holiday 2009

3 Wings of Hope Holiday Issue 2009

September 4 & 5, 2009

Written by: Sheryn Buckingham

Before the Revelation Generation Festival on September 4 & 5, 2009, I went to Revelation Farms in Frenchtown, New Jersey for a meeting. Afterwards I walked slowly through the field, praying fervently for the thousands who would be attending the fifth anni-versary event the following weekend. Looking around the field, I noticed that recent excessive rain had caused the fields to be saturated and muddy but still set up for the event was already underway. Rain or shine, the 2009 festival was meant to occur. Quietly reflecting on how spiritually powerful the 2008 Festival was, I asked God to again anoint with His presence the field, volunteers, staff, and all who attend this life changing music event. I listened intently as my heavenly Father impressed on my heart the enormity of the pending spiritual battle that would rage between the angels and demons for every soul that dare step onto the sacred grounds of Revelation Farms. The joy I was feeling was mixed with a deep sorrow for those who don’t call God their Abba. However, I was reminded of past conversations with Kim Grom where she talked about how this “location has been chosen for just a time as this.” Praise God for the beautiful weather and dry fields at Revelation Farms by Labor Day weekend 2009, but also important is the continuous prayers, extreme planning, and numerous volunteers that are necessary for the Festival to take place. Just in case you missed the 2008 review, it’s important to understand that the Revelation Generation Music Festival is a radical outreach venue where Christian and secular musicians come together to perform for an audience of churched and un-churched individuals: a place where two worlds collide in a peaceful, yet loud and excitement filled two day event that includes concerts, artist interviews, artist meet and greet, shopping, food, and most importantly Jesus Christ. All who perform at the festival are required by contract to participate in an interview where they share their testimony in Tent 7 with a lucky group of individ-uals who have either received a ticket when purchasing admission or when they happen to meet a Tent 7 vol-unteer who has tickets. The musicians that perform at Revelation Generation have their own unique life expe-

riences, but they all have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The secular musicians are of-ten referred to as crossover because their music is played on mainstream radio bypassing the boundaries set by the world today. This music speaks of hope, mercy, and love to a world gone wrong. The fifth anniversary year of the Revela-tion Generation Festival is an exciting milestone for the event that included expanding Friday nights to a full schedule of performances on the Philadelphia Stage, a Friday performance on the Nashville Stage, new Urban and Come & Live Stages to Saturday, and the addition of a third Tent 7. These changes along with many others contributed to record attendance for 2009. Since the Revelation Generation Festival has contin-ued to grow steadily in attendance and activities yearly, it suggests the presence of divine inter-vention. We really hope you enjoy the review of the 2009 Revelation Generation Festival as much as we enjoyed attending.

Friday, September 4, 2009


Back for a second year, the Friday New York Stage at the 2009 Revelation Generation Festival was better than ever. Changing somewhat from the 2008 format, the schedule included four groups whose musical styles are similar yet as diverse as the audience in attendance. The excitement of the crowd was contagious, as they anticipated the evening ahead.

The opening performance began around 5pm with Matthew West welcoming the audience to the Festival weekend. He is crowd favorite with “Something to Say,” a song and the title of his most recently released album. Since he was performing many of his radio hits, the audience was able to sing along without missing a beat. Before saying goodbye for the evening,

Matthew shared how excited he was to be invited to perform at the Festival, hoping to return again for another year.

For the first and last time, the band Delirious? traveled from the United Kingdom to perform at the Revelation Generation Festival. Considered a historic performance because they are planning to retire by the end of this year, Delirious? wowed the audience with an exquisite, unforgettable concert experience. Even though they’re known as a rock band, some of their best loved songs in the United States are considered modern worship. After a quick break to adjust the stage, Jars of Clay received a warm welcome as they began to perform around 7pm. Obviously a crowd favorite, the excitement from audience flowed forward toward the stage as the energy from the group flowed back. The band enjoyed the crowd and setting so much that they managed

to lose track of time, almost overplaying their slot. Before making a quick exit, Jars of Clay told the audience they hope to return and rock the New York Stage another year.

Taking a break from the music, Rob Cruver, Sr. Pastor of Zarephath Christian Church in New Jersey, returned to the New York Stage for another year. This year he brought along a few friends who performed a skit about the book of Jonah, while also sharing a powerful word of wisdom.

Having the opportunity to close out the Friday activities at the Festival, Mercy Me gave God all the glory. Known as a rock band but very much a worship band, they lead the audience through a series of songs chosen carefully for the venue. The understanding and abundant love the band has for God’s people allowed the band to connect with the audience in a very special way. During their performance a beautiful time of corporate worship and spiritual excitement erupted, leaving everyone in awe of God. With inspiring words and spiritually powerful songs, Bart Millard encouraged the crowd to cling to their faith, remembering that “nothing surprises God.” The Friday New York Stage performances will not soon be forgotten! Each one was uniquely different, yet the same because they were designed to give glory to the God of all creation.

New York Stage

Friday, September 4, 2009

Written by: Aaron Buckingham

For the first time ever on Friday night at the Revelation Generation Festival, performances were scheduled on the Philadelphia Stage. Many who didn’t attended last year, came specifically to enjoy the variety of hard rock bands that have been performing on this stage for the past five years. As a result, the attendance for Friday night managed to double in sized from 2008.

Around 4:30, The Glorious Unseen became the first band ever to perform on the Philadelphia

Stage Friday night. Also scheduled for the Come & Live Stage on Saturday, it was surprising that a worship oriented band would play on a traditional crossover band stage. After talking with my mother who spoke with a member of the band, she confirmed that The Glorious Unseen were also surprised but honored.

Next to perform was a metalcore screamo band from Indiana. Kicking the evening into overdrive, Haste the Day turned up the volume and energy as the crowd immediately responded. Having been active since 2001, this band has toured with many others including the 2008 Philadelphia Stage headliner, As I Lay Dying.

Preparing the audience for the headliner, Emery took to the stage around 6:30pm with a memorable performance. Signed with Tooth & Nail Records, this hardcore band uses a unique style of music that combines rock, pop, and screamo to share their faith. Popular with Christian and secular listeners alike, Emery seemed like the perfect choice to open for Underoath.

Headlining the Philadelphia Stage on Friday night was Underoath. Being popular with many of the same listeners as Emery, the crowd went wild when it was time for them to perform. The crowd bounced and screamed, completely enjoying the atmosphere of the evening. Just before Underoath left the stage, the lead singer confiscated the microphone from the announcer and gave the audience an encore. Everyone went wild with excitement as the band concluded their visit to Revelation Generation 2009

Friday night at Revelation Farms was unforgettable! Adding the Philadelphia Stage to the schedule expanded the choice of music, encouraging more people to attend. Underoath, Emery, Haste the Day, the Glorious Unseen were just a taste of what was yet to come.


Philadelphia Stage


Saturday, September 5, 2009

written by: Aaron Buckingham

Starting early on Saturday morning, the crowd began to filter in quickly to the Philadelphia (Philly) Stage area. Known to have bands that are considered crossover, this stage features hardcore, screamo, and extreme rock and roll music. Anyone interested in starting their day with a mosh pit, the Philly stage is the place to be. Jumping, jamming and just rocking out, that’s what this stage is all about. On Saturday one of the numerous returning bands was August Burns Red. As soon as they took the stage a mosh pit appeared on both sides of the stage. Every one was just running around jumping and rocking out to the great music coming from the stage. I’m pretty sure that even the people attending the concert at the New York stage were able to hear the joyful cries and cheers of excitement coming from the August Buns Red concert.

After August Burns Red had left the stage a band named Norma Jean came out to rock the crowd. Since their establishment they have traveled around with many main stream bands just rocking out for Jesus and enjoying every second of it.


Philadelphia Stage




On Saturday, September 5 the New York Stage schedule for the 2009 Revelation Generation Festival was packed full with great Christian Rock & Roll artists. The original stage from the first Festival five years ago still continues to be a focal point of the whole venue. Each musician to be included is carefully chosen. Then their performance is uniquely designed to best showcase their talent, while still maintaining a focus on the mission to share Jesus Christ with all who attend. This year was no exception!

First to rock the crowd at the New York Stage on Saturday was The Fold. An independent band originating from Chicago, Illinois, this band combines pop, punk and alternative rock to create a sound all their own. Definitely a crowd pleaser, The Fold’s music is great for dancing but also attracts listeners searching for truth.

Seabird was scheduled next to perform on Saturday. Only active since 2004, this band is the “youngest” to perform on the 2009 New York Stage. This accomplishment can be added to others which include having their songs used on the television shows Numbers and Greys’s Anatomy.

Around 2:30 pm, the southern style alternative rock band known as Needtobreathe wowed the audience with their explosive display of energy and skill during their performance. No wonder they won the 2009 Dove Award for “Rock/Contemporary Song of the Year.”

During an intermission of sorts, Justin Lookadoo talked with the audience at the New York Stage. As an author, speaker, and former crime prevention specialist, he has an extreme amount of important information to share.

Getting back to the music, Barlow Girl kicked off the second half of the New York Stage schedule. As the melody flowed off the stage into the audience, the lyrics encouraged listeners to honor God with every choice made in life. Together, these three sisters are an extremely popular rock band that advocate for purity in relationships.

Not just known as a Christian rock band, Relient K is also a popular mainstream band that reaches beyond musical boundaries. The loud welcome from the crowd was a great indicator of their popularity. During the performance, Relient K appeared to be enjoying the crowd as much as they were enjoying the band. They even included new music from Forget and Not Slow Down, a new album released in October 2009.

The headliner for the evening is not a traditional Christian rock band. In fact, Switchfoot is a very popular rock band not restricted by a type of market. When the band began set on the New York Stage, the crowd went wild! Known as a band with exceptionally energetic performances, Switchfoot also encourages the audience to participate in the musical journey throughout the concert. On Saturday, the energy of the band was contagious. especially when Jon Forman, lead singer, decided to venture into the audience more than once.

Great musicians, music, and messages made the performances on Saturday, September 5, 2009 on the New York Stage unforgettable. So many diverse, talented musicians came together to glorify God with the skills He has given, sharing with many who still search for the truth of Jesus Christ. What a beautiful, spirit filled day at Revelation Farms!

New York Stage


Written by: Kathryn Ferrante

Revelation Generation’s Urban Stage is where some of the most talented hip-hop Christian musicians gathered to put on an entertaining show and, most importantly, give glory to God. Although this was the stage’s first year running, the crowd participation and attendance was impressive.

Heesun Lee jumped started the day with her unique blend of poetry and hip-hop. The enthusiasm of the crowd was exhibited through their “bobbing heads” and joyful cheers. Yosh Mysko built upon Heesun Lee’s energy with more rhythms and rhymes that kept the whole tent moving. The Spanish crowd was very enticed with Bengie’s smooth lyrical songs. He knew how to liven up the tent in such a unique way that even monolingual people were dancing.

Slightly different than others, Michael Regalado caused the crowd to become very quiet: but intensified. However, the crowd did not stay quiet for long. Right after Regalado, the Eastern Dance Team revived the crowd to an overwhelming energy that was a very unique performance on the Urban Stage. This Dance Team was young, distinct, and fresh, showcasing their musical abilities through the art of hip-hop dance.

The crowd again calmed, to listen to Lionel King’s way of expressing his musical talent through articulating simple words with meaning. The diverse collection of talent broadened when the Worship Warriors took the stage. Their message was shown through interpreting dance moves, so interesting and complex, that the audience was captivated by them. Gotee Records’ B. Reith performed his style of music with an appealing personality and catchy lyrics. It was hard to walk away without purchasing his latest album.

Every performance, thus far, was distinct and entertaining; the crowd seemed to appreciate every performance, but now it was time to be serious as Pastor Adam Durso willingly professed his personal testimony. He was a promiscuous teen living a very secular life style. It was not till the age of nineteen that Durso experienced God and surrendered his will for God’s. Durso felt called to start a Christian youth sanctuary he now calls Youth Explosion. The result of seven years of hard work paid off as over a thousand teens, through the guidance of Youth Explosion, dedicated their lives to God.

RunAway continued the ministry of Christ shared on the Urban stage through his message of optimism. Trip Lee was scheduled next, and was one of the featured artists. His lyrics challenge listeners to turn their lives towards Christ in their everyday lives. Grits and Group One Crew connected with the crowd on a very intimate level. They are so talented and so passionate about their lyrics and ministry that every member in the crowd seemed to be moved by their sound and energy.

Jack Redmond was the last speaker on the stage. He focused his ministry on empowering people, youth evangelization and challenging people to leadership roles. The night ended with a performance by Lecrae, one of the leading Christian hip-hip rap artists in today’s industry. He sincerely poured his heart out in great humility as he rapped some crowd favorites. The Urban stage, overall, showcased and exceeded expectations. To live up to next year’s expectations will be difficult but after this year’s performances, I have no doubt they will be able to succeed.


URBAN STAGE

NASHVILLE STAGESaturday, September 5, 2009


For two years now, the Nashville Stage has been part of the Saturday activities at the Revelation Generation Festival. Located in a tent that provides shade and shel-ter for the audience, it’s a perfect place to kick back, re-lax, and soak in a beautiful melody. This stage features artists with a country flare, hence the name.

On Friday, September 4, the opening band at the Revelation Generation Festival was Station 153, a worship band from Gateway Baptist Church in New Jersey that performed on the Nashville Stage. This group sang their hearts out while leading the audience in a time of worship and praise. What a great way to start the event!

On Saturday, the Nashville Stage schedule began around 11:30am with the final performance scheduled to start at 7:45pm. First to perform was Corey Crowder, a native of South Carolina. If you like Folk Rock, then you wouldn’t have missed this Tooth & Nail Records artist who released in November 2008 the album, Gold and the Sand.

Taking a short break from his MC duties on the New York Stage, Paul Coleman made his way to the Nash-ville Stage to perform for an absolutely packed tent. Sharing his heart, humor, and music, Paul Coleman captivated the audience’s attention. At times, the crowd was laughing so hard that those passing by might have thought a comedian was performing.

Up next to perform was the lead singer of Switchfoot, Jon Foreman. Not just a rock and roll singer, he is a

very talented guitar player. Even though his musical style is different when performing solo, the crowd still seemed mesmerized by his talented perfor-mance.

At midday Mindy Daleo, a local worship leader, was scheduled to perform. She is a singer/songwrit-er from Central New Jersey who has performed at Café Connections in Flemington, New Jersey.

Roughly an hour later, Bernard Harris shared his unique style that combines jazz, gospel, and rhythm & blues all into one beautiful sound. His current al-bum release, Basses Covered, is a great way to enjoy his unique talent.

Around 5:30pm, Bethany Dillon returned to per-form on the Nashville Stage after being a part of the 2008 Festival. She included new music from her 2009 album release, Stop & Listen. She also shared a powerful message with the audience of many young people who look up to her as a positive role model.

Rounding out a great day of talent on the Nashville Stage was Derek Web, known as being a member of the band Caedmon’s Call. Now performing as a solo artist, he’s created a style all his own. Even though some of his music has been deemed contro-versial, he continues to maintain a large fan base.

A stage with variety! That sums up the uniqueness, creativity and extremely talented musicians show-cased on the Nashville Stage at the 2009 Revelation Generation Festival. This stage has a great atmo-sphere where musicians can connect with the audi-ence in a personal way.


September 4 & 5, 2009


The crowds are gone, the lights dark, and the stages are packed up, returning Revelation Farms to a peaceful quiet for another year. It’s hard to believe that the fifth anniversary of the Revelation Generation Festival has so quickly come and gone. Two great days of concerts happened so fast, but the planning takes so much longer. Is all the invested time and hard work in the Festival worth it? More than many might actually understand! If just one person attending meets Jesus face to face, than yes it’s all worth it. Just one life can change the world. Jesus did!

The 2009 Revelation Generation Festival was certainly a Labor Day weekend to remember. Many Christians came to-gether in Frenchtown, New Jersey to continue an age old tradition of volunteering, by serving in a ministry that reaches beyond the Church walls to individuals in need of Jesus. This two day Festival is changing the hearts, lives, and culture in the northeast United States: an area of darkness where evil hovers. When I think about the ministry of Revelation Generation, Matthew 5:14 (NKJV) comes to mind. Jesus said “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” This Festival is turning the spotlight on Jesus Christ because His children are standing up for truth, loving others as Christ instructed.

For five years the Grom family has chosen to serve their community by opening their farm to become a gathering place once a year for thousands. Switchfoot, Flyleaf, Mercy Me, Underoath, Lecrae, Derek Webb, and My Child, My Bride are a few of the Christian musicians who performed at the 2009 Festival. They represent dedicated individuals to the mission of reaching beyond Church walls. As time moves the world closer to the second coming of Christ, an urgency to reach people with Christ’s love is rising. Bands, volunteers, organizations, Churches, concert goers, and many others flock to Revelation Farms to experience the Grom family commitment to serving God, making a difference in the world today. How about you?

So what’s next for the Revelation Generation Festival? After such a spectacular 2009, I am sure the planning committee is already discussing, organizing, and most importantly praying over next year. Being available for the Creator of Life, the staff willingly listens for direction. The 2010 Festival, as with the past five years, will be a God ordained event crossing all boundaries that keep people from knowing His truth.

To keep up with Revelation Generation happenings throughout the year, be sure to visit their website at www.revgen.org. If you also check www.wohmag.com throughout the year, we will be sporadically posting pictures from the 2009 event. See you next year!

Revelation Generation Festival

Written by: Joseph Kelsey

Rose Gagliardi is 74 years young. She currently lives at The Lemonade House in Hopkins, South Carolina, USA. She was raised in rural Virginia and was baptized in April of 1961. She received the Holy Ghost in November of that same year.

Growing up, she claims to have had a good life. She describes her childhood as being kind of funny because she wasn’t raised by her real parents even though she thought that she was. Instead, she was raised by her father’s sister. She also really had a sister and didn’t know it. While growing up, she couldn’t get to school by bus because there was no school bus for Negroes in Virginia, where she is from.

Some of her greatest accomplishments in life are getting over fears. One of those fears is the fear of dying. She has also realized that a lot of the things that she has feared in life are things that are not Godly. She also believes that fears can paralyze you.

She loves the true stories of the Bible including the story of Joseph. Even though Joseph was sold into slavery to the Egyptians because of his brothers’ jealousies, if his brothers hadn’t betrayed him, he may not have been able to bless his family with food when the famine came. She also likes the story about Hannah. Hannah prayed about not having any children. God answered her prayers and she had a son, named Samuel. Like many, she also likes the 23rd Psalm.

When asked if she has ever seen anything she could not explain, she said “not really, but”; one time she did dream about a friend who was about to get married but the marriage didn’t happen. And then a month later, the same friend’s marriage really didn’t happen.

The people she most looks up to is Christ and her former pastor. She would like to know how Christ endured the things that He went through. She also wants to meet Him.

During her midlife she was once an office manager and a medical assistant. After retiring she was a missionary who worked with homeless people and AIDS victims. She mainly fed the hungry. She has also done a lot of traveling around the world and the USA.

Her favorite animals are cats and her favorite sport is softball. She also feels that when you fall down, don’t wallow. What God has for you, no one can take it away from you.

10 Wings of Hope Holiday Issue 2009 11 Wings of Hope Holiday Issue 2009


written by: Sheryn Buckingham

Wrapped in swaddling clothes and sleeping in a manger is where the Creator of the universe was found by shepherds over 2000 years ago. On this day now referred to as Christmas, we need to revisit the lowly stable where God first slept in human flesh as baby Jesus. Kind of a strange but amazing thought that the God of all came to earth a baby in human flesh. Just think how much He must love us to visit earth! John 3:16 (KJV) says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” WOW! That is a really big deal! The God of all loves us so much that He gave His Son Jesus so that we may have everlasting life.

Now that I have your attention, please think about this question. If the Creator of all loves us this much, why do we insist on looking for love in other places? Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-38 (KJV) “Thou shalt love the Lord, thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.” How can we

keep the first and most important commandment of our Designer if we are too busy trying to fill our “love spot“ in our heart with earthly love?

I know what God said in Genesis 2:15 about it not being good for man to live alone, but Paul shares in 1 Corinthians 7:1 (KJV) that “it is good for a man not to touch a woman” but he then continues to tell the Corinthians why marriage can be best. With these thoughts in mind, I do believe that marriage is a beautiful institution but why do we insist on finding our soul mate when only God knows who He created us for? This might just be why so many marriages do not continue until death and why so many people struggle to accept the unconditional love relationship that God desires to have with every individual.

Considering how many families in this generation do not necessarily include both biological parents with their children, it can be really difficult for an individual growing up to actually understand unconditional love or accept it. Even when a child grows up with both parents, the child might still not understand what a real love relationship is if the parents are not

in love with Jesus first. This is a very good reason why loving God first and allowing Him to bring your partner for marriage is a very smart idea. When our most important relationship is God through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus, our “love spot” will overflow with unconditional love.

This generation, along with many past, have lost their focus on the Good Shepherd. For even though God’s children like sheep have gone astray, each child is still very special to Him. Jesus provided an example of how special when speaking in John 10:11 (KJV) saying, “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” If children do not know unconditional love from their earthly parents, it can be hard for them to recognize the real love relationship of the Father God!

Jesus Christ came to earth to create a way for humans to have the greatest love relationship there is. This life is only found in a relationship with God our Creator through Christ our Savior. Christ’s sacrifice provided a way for the Holy Spirit to come to earth and dwell in the hearts of individuals, creating a love relationship that satisfies, one between us and our Creator that is unconditional!

Please seek and share with others the only love relationship that can change the world. Three in one is the only way to have real love in a world where we have been made to love. Remember, Jesus said “If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” (John 14:23).

May the Love of Christ be abundantly present this holiday season!

Holiday Traditions

By Debbie Button

Which holiday traditions are most important to you and your family? Since early in my childhood, my parents always made sure that we had great holidays. It’s not that we always received every Christmas present that we wanted but we always had a wonderful dinner and the house was filled with family. All of our aunts and uncles and cousins, as well as grandparents, would come to our house each bearing a different contribution to the dinner. My grandmother would usually bring her specialty stuffing. As much as I love my grandmother, I didn’t like any creative spin on this important part of the dinner. She liked to add sausage, oysters or mushrooms to the stuffing whereas I just like the traditional bread stuffing. My aunt would bring a Jello salad where she cubed different flavors of Jello and stirred it into a cloud of Dream Whip. Mom and Dad usually made the turkey which was always delicious. Mom would put the turkey in the oven around midnight so it would be done when we got up in the morning. Of course, she was up in the night basting it while we were snoozing away. These memories of holiday traditions are stored away in a special place in my heart.

Now that I have my own family, I have created some new traditions. We always have a turkey and stuffing dinner for Thanksgiv-ing and Christmas and we invite anyone who doesn’t have a place to go for the day to spend the day with us. But the tradition I really enjoy is spending an entire day with my daughter making dozens and dozens of Christmas cookies. Each year the number of different varieties of cookies grows. We are probably making about 10 or 12 different kinds each year. This

cookies for the four police officers! What a good thing to be able to send them away munching on our cookies.

Remember, the holidays are about remembering God’s goodness and sharing Jesus with others. If you have money, give gifts. If you have cookies, give cookies!

Cake Mix Cookies

1 box cake mix (any brand, any flavor)

2 large eggs

½ cup vegetable oil

Optional to add in: raisins, dried cherries or cranberries, nuts, choc-olate chips, etc.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine dry cake mix, eggs and oil. Then add any one or more of the add-ins. Using a teaspoon, drop onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool. (Makes about 4 dozen)

year my daughter created the most delicious cookie. Using a yellow cake mix for the base of the cookie, she chopped pista-chios, dried cran-berries and white chocolate chips and added it to the batter before baking. Yum! (I made a batch us-ing a Devil’s Food cake mix and stirred in chocolate chips and nuts.) Since my daughter works full time, I usually prepare the batter for about six of the varieties before our baking day. I make the cookie dough and put it into sealable plastic bags. That way we can begin baking while we are preparing the dough for other batches of cookies.

I even bought matching aprons for us. I don’t think my daugh-ter fully appreciates the beauty of mother and daughter in matching outfits. She “forgot” to wear her apron last year. Actually, my lit-tle grandson enjoyed wearing the apron while he made chocolate chip cookies with me. This is an-other part of our effort at creating lasting traditions and memories. I encourage my grandson to help me cook and bake. I believe that boys should be encouraged in the kitchen, as much as girls should be taught to mow the lawn.

We like to distribute cookie bas-kets to family and friends, as well as eating our share. We give cook-ies to the mail lady and to the package delivery guy. One year, some fluke caused a call to go into 911 and the police showed up at our door asking if we were in any danger. When we assured them that we were fine, we packed up


Unconditional Love of Christ

Deck the Halls:

But not the Landfills

Written by: Denise Baxley

Have you ever noticed how large the trash piles are on December 26th? You can tell just who got a new television or game system and even whose parents stayed up all night putting together a bicycle. So, how can you tell all this? Cardboard packaging, wrapping paper, polystyrene (Styrofoam) and dead evergreen trees! What do you think happens to all that trash? Do sugar plum fairies whisk it off to Never Never Land? Maybe the elves gather it and use it to make next year’s presents. Not a chance. Like all of our other trash, it just ends up at the landfill. Not a very merry outcome, is it?

So, what are we to do? Not buy presents? Not wrap them? Buy an artificial tree? There is actually no need to make drastic changing to your lifestyle to be green. No hugging of trees or becoming a vegan required. There are many simple options to get your holiday season on the green track. Let’s start with an easy one: the tree. Many municipalities offer free mulching. To find out if your city offers a service just call the solid waste department. You can also contact local plant nurseries. Whether they use it themselves or offer the mulch for sale it shouldn’t be too difficult finding one to take your tree.

The next thing we’ll deal with is all that cardboard packaging. What most people don’t realize is that corrugated cardboard is recyclable. When we lived in Florida the city offered curbside recycling and yet

cup of tea, take the time to collect the wrapping paper and put it in with your newspaper to be recycled.

Now for the polystyrene. What about that? Well, I was actually surprised to find out that many recycling centers are now accepting it. If you are in the United States you can go to the web site, Earth911.com, type in what you want to recycle and your zip code to find out where you can recycle the material. You may also consider finding ways to reuse it. Some keep it to use as packing material. I’ve also heard that craft shops may be willing to take it because their customers use it for crafts. Call around.

The bottom line is that it’s your choice just how much or how little holiday recycling you will do. So, as you’re jingling your bells and decking your halls, consider the size of the pile you will be sending to the landfill on the 26th.

time and again I’d walk out on garbage day and see my neighbors with television boxes, appliance boxes, all types of boxes not broken down and folded in the recycle bin but just haphazardly sticking out of the garbage can. Ironically, they’d have their recycle bin sitting right next to the can with cans and bottles. If you have curbside recycling, great! If not, you may be able to take cardboard boxes to a local recycling center.

My husband’s grandmother used to save wrapping paper. She’d go around after the presents were unwrapped, fold up the paper into little squares and then put it all away until the next year. She would save the bows and ribbons too. Some might have called her frugal. Some may even have called her cheap. Who knew that she was just ahead of her time? She was green before it was politically correct. If saving squares of paper is not your

Tis the Season:How To Avoid Holiday Debt

Year after year millions of people go overboard with their spending during the season. Then after the holidays are over the bills start arriving. According to the American Consumer Credit Council the average American spends $935 while carrying credit card debt totaling $8,562. That may just seem like numbers to you, but let’s break it down logically. Most people are spending a great deal of money that they just do not have. Is that the ‘spirit’ of Messiah’s birth, mountains of debt?

But no one wants to be a ‘grinch’, right? The whole point is to be giving, isn’t it? Well, if you’re giving with borrowed money, is it you that’s really giving? How many have financed their giving year after year and then ended up defaulting on their debt? Who ends up paying for that? The corporations just write it off, don’t they? They’re rich so it’s no big deal, right? That’s the way I used to think.

Do you think the CEO or other executives say, “Hey, we brought in less money because of these write-offs so I think we’ll just lower our salaries and forego taking a bonus this year.” No, it’s much easier for them to merely pass it on to the borrowers who actually pay

but your income covers all your monthly expenses plus all your debt payments, you may want to consider limiting your holiday budget to only spending the cash you have leftover for the month. And if you are swimming in debt and don’t know how or if you’ll be able to cover your monthly payments, don’t spend anything or spend very, very little!

There are thoughtful gifts you can give that cost little to nothing. Free car wash certificates for friends and family. No charge babysitting services for those who have children. You’d be surprised what you can find at local yard sales or thrift stores. Freecycle and Craigslist have free offers that can really help struggling parents. Pray about it. If He fed five thousand with a few fish and loaves, then He can certainly bring a smile to the face of your loved ones with what you have in your pocket. Hey, if it’s really the thought that counts, maybe we just need to start thinking a lot harder and spending less.

their bills. In the light of all that, was it really the spirit of giving that encouraged all that excess spending? Or was it a different spirit?

A 2006 survey by the National Retail Federation shows an illuminating glimpse of some not-so-selfless giving. They found that the average American shopper spends more on themselves ($99.22) than they spend on any other individual on their shopping list ($85.60). Add to that the fact that, though most would never admit it, many give with an expectation of a reciprocal gift and all that ‘self-less’ spending starts looking suspiciously ‘selfish’. Well, just maybe.

Am I being a ‘scrooge’, advocating a giftless holiday season? Not at all. What I am advocating is a more thoughtful process that involves more than just a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. Remember, it is our God that tells us that the borrower is servant to the lender (Proverbs 22:7). And also tells us that no one can serve two masters (Luke 16:13). Why would God encourage us through His Holy Spirit to sink further into servitude to some earthly lender? That’s right, He wouldn’t!

So, what do you do? If you have no debt and plenty of income, set a reasonable budget and stick to it. If you have some debt,


Written by: Randa Mann

Have you heard the following responses from your children or possibly even said them yourselves? “…in a minute…hold on…in a sec…okay-okay!” How often when you request something of your children do they reply by putting off the task you desire? This is typical delayed obedience. It creeps into our homes as a learned behavior, and yes, we taught our children this action-or lack of action response. The Lord gives commandments to us in Exodus to help make our lives prosperous and relevant. Command is a strong word and requires forceful action. Too many modern approaches in child-rearing implore us to “offer more praise, do not be so harsh, and think of the child’s feelings”, however, by practicing these techniques have we become soft disciplinarians? Have we taught our children to be disobedient? The most efficient way to turn this frustrating behavior around would be to counter-respond “delayed obedience is disobedience”. Explain to your children that you expect

immediate action when you make a request. Practice this yourself. Stop using delay tactics when parenting! Respond as quickly as possible to valid requests from your children. This re-learned behavior not only will decrease friction in your families but also keep them safe. A recent example of immediate obedience from our 17 year old, Alex, saved both his and his younger brother’s life. While walking in New York City, many pedestrians were not obeying the crosswalk signs at intersections. We too began the practice of following the crowd; until my husband spotted a yellow cab speeding into the intersection. He immediately said one word to Alex, “stop”; if Alex had taken one more step he and Robert would have been hit by the taxi! Had he delayed his obedience, questioned his father’s authority or just turned a deaf ear, his disobedience would have resulted in a tragedy. Let us not forget the Lord commands us to “honor thy father and mother that thy days may be long upon the land the Lord thy God giveth thee (Exodus 20:12).” We have a God-given gift and right to protect our children, and expect honor through obedience.Until next time-Randa and the Mann Clan


When we are busy raising our children we sometimes need to slow down or even stop, take inventory of where we are and figure out new techniques to help us on our journey. We also need to remember that when working with two parents, step parents, grandparents or single parents, everyone needs to be on the same page with expectations and strategies for child rearing. Although we all have different approaches, my hope in the following parenting columns will be to provide you with ideas and concepts that may help you enjoy the ride on the journey of parenting! Love ya, mean it, Randa Mann

(Randa and David Mann have been married 21 years and have 6 children ranging from age 3 to 19. With one in his 2nd year in college all the way down to preschool, life can be very demanding-they commonly call this parenting venture: blissful chaos. They have home schooled for 12 years and enjoy traveling with their family to fun and exciting places.)

Delayed Obedience is Disobedience

Darkest Days May Hold Greatest Potential

Written by: Brian Raison, CollegeFaith.org

We are quickly approaching the longest night of the year. Most of our national and world economic news remains gloomy. Together, the dark days and bad news tend to dampen the holiday spirit and leave me wondering what’s going to happen next. Can it get any worse?

I recently realized this was the wrong question. Instead, I have learned to see this as a critical time—a juncture at which we are given an opportunity to stagnate or leap ahead.

Right now, we may feel as if it’s all bad news; but in fact, we may be closer than we can imagine to our next job, a life-changing idea, or the repair of a broken relationship. We may be on the brink of a great breakthrough. But we must not stop short, or we may miss the chance.

In Many Miles to Go: a Modern Parable for Business Success (Entrepreneur Press, 2003), Brian Tracy encourages us to take that next step. “Most great success in life comes just one step beyond where you are ready to quit. There is a time in your life when you feel yourself suddenly beyond caring, completely willing to accept the outcome, whatever it is. But you persist anyway. And at that moment, fate intervenes. Destiny acts. Something happens.”

In business and life…and in our Christian walk…success requires persistence. At times, it also requires some courage and risk-taking. The key is to mitigate the

risk by first learning as much as you can about the situation.

Tracy continues, “Never wish for things to be easier. Instead, wish you were stronger and better. Never seek the easy way out. Instead look for the hard way through.” The Apostle Paul echoed this same idea two thousand years ago when he encouraged us to “press on” toward the mark and move on toward the goal of becoming more like Christ.

Life is filled with highs and lows; but rarely does it throw problems too big

to handle. Frequently, we may find we need to ask for help. But that’s okay! We should never hesitate to ask. Our collective wisdom is far stronger than our individual knowledge. The Bible’s fairly clear on this one too: if we ask, God will grant us wisdom for living.

Often, we create (or tightly hold) a barrier to personal growth. This is commonly referred to as our comfort zone. But discomfort frequently signals growth. The French poet-philosopher Guillaume Apollinaire wrote: Come to the edge. We can’t. We are afraid. Come to the edge. We can’t. We will fall! Come to the edge.

And they came. And he pushed them… and they flew.

Your comfort zone is very familiar to you. But just outside of it is where your growth potential awaits. If you want to discover marvelous things about yourself, take a few steps out of your comfort zone.

We encourage our children to do this all the time. Whether in school, a new sport, an unrecognizable food, or a scary roller-coaster… we know they

must try it before they’ll know if they like it or not! But I wonder if we forget to use these same encouragements on ourselves as we grow older.

During these dark days, I’m planning to take some time to reflect… to challenge myself to look just past my comfort zone and see if I can discover the great potential that awaits. My starting point will be in remembering how blessed our nation has been throughout the past two centuries and how thankful I am for all we have.

Then, I’ll take that next step to become involved, to participate in life, and to encourage a new message of hope to our young people in 2010. The holiday season provides the perfect time to begin. Will you join me?


Poverty is not a station in life, poverty is an attitude. Most people define poverty as a social status, how rich or poor you are. I have recently discovered that the definition of poverty can go deeper than money and describe a person’s attitude.

So many people see the life styles of the rich and famous and think that is how life is supposed to be lived. Throughout the years this philosophy has been perpetuated by the media. Where people started out viewing celebrity status as entertainment, they now view it as how everyone should live. But what if we took that aspect out of our culture? Would not the monetary expectancy change? This is the story of how I came about answering those questions.

In July of 2008, I had the amazing opportunity of going to Honduras on a mission trip. I first thought this would be the most spiritual fulfilling experience of my life because we were going to help and witness to the people of Honduras. However, I soon found out that this would be the most humbling experience of my life, because of how the people and children of Honduras witnessed to me.

On Friday, July 7th, 2008, 13 people from my church loaded up in a van and hit the road to the Knoxville airport in Tennessee. On the way to the airport we all talked about how excited we were and how much fun it was going to be. Our first flight landed in Houston, Texas, and from there we were off to Honduras!

Anticipation grew higher and higher as we flew towards San Pedro Sula. When we landed

in Honduras, everyone was so overwhelmed by the excitement of being in another country that we all forgot about the fact we were thousands of miles away from home. Going through customs is when the reality of that sank in. There was no one who looked like, or even spoke the same language as we did in that entire building except for our one translator. With the help of our translator, Alfredo Escobar, we slowly but surely made it through. One by one we reached the other side, ready to go out and make a difference.

Grabbing our luggage, we walked outside to a spectacular view. The airport was surrounded by the most beautiful mountains and countryside I have ever seen in my life. But that’s not why we were there. We were supposed to go and do the will of God and serve the people of Honduras, or at least we thought. Right outside the airport there were two vans and a trucked parked on the side of the road. Those were obviously for us.

“Let’s start to load up...” our team leader started to call out. For some reason though, four little Honduran men had already taken our luggage and started loading it in the truck for us. How could this be, we were supposed to help them, but they had already started catering to us before we had even found out what our task was. It was so confusing to us how 4 people that didn’t know us or even speak the same language as we did would humble themselves enough to pack all of our heavy bags.

Amazed by the country and the people, we all loaded up in the

The Beauty of Povertywritten by: Josh New

vans and headed for the city of El Paraiso. Driving from the airport and through the capital city, everything seemed normal. They had paved roads, big buildings, and even street lights. It wasn’t until we reached our destination that the thought of poverty came into play.El Paraiso was a small town about an hour or two away from the capital city, Tegucigalpa. It had dirt roads and one bedroom shack houses put together by whatever they could find. There was no wonder as to why they needed our help. We all began sharing about how pitiful and miserable these people must be. But oh how wrong we were.

Walking down the muddy street everyday to the worksite, we couldn’t find all the unhappy little children in despair. All we saws were mobs of laughing, smiling kids playing soccer or with marbles. Even the adults, the people who were supposed to know that there was a “better” life out there somewhere were smiling. They seemed to be more happy to be there then we did, and we were the missionaries that was supposed to bring happiness and peace to the people. How were we supposed to put smiles on the faces of Honduran people if the smiles were already there, and bigger and brighter than our own? I had so many questions, with so few answers.

The only way I felt that I could answer these questions was to spend time with them and put myself in their shoes. Not being able to speak their same language, I had to find a common interest we both had to help me communicate with them. Finding that was not hard at all. I played soccer for the school back


home, and everywhere I looked down there, I saw soccer. So a few friends and I went and got a soccer ball. Everything soon fell into place after that.

I had so much fun playing soccer with those kids. All we had was a ball, a group of people, and a dirt road. But I was content with that, because i had more fun there than I have ever had back at home playing in a game. I soon realized, the people weren’t sad because of what they didn’t have, they were happy because of what they did have. They didn’t care about being rich, or being famous. They just cared about being alive. To them, their way of life was life, not poverty. They had grown up without money and so it didn’t matter to them if they had it or not. That’s how I believe we all should be. Your way of life is your life, not poverty. Being in a place where social class means nothing, really made me understand that social class really does mean nothing. These people lived in much worse conditions than what Americans view as poverty, yet their attitudes toward life are so much more positive and better than half of the people in America who don’t live in poverty.

Going to this place really opened my eyes to some new thoughts on things, mainly poverty. If poverty is defined by how you live, then is it really an issue of how much money you have? Or is it more along the lines of how much happiness you have? To me, poverty is a sad, sad thing that many people face on a day to day basis. But we have taken the true meaning of poverty and transformed it into labeling people who have less than we do to make us feel better, when really, we are the ones living in poverty because of our outlooks on life. Life is what YOU make it, not what some social norm makes it. Either you live in poverty or you don’t. No one can decide that for you but you.


Written by: R.M. Colon

From sunny California to the world is our featured Second life performer “AcouticEnergy Nitely”, known in the real world as James Olmos. James recalls he was often singing and performing while standing on a coffee table in his home as a child (though once to his detriment he fell off and required stitches). His first experience before an audience was while in the Second Grade in a school performance of “Johnny Apple Seed” where he was the star character. He had a desire to perform which would flourish as he grew older.

His interest in music as a musician began when he was 13 years of age when his best friend introduced him to the guitar. James says his friend had several guitars and James was particularly attracted to the uncommon instrument, a 12 string. He began to play around with the instruments and found his passion. He received a few lessons from his friend and with his inherent talent he progressed on his own.

He continued to explore the music instruments and developed the ability to play drums and keyboard, but his main instrument continued to be the guitar. I inquired if there are any other musicians in the family and discovered that the only other musically inclined member of the family is his sister who played the flute and a couple of chords on the guitar. As he continued to develop his talent he had his first opportunity to perform at an “Open Mic” event when he was still in his teens. His passion for music continued to develop and lead to songwriting. “Songs simply come to me, sometimes the pieces of words first, sometimes the melody”. James recalls his

first poems were written at a very young age. As he developed his ability to play instruments the transition to song writing came naturally. “I usually write a song in one sitting and never change it when I’m finished”. And so he developed his abilities as singer/songwriter which continue to this day.

Now how did he enter the virtual world of Secondlife (here

after referred to as SL)? James’ experience with computers was mainly chatting online and for work purposes; he admits he is not necessarily a computer geek. He was introduced to SL through online friends in “skype” (see skype.com). Upon entering SL on January 26, 2008 he explored and discovered another avenue to use his God given talent of music. His first performance in the virtual world was at a site called “Drunken Mermaid”. Thereafter he has been performing in SL on a regular basis. His talents are not just used to entertain in real life and Second Life but he has also been using his talent as worship leader and at times in special music performances in real life church. He has been a Christian for over 25

years. In SL he also has praise and worship concerts and with original compositions which touch the hearts and minister to many, (Mark 16:15 “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation”.) He reaches the world with a personal touch through SL.

Music is described as the universal language and the computer generated virtual world is his connection to the real world (global). The guitar he uses is a Martin DC-16GTE acoustic/electric which runs through a Tascam FW-1884 mixer. He uses two Sony Vaio computers for which he uses one to run the SAM program for streaming and recording and the second computer runs SL and all other programs.

James Olmos travels globally in the field of sales and he touches the

world with his music as AcousticEnergy Nitely. He sings songs that entertain and also has the opportunity to sing songs with a message. His music brings you to tap your foot and others move your heart. What an awesome tool modern technology has given to this gifted musician to touch the world with his music and message.

If you are in the virtual world of SL, drop into one of his concerts and feel the joy. For more information on obtaining his music you can contact AcousticEnergy Nitely on Facebook or check his MySpace site or email him at [email protected].

Universal Troubadour


A Miraclewritten by: Alicia Swann as told to Margie Baxley

On October 7, I came from work at 3:30. I called my daughter Margie to let her know that I was home. My husband was gone hunting. When I was talking to her I felt a terrible pain in my head. It got worse so I told her about the pain and she told me to hang up and call 911. I hung up the phone, called 911, unlocked the door and tried to take my blood pressure medicine and then I sat down at the dining room table. After that I have no memory of what happened.

Margie later told me, that after she and my grandson Josh left to come to my house she called me again and I didn’t answer. When she got here, the EMTs were here and I was slumped over in the chair. She said they asked me a couple questions and I answered, then they carried me out to the ambulance. I don’t have any memory of this. She said she and Josh waited 15 minutes before the ambulance left. By the time they made it to the hospital, I had slipped into a coma and had to be intubated. The doctor told her that there were 2 kinds of strokes, a bleed or a clot. With a clot they had a couple hours to undo the damage. He later told her that it was a bleed, that I was in a coma and to get my family together to say our goodbyes, because I probably wouldn’t make it through the night.

Margie called my granddaughter Renee’ and she started making phone calls and came to the hospital. One by one, my grandchildren came in to see me, knowing it was the last time they would. Alex told Margie that she should call a priest to do the last rights, since I had been catholic for many years. Alex called his priest, Father Kelly. Margie then went back outside to make phone calls; people had been

praying since I first had the pain, when we were on the phone. She was updating them. One friend told her that she needed to have 3 people to pray for me but they were only allowing 2 in the room at a time. Margie then went back to my room and Josh was standing outside and the priest had just arrived, that made 3 people. They went into my room and prayed for me, while the priest performed the last rights. Josh later told Margie that he didn’t want to be there, had already said goodbye but everytime he tried to leave, something told him to go back in there, which is why he was still there.

While I was in the coma, I found myself in a place I had never been before. To the left there were a lot of trees, to the right was daylight with a long road in the middle with no end.There were 2 long poles, one was black, very

erie. The other was white with a radiant glow. I was holding on to the white one, like I was pulled towards it. While I was holding it, I felt a peace, joy and no pain, a feeling that I have never felt in my life. I did not want to leave. Then I heard a man’s voice behind me. I could not see his face. He was speaking to me, but I don’t remember what he said. I told him that I had helped my daughter. It was like judgement day. Then he told me that what I had done was good and that God was pleased, that I had not done it just for my daughter, but for Jesus. He said that he knew what I had done and wished that others would help one another. Then he told me that the man that would be elected was put there by God, that I must pray for him and tell others to pray. I didn’t like one of the men running for president. Then he told me that I had to leave, that I couldn’t stay there. He told me to go and tell others what I had seen and heard.

Then I opened my eyes. This was 30 minutes after the priest had said the last rights. My husband had just gotten there and was begging me not to leave and he said “Honey, I’m here” and I woke up.

The next day my daughter told me that I had a massive stroke. It damaged the right side of my body. They had

her. So she said she would come and while I spoke she would type this for me. I told the Lord that it was done, that I couldn’t do this on my own. I still can’t talk for very long, but I have a letter board that I can point out the letters on.

I have come a long way. After the stroke, I was paralyzed on my entire body, then as prayers were answered, I started to regain feeling and movement. I now have total control of my left side and my right side is improving. I am now being weaned off of the ventilator after being told I would be be on it for my entire life. With the help of my physical therapist, I made 3 steps. That is a blessing since I was told I wouldn’t walk again.

I am so thankful, for my husband, my son and my daughters and grandchildren and my friends and my Pastor and others from my church, that have been here for me. I want to thank everyone from the magazine for praying for me. People need to know not to give up, to turn to God. My faith is strong, I know that I will make it.

I know that God left me here to tell people what I have been through. I know that one day I will stand before people and be able to speak about what happened to me.

to put a trach tube in and a feeding tube, and I have been on a ventilator since.

I couldn’t talk, because of the tubes and later the trach. So I couldn’t tell anyone about my experience. A month later, I had a dream that I heard a man’s voice again, behind me. I was alone. Then he faced me and said that I had not done what I was supposed to do. I was thinking that I couldn’t speak, so how was I supposed to tell anyone. He told me to go back and tell my daughter Margie to tell everyone about what I had seen and heard. When I woke up I told Margie and she said she would use her magazine to tell everyone. After that I felt peace. When I was telling her I was writing it with my left hand and I had to stop because I was too weak. After that I was unable to write with my left hand anymore. I was in the hospital for a few months. It was a hard time, if it wasn’t for God I wouldn’t have made it.

My family has been faithful to me, they were always there for me. I couldn’t walk, eat, drink or talk. I was waiting for my voice to come back so I could tell Margie what all the man had told me. On Sunday August 16th, I was awake and reminded that I had never finished the story for Margie. She came to see me that afternoon and I told


Romans 12:2“Do not conform to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (NIV)

Written by: Morgan Baxley

Nowadays on the internet, you have to keep on your toes. You’re always wondering who’s trying to scam you, who’s stealing your identity, who your kids are talking to, the list goes on. Most social

networking sites are beyond unsafe, but there is one that you can actually trust. It’s called Yoursphere, and it’s very cool. Not only cool, but it’s safe. It’s only for kids and teens, and it does a predator database check.

Yoursphere is full of fun games and contests with safety tips and fun facts all over the site. On Yoursphere you’ll find these things called Spheres. Most of them are user-created and they are within the 11 categories ranging from Sports to Music to Fashion and everything in between. Once you join a Sphere you can do a few things with it. You can add videos from Youtube, pictures, and you can also write on the Sphere’s “wall”. The main point of Spheres is to find other people whom you share common

interests with.

Not only is Yoursphere fun because of the Spheres, another cool angle of it is that when you contribute in any way throughout the site (posting, voting, etc.), you earn credits that you can redeem for a prize (iPod, boots, Wii, laptop, DVDs, gift cards, and more). Could Yoursphere get any better? Probably not. Although it is awesome that Mary Kay Hoal, the owner of Yoursphere, is going to have a column in WOH Magazine in 2010.

Romans 12:2“Do not conform to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (NIV)


Thankful Giving: The Heart of the HolidaysWritten by: Lauren Hardy, Teen Scene Writer

Prepare yourself for those cheesy Christmas tunes - Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s are fast approaching yet again. The annual traditions of the winter months: roasting turkey, mixing mashed potatoes, eating pumpkin pie, giving thanks, decorating Christmas trees, wrapping presents, and drinking hot cocoa are just a few of the staple activities of the holidays. But what if we implemented a new tradition? What if something else became a staple of the holidays? Thanksgiving is not merely a feast of delicacies; thanksgiving is a historical annual event. Its origins reach back to 1621 when the Plymouth Colonists and Native Americans celebrated the harvest and gave thanks for a successful bounty of crops. Today, Thanksgiving festivities remain the same, however the meaning is different. How is a successful harvest relevant to us today and how can we relate? Sure, we can thank God for our food - although that only scratches the surface - but there is so much more to be thankful for. One of the biggest mistakes Christians can make is taking things for granted. I believe that sometimes it is hard to relate to those who are desperate and struggling because, in America, the majority of us have been blessed with more than enough to live. We go on living our lives and too often forget about the millions of other people who are less fortunate. In 2 Corinthians 9:12 Paul writes, “This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God” (NIV). This particular verse is talking about giving with a thankful heart. In addition to expressing gratitude on Thanksgiving we should turn around and give graciously to God and to others on Christmas. In the last issue I discussed the topic of peer pressure. Instead of being influenced by the world, we are to be positive influences to the world around us. Taking that into consideration, let’s apply it to the holidays. What would happen if others witnessed our thankfulness and giving? As believers, we can influence others to act similarly. We can make thankful giving a yearly, or perhaps, daily tradition. Next time you see someone who is suffering or in need, reach out your hand. The world could be an entirely different place if all of mankind began to help one another. We are servants of Christ; we have been blessed to be a blessing to others. Remember this holiday season: it is not about us, it is about God and His plan. He came to the world to offer up His life to save us. He gave ultimately with His life, He was the ultimate giver. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas :)!


Gen 1:26-27, And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God cre-ated he him; male and female created he them. (KJV)

About Me

I was born in a small town in upstate New York. I have been a born again Christian for 21 years. Gideon Tomsen is a pseudonym that I use in the virtual world known as Second Life. In Second Life and in Real Life I write for Wings of Hope Magazine.

Gideon’s WellWhen people hear the word foundation they generally think of a building. The foundation is the part of the building that sits on or extends into the ground, the deeper the foundation the stronger the building… generally speaking. Founda-tions exist in Christianity too. Our Foundation is Jesus Christ and the better we know Him the deeper our foundation is. Isaiah 28:16 says Jesus is a “tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation. The one who trusts in Him will never be dismayed.” The cornerstone is often the first piece of the foundation to be laid. If the cornerstone is off the rest of the foundation will be also. One defini-tion of cornerstone is that of “An indispensable and fundamental basis.” Isaiah 33:5 and 6 says Jesus is a rich store of salvation, wisdom and knowledge. We need all of that and the only way we can get it is by getting to know Him better. You get to know God by reading His word, Romans 10:17 says you gain Faith by hearing the Word of God and hearing by reading the Word. I read out loud so I can hear myself. Prayer is talking to God and one way to get to know someone is to talk to them. Prayer helps you to get to know God. He will even tell you what to pray. If you have a prayer language, speaking in tongues is another way to get to know God. 1 Cor. 14:2 says that when you speak in an unknown tongue you don’t speak to man but to God.

Ok, so why do we need to know Jesus better? Matthew 7:21-27 says that on judgment day those who come to Jesus saying, “Lord, Lord” and do not do the will of His father in Heaven will be told by Him to go away “for He never knew them.” You get to know the will of the Father by getting to know the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit better through everything mentioned so far. There are other ways to get to know Jesus, meditation is another way. I don’t mean the type where you keep repeating some meaningless word as some heathens do. The type of meditation I am talking about means that you find a quiet place and time then read a passage and contemplate its meaning for several minutes, half an hour or even a full hour… maybe more. If this is done repeatedly it gets the Word down into your heart where it starts to do its work and change us into what the Father wants us to be.

I am not one to put great emphasis on works because our relationship with Jesus should be the most important thing in our lives. There is however an important aspect to works, this is that we are supposed be exemplifying Jesus in our every-day lives. The reading, praying, speaking in tongues and meditation will prepare us for this. We are then able to go out and show the world what Jesus looks like and after worship that is what we are here for.

FoundationsWritten By: Doug Townsend

Droid Reviewwritten by: Robert New

Thirteen months ago I needed a new phone, to save myself embarrassment I won’t go through the details of how my Treo ended up in the washing machine. But needless to say it was about the same time the new Blackberry Bold was coming out. I had always wanted a Blackberry and since all of my family was on AT&T I decided to switch from Sprint and get one. I debated long and hard on the iPhone, but never really liked the idea of a virtual keyboard. So I pulled the trigger and ordered it.

From day one I never regretted getting the Bold, and I still love it. But AT&T has horrendous service where I live. The connectivity is so bad when I take a picture with my Bold, I can’t send it to anyone as an MMS. And forget about making calls inside my office, it just isn’t going to happen.But last week I started noticing the commercials for Verizon and the Motorola Droid. And I have been wanting to try out the Google Android system for quite some time.

So with 11 months left on my AT&T contract, I ordered a Droid. After all, everyone needs two smart phones!

As I write this I have only had the Droid three days, so I am still learning a lot about it. But let me say so far I have not been disappointed on anything I have tried. Right out of the box I noticed the heft of the phone. It just feels solid. The design is simple yet

functional. Not a lot of curves, but a square design with angular features.

The phone has a 3.7-inch capacitive touch screen with an amazing resolution of 480 x 854. Compare to the iPhone which has a 3.5-inch screen with a resolution of 480 x 320. One thing the iPhone has that the Droid has disabled is multi-touch, for some people a deal breaker, but not important to me.

The Droid sports the same chip as the iPhone 3GS and Palm Pre. I found it to be very responsive, and my friends who have tried it who own a myriad of other brands, including iPhones, heartily agreed. Another thing I loved immediately was the full size 3.5mm headphone jack.One thing I liked about the Droid is the fact it has both a virtual keyboard and a slide out keyboard. I have to admit the Bold keyboard spoiled me and I’m having a harder time getting used to the flat keys on the Droid. And my fat thumbs always struggle with the virtual ones, I tend to always be a letter off when typing. I am getting used to it the more I use it though.

One of the complaints I read before buying it was that the 5 megapixel camera was slow to focus and didn’t take as good a picture as expected. If I want to concentrate on pictures, I will use my digital camera. I never expect my phone to be equivalent to a Nikon digital SLR camera. I took some pictures with it and I am very happy with the results.

One thing the Droid excels at is syncing with your Gmail and Google accounts. But why not, it is their operating system! And the built in GPS function is excellent. Given Verizon’s extensive 3G coverage and the utilization of Google maps and Google latitude the turn by turn GPS is very impressive-and free, unlike the iPhone and AT&T which charges for their GPS feature.

Overall I would highly recommend the Droid. I am now faced with a dilemna, which phone do I want to keep as my primary phone. The Blackberry Bold exceeded my expectations when I started using it, but it is let down by the network coverage. The Droid has the network coverage and has wowed me, but I’m still learning it and setting up the features and functions. What is a geek to do? Check back in a few months and I’ll tell you the answer. Until then, if you see a guy walking down the street with a smart phone holster on both hips, please don’t laugh too hard.

Photo taken with Droid.


holiday 2009

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