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Cover/Topic page Image: Table of Contents page from top to bottom: www.123rf.com ; Roses Photo; www.wemekwebsites.com ‘House Broken’ article end Picture: form lisgirl17.blogspot.com. Page 2 ad from top to bottom: www.bibleknowledgebookstore.com; www.greattisthelord.com ; www.cafepress.com ; www.christianhomedecor.com Page four: Cover from www.amazon.com : Background image from www.yakal.net Page 9 and 15 ads: Taken from Country Living Magazine. February 2012 Issue; Hearst Communications

April and December E-Zine

Christian Life 365

Publisher From the Desk © Publishing Rchristopher1979@live.com

President

Rosanna Christopher Rose.studio6@yahoo.com

Editor Rosanna Christopher

Contributing Writers

Charity McClendon Ann Christopher George Christopher Crisette Mitchell Paula Maclemore

Images Mommywifeandfriend.com Yahoo image search

Account Executives

Rosanna Christopher Ann Christopher Aprilanddecember.com © e-Zine , March 2012. Published by From the Desk Publishing © Rossville Ga 30741. Direct all circulation and editorial inquiries to rose.studio6@yahoo.com. All information herein has been checked for accuracy to the best of the publisher’s ability. No responsibility accepted for deletions, omission, errors and/or inaccuracies. Unless special placement within the e-zine is specifically purchased, publisher reserves the right to place any ad on first come first serve basis.

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Add life to your

home

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Page 10

Page 15

Page 13

In Every Issue

Focus on Living 6

Words 7

Tools for Living 8

Page of Power 14

Around the Web 15

In This Issue

House Broken 10

Decorating Home 13

We try to give credit for all pictures, art work and

material that we gather across the internet. All

credits for this issue are listed to the best of our

ability on the Topic Introduction (page 2) next to

publisher information. If we have used material that

belongs to you without properly giving the credit,

please contact the editor at rose.studio6.yahoo.com.

Thank you and God bless.

6

It is no secret that people want to

personalize everything when they get on a

religious kick. Car bumper stickers, fish and

cross decals, t-shirts and handbags with

scriptures on them. You name it; it can be

customized to reflect your beliefs. But

when we think about a Christian home, we

rarely, if at all, think about plaques and

porcelain crosses. We think about the

people inside.

While this is not a far cry from the

expected response, it is not the only thing

we should consider when we talk about the

Christian home. Charity, or love, we know

starts at home, but are the four walls that

your mail comes to the only home a

believer has? No, it’s not. What about your

other home. Not heaven…..church.

There are expenses and repairs.

There are missions and services. There,

contained in that building, are multiple

families who come to learn charity and love.

They come to fellowship in faith and find

purpose to this thing called a Christ

centered life. We give no thought to the

collection plate and where that money

really goes.

Honestly this is a mirror to what we

think of going to service in the first place.

We go, we take part in the service and we

go home. But Christ calls for so much more

than that. He is coming back for his church

without a spot or a wrinkle. And if we value

our earthly homes on such an esteemed

level, we really ought to value God’s home

on the same level. WE ARE THE CHURCH.

It is imperative that we take care of what

God has blessed us with. Whether it be the

place you dwell or the place you worship.

But let’s not forget about the home that

really matters…your heart. Decorate God’s

home by planting seeds of faith. Put up

window dressings of compassion and keep

your house clean with prayer and

supplication.

As believers we all agree that this earth is

not our home. But while we are on earth

we must remember the hierarchy. Our

physical home is strengthened by our

Church home. And that home nurtures

God’s home. So get your house in order,

because home truly is where the heart is.

Focus on Living:

Home is where the heart is -Ann Christopher

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“Home: The place you are treated the best and grumble the most!”

-Unknown

“We may have all come over on different ships, but we’re in the

same boat now.”

-Dr. M.L. King Jr

“A man ought to live so that everybody knows he’s a

Christian…and most of all his family ought to know.”

-D.L. Moody

“All great change in America begins at the dinner table.”

-Ronald Reagan

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Prayer

Meals Devotion

Tools for living: The foundation of the Christian Family

-Crisette Mitchell and Paula Maclemore

This chart is a great way to start getting your family closer to

God. As each individuals needs are met by family, you open

up a world of opportunities to grow stronger in the faith of God

and the best part is you are growing together. Let’s focus on

each of these principles:

Prayer: Prayer needs to be the main focus. Not only do

parents need to pray and children be taught to pray but the

family needs to set time aside to pray together. You would

be amazed at what your loved ones are actually feeling. “It

is hard at first to get everyone to open up,” says Paula

Maclemore of CBI Counseling. “You may want to start with

the head of the household praying out loud and gradually

invite others to lead the prayer. Once you have had

everyone’s involvement, encourage each person to pray out

loud in one session.”

Devotion: This means Bible Study. The verses you use

could be chosen based upon needs uncovered by the family

prayer or just by picking your favorites. You can write down

verses on a note card and pack it away in a lunch box or

bag. You can place them on bathroom mirrors. Take turns

throughout the week placing the cards.

Meals: It all comes together at the table! Try to set aside

one moment in the day where your whole family is together.

It may not even be a meal, but it is worth finding the time.

Paula agrees, “When everyone is together and is continually

encouraged to share their thoughts, the closeness it provides

and the lines of communication it opens can’t be compared!.”

Ask for thoughts on the Bible verse, how they applied it or

will apply it to their life. Also address issues that have risen

throughout the day or prayer needs.

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I was crushed and angry. I kept repeating the words my

father said to me in my head, “God will make everything okay

honey. You’ll see.” Well I didn’t see. As a matter of fact I felt as

though God had caused this mess. My mom wanted no part of this

religious crap and now I saw why. It divides people more than it

keeps them together. I had never been as sure of that before as I

was at that moment when I watched my mom walk out that door.

And knowing what I know now, I had never been more wrong

either.

I was 10 then. I already thought I knew everything. All

the fighting and yelling and back and forth made me grow up a

little faster. My father was and still is a man of faith and my

mother was a child of the world. Her father had been one of those

false ministers. He would throw the Gospel around just to get

money and cause trouble. Her mother never liked that and she left

him…and my mom. We’ll I have always been told that you either

keep the cycle of destruction going or you change it. My mother

decided to keep it going. I had made up my mind I would too!

By the time I had turned 13 my dad had met someone else. Her name was Helen. She was pretty and had the most pleasant voice. I actually liked her, but I would never tell her or my father that. She was a preacher’s kid. She called herself a woman of faith. This is not what I wanted. God messed things up between my mom and dad so I wasn’t going to let her make things worse. But, I didn’t really have a choice. After a two year courtship they were married and less than four months after that, I was having baby sister.

As soon as I hit 16 I was out of there! I headed to my

mom’s thinking that we could get along and be just fine without

this God business. But things were no better with her than they

were with my dad. Even though my dad provided a loving home

and my step mom was very loving and sweet, I could not get passed

being made to go to service on Sunday and pray and read the bible

and have in home Bible studies. I hated everything that had to do

with a Christian home. At my mom’s none of this was an issue.

However, the issues there were worse.

She loved men… too much actually. It was nothing for

her to have a few boyfriends at a time. And it was nothing for a

few of those boyfriends to take a liking to me…in a not so

nurturing way. My mom never allowed anything to happen to me,

but watching her be destructive was hard enough. I would change

the locks when she would disappear for weeks at a time. She

would come home with a new man and some new way to live life.

She drank heavily and relied on her horoscopes to plan

her next move. We fought constantly. Her idea of us spending

time together was sneaking me into a bar and picking up guys. I

longed for the peace I had with my dad but I still didn’t want a

religious life. I just wanted my mom to say “I love you”, while she

was sober. That never happened.

As soon as 18 and a good boy came along, I was out of

my mom’s house too. Before I knew it I was pregnant…and single.

Then I met Louis. He was everything I wanted in a man. And the

best part for me, he didn’t believe in God either. He readily

accepted me and my package deal…Katie. I do believe that having

Katie sparked some of my dad in me. I found myself wanting her

to act and be a certain way based on some moral standard I couldn’t

put my finger on. I was like a lot of faithless people. I didn’t need

religion to be good or do right. But what I wanted for my daughter

was coming from somewhere I couldn’t fathom. Louis was quick

House Broken - Charity McClendon

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to say I was turning into one of those “bible pushing idiots” when I

wanted to keep a bible on the book case…like my dad did. I told

him it was purely for decoration. After a lot of fighting about it, I

eventually decided not to.

Louis and I spent the next three years okay, but not

happy. The more I watched my little girl grow up, the more I

longed to be more like the two people

I despised…my dad and my step

mom. I had begun to talk to them

again and even let Katie spend time

with them. I couldn’t really explain

why, but I wanted her to have a

relationship with her grandparents. I

never did.

Louis was furious about this. He knew how faith

driven my parents were. We argued about it a lot. He had no

contact with his parents. He caused a lot of trouble when he was

younger and his parents gave up on him. My original plan to

continue the cycle my mom laid out was being edited. I had decided

that I wanted to break the cycle of destruction for Katie’s sake. I

was trying hard to do that without faith, but it was becoming

increasingly harder not to listen to my father and my step mom.

One day when Louis was at work, I decided to go to my

parent’s house and take Katie. It was Awanna week at their church

and they convinced me to go. Well, I figured “Oh what could one

time hurt. Louis would never know.” The next night, I came home

from work and Louis was furious. I heard Katie crying in her room

and I went to check on her. She had a huge welt across her face. I

asked Louis what had happened. “That little idiot was singing yes

Jesus loves me. She knows better than that crap!” “So you hit my

child!” I yelled. We argued hard that night and it even got physical.

It ended with me and Katie leaving that night. Yes, in my mind, I

thought “This God thing did it again! It broke up my home again.”

But I was not willing to leave my child. We had only one place to

go…my parent’s house.

The next few months were tense. My dad would often

use scripture to combat my resistance to faith. We would argue. It

would tear my sister apart when she would hear it. And it made my

daughter cry as well. One

Sunday as they all piled into

the car for service, I decided

that Katie and myself would

sneak in once service started.

I was determined to find out

why this God character was so

great if he broke up homes the

way he did. We snuck in and

sat in the back so my parents and sister wouldn’t see us.

As the pastor started his sermon, he talked about how

God see’s and knows everything. He said that because he loves us

so much he would choose the type of people he would place in our

lives. He even allowed, not caused, but allowed unpleasant

situations so that he can show us his power. “Ah ha,” I thought to

myself. He is the cause of the pain in my life. And then the pastor

said the words that changed my life forever.

“You see God allows things to happen for a

number of reasons. He either wants to show you something,

strengthen you or he needs you to let go of something so he can

make your life better. I don’t know who it is, but someone here

today meets all three of those reasons. Someone here today

needs to know that there are people who love you and will

never leave you no matter what. These people have always

strived to put you first unselfishly (my dad and step mom).

Someone here needs to know that God knew who he would

“He needs you to let go of the

hurt, the resentment and the

anger so he can show you

how much he loves you and

all the good things he wants

to give you.”

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bring in your life and what strength you would need to get

through it so he allowed some of the pain so you could be

strengthened (he used my mom to help me get through the

relationship with Louis). And he needs you to let go of

something so he can show you his love, his mercy and his

healing power. He needs you to let go of the hurt, the

resentment and the anger so he can show you how much he

loves you and all the good things he wants to give you. But you

have to trust him. No matter what you’re going through, I’m

here to tell you that God loves you. He wants to make it right.

I challenge you today, whoever you are, to look back at all the

pain and find the one thing that you have been running from.

Find the one glimmer of hope underneath all that mess.

Realize its Jesus. Don’t run from him… run to him today.

Give him a chance. He won’t force you. He’s asking you to let

him in. will you do it? Will you let Jesus in?”

Before I realized what had happened, I found myself in

front of the altar with my dad and Katie on one side and my Step

mom and sister on the other. All of us were on our knees. They

were holding me. I couldn’t stop crying. I just kept saying “Yes,

I’ll let you in. Yes.” I gave Christ my life that day. While it hasn’t

been easy, it has been freeing. I talk to my mom, sometimes but

she is still running. We didn’t talk for a long time after she found

out I accepted Christ. But she is slowly getting over it. As for my

dad and my step mom and sister…we are tight now. We are closer

than ever and I thank God they didn’t give up on me.

It has been a long hard road but I am getting closer to

God each day. Some days my faith waivers but I still here the

pastors voice in my head. Again, I say “Yes Lord, I’ll let you in.”

Katie now has a brother and God has blessed me with a wonderful

husband. David blessed my life when Katie was 8. And when she

was 10, David and I married. And to add to the irony, David is a

youth pastor.

Who would have known that I would get everything I

lost back just by running to the thing I was running from. God has

allowed me to break the cycle and give Katie and Gabriel the life

they can continue. Now they can have a life of faith and happiness

and a life of trials and hardships that are pathways to the Hope that

we have in God. Oh no, I am no longer house broken. Now, I have

a happy home.

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From top to bottom: Living room of

editors home; close up of framed fabric;

close up of Window Jar.

It’s the feeling of fellowship that draws us to the church

on Sunday’s. The laughter and smiles; the gathering of another family made up of different people from different walks of life who have one thing in common: Faith. There is usually a room like this in every home. If there isn’t one, there should be! Here are a few fun and creative ways to use inexpensive tools to make a room for your home that says “come and stay a while.”

Hang something fun: Now you’re probably thinking of art or pictures. While that’s the typical response try something fun like fabric or even gift bags. Don’t forget plates!

Write on the walls: Your favorite scripture or saying is not limited to a plaque anymore. Try wall stickers or chalkboards. Chalk board paint with inexpensive crown molding frames can be great ways to say what’s on your heart.

Create a station: If your gathering place is a kitchen or a living room, you don’t have to drink alcohol to display your best stem wear or even make a coffee station in an unused corner of your kitchen.

Contain yourself: You don’t just have to use vases to hold things anymore. Try something unconventional such as a wine or gift bag to hold flowers or magazines. Try using a jar filled with tissue paper and wrapped in ribbon to hold a sprig of a silk flower as a minimalist window display.

The most important thing to remember is to have fun and be creative! Test your decorating skills then invite your family and friends over.

-Article by Crisette Mitchell, photos by Rose Christopher

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These words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

-Deuteronomy 6:6-9

“The same Jesus who turned water into wine can transform your home, your life, your family, and

your future. He is still in the miracle-working business, and His business is the business of

transformation.”

-Adrian Rogers

The idea that the service to God should have only to do with a church altar, singing, reading,

sacrifice, and the like is without doubt but the worst trick of the devil. How could the devil have led

us more effectively astray than by the narrow conception that service to God takes place only in a

church and by the works done therein? The whole world could abound with the services to the

Lord, Gottesdienste - not only in churches but also in the home, kitchen, workshop, and field.

-Martin Luther

Dear Lord. Please give us the wisdom to look to you for all the needs of our family. Show us, walk with us, teach us your way as we commune together each day. Lord we know that you have set the family as cornerstone in the foundation of Christ’s Church. Lead us in the way you would have us to go. Families look so different in today’s world. Bring us back together. In the name of Jesus we ask these blessings. Amen.

Page of Power -George Christopher

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