Between The Lines - Summer 2013 Volume 3, Issue 3

7/27/2019 Between The Lines - Summer 2013 Volume 3, Issue 3

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/between-the-lines-summer-2013-volume-3-issue-3 1/16





Between the Lines • Summer 2013 • Volume 3, Issue 3

'Like' us on Facebook: facebook.com/christchurchjourney

In the next issue: Love!

This Issue’s Theme: Freedom

Verse of the Season: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand rm, then,

and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1).

Meet the Contributors

Mary Ann Turner is the leader of the Journey Team at Christ

Church. A former elementary school teacher, she is the wife of Mark,

mother of two grown children, and grandmother to two precious little

boys. She enjoys great conversations, hiking with her family, andencouraging others to grow in their Christian faith.

www.maryannturner.com

Sabra Nyboer has been in the Air Force for 25 years; she joined

Christ Church in September 2009 after moving to Scott Air ForceBase. She lives with her sons, Sean and Troy, in O’Fallon, Illinois.

She attends Christ Church’s Collinsville/Maryville Campus, leads a

weekly Bible study in her home, and also leads a Summer Smorgas-

bord study.

Joanna Eckley has recently entered the world of blogging. She en-

joys sharing through her writing what God is teaching her. She has

been married to her husband, Brett, for six years. They have recently

moved to Houston, Texas. She is embracing the new adventures

God has called her to. www.teameckley.wordpress.com

Lindsay Tallman is a freelance writer who writes about family and

faith. Her work has been featured in Thriving Family and Family Fun

magazines. When she’s not busy writing or tripping over toys, sheenjoys reading, traveling, and playing with her quirky kids. She and

her family live in O’Fallon, Illinois, and worship at Christ Church.

www.lindsayntallman.com

Emily Climaco, Ph.D., is a Journey Team member and the volunteer

editor of Between the Lines. The wife of Phil and mom of Caroline,

she spends her “free time” being silly with her four-year-old daughter

and writing on her blog, www.commonplacesoil.com.

For more information on the Journey ministry or to sign up

for a free subscription to this magazine, please take a look at

www.mychristchurch.com/thejourney.





take me deeper. I prayed for him to

teach me something new. I thought

perhaps I would fnd a new Biblestudy that would rock my world.

Instead, I developed a severe nerve

compression caused by a herniated

disc and needed surgery. I found

myself quieted before the Lord. My

prayer had been answered in a waythat I never would have imagined or

chosen for myself.

God showed me during this time

that the one thing that would rock

my world forever is to bow deeper in

humility and to press even closer to

Jesus through stillness and throughhis Word—not for how much I would

know, but for how much I would

know him.

As we acquire more and more

knowledge it is possible for us to

become flled with spiritual pride.Pride truly is a prison cell. We build

the walls ourselves and yet we can’t

see them.

During the time of my surgery and

recovery, God was gentle with me

and I truly felt carried by him. He

knows my heart. As I rested physi-

cally and spiritually, he stilled andquieted my soul (See Psalm 131).

The restlessness was gone. He’d

broken open the door to my cell.

During the last nine years, since

the surgery, I’ve experienced a new

depth of freedom and love. I knowbeyond a doubt that Jesus loves

me. He loves you, too. His love is

more than we can grasp in this life-

time.

Our freedom in Christ is a precious

gift. Sometimes when I am at home

by myself I dance around our livingroom with thanks to Jesus. It’s quite

a unique combination of fun and

reverence! Perhaps I should have

kept those old record albums? No

worries, I’ve got a few of my old fa-

vorites on CD for those times when I

just need to go a little over the edge!

Let the dancing begin!

5



I met my dear friend Beth Baughan thir-

teen years ago in New Jersey. After four

years, the Air Force sent us in sepa-

rate directions. But in 2008, our paths

crossed again here in Illinois. Last sum-

mer, Beth asked me to help her write

her personal testimony as part of thetness ministry she was starting. I was

amazed by her story and asked her if

I could share it with our readers. Hers

is a testimony to the freedom that only

Christ can offer.

Beth just celebrated her fortieth birth-

day. She’s happily married and raisingtwo kids in the suburbs. She’s living out

her dream of helping people through

her tness ministry and personal train-

ing, health, and nutrition business. Her

life is beyond anything she could ever

imagine because it hasn’t been an easy

road to get to this point. She says, “It’s

a miracle that I made it to forty.” Tearsll her eyes as she tells me, “God has

gone before me and already had a plan

for my life.”

Growing up a military brat, Beth recalls

her childhood as mostly happy. She

loved both of her parents and was dev-

astated when they abruptly divorced

when she was six years old. Despite

her desire to live with her mom, Beth’s

dad won primary custody. They started

attending church, and she hated that

she was forced to go. Today she is ex-

tremely thankful for it. She spent sum-

mers and holidays with her mom. At

age thirteen, Beth spent Christmas with

her mom and had to break the news

that the Air Force was moving them

to Hawaii. Beth’s mom was very up-

set, and on January 2 Beth received a

phone call with the news that her mom

had committed suicide.

Devastated by the loss of

her mom, Beth lived her

teenage years in shock,

denial, and rebellion. Even

though she had accepted

Christ, she spent her high

school years partying

and running from her life. Her escape from

reality ended abruptly

when she tragically fell out

of a jeep at age seventeen.

Despite the head trauma, she did

not tell her dad about the accident,

but found herself in a deep depres-

sion just two months later. Shortlyafter the depression set in, she

had her very rst manic episode.

She was hospitalized just before

her high school graduation and

diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Battling with bipolar disorder

presented many challenges dur-

ing Beth’s college years. She was

hospitalized multiple times and strug-

gled to nd medication to control her

manic/depression cycles. After a failed

suicide attempt, she was hospitalized

at a facility that had a running group.

She began running for the rst time and

found that despite many different medi-

cations, running was the most effective.

In 1998, Beth met her future husband

Heldby Lindsay Tallman

6



and her life took a dramatic shift. God

had answered her prayers for a man

who would love her unconditionally.

God also helped her discover that exer-

cise, nutrition, and medication kept her

balanced and healthy. She remained

healthy until after her children wereborn when she tried going off of her

medication in the hopes that she

had outgrown the disorder. Un-

fortunately, it didn’t work and she

ended up in the hospital again af-

ter another failed suicide attempt.

During all of the ups and downs of

her illness, Beth contin-

ued to pursue a re-

lationship with God

and grow in her faith

walk. She now begins

every day with prayer and

her Bible. This practice has

changed her life completely. She

has found freedom and new lifein Christ. She is healthy, happy,

and sees her bipolar disorder

as a gift that allows her to

see how important it is to

balance physical, spiritual,

and mental health. Her

unique perspective al-

lows her to help otherswho are struggling to

nd balance in their

lives.

I asked Beth how

sharing her story

with other women has

c ha ng ed h e r l i f e . S h e

says, “Shar- i n g

my story has made me

freer.” She’s been amazed

at how God has used her testimony

to minister to the many women silently

struggling with depression or bipolar

disorder. Someone told her after hear-

ing her testimony that she transforms

lives. She was quick to reply, “I do not.

God does.”

Beth hopes her ministry to others con-

tinues to grow, but she is at peaceknowing that God is in control and will

get all the glory for anything he does in

her life. She ends her testimony with the

following words:

I surrendered 100 percent to God. I

was super hard-headed. God never

stopped pursuing me. I have been in

some crazy hard places. God has de-

livered me. If you met me on the street

today, you would never know all these

things about me. I am blessed. I am in

relationship with Jesus. I will never walk

away again. It took a lot for him to get

my attention. He never gave up. I am

His. And because I am His, I am free.

If you would like more information about

Beth’s ministry, contact her at tnessin-

[email protected] or www.tnessin-

motion.net.

S o d o n o t f e a r, f o r

I a m w i t h y o u ; d o

n o t b e d i s m a y e d,

f o r I a m y o u r G o d. I

w i l l s t r e n g t h e n y o u

a n d h e l p y o u ; I w i l l

u p h o l d y o u w i

t h

m y r i g h t e o u s r i g h t

h a n d.

I s a i a h 4 1 : 1 0

{

}

7



“. . . to give his life as

Photo by Julie Crask

www.works4water.blogspot.com



a ransom for many . . .”~Mark 10:45



What do you think about when you

hear “freedom”? Being free to do what

you want? Have you ever wondered

how someone in jail or prison can be

free, while others live normal lives but

are not free?

People in jail can be free because

they nd Jesus, the only one who can

set us free! “So if the Son sets you

free, you will be free indeed” (John

8:36). And the more we know Jesus

the more we seek to know the truth:

“And you will know the truth, and the

truth will set you free” (John 8:32).

The struggle for most of us is to stayfree and not go back to our old ways:

“For freedom Christ has set us free;

stand rm therefore, and do not sub-

mit again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal.

5:1).

The Journey Team and Prison Minis-

try Team at Christ Church have joinedhands in starting a pen pal relation-

ship with the women in the St. Clair

County Jail. Why is this an important

part of freedom? Think about a time

in your life when you hit rock bottom.

Did anyone encourage you? Pour

scripture into you? Pray for you? Or

maybe, like me, a friend introduced

you to Jesus. This would be one way

to give someone a new kind of free-

dom they have never known before.

We hope to offer the women in the jail

encouragement and freedom through

these pen pal relationships.

We believers know the power of Je-

sus and what he can do. We hear tes-

timonies every day of the way Jesus

works that we can’t otherwise explain.

Think about living in a bad situation

but nding freedom and a new life—a

joy you have never known before!

Believe in Jesus; trust in Jesus!

So today, what keeps you from enjoy-

ing your freedom that Jesus died for?

Do you trust Jesus? Are you encour-

aging others to nd freedom in Jesus?

Jesus, we thank you for the freedomthat only you can provide us! Keep us

focused on you and your Word. We

believe that you are all we need, and

we can do anything with you in our

lives. Amen!

10



was sent “. . . to proclaim

freedom for the prisoners and

recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free . . .”

~ Luke 4:18

said to his followers, “. . . If

you hold to my teaching, you

are really my disciples. Then

you will know the truth, and

the truth will set you free . . .”

~ John 8:31

holds all authority, and “. .

. What he opens no one canshut, and what he shuts no

one can open . . .”

~ Rev. 3:7

completely saves: “. . . For God so loved the world that

he gave his one and only Son,

that whoever believes in him

shall not perish but have eter-

nal life. For God did not send

his Son into the world to con-

demn the world, but to savethe world through him . . .”

~ John 3:16-17

-EC

J E S U S

11



(October Conference Ad)

Journey FallConference'13

October 199:30 am - 2:30 pmChrist Church

Keynote Speaker:

Melissa BishopThe cost is $10Lunch is includedChildcare will be availableBuy tickets at mychristchurch.com/events



I don’t remember a time in my life

when I did not struggle with worry

and anxiety. From the time I was a

young child I would allow my mind

to xate on different concerns until I

was trapped by them. This becamea pattern that repeated itself so

frequently that I did not realize that

I was living in a prison of my own

making.

The simple pattern of worry and

doubt continued throughout the

years until my junior year of college

when my anxiety became crippling.

I began to suffer from debilitating

panic attacks. These attacks would

last for days at a time and ultimately

resulted in a leave of absence from

college.

Over the course of the next few years

God journeyed with me through a

very dark place. While there were

times that I was very lonely, I was

never alone. God gave me his Word

daily and lled my life with a won-

derful earthy support system. He

gave me his Word that says, “The

Lord your God is in your midst, a

mighty one who will save; he will re-

joice over you with gladness; he will

quiet you by his love; he will exult

over you with loud singing” (Zeph.

3:17, ESV).

While anxiety is still a very real

struggle in my life, I have come to

know that God is my sustainer and

there is absolutely nothing I fear that

he cannot overcome. It is in these

darkest places that Christ’s light hasshined so brightly, lighting my way

out of the dark corners of my mind

and into the healing recesses of my

heart where Christ dwells. I am so

thankful now for having been forged

through these difcult periods, be-

ing rened for the new adventures

God has in store for me.

Joyfully, I was able to return to col-

lege and complete my degree—this

time in psychology—with a dream to

counsel those who struggle with like

anxieties.

Do you struggle with fear and

doubt? God has promised us in his

Word to “be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid or terried because

of them, for the Lord your God goes

with you; he will never leave you nor

forsake you” (Deut. 31:6).

Invite Christ to dwell with you in all

areas of your life. He has the key

to unlock the prison that seems to

contain you, and he can free you to

experience true joy and peace.

by Joanna EckleyTriumph through Tribulation

13



As I drive across town to pick up

my daughter from preschool, I re-

alize I don’t have my cell phone. In

the rush of leaving the house—and

bringing some bread for the geeseat the park—I’ve left my phone at

home. It’s too late to turn around,

so I drive on. As I go, I become un-

settled, then jittery.

This is a weird feeling. What makes

me so nervous about spending the

afternoon without my phone? My

mind begins to reel. What if I need

to call 911? In my entire cell phone

history, I’ve called 911 only once,

after witnessing a car accident. Be-

fore picking up my daughter, I go for

a walk in the neighborhood near her

school. Is it safe to walk without my

phone? In broad daylight?

Is it really a safety issue? No, it’s anissue of addiction. How will I check

my e-mail? What if someone tries to

call me? What if I want to take a pic-

ture? What if I get bored? Restless-

ness, irritation, itting from thought

to thought: these are classic with-

drawal symptoms.

We had a great afternoon at the

park, but I reached for my phone

many times. When we got in the

car Caroline asked, “Mama, can I

please have your phone?” She likes

Prison Break!by Emily Climaco

14



to watch Curious George on it. I told

her it was at home. She wanted to

know how I could be in the car with

my phone at home, as if it were a

vital medical device without which

I may die. My explanations did not

satisfy her.

“Addict” has a revealing etymology:

its Latin root, addictus, means as-

signed or surrendered. I’d become

assigned, surrendered—let’s just

say it: enslaved—to my phone. And

this wasn’t my phone’s fault; this

was self-surrender.

Who in her right mind would put her-

self in slavery?

One could argue there are worse

addictions, and certainly there are

more traumatic and health-alter-

ing ones. Yet where my treasure

is, there’s my heart. “How can you

drive the car with your heart lying

on the kitchen counter?” Caroline’s

confusion implied.

God created us for freedom. Paul

advises the Galatian church to “takecaptive every thought to make it

obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).

That is, I am to be the captor vigi-

lantly guarding my heart, not the

prisoner to my phone.

God is merciful—he’s not our cap-

tor but our liberator, our redeemer.Christ came that we might be free,

no longer enslaved, assigned, or

surrendered to banal junk but re-

deemed and transformed for things

of greater eternal value. Former

slaves become heirs by virtue of

adoption: “So you are no longer a

slave, but God’s child; and since

you are his child, God has made

you also an heir” (Gal. 4:7).

Paul is writing to his own people whoare conned to the law—enslaved to

things that are less than God. These

passages also may apply to those

already in Christ but enslaved to ad-

dictions whether seemingly harsh or

mild. He continues: “Formerly, when

you did not know God, you were

slaves to those who by nature are

not gods. But now that you know

God—or rather are known by God—

how is it that you are turning back to

those weak and miserable forces?

Do you wish to be enslaved by them

all over again?” (Gal. 4:8-9).

Of course not! What free person

would willingly return to slavery?

I’m calling for a prison break, start-

ing with my attachment to my

phone. For me, it boils down to at-

tention. Will I give more weight to

momentary distractions, such ase-mail, calls, Facebook alerts, or to

the things that really matter? My rst

step is to be conscious of the object

of my attention, setting my heart

on things above and on the people

in front of me (Col. 3:1). Join me?

Let’s throw off the chains we will-

ingly wear like jewelry and seize the

freedom that’s ours in Christ.

15



3 3 9 F r a n k S

c o t t P a r k w a y E a s t

F a i r v i e w H e i g h t s , I L 6 2 2 0 8

S U B S

C R I B

E N O

W !

T o

g e t B e t w e

e n t h e L i n

e s b y m a i l o r e - m a i l

g o t o m y c

h r i s t c h u r c h

. c o m / t h e j o u r n e y

Documents

Between The Lines - Summer 2013 Volume 3, Issue 3