May 2010

CSN magazineIssue 17 may 2010 USA

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Christian Star News

Who Will Your Children Become? The Best Investment You’ll Ever Make National Day of Prayer

Dr. Adrian Rogers

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(Exodus 20:2-17 NKJV) The Ten Commandments

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the

land which the Lord your God is giving you.”

Scripture of the MonthMay • 2010 • Issue 17

General Information:

www.csn-paper.com337.515.7196337.853.9883news@[email protected]

Publisher: Monica [email protected]

Editor: Rolland [email protected]

Contributing Editor: Bryan [email protected]

Advertising: Amy Carpenter-Sales [email protected]

Graphic Designer:His Eye for Design - Sasha [email protected]

Distribution Managers:Derrick Singleton: Louisiana

Christian Star NewsP.O. BOX 5482Lake Charles, La 70606

Contributors:

Dr. Adrian RogersSharon GaliciaAttorney Thomas TownsleyAttorney Ron RichardVincent & Liles Financial GroupAmy CarpenterRev. Isaac C McCulloughAnthony CartaBryan ColemanDerrick SingletonE.J. Kemper IIIMario BardPam GoldingCarl ComeauxSandra JonesRafael Bastien-HerreraMartie RichmondRolland SoileauChaplain Nancy LasherHis Eye for Design

Cover Art By: Cameron Smithwww.cameronsmithblog.com

Disclaimer:The entire content of this paper is copyrighted© May 2010 by Christian Star News. All rights reserved. Material in this publication may not be re-produced in any form without the expressed written consent of the publisher. Christian Star News is not responsible for any claims made by advertisers. The views and opinions expressed herein do not neces-sarily reflect the publisher. Display rates are avail-able upon request. By accepting an advertisement, CSN does not endorse any advertiser or product. We reserve the right to reject advertisements not consistent with the magazines objective.

csn-paper.com May • 2010 CSN 3

HappyMother’sDay!

I Remember You, My Son

See page 7for story

Sandra Jones reflects on a picture of her late son Christopher

Write Uschristianstarnewspaper.

com or CSN, P.O. Box 5482 Lake Charles, La 70606.

Letters become property of CSN and may be edited for length and clarity. Printed letters do not reflect the views of CSN or its staff.

Christian Star News

Unify... Reach...

Gather...The vision of CSN is to UNIFY all believers through printed media. We provide a forum for the Body of Christ to REACH out to the Church, the community and the world. We accomplish this through GATHERING encouraging news and uplifting stories that strive to make a difference.

Children and Parents Ephesians 6:1-4 (NIV)

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which

is the first commandment with a promise— “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy

long life on the earth”. Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training

and instruction of the Lord.

The School Year is coming to an end and our summertime begins. The teachers’ duties are now ending and it’s time for our Parents’ duties to kick in. We are truly charged by God to teach our children in the way that they should go. During the school year, we pass part of our responsibility to the school system; but God holds parents ultimately responsible for raising their kids and parents are responsible for teaching them what is morally and ethically right.

Our children will not learn these life lessons on the street corner, at the local play ground, on the internet, or on television. In fact, if there is one thing you need to do, it is monitor your child’s internet activity. In addition, you should always be aware of your children’s location, the company that they are maintaining, and the environment that they are in. Ensure that proper supervision is provided when your child is away.

Tips: • Spend time with your children as often as possible. • Ask questions.• Pay attention to their behavior, as well as their attire. • Keep them involved in constructive activities.• Find reasons to show your children positive recognition.

All children, no matter what their age, want their parents’ approval! If you do not give it to them, they will find it in other places.

We must REACH out to our children, insist on being the greater influence on them in their daily lives, and TEACH them to seek the kingdom of heaven first.

With Love God Bless All,

Monica Soileau

A “Word” From The PublisherSchool’s Out!

Time for Parents to Teach

CONTENTS

Departments


Issue 17

Visit Us Online atwww.CSN-Paper.com

07I Remember You, My SonOn a Sunday afternoon on the 30th of July I received the message no parent wants to get...

Can a Christian Sue if Injured?However, I believe the answer is “Yes” and will explain why. In Paul’s time...

11

How to Pray for America • Cover StoryBy Dr. Adrian Rogers - The waters of allegiance to God need to be stirred. And a call to action needs to be issued with prayer as our greatest resource and God as our only true hope.

16

18Explosion Youth Activity ContestsTake a chance at one of our monthly contests, this month brought to you by Dairy Barn & The Bridge.

20Exercise Isn’t Supposed to Be PainfulIndoor Training tips sure to keep you fit and safe. By Carl Comeaux

30The Best Investment You’ll Ever Make “Why choose a private, Christian education for my children?, you ask.

World NewsPoliticsInspirationalCommunityHealthFitnessYouth ActivityFinancialCookingSportsLegalFashion

Memorial Day by Monica Soileau

Take time to remember our soldiers that are currently on the battlefield, as well as the fallen soldiers who have

made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Please remember that there are soldiers who are still suffering daily from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Chemical Warfare injuries, and Multiple Disabilities from wars of the past.

Returning from combat cannot be just switched off. It takes time to readjust. For these soldiers, our daily hardships actually seem like heaven to them compared to where they have come from.

Dear Mom, With Love From the Battlefield

by Pam Golding - Lake Charles, LA

With Mother’s Day soon approaching, I reflect back on two very lonely and fearful years when my only son was in harm’s way. Sta-tioned in an unfamiliar and unsettling distant land, he was proudly serving his country. Robert and I have always been very close and with him being so far away, it was much more difficult for both of us. It was the “not knowing” that I feared the most. There were so many thoughts constantly going through my troubled mind. I knew the only way I would be able to get through these difficult times was with the support of family, friends and most of all prayer.

I prayed constantly for my son and for all other mothers with sons and daughters in the military that all of our children would be protected from harm and come home healthy and safe.

Thanks to prayer and believing that through Christ all things are possible, I have a very special reason to celebrate this Mother’s Day. My son, US Army Sgt. Robert L. Taylor, Jr. recently returned home safely from his second tour of duty in Iraq. I continue to pray for my son, all of our brave soldiers, and for all mothers across this great land of ours that their children will return home safely and quickly.

Served two tours of duty in Afghanistan and is now stationed as an MP at Ft. Knox

“I will never forget receiving a frantic yet collective phone call from Michael almost three years ago to let us know that the convoy he was leading had been blown up and part of his battalion died that day and he saw all of it. He received a Combat Ac-tion Badge. I love my son very much and we are very proud of him. Since that day until he arrived on American soil I never erased his voice messages on my phone.”

Elaine BatemanKentucky

Sgt. Michael Jose Gonzalez

Prayer through the Fire

by Sandra Jones

My husband and I are the parents of two children, Chris-topher the eldest, and his sister Dawn. We come from a strong faith-based Creole family. We work hard and have always put parenting our first priority in life. We raised our children in a loving home and watched them grow to adulthood. Your children go through many milestones in their lives so when Chris came to us in his senior year of high school and announced that he was joining the military it was met, naturally, with much appre-hension from both of us, espe-cially when he announced what branch of the military he was hop-ing to join... the Marines. The Ma-rines; “a Few Good Men”, “Devil Dogs”, “Trained Killers”, not one adjective accurately describing our son. Nevertheless, the recruiter visited, the process started, and the rest is history or so they say. Christopher graduated from LaGrange, worked over the summer months, and after many postponements finally left for boot camp in California. On a rainy Monday night, my daughter Dawn and I had the difficult duty of bringing Chris to the bus station alone (his father had to work) . I will never forget telling Dawn not to cry as he boarded the bus and looked at the driver who seemed to say without any words, “don’t worry Mom, I’ll look out for him at least until Houston”, all the while fighting back my own tears. Never having flown before and amongst many other fresh-faced young men, he left for California, where he would be for the next

three months. Boot camp in the Marines is longer than any other branch of the military. Chris would change so much in that time that I would not recognize him when we again met for his graduation. The family made the flight to California for his graduation in San Diego where we learned just what an ar-duous journey he took to become this man I saw before me. He later trained in

Ft. Knox, Kentucky where he would learn the position he would hold in the Marines, which is a tanker on the M1A1 Abrams tank. He stayed mostly in California for the next four years and did a brief tour somewhere in the Middle East during Desert Storm. He wouldn’t talk much about this time as I am sure it was difficult. I prayed alot over the next years for him and the many other military men serving during such a time in our history. I would watch the Today Show in the morning before going to work and cry sometimes for myself and all the other wives, and mothers of so many.

Chris returned home and settled as much as he could, reconnecting with friends from his past school years, both male and female. He had many jobs working at several hospitals in the area until settling at one of the many area industries. He met and became involved with a young woman who had a four-year-old son; they became a “blended fam-ily” and we thought all would be well, but unfortunately it would not. On a Sunday afternoon on the 30th of July I received the mes-sage no parent wants to get when I was informed my son was in the hospital and I should come right away. My daughter and I sped to St. Pat’s only to learn that Chris

had died. We would later learn that he had committed suicide. Children are supposed to bury their parents; this is the natural order of things, not the other way around. Holidays, family mile-stones and gatherings are now bittersweet. Something is missing. After nearly ten years, some days are still like that fateful Sunday. I will always have a longing, a feel-ing that something is amiss in my life. My husband, Anthony and I are now grandparents. My daughter Dawn is now mother to Julian, a very active seven year old, who can take my breath away with one look. Now there is another little boy who can bring such joy into that place in my heart that was empty for so long. This Memorial Day, as always, I remember my son, I pray for him as I do daily and for those who still serve our country.

I Remember You,My Son


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Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

SGT Thomas, Jonathan, 24 years old, currently stationed in Iraq assigned to the 72nd Expeditionary Signal Battalion. His job is to install and maintain tactical networks for the warfighter. He feels the best part of his job is the fact that he can allow his soldiers to use the internet to send emails and call home.

Is the National Day Prayer of important? My answer to that question is yes. As I observe our nation and world by listening to the news and interacting with people, it appears that the United States of America is “Edging God Out” (EGO) of the affairs of this nation. When I reflect back to the 1960’s, I remember that each morning when I went to school, we began our day with a prayer. We have allowed prayer to be taken out of school; now we want to take God out of our Pledge of Alle-giance; we are now removing anything related to God and Scriptures from our government buildings at all levels, and yes, there is talk about taking “In God We Trust” from our currency and religious programs from the air ways. What’s next? This nation has more spiritual leaders today than ever before, yet it appears that our nation is spiritu-ally and morally bankrupt. Our children are killing each other in the schools; individuals are being allowed to die on the streets while others pass them by; everyone is doing what is right in their own minds without regard for their fel-low man. It appears that God is under attack by His creation. I remember a play entitled “Your Arms too Short to Box With God”; it appears that this nation is trying to fight God. We are living in a society where the names, God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit are being opposed on

every hand. Just as prayer was taken out of our school, prayer will be

taken out of our country if the Christian Community doesn’t

stand for God at all cost. The question that the Christian Community must answer is who are we standing for, the Creator God or the nation/world’s system? As this nation has set aside a day for prayer, it is very important that the faith community begin public prayer for this na-tion, being obedient to the

command to pray without ceasing. It is good that a day has been set aside for the nation to enter into sincere prayer. All of our places of worship should be open with around the clock praying on May 6, 2010. There are many issues we should be praying about that people are struggling with to include the affairs of our governments, the practices of businesses, educational institutions, of the United States of America as well as in many of our wor-ship centers.

I believe that The Holy Bible is the Word of God that provides directions for our lives here on planet earth. My prayer is: Lord our God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, I call upon You Lord to bless my brothers and sisters. We need Your guidance and directions to live a healthy and wholesome life with our fellowman and to share the love that You have shared with us. Lord as our nation, United States of America, comes together for a National Day of Prayer, I pray that we will ask Your forgiveness for the ills we have done, the ills we will do but most of all, that we seek you daily for what You would have us to do and be what You want us to be. Thanks You precious Lord for Your gift to us as a people and nation, Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen. God is calling the Christian Commu-nity to bring this nation back to front and center, focusing and acknowledging the Creator as God and Lord.

Rev. Isaac C McCulloughChairman, Committed Caring Faith Communities (CCFC)Member of People for the American Way

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Legally Speaking...Can a Christian Sue if Injured?

by Thomas Townsley

As for my first article in Christian Star, my staff and I thought it would be appropriate to address this is-sue and what Paul discusses in 1 Corinthians 6 about bringing claims. As a Christian first, and an attor-ney second, this was a question I struggled with answering. A quick answer would be to say that 1 Cor. 6:1-8 does not allow lawsuits against believers. The biblical steps are set out in Matthew 18:15-17. Jesus also states that if a brother sins against you, you are to show him his fault between just the two of you. If he doesn’t listen, take one or two per-sons with you. If this brother refuses to listen to them, the matter is to be referred to the church. If he refuses to listen to the church, you are to treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector (i.e., a nonbeliever). God established courts as a last resort to resolve disputes.

However, I believe the answer is “Yes” and will explain why. In Paul’s time, there were no corporations or insurance companies that protected and paid damages for injuries done by an individual. The individual was personally responsible. In our times, corporations and insurance compa-nies (nonbelievers) control the deci-sions following an accident. Even if a Christian may have initially caused the accident, he/she is not in control of the negotiations or what compen-sation is offered to the injured party. The steps outlined in Matthew cannot be followed, nor can an insurance company or corporation be brought before the Church.

Therefore, the bottom line is, when you are injured, you should retain a lawyer, who can bring a lawsuit if the corporation or insurance company refuses to settle the matter reason-ably.

There is nothing inherently evil about lawyers, judges or courts. God rec-ognized their need. Deuteronomy

25:1 states, “When men have a dis-pute, they are to take it to court and the judges will decide the case, ac-quitting the innocent and condemn-ing the guilty.” In the book of Judges 4:5, Deborah held court under a palm tree and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided.

Regarding injury claims, the Bible speaks of compensating a person for their loss. In Exodus 21:18-19, when one man struck another, the injured man was allowed to recover for his loss of time. The man striking the blow was also accountable to the injured man until he was completely healed. Similarly, in Exodus 21:22, if men who were fighting struck a pregnant woman and she gave birth prematurely but without serious injury, the offender was required to pay a fine in the amount of whatever the woman’s husband demanded and the court allowed. In another passage in Exodus, a servant was set free if his master knocked out his tooth. This freedom was to compen-sate the servant for the loss of his tooth. Exodus 21:27. Thus, in a personal injury claim, monetary dam-ages were allowed for lost wages and medical care (Exodus 21:18-19), pain and suffering (Exodus 21:22), and for a permanent disability to a body part (Exodus 21:27).

Each government court system is established by God to maintain law, order, and peace in the land (Romans 13:1-7). Christians may use the secular court system when appropriate. A person should hire a lawyer and try to settle or resolve their claim before a lawsuit is filed as Jesus said that we should settle with an adversary on the way to court. Matthew 5:25. I would think at least 95% of cases are settled without need of a trial. A good lawyer is always ready and prepared to try every case, but his primary objective is to obtain an out of court settlement of a dispute that provides reasonable compensation to the injured party.

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Why do you think your father should be “Father of the Year”?

Please send in a short story no longer than

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Your story may be selected for the June

Edition of CSN for Father’s Day.


Lakewood Bible Fellowship 337.474.4600Comedian Dennis Swanberg (tickets $15) May 29 @ 7 pm

Trinity Baptist Church 337-480-1555Vacation Bible School June 14th-18th Wind Shape Youth Camp grades 1st-5th July 26th-30th

Christian Baptist Church 337-436-6530Ushers’ Annual Program (Rev. Julian Woods) May 14th @ 7pmGraduate Recognition Service (Dr. Mario J. Garner) May 16th @ 11amVacation Bible School K-12 May 31st-June 4th 4pm-7pm each day

Zion Tabernacle Baptist Church 337-436-6627F.R.O.G (Families Relying On God) Family & Friends Day May 30th @ 11am Vacation Bible School June 21st-25th

St. Andrew Presbyterian“Breakfast at Midnight” For McNeese students. May 6th, 8 pm - 10:00 McNeese Campus Cafeteria free to all students with a McNeese ID.Study Hall for McNeese Students. May 7, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Free meal, free tutoring in math, chemistry, and statistics, as well as free child care so the students can have a quality study time. 4020 Hodges Street, Call 477-6166 for more info.

The Good Shepherd Episcopal Church 337-433-5244 Pentecost Celebration (Chris & Ruth McCrae Haiti Education Foundation) Parish Picnic to follow service in Gym May 23rd @ 10am 3K Run for Haiti (Tend my Lamb Mission Fundraiser) @ Lake Charles Civic Center, Fee $10 - May 15th @ 8 am Registration @ 7:30 am

Christian Community Calendar of EventsCSN Christian Calendar is dedicated to announcing YOUR Church event to the community. Qualifying events include concerts, workshops, confer-

ences, retreats, camps, fundraisers, youth events, services with guest speakers, and group counseling sessions. Please send details of your

Church event to [email protected]. Include event title, date, time, & place along with Church name and

phone number for the public to obtain further information. (Max. 75 words per event; text only. Deadline 2nd Wed. each month.)

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Our only son, age 21, was coming home from Iraq after being deployed for more than 10 months. Need I say how excited we were! It is one thing when our young people go off to college, but when you have a child that wanted to serve his Coun-try, especially after 9/11, what can you say to him? We supported his decision and watched him leave and go away at age 18. He had turned into a man before our very eyes. His arrival back into the United States last week had been delayed because of the volcanic ash from the volcano that erupted in Iceland. You know what he told me? “Mom, it’s ok. We gave our seats up on the plane so the many people that have been stuck in Europe could get home. God is good, and I will see you soon”. Again, our only son makes us so proud to be his par-

ents. In many ways he is your son too. All of our men and women serv-ing our Country are our sons and daughters. We need to be proud of them for the service they are provid-ing our Country. My husband had to leave to go back to work, and he was so disappointed after waiting for days to see him. Finally, I got the news our soldiers were on their way home. I can’t tell you how excited we were and still are. He is a good soldier and has many awards and medals, but nothing can compare to seeing him back in our Country. I watched him kiss the ground as soon as his feet hit the grass, smile when he saw me, and the hugs were the best hugs that you can imagine! God had brought our son home safe and sound.

SPC Logan Gotreau with the 2-16 Infantry, 4th IBCT, 1st Division was home. God is so good. It is a privi-lege to call him our son. Welcome home Logan! God Bless you all, Dr. and Mrs. Charles Woodard—Proud parents of Logan Gotreau

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Legally Speaking...Believe Or Not! Hire An Attorney And Save Money!

In today’s trying economic times, ev-eryone is looking for a way to shave every penny possible in life and business. This is simply the reality of market downturn. Some things, how-ever, are essential items and whether we like it or not we have to spend our hard-earned money on them: food, gas, shelter, clothing, etc. are good examples of these essential items.However, good legal services are one of those items that should be on that list for every person who finds they are involved in any busi-ness venture, family matter, prop-erty dispute, or, heaven forbid, any criminal matter. My intent herein is to address the common perception of most folks regarding legal fees, i.e., that fees to even talk to an attorney are so high that it isn’t worth an initial conversation with one. THIS COULD NOT BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. At Richard Law Firm, LLC, we pride

ourselves on offering inexpensive, concise legal opinions in an effort to save people and businesses mon-ey…not simply add to their already overbearing costs. For example, when a person wishes to start a busi-ness, it is wise to meet our attorneys and obtain a few legal pointers regarding liability issues, insurance, licenses, permits, employees, con-tracts, etc. There are legal issues that entrepreneurs should know even if just starting a small lawn cutting operation. Our fee for your initial consultation? ZERO. Another example is if you or a loved one are charged with a crime. Prior to paying a bondsman, speaking to law enforcement, making a state-ment of any sort, etc. you should at least visit with an attorney. Again, our fee for your initial consultation? ZERO. And this is how we proceed with all legal matters. We believe it is our Christian duty to at least attempt to provide some direction to people not only after a legal problem arises but before they enter situations that could cause difficulties. The costs are much cheaper than most people perceive and thus advantage should be taken of the expertise available. We at Richard Law Firm, LLC look forward to visiting with all of you and assisting you in any way we can. Let us save you money. Over the next few months look for our articles discussing specific issues and how we can help you save money.

Mayor Randy Roach, Mr. Kevin Guidry, Rev. Alvin Brass, and Bro. Michael Watley were present to turn the ground where construction will begin on the new Educational and Family Life Center at Zion Tabernacle Baptist Church. Several other governmental officials including Police Jurors Elizabeth C. Griffin, Cal-vin Collins, Chris Landry, Dennis Scott, Shannon Spell, and Claude Sias along with many members and friends attended this event.

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by Adrian Rogers These are important days indeed - ones that need our attention and diligence. But attention and diligence in what? The waters of allegiance to God need to be stirred. And a call to action needs to be issued with prayer as our greatest resource and God as our only true hope. What is our first step? Revival prayer. Only prayer can hold back the floodtide of sin and God's judg-ment and release the cleansing, healing hand of God. God's Word gives us historical ac-counts of His mercy, deliverance, and revival among His people. One good example of that is when Israel had been taken captive by the Babylonians (Baby-lonian is the ancient name for Iraq). In Daniel 9, we have a wonderful illustration of a prayer that Daniel offered to God to deliver the Israelites from their captivity.Pray With Serious ConcentrationDaniel said, "And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and sup-plications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes" (Daniel 9:3). To "set our face" refers to the faith and fervency of our prayers. We are to sincerely pray with every inch of our being as individuals, as a church body, even as a nation. But not just any prayer, it must be prayer and fasting.• What is fasting? Fasting is not merely going without food. It is not dieting or cutting down on our eating for health reasons, though we ought to do that. Fasting is going without food, water, and other pleasures for a spiritual purpose.• Why do we fast? We are to fast with the correct motiva-tion unto the Lord. Matthew 6:17-18 says, ".when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly." • What can fasting do? Fasting will strengthen your prayer life and turn you to God. When we fast we are giving Heaven notice that we are earnest about seeking God with all of our heart. Fasting also brings faith into focus and holds back God's judgment. Have we crossed a deadline in Ameri-ca? Is it too late for our nation? No, abso-

lutely not. God is righteous and holy. He is also merciful. And He would rather show mercy than judgment. He wants to forgive. And He is willing to change His mind (see Exodus 32:14 and Psalm 106:23).• How should we fast? First of all, you need to pray about it. Then, prayerfully choose your fast. As I mentioned earlier, fasting can be going without food. But it can also be going with-out water or other pleasures for a spiritual purpose. If you have never fasted, a one-day fast is a good beginning. And choose a day when your activities are light, so you can give your time to prayer. Plan ahead of time that you're going to fast and if you're sick, on medication, or pregnant, talk to your doctor first. Finally, remember to fast as instructed in God's Word. Don't boast or brag about what you're doing or for what purpose. But at the same time, you don't need to be ashamed of it. Pray With Steadfast Confidence The basis of your prayer is the great-ness and mercy of God (see Daniel 9:4, 9). Daniel knew that God was dreadful, but he also knew that God was great and full of mercy. The psalmist said, "But as for me, I will come into Thy house in the multitude of Thy mercy: and in Thy fear will I worship toward Thy holy temple" (Psalm 5:7). The writer of Hebrews exhorts us: "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (He-brews 4:16). Ephesians 3:12 says that in Jesus Christ, "we have boldness and ac-cess with confidence by the faith of Him." Pray With Sincere Confession Sin brings judgment; confession brings forgiveness. Daniel confessed his personal sin and the sin of his nation in Daniel 9:4-7 and 20. If we want to see this nation turn towards God, it is vital that each person reading this go individually before God and confess personal sin. And thank God, for He tells us, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteous-ness" (1 John 1:9). There is no sin - none that is beyond God's forgiveness. That includes rape, murder, robbery, abortion, or sodomy. Every sin is covered under the blood of Jesus. Daniel also prayed for God to forgive the sin of a nation. I call this "Identification

Repentance." Daniel identified himself with a nation and asked God to have mercy. Just as Daniel, identify with our na-tion and ask God to have mercy, as well, for the wicked of this nation are certainly not going to pray for themselves. We need to confess our pride and ma-terialism, neglect of the poor, our racism, sexual immorality, the merciless killing of the unborn, and the godless humanism that has invaded and pervaded our public schools. We must pray as our Savior did as He hung on the cross: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). Then, pray with spiritual concern that they will seek His forgiveness for themselves. Pray With Spiritual Concern What were Daniel's concerns when he prayed? The removal of guilt (see Daniel 9:16) and the restoration of glory (see Daniel 9:17-19). We need to pray for God to cleanse us and remove our guilt. Without this, we cannot expect God to bring revival. How I praise Him that with a multitude of sins, He has a multitude of mercy! Oh, that every Christian would have a burning, yearning heart for the glory of God! I want to see God's glory spread over this land. I want to see God do something that cannot be explained by the television pundits, news anchors and newspaper journalists. I want something that cannot be explained by technology, personality, propaganda or persuasion.It is prayer time in America. I want to ask you one final time, are you on praying ground? James 5:16 says: "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The ef-fectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." Prayer is our greatest resource and God is our only true hope. Only prayer can hold back the floodtide of sin and God's judgment and release the cleans-ing, healing hand of God. Will you pray?

This material is used by permission of Love Worth Finding Ministries; for ad-ditional resources and information, visit www.lwf.org). Your readers can then have the opportunity to view and purchase other inspiring messages from our web-site for their own personal use.

How to Pray for America

D Pivine rescriptions With E.J. Kemper III


The Problem: Rest

The Bible tells a wonderfully inspirational story in 2Chronicles chapter 14. The story starts by telling us that one king dies and his son takes the throne. It then says that there was rest in the land for ten years. It was be-cause of the war that the young kings’ father had fought before him that afforded him the peace that he now enjoyed. Let us remember to thank God for the battles that our parents and grandparents have fought before us. It is because of their battles that we enjoy some of the things that we enjoy today. We must never be so foolish as to forget how we’ve come to experience the comfort and peace that we do in 2010. It is because of the hard work of our parents, the sacrifice of our moth-ers, the labor of our fathers, and the perseverance of our grandparents.The Bible, again, says there was rest in the land for ten years. We often talk about the struggles and tempta-tions of turbulent times but we must also reckon the grave missteps we take during times of rest. Rest is not a season to take it easy. It is not a time for dormant do nothingness or an interim of idleness. The Bible declares the danger of the unoccupied, stationary, and inactive periods of our lives. In fact, the Bible declares it is in times like these that we are most vulnerable to the attack of Satan (Matthew 12: 44). Be careful in times of rest. It is foolish to think that a season of rest will last forever. The Bible speaks contrarily in Job 14:1, “man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble”. So then, my dear reader, the facts of life are: Though today be a day of calm, tomorrow may be a day of calamity. Though today is a day of peace, tomorrow could be a day of pain. Though today is a day of serenity, tomorrow could be a day of suffering. Though today is a day of quiet and quiescence tomorrow could be a day of quake and quagmire.

The Prescription: Readying in Rest

So then, what should we do in our periods of rest? How should we pass the time in our era of peace? I’m glad you asked! We should be busy readying in our rest. This means we are to prepare for the warfare of life in the times of peace. It is true that God has blessed you with rest from your labor. But it is also true that God has given you an opportunity to prepare for the battles of tomorrow. The Bible says that the young king “did that

which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord.” Can it be said of you and me, that we have pleased God in the way that we have handled our restful days? What is it that this king did in his time of rest that caused God to be pleased with him? First of all, he examined every area of the kingdom’s spiritual affairs to make sure that it lined up with God’s commandments. In other words, he strengthened the nation’s relationship with God. We must examine every area of our spiritual life to make sure that we are operating according to God’s word. We must strengthen our relationship with God. We must invigorate our giving of tithes and offering, fortify our commitment to our church, sustain our service in our church, and intensify our compassion to others. We must also rejuvenate our meditation and prayer. The young king then constructed stronger more powerful fences and walls around his cities. He also made the cities themselves more durable and efficient. In your time of rest you must learn to fortify your city. Sharpen the skills that you use on your job. This may mean go-ing back to school or taking a refresher course. Make yourself more valuable. Your time of rest is not a time of reckless extravagance but it is a time to save more. Start a college fund, rainy day fund, or increase your monthly savings. Is there something around your house that needs fixing? Fix it! The young king finally strengthened his army. He hired more soldiers and retrained the exist-ing soldiers. Finally, in times of rest don’t forget about your relationships. We must remember to strengthen our relationships with our family and friends. Indeed our family and friends are like armies fighting on our behalf in turbulent times. Sometimes in the struggles of life we can’t spend the time that we should spend with our loved ones. Rest is a wonderful period to renew your marital commitment, reestablish your parental bond, refresh your friendships and renovate your position in your community. Hard times are like withdrawals from your bank account. So then, use your times of rest to make deposits that will outlast your withdrawals. This is called READYING IN REST!

In store now is the new book by E.J. Kemper, No More Baggage: Overcoming the strongholds that keep us from healthy relationships! Get your copy today at www.ejkemperministries.com

WordsearchThe Book of Jonah

1. Who was the father of Jonah?2. Which city did God ask Jonah

to go to? 3. Which city did Jonah attempt

to flee to instead? 4. What was Jonah doing on the

ship while the storm was rag-ing?

5. Who suggested that Jonah be thrown overboard?

6. What happened to Jonah after he was thrown overboard?

7. How long was it before Jonah reached dry land?

8. Where did Jonah go after reaching dry land?

9. How long was it to be before the city Jonah had a message for was overthrown?

10. How did the city react to Jo-nah's message of destruction?

11. What was Jonah's reaction to the way the people of the city responded?

12. What did Jonah do while he waited to see the city's fate?

13. What killed the plant that God had provided Jonah for shade?

14. Which direction did the scorch-ing wind upon Jonah come from?

15. How many of the city's in-habitants could not "discern their left hand from their right hand"?

Bible TriviaThe Book of Jonah

1) Amittai, 2) Nineveh, 3) Tarshish, 4) Sleeping, 5) Jonah himself, 6) He was swallowed by a great fish, 7) 3 days, 8) Ninevah, 9) 40 Days, 10) They repented, 11) He was angry, 12) He sat down on the East of the city, 13) A worm, 14) East, 15) 120,000answers:


Name:______________________________Address:________________________________________________________________Phone Number:_______________________Age:__________________

Can you find thirty (30) books of the Bible in the para-graph below? Actually there are thirty-one (31) Bible names, one being a variant of a prophet's name from the Old Testament .

"This is a most remarkable puzzle. It was found by a gentle-man in an airplane seat pocket, on a flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu, keeping him occupied for hours. He enjoyed it so much, he passed it on to some friends. One friend from Illinois worked on this while fishing from his john boat. An-other friend studied it while playing his banjo. Elaine Taylor, a columnist friend, was so intrigued by it she mentioned it in her weekly newspaper column. Another friend judges the job of solving this puzzle so involving, she brews a cup of tea to help her nerves. There will be some names that are really easy to spot. That's a fact. Some people, however, will soon find themselves in a jam, especially since the book names are not necessarily capitalized. Truthfully, from answers we get, we are forced to admit it usually takes a minister or a scholar to see some of them at the worst. Research has shown that something in our genes is responsible for the dif-ficulty we have in seeing the books in this paragraph. During a recent fund raising event, which featured this puzzle, the Alpha Delta Phi lemonade booth set a new record. The local paper, The Chronicle, surveyed over 200 patrons who re-ported that this puzzle was one of the most difficult they had ever seen. As Daniel Humana humbly puts it, "The books are all right here in plain view hidden from sight." Those able to find all of them will hear great lamentations from those who have to be shown. One revelation that may help is that books like Timothy and Samuel may occur without their num-bers. Also, keep in mind, that punctuation and spaces in the middle are normal. A chipper attitude will help you compete really well against those who claim to know the answers. Re-member, there is no need for a mad exodus; there really are 30 books of the Bible lurking somewhere in this paragraph waiting to be found. God Bless."

Dear clients, friends and family,

An effective exercise program does not need to be painful. In fact, there is no study to date that has found extreme muscle sore-ness indicates a good workout and yet, so many people gauge the intensity of a work-out by how stiff they are the next day. Most of us have experienced muscle soreness. Remember the feeling after your first day of skiing, your first spring run, or your first fitness class? This sensation is referred to as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) because it takes about 1-3 days after the workout for the stiffness to kick in. The sever-ity of DOMS is dependent on the novelty and intensity of the activity. So if you participate in a new sport and you go real-ly hard, expect to be very stiff. Even if you are really fit, if you do something your body isn’t used to, you’ll probably pay for it unless you take it easy. The message is, if you’re training appropriately, there’s no need to be extremely sore. It’s OK to think “Hey, my muscles feel like they had a great workout yesterday.” However, if you have a problem getting out of a chair, walking, or even just moving, you’re training too hard - and not very sensibly. Call-ing in sick for work because you worked out too hard the previous day is not going to make your company very happy or get you the results you want! While lifting weights you will experience muscular fatigue, a slight discomfort and a temporary “burn-ing” sensation at the end of a set that goes away as soon as the set is finished. During cardiovascular exercise like running, cycling or fitness classes, your heart will be beating more quickly, you will be breathing heavier and you may feel fatigued at dif-ferent points of your workout. These sensations are all normal. However, during exercise, you should not feel sharp pain. This is not normal and you should stop the exercise immediately and consult a sports physician or physiotherapist. The key to exercising safely is being able to distinguish between muscular fatigue and pain. To reduce the likelihood of extreme muscle sore-ness, always warm up, cool down, and stretch. If you are participating in a brand new sport or activity, progress very slowly. Don’t go hard on your first day. Give your body a few workouts to adjust and then

gradually pick up the intensity. For example, if it’s your first day of biking, choose a flat route, take lots of breaks and go for only a short ride. Once you’ve established a consistent exer-cise routine, there are no extra health benefits from pushing yourself to be extremely sore. Pain is a warning signal that you have done too much, too soon. If you do find yourself suffering from

DOMS, back off on the intensity of your pro-gram and progress more slowly.

“No pain, no gain” is a myth. Pain is not necessary and may in fact be detrimen-tal to improving your fitness and getting results.

Have a FIT, Healthy, and Happy Day!

Carl Comeaux, [email protected]


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by Rafael Bastien-Herrera

Mother’s DayQuestion: "What should we learn from the life of Ruth in the Bible?"

Answer: Mother’s Day is just around the corner, May 9th. This question was asked last month and I thought it appropriate to share the answer to all the moth-ers who selflessly give of them-selves so that our homes and lives can be so much better. My mother went to be with the Lord on Octo-ber 6, 2008. The memories I have of her sacrifices and unconditional love will be with me always. Thank you, mom.What of Ruth in the Bible? And what can we learn from her? Ruth was “of the women of Moab,” but was genetically linked to Israel through Lot, the nephew of Abra-ham (Genesis 11:31). Ruth had married the son of an Israelite family while they were living in Moab, but at some point, her father-in-law, her husband, and her husband’s only brother passed away. So Ruth had to make a decision whether to stay in Moab, her home, or to go with her moth-er-in-law, Naomi, to a land she had never known—Judah.

Ruth loved her mother-in-law, and had great compassion for her, seeing that she had lost not only her husband, but both of her sons. Ruth’s sister-in-law, Orpah, made the choice to go back to her people in Moab, but Ruth could not bear to part from Naomi or from the God of Israel that she had come to know. They made the journey back to Judah to the city of Bethlehem, where they decided to settle. Ruth’s testimony preceded her, for the owner of the field, Boaz, had heard of her faithfulness, as recorded in Ruth 2:11: “Boaz replied, ‘I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your

homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.’ “

The custom of Israel was that a man was to take his deceased brother’s wife in order to con-tinue the family line. Since Ruth’s husband’s only brother had also died, and there was not an avail-able male relative to claim her as a wife, she and Naomi would have to fend for themselves. Boaz not only noticed Ruth’s beauty, in-side and out, but he saw to it that she had companionship of other females, that she was protected, and that she had times of refresh-ing from her labor (Ruth 2:8-9). Ruth reciprocated by displaying humility and appreciation (Ruth

2:10-13), which only ingratiated her more to Boaz. So he contin-ued to show her every courtesy (Ruth 2:14-16).

Ruth and Boaz had come to know one another very well, but not in a romantic sense. They came to know each other’s good character, loyalty, faithfulness, and sense of commitment, all of which go into making a strong foundation on which to build lasting relationships and marriages. Naomi reminded Ruth that Boaz was a male rela-tive, a kinsman of Elimilech, Naomi’s husband; therefore, he was qualified to become Ruth’s husband. It was of the utmost importance in Israel to perpetuate the name of every family of Israel, so this gave Ruth the right to ap-peal to Boaz to fill that role.

continued on page 22

THE WORD WALK

Martie Richmond

I was pondering how I might tie in natural remedies and Mother’s Day and it occurred to me that Eve, as the first mother on earth, was also the first physician on earth. Physicians are mentioned through-out the Old Testament, but I’d be willing to bet Eve paved the way -- after all, her first three children were sons, so it’s a pretty good bet. Since God had provided every herb- bearing seed upon the face of the earth, I suspect He also guided her in their uses. Imagine one of the boys coming home with a bad cut on his arm, for instance. Eve might have burned some frank-incense to ease his anxiety while she bound or stitched the painful wound and then have given him a cup of wine with myrrh stirred in to relieve his pain. She didn’t need to know that in a few thousand years modern science would show that frankincense contains the mood boosting chemical incensole which activates feel-good receptors in the brain, easing anxiety and depres-sion. And she surely didn’t have scientific knowledge that myrrh, a tree resin, has anesthetic proper-ties that numb pain signals in the brain, or that it is a good antiseptic and often used to prevent infection in open wounds. She just knew they worked. Let’s continue imagining. An-other of Eve’s sons comes in com-plaining of a stomachache. Hmm. There’s no ‘Pink Stuff’ on hand, but there is cumin. Perfect. She doesn’t know this simple herb contains over 100 chemicals that prevent and ease indigestion, prevent gas and bloating, stimulate enzymes that help digestion and flush out toxins from the intestines. However, she does know it will take care of that stomachache!

So Happy Mother’s Day, Eve. And thanks, for introducing us to God’s pharmacy!

Inquiries, suggestions & comments are welcomed at [email protected].

Nature’s Calling

www.martiesherbs.com

This is a custom that seems for-eign to modern society; however, it goes to show just how important family ties and heritage are to God. This is why Satan continu-ously attacks the God-ordained family unit.

Ruth had an open mind and a teachable spirit, so she listened to her mother-in-law and took her advice (Ruth 3:2-5). Ruth followed Naomi’s instructions to the letter; she trusted the Lord, and He re-warded her faithfulness by giving her not only a husband, but a son (Obed), a grandson (Jesse), and a great-grandson named David, the king of Israel (Ruth 4:17). Besides these gifts (Psalm 127:3), God gave Ruth the blessing of being listed in the lineage of Jesus (Mat-thew 1:5).

Ruth is an example of how God can change a life and take it in a direction He has foreordained, and we see Him working out His per-fect plan in Ruth’s life, just as He does with all His children (Romans 8:28). Although she came from a pagan background in Moab, once she met the God of Israel, Ruth became a living testimonial to Him by faith. Even though she lived in humble circumstances before marrying Boaz, she believed that

God was faithful to care for His people. Also, Ruth is an example to us that God rewards faithful-ness: “And without faith it is im-possible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). Even though these are recorded in the New Testament, long after Ruth lived on earth, God’s promises stand for all eternity. In closing, in the book of Titus 2:4, the Greek word “Philoteknos” appears in reference to mothers loving their children. This word represents a special kind of “moth-er love.” The idea that flows from this word is that of caring for our children, nurturing them, affection-ately embracing them, meeting their needs and tenderly befriend-ing each of them as a unique gift from the hand of God. My prayer is for every mother to experience health, wisdom, strength and patience as you are used of the Lord to be what He created you to be. Thank you, moms!

Rafael Bastien-Herrera has a B.A. in Pastoral Ministry and a M.DIV. in Theology. Send questions to: [email protected]

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Gloria Sistrunk should be awarded the “Mother of the Year”

My mother was the seventh of eight children in her family, be-came a Christian as a child, and received the fullness of the Spirit in her late twenties. She has served/loved/worshipped the Lord

faithfully all of her life and truly has a servant’s heart. She did a great job raising one son and one daughter. She made my dresses for church and school when I was a child and gave me home perms. She always brought me to church, and I received Jesus as my Savior at the age of seven because of her influence. She was always there for me and always had a positive outlook on life. She has a beautiful laugh and laughs often. She has a beautiful singing voice as well. She always welcomed company and cooked up a storm for every occasion…both in our home and for church activities. She has not remarried since my dad’s death eight years ago but has continued to be a blessing ev-erywhere she goes. She currently cooks entire meals once a week for a local unwed mother’s home. She is a doting grandmother of

four and great grandmother of two. She attends church faithfully and is a member of a Bible study group and a supper club. She loves shopping, attending prophet-ic conferences, gardening, visit-ing with family and friends, and playing board games. She makes friends easily and is always willing to help someone in need in any way she can. She is healthy, ac-tive, and very independent! Gloria Odom Sistrunk is a wonderful mother, friend, sister, aunt, grand-mother, counselor, encourager, cook, and prayer warrior! And she turned 80 last October!I am so thankful for my mother and the strong, positive influ-ence she had on my life!

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Financially Speaking... Sometimes it takes a crisis to help shake off old, outmoded ways of thinking and stir up new ideas. That’s certainly been the case for whole or permanent life insurance of late. In the aftermath of the great meltdown of the global financial mar-kets, many personal finance experts have begun to reexamine how whole life coverage not only safeguards wealth but can also help grow it over time. A Portfolio Building Block Some financial advisors now argue that whole life deserves the status of an asset class among the other investment building blocks – stocks or equities, bonds or fixed income investments, money market accounts or cash, annuities and real estate. According to the successful science of combining investments, called Modern Portfolio Theory, different asset classes or types of in-vestments work together to increase returns and minimize the risk inves-tors incur if one or more financial markets slip. The underlying logic that makes this type of diversification so sensible harkens back to the ad-vice we all heard as toddlers: Don’t keep all of your eggs in one basket. Put into practice, Modern Portfolio Theory recommends spreading your wealth among a variety of sound holdings. Then, whenever one of the asset classes lags or drops, the oth-ers are there to contribute gains over time, cushion the blow and reduce risk. Whole life insurance has earned a place among the other instruments for several reasons. It’s the ultimate safety net: It protects your family’s lifestyle in the case of your death. It also grows in value over time and can provide some very important benefits to holders who need cash. The Numbers Don’t Lie Upon close examination, the long-term numbers prove whole life’s attributes as a key financial build-ing block – even before the crisis of 2008/2009. Between 1977 and 2006, large company stocks provided investors an actual compounded annual rate of return of 5.2% factor-ing in investment fees and inflation. Bonds may seem less risky than stocks, but their return was smaller, too. Treasury bonds, anchored on Uncle Sam’s reputation as the most dependable of borrowers, logged a compounded annual real rate of re-turn between 0% and 2% during the

same 30 year stretch, while munici-pal bonds posted just 1.8%. Here’s the surprise: According to figures tallied by the Guardian Life , a whole life policy opened in 1984 would have provided a 5.4% average an-nual return through the end of 2009. Term Limits There’s an important footnote to the recent rehabilitation of whole life’s reputation. Over the past 20 years, many investment experts have spent a good deal of energy steering the public to term life insurance as a means to secure whole life’s death benefit at a smaller cost. According to their argument, investors were bet-ter served by taking the money they save on whole life premiums and in-vesting the difference in a bull market where stock returns would generate more money over time. There’s one obvious hole to that line of thinking that was exposed in 2008: Bull markets don’t last forever. To hedge against this, one should consider a solid mix of term and whole life insurance in their life insur-ance program. Caveats There are, of course, steps you need to take when investing in a whole life policy. For one, you’ll need to investigate your insurer in order to sign on with a solid company for the long haul. Look for a company that is highly rated and which invests its portfolio assets in government-backed investments and solid fixed return holdings. You can investigate the financial standing of a life insurer by looking over ratings compiled by firms such as A.M. Best, which of-fers up an independent opinion on a company’s ability to meet its obliga-tions to policyholders. You can find Best sheets on insurers at your local library. A Welcome ChangeNow that personal finance experts are reevaluating their stand on whole life coverage, it might be a good time for you to rethink your position as well. Thanks to the current reces-sion, we’ve all gotten a wake-up call on neglecting the bigger picture for short-term gains. We may not like the shock, but if we pick up on long-term lessons, the tumult of the last two years may actually work to our benefit. For additional information on whole life insurance or other invest-ment strategies contact Stephen K. Liles at Vincent & Liles Financial Group at (337) 562-0900.

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Phone: (337) 562-0900Fax: (337) 562-0800

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W rldNewsSudanElection controversy prompts warning from bishop

By John Pontifex, ACN United Kingdom

A catholic bishop in Khartoum has warned that allegations of foul play in Sudan’s elections may trigger a major po-litical dispute amid growing concerns that the vote could block the country’s path to democracy. Referring to ongoing reports of alleged electoral malpractice and incompetence as well as the last minute withdrawal of parties and candidates, Bishop Daniel Adwok Kur said there was a danger of people losing confidence in the political process. Bishop Adwok stressed increasing alarm over unconfirmed reports from many parts of the country of poor orga-nization of electoral registers and polling stations, intimidation of voters and other irregularities including vote-rigging by the National Congress Party, the ruling party of the national government in Khartoum. Speaking from Sudan’s national capital in an interview with Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need, the Auxiliary Bishop of Khartoum said: “The reports of ir-regularities make one wonder whether in the end these elections will qualify to be called ‘free and fair’.” Polling got underway on Sunday (April 11) in the first nationwide election held in Sudan since 1986, which is seen as a crucial precursor to next January’s all-important referendum in which southern-ers will decide either to remain part of a united Sudan or create a new country of their owns. Noting the voting extensions which will delay the final results until next week, Bishop Adwok expressed grave concerns that the election would fall foul of the recommendations for the country’s political development set out in the

Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). Ending more than 20 years of civil war, the Jan-uary 2005 CPA agreed a temporary power-sharing deal between the Khartoum-based Islamic government and the Sudan People’s Lib-eration Army (SPLA), the rebel movement in the south. Stressing the importance of elections as part of a process towards potential cessation of South Sudan from the north, Bishop Adwok said: “It is only right to ask whether these elections can really bring the people the democratic transformation the CPA had promised.” The auxiliary bishop, who is based in the pastoral region of Kosti, a town 100 miles south of the capital, said: “When the election results come out, it is quite possible that there will be some tension and indeed confrontation between the contesting parties. The electoral fairness will certainly be brought into question.” Stressing that the withdrawal of candidates had been a huge setback to many voters, he added: “For us here in the north, it seems there has been a lack of candidates willing to promote a vision of Sudan which is multi-cultural, multi-lingual, multi-racial, multi-ethnic and multi-religious as the interim constitution states.“People want unity in diversity,” he added. He said many people were dismayed that the SPLM [Sudan People’s Liberation Movement] had withdrawn their candidacy in the north of the country. He added: “After the SPLM pulled out, people in Kosti – including Chris-tians – have been asking ‘What should we do?” But he stressed that, despite the setbacks, the people were determined to vote. He said: “The attitude of the people is really a clear sign that they wanted these elections. They want real demo-cratic transformation to take place. This

comes after years of military dictatorship for the North. For the South, they want the freedom to decide their destiny in the forthcoming referendum elections in 2011.” Despite concerns of a major political fall-out following the elections, Bishop Adwok made clear that he felt a return to conflict was unlikely, at least for the time being, saying that the big test would come next January with the referendum which could lead to cessation of the south. Bishop Adwok said: “This election is a trial ahead of the referendum. It will enable us to see for ourselves the performance of those candidates who are elected in the run up to next January.” Contact: Mario Bard, Information, ACN Canada(514) 932-0552 ext. 224 1-800-585-6333 [email protected]

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is an international Catholic charity whose mandate is “to serve with love the most suffering and destitute local Churches.” Founded in 1947 by Father Werenfried, it gives spiritual and material aid to the Church in need in 140 countries.-

Is the people’s voice being heard?

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LAKE CHARLESTOYOTA

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The fact is Louisiana has 105 Jail facilities, 13 State facilities and 3 Fed-eral facilities. The African American population in Louisiana is 33% while the representation of this population in prison is 76% ranking it the second largest in the nation behind Maryland with 77%. The statistics are alarming for women with the third highest in-carceration rate with 103 sentenced female inmates per 100,000 female residents. (Oklahoma was first with 129, and Mississippi second with 107.) What is the picture of incarcerated women in Louisiana? 45% have an education level between ninth and eleventh grade, 37% of the crimes are drug crimes (compare with 21% nation wide), and 10% are over the age of 50. Nearly half of the state corrections population are housed in local jails. Nearly all of the women have children and it is not uncommon to have several generations of the same family incarcerated at the same time. Low self esteem is the norm and the exception is no prior history of legal issues. This paints a grim picture. Statistics may color this picture and your per-ception places a harsh brush stroke to the canvas of lives it is easier to pass on by than to wade through the mire of the place they have gone to in their lives. Rembrandt, composed a copper plate print of the woman at the well from John’s gospel. Does your mind’s eye have the picture of this woman? Within this masterpiece there is a surprise element in the mind of the artist that transforms all those con-jured up images of this woman. He depicts her as short and fat, untidy, a languid figure with her water jar barely clearing the ground as she

shuffles through the dust, alone. Ask yourself, what would a women look like if she had been divorced five times with absolutely no say in the matter and now is in the socially dis-dainful position of living unmarried. How old is she? What does this kind of life full of her own circumstances paint on her soul? Perception is one of those areas of thought that is preconditioned and the cues are constantly being honed. The paradigm -- is the glass half empty or half full, is one of the most basic building blocks of the formation of how each person will perceive the world around them. Life is perception and if you change your perception this changes not only your life but restores hope to those who have had their hope destroyed. Jesus set the example of

going beyond the statistics to reach into the life of a woman. She in turn brought a crowd to met the One who touched her life. Restoration cas-caded through a village. The tapestry of their lives altered! Louisiana has been facing a crisis of unparallel proportion however with each person that reaches to restore a life brings change to a whole commu-nity. To find the groups in your state that are working together to help prisoners stay Out 4 Life go to www.Out4Life.com and join the solution.

This article is written by Nancy Lasher BSN RN, the Re-Entry Director for The Open Door, FBCO, Inc. and the director of the South West Louisiana Out4Life Coalition.

Restoring Hope


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by Sharon Galicia

Remember the saying, you are what you eat? Well in reality, we are what we think. Consider how you feel when you think about certain things. If you think about your mother-in-law too long, you may feel angry; whereas if you are thinking about your newborn baby joyful thoughts fill not only your mind, but they are also expressed on your face. Proverbs 23:7 says, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." What is in your heart? Have you ever squeezed a lemon in order to make fresh lemonade? When you squeeze that lemon, lemon juice comes out. If you squeeze a tomato, you get tomato juice. Well, what do you get when life squeezes you? What you have put into your heart will come out. Would you be proud if what was on the inside of you, what is truly in your heart, was made known to the world? That question transitions perfectly into our next sub-ject, which is how do we get "put into"? We get "put into" by what we allow ourselves to hear and see. The most important time in our lives is when we are young and impressionable. Before we get to the age where we think we know everything, we are eas-ily influenced because we daily open ourselves at school to our teachers to allow them to "put into" us. Think about

the teachers in your life who most influenced you. Teachers who maybe were only in our lives for one school year, yet what they taught us about life has stayed with us for our lifetime. We sometimes take our children's education for granted. We think that no matter where they go to school, they will get approximately the same edu-cation. Let me give you the definition of educate:1 a : to provide schooling for 2 : to develop mentally, morally, or aesthetically especially by instruction b : to provide with information

3 : to persuade or condition to feel, believe, or act in a desired way Who do you want persuading your children? Those we allow to educate our children will be the ones "putting into them". Be sure their values line up with yours. Garbage in = garbage out. Proverbs 4:23 in the New Living Translation says, " Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects every-thing you do." Protecting our children is the most important job we will ever have, so know what is going "into" your chil-dren. Guard your children's hearts like a mother bear guards her cubs. It will affect not only everything they do, but who they become.

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“Why choose a private, Christian education for my children?, you ask. Oh, let me count the reasons! My children are now ages 11 and 9 and have been in private school since they were 3 years old. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that we would not have had it any other way. It has been an investment in our children that we would do again in a heartbeat! Of course we have benefited from smaller class sizes, better curriculum, more personal flexibility, and less “drama”. However, the most important benefit has been the freedom and nurturing of our children spiritually. God and our true heritage is immersed in everything from history to music to lunchtime! As a Christian going through the public system myself, it was so profound to me that I was being taught evolution, big bang theory, and that America was some-thing to be ashamed of. As I grew in my walk, probably around the time I was 23 or so, I came to know about

our true heritage here in America. Ever since I have found such a deep passion for it! To know that my children are learning that America was founded by Christians and on Christian principles is worth gold to me! Another treasure I can enjoy is that they pray every day without constraint. It saddens me deeply that, for the most part, God is not allowed into children’s lives in the public school system. While I could go on for days regarding this topic, I’ll leave you here with just enough to ponder on and hopefully point you in the direction of at least looking into the investment of a Christian education for your children. We are blessed here in Southwest Louisiana with many great Christian schools providing for as young as 2 years old through 12th grade. Take the time to con-sider this option for the upcoming school year.

The Best Investment You’ll Ever Make By Amy Carpenter

Celebrating 30 Years in SWLA!K4-12th Grade

A Beka Curriculum

Low Student-Teacher Ratio

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An educational community with a passion for learning, a commitment to a

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337.477.0531www.lakewoodacademy.com • 2520 West Sale Road • Lake Charles

Train a child up in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6

The goal of Hamilton Christian Academy is to provide a Christ-centered college-preparatory

education in a disciplined environment

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www.hcawarriors.org14158thSt•LakeCharles

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Ever think you’re waiting too long for faith to change a circumstance? Is the anticipation like you are about to cross the Red Sea? Don’t know? Well… please let me put that crossing into perspective! The ancient Israelites were being chased by the Egyptian cavalry with nowhere to go but across the Red Sea! What a way to get to a promised destination! Numbers 1:46 gives a precise total of how many Israelite men that left Egypt: 603,550. Now with the women, children and mixed multitude, the population leav-ing Egypt is commonly believed to be estimated at 2,500,000 or more! Since we know the Israelites left Egypt in military formation (Exodus 12:51 – by their armies), they probably marched in an ancient traditional column which would have been 10 men abreast with the women, children, elderly, mixed multitudes (non-Israelites), and live stock trailing be-hind. This formation would have created a column at least 150 miles long! Archeologists speculate with con-fidence that the crossing point for the ancient Israelites was where present day Nuweiba, Egypt is located. In the sea at

this point numerous chariot wheels, hu-man and horse bones have been found buried in the sea bed or encrusted with coral. The Red Sea is approximately 10 miles wide and was probably about 100 feet deep in this location. With these facts, we can estimate that it took the Israelites a good solid TWO DAYS TO CROSS! As Born Again Believers taking what is written in the Bible literally, the horde crossing was faced with looking at walls of water on each side of about 100 feet tall (Exodus 14:22 - the waters [were] a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left). Now I don’t know about you, but if I was part of the group coming up to the crossing point on the second day, I might have looked at those walls of water said to myself “How long is this going to hold up????” We know from the Living Word of God that the Israelites were not only experi-encing doubt BUT were frantic with their anxiety (Exodus 14:10 – sore afraid). God STILL performed! Not only did God hold back the potential deluge but God brought them across! Why? Because He is a God

that cannot lie (Titus 1:2) and He had made the Israelites a promise! Are you having a Red Sea crossing? Focus on the promises of God! Re-buke any fear! Bring your thoughts into the captivity of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5)! Want some help? Meditate on these promises: Psalm 46:1; Psalm 68:19; Phi-lippians 4:13; 1 Corinthians 15:57; 1 John 5:4; Matthew 7:7-8 NOW…"Don’t Give Up"!And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not Galatians 6:9 JESUS is HERE for YOU! I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantlyJohn 10:10 Dare to imagine! Use these promises to meditate on the victory! Think about all the ways God can handle ANY situation! Your Red Sea crossing is just that! A crossing! A going through! You will get to your promise!

Anthony CartaFreedom By Faith Ministrieswww.championshipfaith.com

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As Spring and Summer approach us, Accessory Zone has some helpful hints to get you ready for this season’s fashions. Accessory Zone has been locally owned by Rhonda and Jim Kleckley for over 23 years. Rhonda travels to markets in Dallas and New York every other month to keep us up to date on the hottest trends. Carrying junior & missy apparel sizes 0-18, a full line of accessories, home decor, & gift items. Here are a few ideas you need to know as far as apparel and accessories go for the upcoming seasons. Bold colors (turquoise, coral, fuchsia, orange, yellow, royal blue) are electri-fying the spring trends, often grouped in eye pop-ping stripes. Flirty bows, short dresses & feminine floral fabrics define this spring’s look. Add a touch of pearls to complete the look. As global cultures fuse together, this summer’s trend combines exotic ethnic & tropical motifs, pops of color, & beadwork on the sleeves, neckline, & waist. Still going forward is textured tights that you can add to any solid color outfit. Add colored accesso-

ries to all of your black and white pieces! Mixing textures, patterns, prints, & proportions are a hot mismatched look. Fun vintage inspired flower neck-laces with opaque stones will add flirtiness to any outfit. Layering is still big so pair it up with longer chains. These are just a few helpful hints to get you moving into spring and summer. For any further advice stop by and see us Monday-Saturday 10am-7pm & Sunday 1-6 pm!

Fashionably Speaking...


Cajun Creole Cooking on the Bayouwith Monica Soileau

Melt butter in soup pot; add onions and celery while cooking until tender. Add flour and blend this roux with the chicken broth and garlic, al-lowing it to simmer for thirty minutes.

Add Half & Half to the soup mixture, as well as the lump crab meat, allowing it to heat well. Season the bisque to taste with Creole season-ing mix, and then serve as an appetizer.

Crab Bisque2 lbs of Lump Crab Meat2 quarts of Chicken Broth1 pureed onion 2 quarts of Half & Half ½ cup of diced celery 3 tsp diced garlic1 lb of butter2 cups of flourCreole Seasoning Mix

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SWLA FCAby Bryan Coleman

While attending college in 1947, Don McClanen had a vision that athletes could use their platform of influence to present Jesus Christ to the entire culture in a powerful way. Several years later, in 1954, McClanen offi-cially began the Fellowship of Chris-tian Athletes. The first FCA Camp was held in 1956 at Estes Park, CO with 256 athletes and coaches attending. The campus ministry began with the formation of FCA Huddles in 1966. Since then, the Fellowship of Chris-tianAthletes has expanded into the larg-est sports ministry in the world.Two lives the FCA have particularly touched locally are Steve and Denise Sanford. Steve, whose father played for the Baltimore Colts when he was a child, exposed the young boyto the world of professional athletes. His father, Leo Sanford, a linebacker drafted out of Louisiana Tech by the Chicago Cardinals, finished his nearly decade long career with the Baltimore Colts."I just assumed I was going to be a professional football player too, he joked. Until my talent proved me wrong."

But the experience would later lay the foundation for his ministry in the FCA. "It was great experience" recalls San-ford, "going to the locker room and seeing guys like Johnny Unitas..... so, being around the locker rooms with these professional athletes made me comfortable in those environments early on." Later, as a sophomore in high school he joined a local huddle for FCA but didn't become tethered to a group permanently until he began to volunteer with FCA in the early 1980's. What encouraged Steve was the instant access the FCA provided to the coaches and the athletes. "It's having the opportunity to come alone side and serve (people through FCA) so when there's a need they know where to turn and without FCA there wouldn't be an opportunity to do that." The FCA feels very strongly about coaches players and recognizes their the heart of the organization. While FCA does minister soundly to the ath-letes they also see the importance of encouraging and equipping coaches to know and serve Christ. The FCA accomplishes this goal through Bible studies, discipleship, outreach events, conferences and retreats. All of this is done so the coaches can live and mentor with Biblical principals through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Athletes are also given the

opportunity to share in the fruit of the organization by attending summer camps put on by FCA. There are seven types of camps: Sports Camp, Leadership Camp, Coaches Camp, Power/youth sports camp, Team Camp, Partnership Camp and International Camp. Last year the FCA put on over 300 camps capped with an attendance of just un-der 50,000. This was topped by the 4,645 new Christians that emerged from these camps. Sanford has always seen this first as a ministry to the coaches, the athletes and to the camps they volunteer at and help raise money for kids to at-tend. "We choose to have a ministry first, instead of raising money." Indeed God has blessed this choice Steve made early on with the back-ing of Christus St. Patricks Hospital in Lake Charles and South Louisiana State Farm Agents.This has provided the funds allowing them the freedom to send kids to FCA camp, buy Bibles, host dinners, and in the future, hire someone full time to work with the huddles in the local high schools.Any coaches or athletes interested in joining a local huddle can contact [email protected]. If you would like to just get involved with the local chapter you can contact Denise San-ford at the same email address or go to www.swlafca.org.

SWLA FCA

Rolland Soileau

Well the 2010 version of the NFL col-lege draft has come and gone, and as usual there were several surprises in who was picked when to go where. Notably there were some surprises also in some of the players who were not drafted at all. LSU was repre-sented fairly well with 6 players being selected by Pro teams. We’ve become spoiled of late because of the high first round draft picks that we’ve had in the last several years, but this year we had no first round picks. This year’s draft was also the first one to run for three days, beginning in prime time on Thursday and Friday nights. The cur-rent format also only allows for seven rounds of draft selections. Chad Jones was the first LSU player taken as the 76th pick in the 3rd round by the New York Giants. Chad has been an extremely exciting and versatile player for the tigers. His high-light reel hits and stellar punt returning capabilities were his greatest assets on the football field. Jones was also drafted by the Houston Astros coming out of high school, and he definitely contributed to the baseball team’s national championship run as a strong short inning relief pitcher. His dual sport status seemed to hurt his football draft position as his less-than-stellar pro day workout left many scouts puzzled. But the Giants have gotten one very good football player for a bargain. Two selections later Brandon LaFell was selected by the Carolina Panthers. This is an excellent oppor-tunity for Brandon, as he should really have a good chance to compete for a starting spot. There probably hasn’t been a player with such an up and down career as LaFell in a long, long time. Remember the popular Hallow-

een costumes in Baton Rouge with a BL mask and a hand glove comprised of 5 butterfinger candies? It seems like a lifetime ago. Other players selected were Perry Riley in the fourth round to the Wash-ington Redskins, Al Woods in the fourth round to the New Orleans Saints, Trindon Holliday in the sixth round to the Houston Texans, and Charles Scott in the sixth round to the Philadelphia Eagles. All of these players have re-ally great potential, with Trindon being the one that really arouses a lot of in-terest. His speed is undeniable and he is definitely a football player with speed (not a speedster trying to play football), but his hands have been his Achilles heel. Who looks more like a “football player” than Al Woods? If potential was ice cream, he’d be the next Baskin Robbins. He seemed to get lost in the shuffle when we were really deep at the defensive lineman position. That sure seems like a lifetime ago! But LSU looks to be righting that ship in the upcoming years. Just watch. The current thinking among the football experts is that it now is an advantage to a college player to just sign with a team if you are not picked by the middle of the seventh round. You get the advantage of choosing where you want to sign, IF they want you. Why sign with Colts or Saints if you are a quarterback who didn’t get drafted, when you can sign with a team that either has an aging quarterback or an ineffective one? Nine LSU players that were not drafted signed contracts with professional teams: Rahim Alem with the Cincinnati Bengals, Charles Alexander with the Philadelphia Eagles, Ciron Black with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Harry Coleman with the New Orleans Saints, Jacob Cutera with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Richard Dickson

with the Detroit Lions, Chris Hawkins with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Danny McCray with the Dallas Cowboys, and Keiland Williams with the Washington Redskins. Charles Alexander had several injury setbacks during his time with the tigers, but Ciron Black was predicted to be a strong first round pick before last season began. His senior year was far from stellar though and the end result was his not being drafted at all. Chris Hawkins and Keiland Williams seem to have all the physi-cal tools necessary to have successful NFL careers also. One thing that stands out also is the wasted talent that is one Ryan Perri-loux. By now it is obvious that his lack of discipline has probably cost him mil-lions upon millions. Had he remained with the team, he would have undoubt-edly been a high draft pick. But as it was he ended up at tiny Jacksonville State, but has signed a contract with the Minnesota Vikings. Given Bret Fa-vre’s status, he could be in great shape in a few years, if he can get his act to-gether. There is no denying his talent, but he has got to show some discipline or he could end up lumped in the Cecil Collins category. Speaking of a lack of discipline, our former number one pick in the entire draft just a few years ago seems to be on the way out in Oakland. The Raiders have picked up Jason Campbell from the Washington Redskins to become their new starting quarterback. This makes Jamarcus Russell the odd man out, despite his humongous guaranteed contract that he signed just a few short years ago. His name has been mentioned in the same context as the all-time college bust, Ryan Leaf. My, how the mighty have fallen. LSU fans-get ready. You’ll be seeing several of these players on Sundays really soon.

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May McNeese Round-upby Rolland Soileau

Baseball As of this writing the Mc-Neese State University men’s baseball team currently sports a 21-18 record, with an 11-10 conference record. They have recently snapped a five game losing streak by defeating SFA this past Sunday by the score of 15-7. Beginning on May 7th, the Cowboys have a three game set against Texas State at home. The next set of home games after that will begin with a scheduled game against UL-Lafayette on May 18th, followed by the final home games of the season against Nicholls on May 20-22nd. Time to show your support for your local school and make an effort to catch one of these home games. Coach Burrows and the Pokes want to see you there!!

Softball McNeese Women’s softball team will be concluding their home schedule with a series against Southeastern Louisiana this upcoming weekend, May 1-2nd. This talented group of young women is currently carry-ing an impressive 30-23 record. These ladies have shut out the 16th ranked LSU lady tigers in

Baton Rouge as they split the series with them. Prior to the noon game on Sunday, seniors Liz Morvant and Heather Mosser will be honored. Just when you thought there was nothing to do this weekend……

Track & Field There have been several strong individual performers on both the men and women’s track and field squads. A few of the star performers for the Pokes (and Lady Pokes) are: Sam Bowers and Donovan Anderson in the 100 meters; Michael Dyer and Jordan Neil in the 800 me-ters; Paige Lynch in the 100 me-ters, D’Anna Lambert and Kara Slaydon in the 800 meters, and Tinette Burger and Aisling Casey in the 1500 meters. The South-land Conference Championships begin on Friday, May 14th.

Football Three McNeese State foot-ball players will be attending NFL tryout camps this coming weekend. Wes Mangan will be attending either Oakland Raider or Minnesota Vikings camp, Toddrick Pendland will be at the Cleveland Browns camp, and Casey Richter will be camping with the St. Louis Rams. Man-gan, a tight end at McNeese, leaves as the 4th all-time lead-ing receiver at that position for the school. Pendland led the nation in scoring with 10.7 points per game as a tailback with the Cowboys. Richter, an offensive tackle for the Pokes, can take a bow for that previous accom-plishment. All three were first team all-Southland Conference players too. Congrats to all three!

• Grow your own dried flow-ers. Raise statice, globe amaranth, straw flowers and other everlastings to provide flowers for this year's ar-rangements.

• Plant gladioli bulbs in late May.

• Set out marigold, petunia, ageratum and fibrous bego-nia transplants. All are good border plants.

• To grow annuals in contain-ers on the patio, use a light weight soil mixture. Keep the plants well-watered, be-cause the soil dries out fast. Apply a water soluble fertil-izer according to package directions every two weeks.

• Watering roses with soaker hoses or drip irrigation will reduce the spread of black spot disease.

• Plant ground covers under shade trees that do not allow enough sunlight to grow grass. Vinca minor or English ivy are ground cover plants that grow well

in shade. • Mulch around newly planted

trees and shrubs. This practice reduces weeds, controls fluctuations in soil temperature, retains mois-ture, prevents damage from lawn mowers and looks attractive.

• When you visit botanical gardens and arboretums, take your camera and note pad with you. Plan now for changes you will make in your landscape.

• For maximum landscape interest in a small, vertical space, try annual vines. They can disguise ugly walls and fences. When trel-lised, they can create shade and privacy while hiding un-desirable views. Try morn-ing glory, nasturtium vine and scarlet runner bean.

• Plan a landscaping project on paper first. Do not over plant. Be sure you know the mature size of each plant and allow for growth.

• Lawns maintained at the correct height are less likely to have disease and weed infestation. Kentucky blue-grass and tall fescue should be mowed at two or three inches in height. Mow fre-quently, removing no more than one third of the blade at each cutting.

• Grass clippings can be used as a mulch in flower beds and vegetable gardens if allowed to dry well before use. Never use clippings from a lawn that has been treated with a herbicide.

• Cabbage loopers and im-ported cabbage worms are green worms. They leave large holes in the leaves of plants in the cabbage fam-

So Much to Do...So little time

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ily. For control, caterpillars can be picked off by hand or sprayed with Bt (Bacil-lus thuringiensis), a natu-ral, non-toxic preparation available by various trade names.

• Newly transplanted vegeta-ble plants should be protect-ed from cutworms with col-lars. Cut strips of cardboard two inches wide by eight inches long, staple them into circles and place them around the plants. Press the collar about one inch into the soil. These collars will fence out the cutworms

and protect the stems of the vegetable plants.

• Stay out of the garden when the vegetable plant leaves are wet. Walking through a wet garden spreads disease from one plant to another.

• Four or five layers of news-paper will serve as effec-tive mulch in the garden. Cover it with grass clippings or straw to prevent it from blowing away.

• Put tools away at the end of the day. Clean them and hang them up so they are ready to use and easy to find when you need them.

• To better evaluate your gardening successes, keep weather records along with garden records. The most important items to report are daily minimum and maxi-mum temperatures, precipi-tation and cloud cover.

Now get out there and have fun!

Article By: Derrick SingletonTo contact him for questions are more information please feel free to email him at [email protected]

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May 2010