your support and encouragement. The few minutes it takes to write a letter of thanks can have a profound impact on someone’s life.

If you do not personally know an active member of the military, ask your friends, or you can find information on-line for contact information and details regarding how to send letters to the military. There are many organiza-tions and on-line resources that can help with informa-tion on how to send letters and packages to the military. Due to security guidelines there are some restrictions on packages, so you will want to check this out before sending some of your best baked cookies.

Police, Fire and EMS PersonnelPolice, Fire and EMS personnel generally see people at their worst or during crisis. Why not help make their holiday at work special by personally thanking them for the work they do serving the community? Help your children make cards or paper banners decorated with artwork, pictures and words of thanks and encouragement.

Thanksgiving dinner is characterized by a large amount of leftover food and desserts. Following the meal, fix plates of Thanksgiving food and take them to your local police, fire or EMS station. For some of these communi-ty servants, this may be the only Thanksgiving meal that

they will have. Box up the food and cards and have your children deliver them. Getting your children involved in acknowledging the work of those who serve helps give your kids an outward focus on others.

This Thanksgiving take time to acknowledge and give thanks for those who serve. They work under a lot of stress and seldom get to spend holidays with their family. Your family can make a difference in the lives of others. While you are at it, take time to pray blessings and protection over their lives.

Head to Heart Restoration Ministries

www.headtoheart.org

Being Thankful for Those Who Serve by Al H. Jones, Ph.D.

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Healthy Indeed

Herbal supplements are available everywhere. But as a consumer, it is a complete trial and error process (with much frustration sometimes) to find an herbal product that does the desired work for you. Here is a list of the most frequently asked questions on this subject and their answers to hope to clarify the confusion you may have.

What are herbal supplements?Herbal supplements are excellent plant sources of foods loaded with nutrients (vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and more) which our bodies can use to achieve and maintain good health. Herbs nourish, regulate, cleanse, and help the body heal itself. They are powerful natural foods.

Are there bad side effects with using herbal supplements?Generally, no, but some people experience a cleansing action on the body when first using herbs (such as nausea, diarrhea, aches, etc.). It is this detoxifying process that helps bring the body into a state of health or balanced homeostasis. (Use only high quality herbs that have been tested using state-of-the-art equipment.)

Do herbs cure?No. They nourish. If the body has the ability to heal, it will use the raw materials found in foods to do its own healing work. Herbs do not heal, they feed. Herbs do not force the body to maintain and repair itself. They simply support the body in these natural functions.

How many herbs should I take and for how long?“When using a new herb, begin with the recommended dosage and observe how your body reacts to it. If you do not receive the desired results, increase or decrease the dosage accordingly. When herbs are used for restoring health, therapeutic dosages will need to be two to five times that which is required for maintaining or preventive health. Depending of course on the ailment and the severity of it, approximately at least three months (90 days) of sustained high dosage is usually required before the body is repaired at the cellular level. The science of Homeopathy teaches that it takes one month for every year of illness for the person to REBUILD the body.” - Dr. Jack Ritchason, The Little Herb Encyclopedia.

Are there certain herbs for certain diseases?Herbs and supplements do not address disease. Herbs have been chosen, over thousands of years of history, to feed different parts of the body. For instance, you might eat carrots for better eyesight and broccoli for immune supporting anti-oxidants. Are carrots and broccoli cures for glaucoma and cancer? No! But wouldn’t you consume these nourishing foods for these particular body systems “at times of” these afflictions? The historical or common sense answer is absolutely, yes!

Can I quit taking my chemical drugs?Herbs are a slow and safe method of helping the body help itself. Do not stop taking drugs you are dependent on. Many people have gradually decreased drug dosage and frequency with the use of herbs. Check with your doctor be-fore decreasing or quitting drugs you have been prescribed.

When is the best time to take my herbal supplements?Since herbs are food, you can take them whenever you want. Herbs that help you sleep better and cleansing herbs are mostly taken at night. Appetite suppressants and blood sugar balancers are best taken 15-30 minutes before the problem hits. Supplements which are oil -soluble, such as Omega 3, Fflaxseed oil, Vvitamin E, D, and others, are best taken with a meal.

Is natural health a replacement for doctors or hospitals?No. Natural health is a way of living. It’s learning to form a lifestyle that supports and fosters health (i.e., fresh air, pure water, wholesome foods, exercise, good attitude, stress management, etc…) Joy of life, not fear of death, is the foundation of natural health. Seek a wellness professional who helps you further your wellness objectives.

Are supplements an important part of natural health?Absolutely. The foods we have today are SAD (Standard American Diet). Modern food processing has rendered our food supply deficient and unbalanced. Our bodies take in too much of some things, not enough of others, and some things that should never be consumed (e.g. denatured foods – Genetically Modified). Wholesome food is hard to find. Dietary supplementation may help satisfy nutritional deficiencies, support natural body processes that cleanse, delete undesirable substances from the body and promote the endurance and longevity desired. Socrates once said: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

For more information on how to choose a good herbal product and/or how to read a product label, contact one of our stores – Cedar Park (512-528-0130), Round Rock (512-310-8880).

“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” 3 John 1:2 (NIV)

Herbs do not heal. They feed.. ”

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This article is written for information and education purposes only. It is not to be used as diagnosis, treatment or prescription. The products and information described herein are natural foods which are NOT meant to treat, cure, diagnose, or prevent any disease. Please seek for medical help immediately for any health concerns.


In my opinion, a good meal is all about the side dishes. Sure, turkey is the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving table, but it’s the sides that catch my eye…and my stomach! We all have recipes for stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and that traditional green bean casserole, right? How about ten ideas for new sides that might add color and taste to your feast year? Here are a few of my favorites:

Bacon and cabbage home fries – Just cook bacon, and then chopped

onion in the same fat. Add cabbage and ½ cup water, cook til crisp-tender. After drain-ing boiled potatoes, cool them and cook in olive oil, add salt and pepper. Stir in cab-bage mixture and enjoy.

Grilled asparagus and Manchego – Toss 2 bunches asparagus with 1

T olive oil, S & P. Grill til tender, transfer to platter, then sprinkle with 2 oz shaved Man-chego cheese and ½ tsp smoked paprika, and serve.

Roasted vegetables – Just take fresh veggies in season and cut

into bite-size pieces, place in bowl (include chunks of onion and garlic for flavor). Coat with olive oil and spices as you desire. Spread out on cookie sheets and roast at 425 degrees until tender. Discard whole gar-lic cloves. S&P to taste.

Spaghetti Squash – Have you tried this yet? Halve a 3-lb

spaghetti squash and scoop out seeds and membranes. Place cut-side down in microwave dish with ¼ inch water and cover with plastic wrap –

microwave high 8-10 minutes. Rake out strands into bowl, top with chopped onion and bacon bits, and a little maple syrup. Delicious!

Spicy Thick Fries – Toss ½ inch unpeeled potato wedges with

EVOO. Roast in oven until tender. While roasting, combine 1 T EVOO, 1 ½ tsp hot smoked paprika, ½ tsp each of garlic pow-der and brown sugar. Brush potatoes with mixture, S&P.

Spinach with Pine Nuts – Healthy and tasty! Heat 1 T EVOO and 1

garlic clove in skillet til garlic is golden; add a quarter of your spinach (start with 2lbs) and cook til it wilts. Drain in colander. Repeat with oil, garlic and spinach, then transfer to bowl, add S&P, ½ squeezed lemon and top with toasted pine nuts.

Spicy Corn – my daughter’s specialty! Take a package of

frozen corn and cook in butter, in a skillet. Add cayenne pepper, lemon salt, chili powder, garlic powder and any other seasonings you like, including S&P. Stir and cook and taste, until you have your spicy blend.

Mac and Cheese Patties – Make mac and cheese earlier in the week and use the leftovers for this recipe.

Combine 2 cups mac n cheese with 2 sliced scallions, 2 T breadcrumbs, 1 beaten egg, and form six patties. Cook in nonstick skillet til golden. Serve with BBQ sauce!

Lemony Green Onion Rice – Cook instant rice according to directions (3/4 cup). In small skillet, sauté 1/3

cup chopped celery and 1/3 cup chopped green onions in butter til tender. Stir in rice, 1 tsp grated lemon peel, and S&P.

Smashed Cheesy Potatoes – Boil 1 ½ lbs. small red potatoes in salt-ed water til fork-tender. Drain and

return to pan. Add 3 oz. shredded Monterey Jack cheese, ¼ cup 2% milk, and 1 T unsalt-ed butter, and salt to taste. Smash together until slightly chunky.

Thanksgiving is full of making great memo-ries, and dinner around the table is where they all begin. See if you can’t add some-thing new to your table this year, and per-haps one of these dishes will become a tradi-tion for the next generation!

Serve Something New Ladies Top Ten by Marcy Lytle Editor of AFF

www.marcylytle.com

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AUSTINAUSTINCommunity

November 2Grief Share: Surviving the Holidays is a helpful,

encouraging seminar for people facing the holidays after the death of a loved one. 7:00p -8:30 - no charge. Visit www.lakewaychurch.org FMI.

Sarah’s Hope: Fertility and Recurrent Miscarriage Support at 7:00p - at the Vitae Clinic in Austin - While it is a ministry based on Catholic teaching, the group is open to anyone, regardless of religious affiliation.

November 4Charity Garage Sale - Shop at the Annual

Settlement Home for Children Charity Garage Sale from 10:00a to 5:00p at Palmer Events Center. All proceeds support the programs for abused and neglected at The Settlement Home for Children.

November 5The Austin Civic Orchestra will host “An Intimate

Evening at the Long Center” at 8:00p - will be performed in the Debra and Kevin Rollins Studio Theatre.

Charity Garage Sale - Shop at the Annual Settlement Home for Children Charity Garage Sale from 10:00a to 5:00p at Palmer Events Center. All proceeds support the programs for abused and neglected at The Settlement Home for Children.

Texas Science and Engineering Festival 10:00a to 5:00p at Austin Convention Center - FREE

You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown - 12:30p and 3:30p at Whisenhunt Stage at Zach Scott. This musical is perfect for families and kids ages 5 & up!

Christmas at the Caswell House - Mother & Daughter Tea - 2:00p to 3:00p at Daniel H. Caswell House. When it comes to tea parties, Wonderland has nothing on Christmas at the Caswell House.

Ballet Austin II’s - Peter and the Wolf - 7:00p at AustinVentures Studio Theatre at Ballet Austin. Recommended for children 2 to 8 years old and their family. Come in your favorite Halloween costume!

MOSES and the burning within - a new musical adapted from the book of Exodus. 3:00p and 7:30p at Triumphant Love Lutheran Church - Purchase tickets at www.tllc.org.

November 6Charity Garage Sale - Shop at the Annual

Settlement Home for Children Charity Garage Sale from 10:00a to 5:00p at Palmer Events Center. All proceeds support the programs for abused and neglected at The Settlement Home for Children.

Texas Science and Engineering Festival 10:00a to 5:00p at Austin Convention Center - FREE

MOSES and the burning within - a new musical adapted from the book of Exodus. 3:00p at Triumphant Love Lutheran Church - Purchase tickets at www.tllc.org.

November 7Christian Music Night at Mozart’s Coffeehouse

7:30p – 10:00p – Lake Austin Blvd.

FREE ADVANCED WORKSHOP DIABETES 6:15p – 7:15p - Pure Chiropractic Wellness Office - 3107 S. IH35 #787, Round Rock (Target Shopping Center) - RSVP 512-246-9355

November 9Introduction to Natural Family Planning

7:00p - St. John Neumann Catholic Church, St. Timothy Room - 5455 Bee Cave Rd.

November 10DINNER W/THE DOC @ SALTGRASS

STEAKHOUSE, ROUND ROCK, 6:30p – 8:00p Hosted by Pure Chiropractic Wellness & Dr. Rodriguez - RSVP 512-246-9355

November 11Unveiled & Empowered - 7:00 p - at

Igleshia El Shaddai - To remove the veil over the women of God in Austin area and empower them to succeed in every area of their lives. Register @ www.UnveiledEmpowered.org.

Veteran’s Day Mass and Celebration - 7:00p St. John Neumann Catholic Church - celebrate an evening Mass to honor the men and women who serve our country.

November 12Unveiled & Empowered - 9:30a. At

Igleshia El Shaddai - To remove the veil over the women of God in Austin area and empower them to succeed in every area of their lives. Register @ www.UnveiledEmpowered.org.

Holiday Bazaar - 9:00a to 4:00p at Clay Madsen Recreation Center, Round Rock - Admission is FREE

TOTAL FOOD MAKEOVER: 9:00a-11:30a - Learn how thousands of people have transformed the way they look at food, grocery shop, & eat with real quality & nutritious food! Call 512-246-9355 to register.

November 13 Enjoy the combined choirs of Emmaus Catholic

Parish, the Lake Travis United Methodist Church and The Lakeway Church as they present their annual Thanksgiving Concert benefitting the Lake Travis Crisis Ministry - at Emmaus Church on Lohman’s Crossing beginning at 2:30p FREE

November 14Christian Music Night at Mozart’s Coffeehouse

7:30p – 10:00p – Lake Austin Blvd.

november 2011

ANy BIG PLANS fOR THE HOLIDAyS?

Got an event planned this season that needs a little

yule-tide attention?

Submit calendar entries to [email protected]

by the 15th of the preceding month.


ANNUAL FOOD DRIVE & PATIENT APPRECIATION DAY - Pure Chiropractic Wellness Office - Round Rock - Drop off 5 organic canned foods benefiting the Round Rock Serving Center - Come in from 7:00a to 5:00p for a day of refreshments & new patient check-ups -RSVP 512-246-9355

FREE MAXT3 CLASS - 6:00p-7:00p - Change your hormones in our unique 12-minute work-out! Pure Chiropractic Wellness Office - RSVP 512-246-9355

November 17 FREE Prenatal and Newborn classes for

new or expectant parents - 6:00p to 7:00p at the Pediatric Center of Round Rock - Space is limited, please call (512) 733-5437.

November 18 JEREMY CAMP concert, with FRANCESCA

BATTISTELLI at Shoreline Christian Center – brought to you by Austin Faith & Family and Greg Carnes Production – Visit www.austinfaithandfamily.com www.gregcarnesprod.com FMI.

November 19Highland Mall Santa’s Arrival Parade - with

a multi-cultural parade. Enjoy performers from around the world and wear traditional holiday dress to celebrate! Starts at 10:00a.

November 20Austin Empty Bowl Project - 11:00a to

3:00p at The Marchesa Hall & Theatre in Lincoln Village. All proceeds benefit Kids Cafe, a program of the Capital Area Food Bank.

November 21Christian Music Night at Mozart’s

Coffeehouse – 7:30p – 10:00p – Lake Austin Blvd.

November 25Read.Play.Shop - 10:00a to 12:00p at

Lakeline Mall - ‘Story Hour’ at Lakeline Mall.

Handmade Holidays Marketplace - Shop over 15 local artisans - Open 12:00p – 6:00p daily. Lower level near the West Main entrance of Highland Mall.

November 26Handmade Holidays Marketplace -

Shop over 15 local artisans - Open 12:00p – 6:00p daily. Lower level near the West Main entrance of Highland Mall.

November 28Christian Music Night at Mozart’s

Coffeehouse – 7:30p – 10:00p – Lake Austin Blvd.

November 30Storytime with Santa - Listen to

wonderful holiday stories presented by Austin Public Library Youth Services and Santa! Every child receives a holiday bell and photos with Santa available for purchase.

LOOKING FORWARD:December 2

Casting Crowns with Sanctus Real and The Afters in concert at the Bell County Expo Center at 7:00p. Tickets available at Texas Box Office (512) 477-6060 or online at www.texasboxoffice.com.

December 6Positive Connection brown-bag business

lunch series featuring speaker Lewis Timberlake 11:30a – 12:45p. $5 bag lunches available by RSVP to Steve at [email protected]. First time visitors: mention AFF and get a free lunch!

JEREMY CAMPconcert with FRANCESCA BATTISTELLI at Shoreline Christian Center – brought

to you by Austin Faith & Family and Greg Carnes Production –

Visit www.austinfaithandfamily.com or www.gregcarnesprod.com FMI.


To have your church or non-profit listed for as little as $12 a month,

please call 512.584.6888

the S

oURC

econnecting

you to w

hat go

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doing

in y

our city

-Non-Denominational

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Hyde Park Baptist Church3901 Speedway, 78751

www.hpbc.org

-Baptist

Solid Rock Baptist Church608 Ralph Ablanedo Dr., 78748

[email protected]

A Church for the Deaf and Hearing

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Main Street Baptist Church1001 South Main StreetGeorgetown, TX 78626

512.869-7854www.msbchurch.com

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-Assembly of God

Round Rock................................................512.310.1060Pflugerville......................................................512.538.1152West Austin................................................512.472.6339South Austin...............................................512.445.5552NW/Cedar Park/Leander...................512.250.5021Eglin....................................................................512.661.8294Georgetown..................................................512.868.9544North Central Austin.............................512.453.2273NE Austin...........................................................512.459.1122SW Austin...........................................................512.364.6501

Round Rock Area Serving Center512.244.2431

www.ServingCenter.org

-Children Services

-Community Services

Capital Area Food Bank of Texaswww.AustinFoodBank.orgHunger is Unacceptable

Meals on Wheels512.476.6325

www.mealsonwheelsandmore.org

WMI Thermographywww.wellnessmedicalimaging.com

Children at Heart512.255.3668

www.childrenatheartministries.org1301 N. Mays St. | Round Rock, TX

Shape of Behavior Clinic1.866.437.2165

www.shapeofbehavior.com

Camp Agape830.385.8916

www.campagapetexas.org

Hillside KDO/Preschoolwww.hillsideKDO.org

512.569.9019The Settlement Home

512.836.2150www.settlementhome.org

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Back in the saddle again...

God and Ed’s Excellent Adventure

Mondays thru Fridays4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

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Ed Sossen returns to

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DECEMBER 2, 2011 • 7pmBell County Expo Center – Belton, Texas

Call 254-933-5353 for $2 discount for groups of 20 or more on all price levels (except golden circle & $15.00)

Tickets available at: Texas Box Office by phone at 512-477-6060www.texasboxoffice.com

austin faith and family november 2011

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