A Charlie Brown Christmas

My Christmas tree this year reminds me of the Christmas tree in one of my favorite holiday specials. In the classic holiday television special “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, Charlie Brown is dismayed and depressed by the over-commercialization of Christmas and struggles to find the real meaning of Christmas. Charlie Brown visits Lucy’s psychiatry booth and she suggests that he direct the school play.

To set the proper mood for the production, Charlie Brown picks the only real tree on the lot—a poor little sapling.

My Christmas tree is artificial this year. I love real Christmas trees. Usually six feet tall or more. I love the aroma of a real tree. I enjoy pulling out the Christmas ornaments—memories of Christmas past--and decorating the tree. I love the lights and putting the candy canes on the boughs and the star on top. We bought an artificial tree when my husband had a fellowship at the University of Michigan because we were living in family housing and the campus didn’t allow real trees for the holidays. But my artificial tree was still about six feet.

This summer, my basement flooded and the artificial tree went out with a host of other things in my basement that were submerged. I couldn’t transport a real tree this year so I set out, like Charlie Brown, to find an artificial one.

I waited a bit too late for my quest , the best tree I could find, without paying an arm and a leg or spending more time or energy than I wanted, was a four-foot artificial one at WalMart.

When I got home and set it up my daughter measured it, certain that it couldn’t really be four feet tall. It looked so tiny. My son kept saying, “It’s so little” which prompted  the lecture--similar to the children are starving in this world speech.

 “There’s a kid somewhere who wishes they had any kind of tree,” I said.

We decorated our little tree like the Peanuts characters loved on their little sapling, transforming it into a beautiful tree but more importantly, understanding what Christmas is really about. We put it up on a stand to give it some height. Pulled out the Christmas decorations and placed the star on top.

I love my little tree because it reminds me that Christmas isn’t about the tree.

 It’s about the baby. It’s about the baby who would one day die upon a tree for me.

It’s not about spending money, going into debt or stressing while shopping for the “perfect” gift. It’s about the greatest gift. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son…”

It’s about being in His presence, not the presents under the tree. It’s about showing love to people and appreciating family and friends. It’s about my son giving the cashier at Walgreens a box of candy he bought with his own money for someone else but right at the checkout line handing it to her after he heard us having a conversation about her having to work on Christmas. The surprise and joy in her face. Priceless.

So this Christmas will be a very Charlie Brown Christmas for me, enjoying the lights, sights and sounds of the season, but focused on the Good News of our Savior’s birth as Linus quoted on the special:

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill towards men.

...That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."

A "Yet" Praise

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in God my Savior.” Habakkuk 3:17-18

Can you give God a “yet” praise?

Can you praise Him when it hasn’t happened yet? When you’re still looking for the buds, but all you see is a naked stalk. You know that you have planted and you have watered, but there is still no fruit from your labor. Can you yet praise Him?

When you’ve had some failure. When you’ve suffered a loss. When circumstances don’t seem to be going your way. When you’ve suffered and the pain has been unbearable. When you’ve had to say goodbye to family and friends. When your storage is exhausted and your bank account is empty. Can you still say, “Yet, I will praise the Lord?”

When what I thought would be isn’t what it is. Can I yet praise Him?

Yet: nevertheless, even still, at the same time.

A connecting word between two phrases. Two points. Two realities.

So even though it hasn’t happened yet (so far, up until this point) I will yet (even still, nevertheless, at the same time) keep praising my God. Why?

God is yet worthy to be praised. Regardless of my circumstances, He is still God. He is still Sovereign. He is still good. I will yet trust Him. I will yet believe. I will trust and believe in who He is. I don’t know how. I don’t know when. But I know in the end I win. The victory has already been won because I have believed in the Son. He will work out. But in the meantime and in between time, I will rejoice because He is Lord and He is Savior.

I will be joyful in God my Savior because my joy is not based on happenings but on who He is.

Leaving a Legacy

The memory of the righteous will be a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot. Proverbs 10:7 (NIV)

Yesterday I went to a prayer breakfast and I thought about a friend.

Years ago, my husband filmed Jenny’s testimony at the prayer breakfast. She was fighting cancer, but she still had a testimony of God’s goodness. This morning as I thought of Jenny, I thought about how beautiful she was. How she always had a smile when I saw her, even when cancer had decimated her body. How much she loved the Lord, her daughter, her friends, her church. How she was always so encouraging to me. How beautiful she was, yes, physically, but how beautiful her heart was. How she touched so many lives in even her relatively short one.

I thought about how before she died I went to the hospital room and she was surrounded by friends and family--one of her best friends by her bedside fanning her. Her family and friends loved her deeply and truly and were there to the end. And I thought about how we all still miss her and how tributes to her life still appear on Facebook or through the event held by her brother in her name to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer.

Her memory is a blessing because she made memories that were a blessing. She lived a life that was a blessing to others.

I think the same thing about my husband’s grandmother, Florence Geneva Hagler, an awesome woman of God who also had a lasting impact on those around her. A woman whose memory is still a blessing.

I have felt a lot of loss lately. Loved ones leaving this earth. I now understand when they say when someone close to you passes away, not a day goes by that you don’t think of them. My recent losses have reconfirmed many life principles for me.

If you want to leave a legacy, live one.

It is not the material things that people will remember but the memories.

 The greatest life investment is pouring into people.

All the things we see will pass away. Only what you do for Christ will last. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?

When you are taking your last breath, you will not be worried about that promotion or how much money you have in the bank. The greatest gift will be to be surrounded in a circle of love of family and friends.

That is how Jenny made her transition. That is how my husband’s grandmother made hers. That is how my mother-in-law made hers. And that is what truly matters.

You can pride yourself on your possessions, and it’s nice to have nice things and we are called to be responsible stewards over our possessions and use them not only to take care of ourselves and our families, but help someone else. But in the end, what really matters are people, not possessions.  The love of family and friends, not financial holdings. Leaving a legacy of love.

What kind of legacy are you leaving?

The Process of Perfection

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.…Philippians 1:6

Sometimes I have been stymied from starting because I have tried to figure out the ending before the beginning. I want it to be “perfect” so I never get started.

But my Heavenly Father is teaching me a valuable insight about perfection.

It’s not going to be perfect when you start it. Get started and perfect it. Don’t be afraid of failure. Failure is part of the process to perfection.

Perfection does not necessarily mean without flaw. We have come to see the word “perfect” to mean flawless. But the word perfection can also mean the act of making something perfect. Perfection can also mean a state of completeness. Perfection can mean the highest quality attainable.

The word perfection comes from the Latin word “perficio” which means to finish or to bring to an end. Perfection literally means “a finishing” and perfect means “finished.”

Aristotle explained the concept of perfection with three concepts.

• 1.    Which is complete, contains all requisite parts (nothing to add or subtract)
• 2.    Which is so good that nothing of the kind could be better
• 3.    Which has attained its purpose.

The “paradox of perfection” according to philosophy is that the greatest perfection is imperfection. The argument goes that if the world were perfect, it could not improve and so would lack "true perfection," which depends on progress.

I’m learning to embrace failure and my mistakes, not as an excuse, but as a teaching tool and part of the process to progress and perfection (completeness). I’m learning to do it, get started. At least if you start, you have something to work with, edit, learn from or improve.

I praise God that every day, He is “perfecting” me, making me complete in Christ. He is molding and making me so that I can fulfill the purpose that He created me. I can’t let procrastination deter me because then I am depending on me and what I can do, instead of relying on and trusting in my Heavenly Father and what He is trying to do in me and through me.

I keep pressing toward the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus. I haven’t obtained it, as Paul said, but one thing I do is press on. I press on to be “perfect,” not flawless but complete. Not without mistakes but striving for excellence. Learning from my mistakes and not letting them hold me in bondage to fear of failure. For if you fear failure, you’re already defeated.

This posting may not be “perfect” but it will be perfect if it fulfills God’s purpose. And what is my ultimate purpose? To bring Him glory.

I am glad that God told me years ago that I don’t have to compare of compete because I am COMPLETE in Him. He is able to perfect and complete me. “He that began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6) God does, can and will finish what He starts.

So if you’re like me, don’t be afraid. God has not given you a spirit of fear but of love, power and a sound mind. If you're operating in fear, you're not in His will. Operate in faith instead of fear. Get started. Learn from the process. Grow from it. It’s all a part of the journey to your perfection.

Five Ways to Love Your Husband

Support

“Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ.” Ephesians 5:22 (MSG)

Your husband should know you’ve got his back. You are his biggest cheerleader and the president of his fan club. If he has a dream, have enough vision to help him.  Let him know that you believe in his dreams. Then get in there and help him achieve them. Don’t be a spectator on the sideline waiting for him to fail. If you don’t know what to do, ask him how you can help him. It may be as simple as fixing him a cup of tea while he’s up burning the midnight oil.  

Serve

“Whoever wants to be great must become a servant.” Mark 10:43 (MSG)

Servant is not a bad word. It doesn’t mean you’re in the dungeon with a ball and chain. Showing your love by acts of service is not a bad thing. For some people, acts of service is their primary love language. But whatever his love language, your husband will appreciate you having a spirit of service. Fix his plate.   Yes, he has two legs, but do it as an act of love and service. Surprise him and take out the garbage or another task that will help him out. As Christians we should have servant hearts. Jesus said he came to serve and not be served. If Jesus, the Son of God, can wash his disciples feet, surely we can rub our husbands every once in a while.

Speak Life

“Words kill, words give life;
    they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.” Proverbs 18:21 (MSG)

Life and death are in power of tongue. The tongue is hard to tame and too many of us have killed people with our tongues, including our spouses. I have heard women tell their husbands to shut up in public. Not good. Treat and speak to others the way you want to be treated. Just because he’s a man doesn’t mean he doesn’t have feelings. Don’t embarrass him, especially in front of other men. You don’t have to say whatever comes to mind when you want. Have wisdom to know when to say some things. To you it may not be nagging, but to him it is. The book of Proverbs has several scriptures about a “nagging” spouse. For example:

“A nagging spouse is like
    the drip, drip, drip of a leaky faucet;
You can’t turn it off,
    and you can’t get away from it.” Proverbs 27:15-16 (MSG)

Don’t be a leaky faucet. Know when to turn it off.

Compliment him. Praise him. Encourage him. Thank him for what he does. Write him  note. Tell him you love him. Speak well of him to others. Let your words bring him life.

Seek his counsel

“Take good counsel and accept correction—
    that’s the way to live wisely and well.” Proverbs 19:20 (MSG)

You know you can do it yourself. Maybe you have all the answers. But maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to seek your husband’s counsel. Even if it is just to let him know that you respect his opinion and thoughts. We all need to be needed sometimes and men are natural problem solvers. Let him know that you value his thoughts and ideas. Spouses tend to balance one another out and he may have just the perspective that you need or sees something you never thought about.

Sex

Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and embraces his wife. They become one flesh.
    The two of them, the Man and his Wife, were naked, but they felt no shame. Genesis 2:24 (MSG)

God made sex for marriage and he made it to bond a husband and a wife. It is how men connect. To quote Steve Harvey from his best-selling book, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man (which I have never done), “We need to be physically engaged with the woman we love, the woman who is loyal to us and supports us, and the way that we do that is by making love….the way we men connect is by having sex. Period. It’s how we plug in, recharge, and reconnect.”

If you love your husband and want to show your love, connect with him physically. Make love. Don’t use sex as a weapon to manipulate but view it as a gift from God to celebrate your union. You might have to work on it. Plan it. Buy some sexy lingerie. Send the kids away.  By any means necessary, make a way to connect.

Get Some Rest

 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.  Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Mark 6:30-31

Ministry requires rest and replenishing. One definition of minister is to “attend to the needs of.” You do not have to have a clerical collar or a title to minister. Whatever place that God has placed you, we are to be ministers and minister his grace to others.  Paul said in the book of Second Corinthians that we all have the ministry of reconciliation.

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5: 18-19

If you are taking care of your family, you are ministering. If you are an employee who is working hard and handling your bosses business with integrity, you are ministering. If you are taking care of an elderly parent or someone who is sick, you are ministering. We can minister in myriad ways. We can minister in as many ways as there are needs to be attended.

But when you give, you have to make sure that you get rest and restored. If you have nothing, then you have nothing to give. It’s not a sin to take a break. As I heard my brother, Rev. K. Edward Copeland say once, sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is take a nap.

You can get so busy ministering to others that you neglect yourself. People will drain you and when you are drained you can become resentful. You can become short-tempered. You can burn out.  Ministry becomes a chore instead of a joy.

In the sixth chapter of Mark, the disciples were so busy that they didn’t even have time to eat. They had been busy teaching, casting out demons and healing. Jesus told his disciples to get away. He invited them to spend time with him in a quiet place.

You need time alone with Jesus. You need to get to a quiet place. A place with no distractions. Turn off the television. Turn off your cell phone, Facebook and Twitter. Get quiet so you can hear Jesus without the noise and distractions of the world.

Get some rest.

Lessons Learned from a Long, Hard Winter

“While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” Genesis 8:22 (ESV)

As I watch the snow melt away, I reflect on the lessons learned this winter. This was the winter that wouldn’t quit. It was brutal. A record breaker. Polar vortexes. Sub-zero, arctic temperatures. Snow, snow and more snow. Across the country snow storms closed schools and the government.

 When you thought there couldn’t possibly be more snow, it snowed again. I have never shoveled so much snow in my life. Our snowblower stopped working. One of our two shovels broke. We started shoveling just half of the driveway—just enough to get in and out.

I can finally see my driveway again and the mountains of snow are dissipating. A new season is here, even if we may have some snowy or cold days ahead. Spring has come. But the long, hard winter reinforced many life lessons.

Every season has its beauty and its challenges

 “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” Psalm 19:1-4

A fresh snowfall is beautiful. It looks like the earth is covered in a pure blanket of white. The snow and ice-covered trees look like they have been encased in glass. There is a peace and a quietness, a stillness. But then there is the challenge of digging out and navigating through dangerous streets. There are accidents and pileups. The snow turns black and ugly.

In life, even in the difficult times, it’s good to take time and take in the beauty of the season. Admire God’s handiwork. In all things, give thanks.

I took the time to enjoy the snow with my son, sledding down a nearby hill. He’s growing up. He won’t always want to sled with his mother. I made a snow angel and tried to catch snowflakes on my tongue. Reliving the joy of my childhood when a snow day was something to celebrate.

While shoveling snow one day, huge, fluffy snowflakes fell. One fell on my black coat and I could actually see the detail and design of the snowflake. Just one snowflake. And like the snowflakes, God has made each and every one of us unique. It was amazing to think about as I looked at how many snowflakes were just in my yard. And then to think of the snowflakes all over the world. God is amazing. Nature reveals his character, care and creativity. Even during challenging times, there is still beauty.

Take time to take in the season and in the midst of adversity, look for beauty. Give God thanks that he cares about the details of your life.

The season will change eventually; Endure

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9              

No matter how awful the winter was, I knew that spring would come. It was just a matter of time. Sometimes I would just say out loud, “Spring is coming, spring is coming, spring is coming.” Sometimes you have to set your face like flint and just endure, knowing that a change is coming. Even when the forecast week after week keeps saying sub-zero and more snow, know that a change will come. Keep working, keep believing. Encourage yourself in the Lord. Stand on the truth of His Word.

Storms will come; be prepared and make the best of it

With advancements in technology we know when most storms are coming these days. Even if we didn’t have radar, in every season you’re going to have some type of storm whether snow, thunder or tornado. It’s just a matter of time. So it is in life. The storms will come. They will do damage. You may lose power. They will test us. But they will also clear some stuff away.

We know storms are coming so we prepare. We empty the grocery shelves and make sure we have food and emergency supplies in the house. We buy some wood and make a fire. Plan on family time and watch some movies because you know you’re not going anywhere.

In life you need to be prepared for the storms. Make sure that you are stocked up spiritually with prayer and God’s Word. The storms in life can be times to retrench, re-evaluate or just be still. Make the best of it and know that eventually this too shall pass.

Let the challenges of the last season increase your gratitude and appreciation for the beauty of the next

When the weather turns warm, people seem to get warmer too. They greet each other as they walk down the street smiling, happy to shed their winter wear and enjoy the sun. I know this spring and summer, I will relish every warm day, remembering the arctic cold of the winter. I will say “Thank you, Jesus” when I walk outside barefoot and feel the grass under my feet. I will inhale the roses, admire the beauty of the flowers, inhale the freshness of a garden tomato and I will be grateful and appreciate the warmth of the summer because I will remember the cold of the winter.

There’s a reason for every season and even when things look dead, there is still life

 

“He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding;” Daniel 2:21 (ESV)

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11 (ESV)

The seasons show us the order of God and I believe there is a reason for every season.

“Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse.” Romans 1:20

Maybe the winter is a time of rest. The melting snow leads to the green grass and replenishes lakes and rivers. There is a cycle and circle to life. Even in the winter when things are frozen and cold, there is still life below the surface. Even though things may seem dead and lifeless, there is still life.

The trees will sprout new leaves. The grass will grow and turn green. Flowers will bloom. So it is with our lives. Even though we may “die” we have eternal life with our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ. We will live again eternally. We will have a new season of rebirth. In order for a seed to grow, it must “die” and be planted in the earth, but within that seed is abundant life.

“I can guarantee this truth: A single grain of wheat doesn't produce anything unless it is planted in the ground and dies. If it dies, it will produce a lot of grain.” John 12:24 (God’s Word Translation)

Look at the seasons and even the hard winters and let it remind you of our hope in Christ.

 

 

Picture Day

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

Monica Fountain, Class of 1986

Today, I ordered my daughter’s yearbook photo in her cap and gown. Weeks before, my daughter took her senior pictures. The night before we were searching for a white blouse for her to wear as one of her outfits. Classic and timeless I figure. She will look back on these pictures 20 years from now so no need for something too far out there or faddish. Just plain, simple, classic will do. This is the picture that will be in the yearbook that she will look back and laugh at years from now. Laugh at how young and innocent she was. At her hairstyle, perhaps.

A milestone is being marked as we march toward graduation and also her matriculation to the next level. While there is joy, pride and excitement, there is also a tinge of sadness as I think of the inevitable separation. Once I carried her inside me. Now she is preparing to leave us. I know it’s not like she is leaving, leaving forever. It’s not like we will never see her again or that I won’t be texting, facebooking, skyping and calling in this technological age of social media. But while since the day she was born I have been preparing her for this day, I know I will miss her when she is in college and not asleep in her room under our roof. That she is growing up.

But this is what we prepare our children for—to leave us. To go and fly and live their lives. To prepare them to pursue the purpose that God has for them.

I look at my senior picture and realize how quickly time flies. My classmates and I are in our mid-40s now. Many of us are grandparents. Some of us still have school-age children. We’re headed toward the big 5-0. It amazes me when I see babies that I babysat getting married and raising their own children and I deal with the reality of time and mortality.

It reminds me to live each day to the fullest. To not let fear paralyze me and that whatever your age, as long as you have life and breath to pursue your dreams and your purpose. To let those you love know that you love them and show them that you love them. To forgive. Learn. Live. Laugh. Because tomorrow is promised to no man. But also it reminds me as my father has often preached at funerals, death is just a comma, not a period.

There is eternal life and I’m living this life to live again. This is just a part of the big picture.

Why Do We Still Hate Ourselves?

Why do we still hate ourselves?

Fifty years after
Black Power
Black is Beautiful
Say it loud, I'm black and I'm proud
Why do our children still yell
"Light skin!"
Like it's a badge of honor
And brown skin is a mark of shame?

Why is "Team Light Skin" an exclusive club that's "in"
Why do we still grade our hair
Check our babies' ears
Fear
How dark we are
Avoid the sun
While others spray, bake and burn?

Why can't we see our beauty
Love and embrace our diversity?

Why do we hate ourselves?
Denigrate
Demean
And play ourselves
Divide
Deride
Shame ourselves
With ignorance and meanness?

Educate yourself
Love yourself
And love your fellow man
Whether vanilla white or dark chocolate brown

Each flower in the garden has its own beauty
Made by God for his glory.

Teach your children.

23rd Annual Providence-St. Mel School Raffle

                 23rd Annual Providence-St. Mel School Raffle

Since 1978, 100 percent of Providence-St. Mel graduates have been accepted to four-year universities and colleges. Almost 80 percent of the students receive need-based financial aid or academic scholarships.

For more information about Providence-St. Mel, go to www.psmnow.com.

From the Editor--The Well Magazine Fall/Winter 2013

“There’s no pain like family pain.”

              Pastor James McDonald, Harvest Bible Church

 

Monica Fountain
Editor, The Well Magazine

How very true. No one can hurt us like those who are related to us. Our families are our closest human connection. The family is our socializing agent. It is where we learn how to love. We don’t expect much from the world. But we don’t expect and shouldn’t be hurt by our families—those who share the same blood. Maybe the same name.

There is so much pain in our world and so much of that pain comes from our families. Too many families are fractured and dysfunctional, producing broken people.

But there is hope. God is in the business of restoring, renewing and reuniting families.

Many families gather every year for a reunion, but it is really just a picnic because there is no real reunion. No real restoration, forgiveness or healing. We go through the motions but we never get past the surface to heal the wounds of the past.

God wants our families to be healed. God established the family. He is our Heavenly Father. God made marriage between a man and a woman. In His Word, he gave us the formula for forming healthy families. Every family has its flaws and foibles because it is made up of fallible people. But thank God for an infallible Savior who saves and sanctifies us and who is able to reunite broken families.

There’s no pain like family pain, but there is no greater joy than the love of family.

In this issue you will find stories about family reunion and restoration.  A tribute from a daughter who is carrying on her mother’s mission of restoring families. You will read about  the comfort of our heavenly Father and the love of a mother. You will find how one mother transformed her family from the inside out and how a daughter overcame the void left by her father’s absence. You will find that your family is not always those who are connected to you by blood but those you choose by love.

You will read a very personal story about how my I met my brother, Walter, who I saw for the first time two years ago. A box of hidden letters started the journey to answering my father’s prayers.

God is faithful.

He has been faithful to me in the production of this magazine and the fulfillment of my dream. This is the fourth issue of The Well Magazine. It has been a push to produce. To God be the glory. Thank you to all who have supported me in this endeavor with your encouragement and subscriptions. Thank you to every Grace Partner who has invested in bringing this magazine to you.  Please support their businesses and ministries. If you live in the Chicago area, please consider attending Marriage Inc.’s Date Night on January 24^th at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais.

Please keep this ministry, me and my family in your prayers. I am looking forward to a New Year and new opportunities to be a blessing to you through The Well Magazine.

To read the latest issue of The Well Magazine, click on the cover below: