VL - Issue 5 - September 2012

REAL PEOPLE | REAL STORIES | REAL HOPE
Fall 2012
See Yourself
As God Sees You!
Second
Chances
Redeeming
Love
Plus…
In His Wakes Update • Champion’s Heart News • Behind The Scenes at Correct Craft

The
The Joshua Accounts is a biography, interwoven with Scriptural exposition
highlighting signs, wonders and miracles.
The author, Gary Fuss, is a graduate of Grove City College, PA, and
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and is a resident of the Lake Area
Region. Thirty years of experience in evangelism and pastoring took place
in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Florida. This
includes the United Methodist Church, Southern Baptist, Church of God,
Charismatic, and street ministry to the homeless.
The writer’s passion is for winning souls, making disciples, and exalting
the Lord Jesus Christ. He currently leads interdenominational weekly
“fire” prayer meetings called Ephesians 4. May the believers’ fruits be
clearly manifested, Holy Spirit giftings be in full activation, daily Holy
Communion be celebrated, and “Jesus” journaling abound.
Now Available!
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www.ephesians-4-prayer-fellowship.com
www.championsheart.org 3

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4 www.championsheart.org

FROM THE PUBLISHER
Freedom Is Waiting For You!
As each deadline for
Victorious Living approaches,
I find myself in a battle with
fear. I become afraid that
the current issue won’t be
as impacting as the last,
that people won’t submit
their heartfelt stories, or that we
won’t have the financial support to go to press. Oh
me of little faith! Once again, God has proven His
faithfulness to bring to completion what He put in
my heart to begin over a year ago. He has stirred the
hearts of people to share their life stories and He has
stirred the hearts of people to give financially. To all
involved, I say, “Thank You!” With God at work, I am
excited to present to you another incredible issue
filled with truth that I believe will spur you on to victory
in your daily life journey.
In this issue, I pray you find freedom! Freedom from
comparisons and freedom from the lie that constantly
tells you, “You’re not enough!” so that you can rest
in God’s truth that “You’re His treasured possession,
worth everything to Him!” It’s my hope that you find
freedom to enjoy life in your present circumstances
and that you enjoy being YOU! It’s time to throw off
the self-hate and self-pity and celebrate who you are
in the sight of God… His unique masterpiece!
Oh how I have longed for this freedom! I’ve spent
my whole life “doing” things in order to feel like I am
“enough” in the world’s eyes and more importantly,
in my own eyes, as I am my toughest critic. I’ve often
laid aside my convictions to join in with the crowd, so
that I could find acceptance. I’ve worked myself to exhaustion
to accomplish “things” that gave me a sense
of achievement. I’ve based my worth on my performance
in sports, school, appearance, and the amount
of things that I’ve accomplished during a given day.
But in the process, I’ve often felt unfulfilled, unloved,
ugly, worthless, guilty, and exhausted.
As I look back over my life, I have to laugh at my
foolishness. For years, I have tried so hard to be perfect
in the way I present myself to people and interact
with them. I have tried to have the perfect home and
ministry. I’ve tried to be the perfect mom, wife, daughter,
and friend. I’ve pushed myself academically and
athletically to achieve great success and BE who I
thought I should BE. But in the midst of my
perfection-driven, performance-based
life, I have fought a tremendous fear
that someone might actually view
me as “perfect.” I fear someone
may look at my life and say, “Boy, she has it all
together!” Not a win-win situation, huh?
Trying to find our worth in the things we do, in the
way we look, or by the amount of things we have is
a dangerous cycle. It almost destroyed me! As I
pushed myself daily to perfection, I set out on a quest
to counteract any appearance of “having it all together”
by verbally announcing to those in my presence
all of my flaws. I began to speak negatively about
myself, so that people wouldn’t think that I thought I
was anything special. I would remark about how stupid,
forgetful, ugly and fat I was, so that my “friends”
would know for certain that I wasn’t arrogant. This
was my form of humility.
But after years of speaking such horrible things
over my life, I began to believe them. In the end when
I looked in the mirror, I began to see ugly, fat, and stupid.
I began to see a worthless reflection. I didn’t see
anything special and certainly not anything God could
love or use. It has taken me a decade of consciously
and consistently replacing the lies I’ve spoken over my
life and the lies Satan has fed me with God’s truth to
finally come to a place where I actually enjoy my life
and enjoy being who God created me to be. Although
I have not entered into a place of complete freedom,
I can say with excitement that I am much closer than
I was years, months, and even days ago! The more I
look into God’s mirror (His Word), meditating on His
truths and walking in His ways, I am discovering freedom.
I am finding rest, peace, and joy.
My friend, I want to encourage you to embark on
this journey of freedom. Quit spinning your wheels like
I’ve done, (and our contributors have done) trying to
be that person that you think you have to be. Rather,
come to Christ and realize who you already are in His
eyes… ENOUGH.
God doesn’t expect perfection, that’s why He sent
His Son, Jesus, the ONLY perfect One. God is simply
looking for a perfect heart towards Him, a heart that
is willing to love, willing to be lead by His Spirit, and
willing to persevere in His strength. Come to Him, all
you who are weary and tired and worn, enter into His
presence, enter into His truth, and find freedom. In
that place of freedom, you will find rest mentally, emotionally,
physically, and spiritually!
May God bless you on your journey!
“Where the Spirit of the
Lord is, there is freedom.”
II Corinthians 3:17
“And you shall know the
truth, and the truth shall
set you free!” John 8:32
Publisher/Editor
Kristi Overton Johnson
Assistant Editor
Melinda Rodgers
Publication Advisors
Sandy Burdick
Maureen Lendzion
Contributors
Vanessa Ashley
Col. Dale Collie
Ron Curll
Renee' Harp
Bonnie Hagemann
Kristi Overton Johnson
Michele Klein
Maureen Lendzion
Carolyn Massey
Bandi Morford
Carey Morford
Rob Morford
Nate Miller
Ann Prevatt
Jean Roach
Angie Sapp
Kenny Vaughan
Brad Williams
Bill Yeargin
Creative Director/Graphic Design
Amy Zackowski • amy@whisperingdog.com
Advertising
advertise@championsheart.net
Victorious Living
205 Magnolia Ave. • Keystone Hts, FL 32656
352.478.2098 • fax 888.837.9153
Victorious Living is published quarterly in Keystone Heights,
Florida. ©2012, all rights reserved by Victorious Living.
Contents may not be reproduced in any form without the
written consent of the publisher. The publisher reserves the right
to refuse advertising. The publisher accepts no responsibility
for advertsiting errors beyond the cost of the advertisement
itself. The publisher accepts no responsibility for submitted
materials. All submitted materials subject to editing.
Victorious Living’s
MISSION
The mission of Victorious Living is to
provide hope for the heart and help for life
through the inspirational stories of people
just like you. We commit to provide REAL
STORIES by REAL PEOPLE so you can
experience REAL HOPE!
Victorious Living’s
SUBMISSIONS
Do you have a story of victory? Share it with
us! Your life story can change the life of
another. Submissions should be a maximum
400 to 600 words and are subject to editing.
To send your article submissions, go to
www.Championsheart.org and visit the
Victorious LIving Magazine page.
www.championsheart.org 5

REFRESH YOUR SOUL
See Yourself As God Sees You By
Kristi Overton Johnson
As I reflect on my career as a professional water skier, it was amazing. I was
blessed to travel the world. I made friends on every continent and spent precious
time with my family doing something we loved to do. I even got paid to ski. It
doesn’t get any better than that!
As I look back over my childhood, I can honestly say that I don’t have one bad
memory. Trust me, I realize how blessed I am to be able to make that statement.
I had (and thankfully still have) incredible parents who loved me and supported
me in every way possible.
Within the walls of my home, I was protected and shielded from the evils of the
world. I was spared the horrors so many people go through... things such as abuse,
addictive behaviors, domestic turmoil, or being belittled by poisoned words.
My parents loved me as God intended parents to love their children. As their
daughter I felt loved, safe, able to do anything, and special. I can still remember
my father coming into my room every night singing, “T-H-E-R-E she is, M-I-S-S
America.” Then he would proceed to tell me a story about how “Little Kristi would
become the best skier in the whole world.”
Yet somewhere along my life journey, even in the midst of what some may call
a “perfect” environment, my self-image and sense of self-worth became very
twisted. It wasn’t until my mid-thirty’s that I began to unravel, one by one, patterns
of wrong thinking that had been holding me in secret bondage for decades.
My journey to freedom began in 2005, through a young girl from Mexico
named Lorenza. Lorenza was a teenage water skier, who had come to live with us
in order to improve her water skiing skills. She quickly became a part of our family.
We enjoyed training her, but more importantly, we enjoyed her!
During her time with us, we took Lorenza to many competitions. For the first time in
my career, I stood on the shoreline anxiously watching someone I loved compete, someone
I had spent hours training. More than anything I wanted Lorenza to do her best,
not for me, but for her! I knew how hard she had trained, I knew how well she had been
skiing, and I knew how much performing well on the water would mean to her.
At one particular tournament, Lorenza fell short of her goals. After she had a moment
to dry off and collect her equipment, we piled into the car and headed home.
From the backseat of the car, Lorenza softly said in her Spanish accent, “I’m sorry
I disappointed you.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. Disappointed me? How could she think that she had let
me down? I loved her. I was proud of her. I wasn’t disappointed in her; I was disappointed
for her. I didn’t care how she skied; I just wanted her to be happy and fulfilled.
As I looked at her reflection in the car mirror, I suddenly saw myself as a child
sitting in the backseat of my family car heading home from a water ski tournament.
I could see myself, like Lorenza, filled with sadness as my parents drove us
home. It was one of those, “Ah-ha!” moments. I finally got it. All of those times I
sat in the back of the car thinking that my parents were disappointed in me and
my performance was a lie. They weren’t disappointed in me; they were disappointed
FOR me. There is a HUGE difference.
For years, I traded the truth for a lie. The truth was my parents loved me. Yes,
they wanted me to perform well, but my performance didn’t change how they felt
about me, their daughter, just as it didn’t change how I felt about Lorenza. But as
a young child, my brain didn’t know how to process what was going on. During
the ride home, my mind reasoned the only thing that seemed logical, that my parents
must be disappointed. They had spent so much time, effort, and money on
me… surely I needed to ski well to make it all worthwhile!
How relieved I was to finally grasp this truth. I began to wonder how many
other lies I had bought into over the years. I began to pray as David, “Search me,
O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything
in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life”
(Psalms 139:23-24 NLT).
I wanted God to expose these lies one by one. I wanted to replace them with
His truth, so that I could be truly free. Over the coming years, God was faithful to
gently reveal memories from my childhood where I had accepted the lie as truth.
You may be asking, what’s the big deal? The big deal is that these lies had become
the foundation for my life. They were the driving force behind my words and
actions. They impacted my self-worth and brought thoughts of condemnation and
guilt into my heart and mind. They twisted people’s innocent comments into something
negative causing me to react in a defensive manner.
The thought pattern of never achieving enough created a sense of self-hatred
and even hopelessness that led me to occasional thoughts of suicide. I remember
having the thought of wrapping the rope around my neck or skiing in front of the
boat in order to end the internal madness. I even endured patterns of physical
sickness because of my sense of not “doing” enough. For most of my career, I
suffered with tremendous stomach pain because of the internal pressure that I
placed on myself to perform well.
This thought pattern of being a disappointment impacted my life for decades.
It impacted relationships, even my relationship with God. Surely God was disappointed
in me when I made a mistake?
Through Lorenza, God showed me that not only were my parents not disappointed
in me, but also He wasn’t disappointed in me either. Yes, there are times
when God may be disappointed because I fail to walk in obedience and receive
all that He has for me, but His love for me always remains. His love isn’t based on
my performance in life; it is based on the fact that I am His child.
The only reason that I share these personal things is with the hope that someone,
maybe even you, will find freedom. I don’t think I am the only person who has
defined himself or herself by the way they see themselves or by the things they
thought someone did or didn’t say. I can only imagine the lies that could be built
in the heart of a person whose parents never told them they were loved or who told
them they would never amount to anything. Or the wrong belief
pattern that could emerge in the life of a woman who has been told she is ugly,
fat, and worthless by people she should have been able to trust. It’s easy to see why
someone would turn to substances, relationships, and behaviors to ease the pain.
I’ve experienced this struggle
between the lies of the world
and the truth of God
over and over
again. I’ve also
seen it in the
lives of my
own family,
especially
my children.
continued
on page 7 4
Kristi with her son
Ty and daughter
in Christ, Lorenza
6 www.championsheart.org

3 According to John 10:10, Satan’s purpose is to bring destruction into the lives of God’s
people. One way he does this is through our thoughts. Satan knows that if he can get you to
grab hold of a lie, especially at an early age, he will have a greater chance of sabotaging your
victory, as you grow older. It is only through examining our thoughts, exposing the lies, and
meditating on the truth that we can truly find victory (II Corinthians 10:5).
Our family has been on a journey to discover truth and expose Satan’s lies for years. One
by one we are throwing off the lies that entangle us, so that we can run the race of life victoriously.
Below are a few examples of how we are uncovering Satan’s lies within the young
minds of our children.
When we adopted our youngest two children, Dalton and Ivy, from Russia, our oldest biological
son, Ty, entered into a wrestling contest with negative thoughts that could have easily
led him down a path of destruction.
As you can imagine, there was a lot of excitement surrounding our international adoption.
Everywhere we went, people asked questions about the adoption and wanted to see the
“new” children. Although Tim and I were extra careful to continually remind Ty how much we
loved him through our words and actions, we had some tough competition. Satan was flooding
his seven-year-old mind with lies that everyone loved his brother and sister more.
How freeing it was for Ty to admit those thoughts, to replace the lie with the truth that he
is loved and that our love for him runs deep. Can you imagine if he had continued building
his life on the lie that we loved our other children more? He would have always felt second
best. Every action that Tim and I ever took towards the younger children would have had the
undertone that we loved them more. This would have created a cycle of hate and jealousy.
A lie that truly broke my heart was exposed one night while I was reading to my youngest
son, Dalton, a bedtime story about a lion named Leo. Everywhere Leo went people ran away
from him because they were afraid. At the end of the story Dalton looked at me and said,
“Momma, I’m like Leo the lion.”
I was confused and asked him to explain what he meant. Dalton responded with these
words, “Nobody wanted me either.” He began to explain how people would come into the
orphanage and take home other children, leaving him behind. “Something was wrong with
me, Momma, or they would have picked me.”
I quickly looked at Dalton and responded with these words of truth, “Dalton, those people
couldn’t pick you because God was saving you for me! God closed their eyes to you and
shut the doors for them to adopt you, so that you could come live with us.”
You should have seen the light in his eyes! He looked at me and said, “That makes perfect
sense!”
Can you imagine how a lifetime of believing that something is wrong with you, that no one
wants you, would impact your life? Throw that thought on top of the other thoughts Dalton
wrestled with ... thoughts of being stupid because of his dyslexia, thoughts of not being
wanted because of his adoption, thoughts of Tim and I leaving him like others had left him
in the past. Unless these thoughts were exposed and replaced with the truth, he had little
hope of victory!
Even my daughter has been in a constant battle with wrong thought patterns. Ivy grew up
in a hospital in Russia where there was little food and little interaction with people. Ivy survived
because she was a fighter. Since our adoption, Ivy and I have been on a journey to walk
in truth. As we have replaced the lie that she can’t trust anyone, a lie that often causes her
to constantly fight for her rights, I have seen God begin to transform her into a gentle, generous,
and loving child.
Satan is tricky. He starts at a young age filling our minds with thoughts that create fear
about our future, doubts about our worth, and distrust towards people and even God. It’s time
to expose his dirty little lies and rebuild your life on God’s truth. It’s time to tear down faulty
foundations that rob you of your worth, joy, and peace. It’s time to see yourself as God
sees you… perfect enough, beautiful, unique, filled with purpose, and worth everything
to God. As you see yourself in the light of His truth, everything in your life will change and
victory will come. v
Kristi Overton Johnson is the founder of Champion’s Heart and
In His Wakes, divisions of KOJ Ministries. Kristi currently resides in the
Lake Area Region with her husband, Tim, and three children.
Table of Contents September 2012
2012 marks In His Wakes’ 10th year of
ministering on the waters of the world.
What a journey it has been… Our 10th season
has been amazing so far thanks to the
“Dream Team” and our faithful volunteers…
6 See Yourself As God Sees You
Kristi Overton Johnson
8 Come Out Of The Bushes! Carey Morford
9 Never a Loser Maureen Lendzion
10 Second Chances Dale Collie
11 Ministry News /
On Earth As It Is In Heaven Angie Sapp
12 A New Life Worth Living For! Ron Curll
14 He's Enough! Carolyn Massey
14 Don't Run the Red Light! Rob Morford
15 Am I God's Masterpiece? Michele Klein
16 Building Boats to the Glory of God
Interview between Kristi Overton Johnson and Bill Yeargin
17 Love and Service Kristi Overton Johnson
18 God Always Gives You What You Need
Vanessa Ashley
19 Redeeming Love Ann Prevatt
20 Ministry News
21 Nate’s Dream Team Nate Miller
22 Enjoying Being ME! Reneé Harp
23 How Can I Know? Bonnie Hagemann
24 Quitting Isn't An Option
Champion's Heart Award
Dan and Sue Plaster
26 Coloring Outside the Lines Bandi Morford
28 A Look in the Mirror Jean Roach
29 Popular Kenny Vaughan
read more on page 214
30 Oh! How He Loves Me! Brad Williams
www.championsheart.org 7

FRESH PERSPECTIVE
Come OUT
of the Bushes!
by Carey Morford
We are all Eve.
For each one of us,
there is a tree that
stands somewhere in
our brain, and it dangles
tempting fruit. Fruit that
seems juicy. Fruit that is
so close we can reach out and grab it. Fruit that we
have been told will kill us. Fruit that would be best
left untouched.
But, there is also a clever snake. Sometimes we
give him space in our brain, and then he can slither
his way into the truest parts of who we are. He says
the fruit is delicious. He says the fruit will make us
like God. He is the Deceiver, and he lies.
We are all Eve, and we feel as though we can't
help ourselves. We taste the fruit, and we share with
our friends. And then the worst part happens. The
slow death begins. We feel shame, and we hide. We
hide from God, and we hide from our friends who
shared in the tasting, in the killing, in the dis-trusting,
in the too-slow-death.
The shame and the hiding and the blaming, this is
what the clever snake wanted more than anything.
Because now, just like Adam and Eve were literally
tangled in the bushes, we are figuratively all-tangled
up in the lie. It isn't just that we mistakenly chose to
eat the fruit, but now we have taken on the lies and
are projecting that same lie- God can not be trusted
and neither can our friends. We cannot risk exposing
the most vulnerable parts of who we are.
What an awful way to live- hiding in the bushes!
But, the amazing truth that we see over and over
again in Scripture and in present-day testimonies
is that God never leaves us hiding and ashamed
in the bushes. He is calling for each of us, "Where
are you?"
And even when we step out of the bushes
pointing our fingers at each other, He is patient and
kind and gentle.
Are there consequences to our horrible choices?
Of course! Do we all suffer because of all of these
entangled lies and dis-trusting of the one true
God? Yes.
Even in the consequences and suffering, though,
God offers grace. It might even be that the consequences
are grace, because then we start to see
clearly again. We start to see that before we listened
to the clever snake, and believed his lies, and hid in
our shame; life was good, and we start to long for
those walks in the cool of the day when we could be
close to the One who has always loved us. Those
longings begin to speak of life again, and then, there
is our God standing with arms stretched and stained,
Carey Morford is the Media Specialist
at Keystone Elementary and President
of Seeds of Grace, Inc. Visit their site at
Seedsofgrace-highridge.blogspot.com.
She is married to her very best friend
Isaac Morford, and they have two
daughters, Layla and Rigby.
not with the dirty juice of the fruit, but with the blood
that will clean the shame and the sin.
Sometimes, though, I think we must all suffer from
spiritual amnesia, because so many of us know this
to be true, and yet in our daily lives we continue to
stuff ourselves with that fruit-of-the-too-slow-death.
By now, we have a whole string of lies to stuff
ourselves with. Sometimes they sound like Pride,
"You are a smart girl. You can figure a way out of
this mess. " Sometimes Shame and Fear speak up,
"You always mess things up. If you tell anyone you've
done it again, they won't love you." Sometimes it is
a combination of both. In the end, though, it is
always the same, "Just don't tell anyone." And the
power of that snake and the secrets he has talked us
into keeping begin to strangle us… every time.
And sometimes we are almost dead before we
are willing to finally let go and confess who we
have become. However scary that honesty and
vulnerability may seem to us, it is our only hope of
salvation. v
And even when we step out of the bushes pointing our fingers at each other,
He is patient and kind and gentle.
8 www.championsheart.org

y Maureen Lendzion
NEVER
A Loser
For you created my
inmost being; you knit
me together in my
mother’s womb.
I praise you because
I am fearfully and
wonderfully made; your
works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV)
Maureen Lendzion is enjoying
self-employment as a special
projects writer. She and her
husband Dennis have been
married 36 years and live in
Orange Park, Florida.
“And how old are you?”
That seems a simple enough
question to ask a four-year-old. Especially
since my brother would have
just proudly announced his age (11
months older than me), just prior to
my being asked the question.
But that question, or any other
that was spoken to me by an adult
that I was not familiar with, brought
about terror and the inability to respond.
So I lived my early life trying
to fly underneath everyone's radar,
not making waves or trouble (that
could get a kid noticed after all), and
trying my best to be invisible.
Overwhelming shyness made me
uncomfortable in any social setting,
school included. I didn't join in activities,
though I so wanted to. I was
an observer. It seemed the other
kids had something I didn't. I
couldn't identify it; they just
seemed comfortable in their skin.
How in the world do they do it? I
would think, as I watched them volunteer
for clubs, try out for sports, or-
-scariest of all--raise their hands in
class to answer a question. I envied
their confidence. It was all very wearing
and left me feeling like a loser.
Shyness followed me throughout
my school years ending with
me tying for “Most Shy” for the
senior superlatives to be published
in the annual high school yearbook.
Fortunately, I lost the title in the runoff
vote.
So imagine, years later, me at my
high school reunion chatting happily
with the very people I'd grown up
with, those who knew me at my
most meek and quiet self. And
imagine their surprise, that I had
built a career in public relations and
public speaking.
What, or who, changed me? God.
For clarification, God didn't actually
change me. He left me as He created
me. What He did do though,
was implant awareness into me that
I am His wonderfully made creation.
He had given me gifts that suited me
and no one else. He put people in my
path to encourage and teach me. Of
course, God has done the same for
you, but I'm hoping you were fortunate
enough to understand it sooner.
I don’t know why I didn't get the
memo. My grandmother, who was
such a major influence on my life,
tried to help me understand how
precious I was to both her and Jesus.
My grandfather, a caring, small town
pastor did his part too. But I could
look around any room and see
many, many people much more worthy
of God's attention. I was, after
all, just me.
Had I listened to God's nudging
earlier, who knows how my life may
Each person is so
special to God.
So special that He
has offered them a
direct line to Him
through Jesus, His
most precious Son.
have been different? I'll never know,
unless God chooses to enlighten me.
But I do believe with all my heart
that I am in life where God wants
me to be. It just may have taken
longer to get here, than it might
have. What life's trek has done for
me is given me true compassion for
those who continually feel “less
than.” I understand the feeling of
not measuring up; I can see it in
someone's face, hear it in their voice,
and feel it in a diverted glance.
Do you ever feel less than, like a
loser? If so, I’d like to remind you
that you too, are God's amazing creation
and when He looks at you, and
me, He says, “They are good!” He
smiles and takes great pleasure in
His creation… us.
Each person is so special to God.
So special that He has offered them
a direct line to Him through Jesus,
His most precious Son. How fortunate
does that make each and every
one of us? Surely no loser ever gets
an offer like that! v
Want to help others realize they are champions?
Go to our website at www.championsheart.org/our-ministries/getting-involved
or use your smart phone to scan the QR code.
www.championsheart.org 9

SECOND CHANCES
by Dale Collie
The beggar approached me on crutches, while I
waited for the afternoon train from Crimea back to
Kiev, Ukraine. He held out his palm to ask for money.
When I said in Russian “Go away,” he recognized
that I am American and said, “Can you give me
money? I have leg trauma.”
I thought, “Leg trauma?” I’ll show him leg
trauma. I put my left foot on my luggage and raised
my pants leg to show him my prosthesis, my souvenir
of combat in Vietnam.
He reached down and pulled his bandage away
from the calf of his leg and showed me that he had
a green tree leaf placed on a serious patch of
gangrene. It was recognizable because that was the
same cause of my own amputation years earlier.
“My name is Michael,” he said. “I am sorry.”
He turned on his crutches and quickly made his way
across the crowded train platform.
At that same time, my interpreter returned.
Instead of explaining what happened, I handed him
all the loose money in my pocket and asked, “If you
can catch up with that beggar on crutches, give him
this money.”
When the interpreter caught up with him, the
beggar looked across the people between us and
placed his hand on his heart again, mouthing the
words, “Thank you. I am sorry.”
At that moment, the train pulled into the station
and the crowded platform came alive as people
started making their way to their assigned car.
We hurried forward to car number fourteen and
waited in line while the conductor checked tickets
and passports.
A touch on my shoulder surprised me. When
I turned, Michael stood there with his hand out as
though to shake hands. As our hands met, he twisted
our wrists so that my hand was below his, and I felt
something drop into my palm.
Still holding hands, I asked, “What is it?”
Michael said, “It is change.”
I replied, “No Michael. I cannot take this,” thinking
that he meant he was giving me change from the
small amount of money that my interpreter had
taken to him.
No matter what
has happened to
us in this life,
we have a
second chance
to go forward
with Christ.
“Yes. You must take it,” he said and removed his
hand from mine.
I could then tell that I had misunderstood the
word “change.” Michael had said, “chain.”
“Remember me,” said Michael. “Pray for me.”
The conductor announced loudly that I must get
aboard, so I turned and threw my luggage up to the
place between the cars. I climbed up after the bags
and dragged them into my compartment. Because it
was so hot in the car, the window was pulled down
immediately, and I stood with my elbows on the top
edge of the glass watching Michael work the passengers
who remained on the platform.
When he passed beneath my window, I said his
name aloud and let him see me put the chain over
my head and drop around my neck.
As the train whistle blew and we started to move,
he had a helpless and pleading look in his eyes as he
said again, “Pray for me.” We looked into each
other’s eyes until the train rounded a slight curve and
he was lost in the evening dusk.
Time passed quickly, as the interpreter and I discussed
things that remained to be done. When he
announced that he would go to sleep, I said that I
would make some notes in my journal and then sleep
also.
Many events of the day were recorded before I
started writing about the incident on the train platform.
When I came to the words, “I am sorry,” I
paused to consider what was Michael sorry about.
Was he sorry because of his wounds? Was he sorry
because in me, he could see what would happen to
his own leg? Was he sorry that I had lost a leg?
In the end, I concluded that I was the one who
should be sorry. My mission in Ukraine had been to
help others, but when someone in real need stood
before me and begged for help, I told him to go away.
Each time the chain moved against my skin,
I prayed for Michael.
When we reached the train station in the morning,
I gave the interpreter some money and asked him
to try to find Michael as he returned through that city.
And if it was possible, set up a time for the interpreter
to go with Michael to the doctor to see what exactly
was needed. I had a second chance to help Michael.
All of that transpired, and I eventually got an
email explaining that Michael needed a US$3.00 antibiotic
injection and a US$0.75 tube of antibiotic
cream to begin treatment of the gangrene.
For the next year, I prayed for Michael many times,
especially each time I felt the chain move against my
skin. When the next visit was scheduled, the interpreter
scheduled a time for me to meet with Michael
in his city.
It was on that occasion, that we found that good
progress had been made in healing the gangrene.
And it was also on that occasion, that Michael heard
the Good News of Jesus Christ. As they say in
Ukraine, he repented. We were honored with the opportunity
to pray with him and celebrate his acceptance
of Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
Michael accepted his second chance to change
his future, and I had another second chance to tell
him about the One who can heal our bodies and
our spirits.
And there is a lesson in all of this that is even bigger
still… the same second chances are available to
all of us, over and over again. No matter what has
happened to us in this life, we have a second chance
to go forward with Christ. No matter what we’ve
done in this life, we have the same chance to change
things in Christ.
We don’t have to overcome our obstacles alone.
We’re probably just as helpless as Michael was when
we first met that evening on the train platform. We
can trust that God has a plan for us and that He will
direct our footsteps if we accept Him and accept our
own “second chances.” v
Dale Collie is an author and professional
speaker who uses the leadership skills of
US Army Rangers to help key people
succeed. Former professor at West Point
and Fortune 500 Executive, Collie was
named by business magazine, Fast
Company,as one of America’s most
innovative leaders for starting
businesses in E. Europe to employ
the impoverished and provide funds to
impoverished orphanages.
www.CourageBuilders.com
10 www.championsheart.org

MINISTRY NEWS
On Earth
As It Is
In Heaven
What we are experiencing at Champion’s Heart is
simply the Kingdom of God at hand (Mark 1:15).
People are being healed, delivered, and experiencing
miracles by the power of God. The most important
lesson I am learning as the center’s director is the
power of prayer. Through prayer, our clients are experiencing
God in a powerful and intimate way. They are
seeing Him meet their needs and heal their hearts.
When a client comes into our officce, the first thing
we do is access the reason for their visit and identify
their needs. We then go to work matching the needs
with the resources that are available. Through the last
year and a half, we have developed incredible partnerships
with county help agencies that can provide
our clients with tangible resources. Many of these
partnerships are conveniently located right here at
Champion’s Heart in our office complex.
Every person who calls or comes into our resource
center is also offered the opportunity for prayer. Almost
all accept. As we join hands in prayer, we begin
to experience the presence and the power of God.
This is the point where real ministry begins and the
gospel of Jesus Christ is being fulfilled.
Simply put, our clients experience God’s love at
Champion’s Heart. We are in the blessing business
and also the business of building relationships, as we
love our clients to victory. Just the other day a woman
we’ve been helping and ministering to said, “Every
time I come here, I get blessed.”
I would like to share a couple of testimonies showing
God’s hand at work with our clients. I hope these
testimonies encourage you and enable you to understand
what God is doing on the earth and in the small
town of Keystone Heights, Florida.
The first testimony is of God delivering a woman
from drug addiction. She started using drugs as a
child around the age of nine. Family members also
sexually abused her as a child, which has been the
major cause for her drug use. Her drug of choice “has
been” crack-cocaine.
Now in her fifties, she told me of all the drug rehabilitation
centers she has been to, along with all
the professional counseling she’s received, and how
she still hasn’t been able to get free from the drugs.
By Angie Sapp,
Champion’s Heart Life Resource Director
I began to teach her about the healing, delivering,
and restorative power of Jesus Christ.
Awhile back, this woman came to our center and
asked me to come outside. She pulled a crack pipe
out of her truck, wrapped it in a paper towel, and
then stomped it into pieces right there on the concrete!
She said, ” Never again!”
She recently visited us to celebrate her being drug
free! Praise God! She has also started seeing the
Mental Health Counselor at Clay Behavioral Health
Center that is located in our Champion’s Heart
Resource Center office complex.
The next testimony I’m going to share is of the
healing power of God that was experienced while
praying for a woman who was diagnosed with thyroid
cancer and several other mental, emotional, and
physical problems. When we finished praying
she began praising God and crying. She said, “As
you were praying for healing in my body, I felt a
sensation like electricity going to each part of my
body as you prayed for it. I’ve never felt anything like
that. I could feel it throughout my whole body!”
I explained to her that what she felt was God’s power
at work healing her body.
Both of these individuals experienced for themselves
the awesome power of God. God is revealing
Himself to our clients in an intimate and powerful
way. They are seeing for themselves how much He
loves them and cares about every detail in their lives.
As a result, their hope and faith is being restored.
We here at Champion’s Heart know that it is not by
our might or power, but it is by His Spirit (Zechariah
4:6). We give all the glory to God and know that
“apart from Him, we can do nothing” (John 15:5).
We invite you to come visit our center in Keystone
Heights! We’d love to show you firsthand what the
Lord is doing in the lives of people from the Lake Area
Region. We invite you to partner with us in prayer for
the healing of our clients and we also invite you to
become a financial partner. We need your support!
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for the Lord has anointed me to bring
good news to the poor. He has sent me
to comfort the brokenhearted and to
proclaim that captives will be released and
prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to
tell those who mourn that the time of the
Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the
day of God’s anger against their
enemies… He will give a crown of beauty
for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of
mourning, festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be
like great oaks that the Lord has planted
for His own glory. They will revive them,
though they have been deserted for many
generations.” Isaiah 61: 1-5
At Champion’s Heart, the gospel of the kingdom is
going forth and we are experiencing the fulfillment
of what was promised to us in Isaiah 61. v
Angie Sapp lives in Melrose, FL with her
husband and daughter. She received an
AA from Santa Fe College, BA in
Theology from Life Christian University,
and is pursuing her BA in Psychology.
Angie is the Life Resource Director at
Champion’s Heart.
www.championsheart.org 11

A New Life Worth Living For
by Ron Curll
I was raised in a loving Christian home. But growing
up, I was more interested in being a part of what
the world had to offer, than being a Christian. The
result was faith that was weak at best.
At the age of seven, I started competitive
swimming in both summer and winter leagues and
quickly began to accumulate awards. I spent a lot of
time in the pool. Having asthma, swimming worked
out well for me, as my asthma didn't seem to affect
my swimming efforts, as it did during other sports.
I enjoyed competing and spent most of my young
adult years trying to improve myself and climb the
podium of success.
But in 1979, at the age of 32, my life changed
forever. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.
By early 1980, I was paralyzed from the waist down
and given a prognosis of spending the rest of my life
in a wheelchair.
“For I know the
plans I have for
you,” says the Lord.
“They are plans for
good and not for
disaster, to give you
a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11 NLT
Being weak spiritually, I blamed God for my condition,
rather than calling or leaning on Him.
I could not imagine spending the rest of my life in
a wheelchair. I viewed handicapped people as useless
and worthless. That was not going to be me! I
decided the only way out was to end my life.
One evening, as I sat in my car, I prepared to end
my life. My plan was to pull out in front of a fast
moving truck. But God, in His mercy, had other plans
for me, as He put the faces of my wife and two sons
in the windshield. It was as if they were sitting
on the hood of the car staring at me. Needless to say,
I didn't pull out in front of the truck. I knew it was
God who had saved me, but why? Even after this
miracle, I was still angry with God and turned my
back on Him.
In the spring of 1980, I was reintroduced to
swimming through an article in our local newspaper.
The article announced that “wheelchair athletes”
were coming to my local area to compete in a
regional competition.
“Wheelchair athletes. Now isn’t that an oxymoron?”
I thought. Surely it must be a joke.
My wife, Sue, pressured me to go. She knew how
much I needed to be a part of something. Through
her persistence, I gave in. As I watched these athletes,
I couldn’t believe how good they were. I
decided to give it a try.
Starting back into swimming competition was as
natural to me as a fish swimming in water. I just
picked up where I had left off in high school. Within
a year, I made the USA Team and was given the
opportunity to represent my country in international
competitions, including the Paralympics.
Over the next few years, I accumulated five
national records and two world records. In
addition, I took up hand cycling and even
competed in a marathon. My success
and notoriety both in the pool and
on the track grew.
But sadly, as my athletic success
grew, my faith weakened
to the point of being almost
non-existent. After all, I was
doing quite well without
God. I mean, look at all I had
accomplished without Him. In
1988, I retired from competitive
swimming while at the top
of my game, but I continued to
live in spiritual darkness.
Many years later, 1994 to
be exact, I heard a small
still voice say, “Ron, you
need to go back to
church.” After toiling with
the idea, I finally asked my
wife if she would like to go.
continued on page13 4
12 www.championsheart.org

Perhaps you feel there is no hope.…
I’ve felt as useless and as worthless
as one could possibly feel. But
I’m here to tell you, there is Hope
and Hope’s name is Jesus.
Ron Curll, author of Wheels
of Faith, is an internationally
ranked swimmer, gold medalist
Paralympian, and wheelchair
athlete. Ron resides in Greenville,
NC with his wife, Sue. He still
enjoys competing in 5k and 10k
road races and hand cycling
races, as well as water skiing,
kayaking, basketball and scuba
diving. He is a sought-after
guest speaker for civic
organizations, as well as
church and student groups.
3Her response was a large smile that really
made my heart sink. It wasn't until then, that I realized
how far down I had drug her spiritually.
I remember entering the church and being ushered
into the sanctuary. There were no cutouts for
wheelchairs, so I had to sit in the main
aisle. I was both scared and embarrassed.
Scared because I was in God's house after
removing Him from my life; embarrassed
because I felt that I was on display for the
whole world to see.
But as the service started, a peace came over me.
It was as if God was standing beside me with His
arms around me saying, “Welcome back my child.”
In Luke 15, Jesus tells the Parable of the Lost Sheep.
That day, I felt like He had left the 99 sheep to bring
me, the lost sheep, home. I truly felt His love and His
forgiveness. I rededicated my life to Christ and vowed
to love, serve, and to obey Him. I vowed to bring Him
glory through every area of my life, especially through
my athletic success.
As I’ve been willing, God has opened doors to
share about His love in ways I could have never
imagined. He has shown me that through Him, I have
worth, and with Him, I can do anything. A far cry
from the “useless and worthless” life I had imagined
I would experience in a wheelchair. With God, all
things are possible!
The Bible is full of passages that promise that God
will NEVER forsake us. As I look back over my life I realize
just how true that is. Even when we forsake
Him, He is still faithful. I’ll never forget how God
saved me from ending my life. Even when I had given
up hope, God had not given up on me. He had a plan
for my life and He was just waiting patiently for me
to follow Him.
Perhaps you feel there is no hope. I know how you
feel because I’ve been there. I’ve been in that place
where life seems to have come to an end, where
there seems to be no future worth living for. I’ve felt
as useless and as worthless as one could possibly feel.
But I’m here to tell you, there is Hope and Hope’s
name is Jesus. In Him you will find life. In Him you will
find worth. In Him you have a hope and a future. v
www.championsheart.org 13

He’s Enough! by
Carolyn Massey
During my 83 years, I’ve learned many lessons.
Even in my elderly years, God continues to love me,
teach me, correct me, and even stretch me as He
takes me into new territories, some of which I admit
I would rather not go. Recently, I have found myself
in such a place and it has caused me to rely on Him
more than I ever have before. I’ve truly learned that
in my weakness, He is strong.
Several years ago, I began to have some unpleasant
experiences with dizziness that turned into vertigo.
I ended up falling and busting my head open.
Although the wound has healed, and even my dizziness
has left me, I have remained traumatized. I feel
so lonely, often afraid, and have struggled with becoming
so dependent on others. I feel as though I
am driving my family nuts with all of my needs. I also
feel we are constantly disappointing one another
with our expectations.
Add to my emotional trauma, I can’t hear very
well anymore and I seem to forget things all of the
time. I never knew aging would be so hard! Billy Graham
was right when he said, “Growing old is not for
sissies.” I’ll admit it... I’M A BIG SISSY! I don’t like
this getting old stuff for one moment! It has to be
one of the hardest things I’ve ever gone through, and
I’ve been through some difficult things in my lifetime.
In 1974, I was living the dream. I had a wonderful
husband, three beautiful kids, and a great life. But
one day, my husband came home early from work
feeling very ill. We took him to the emergency room,
but he died 12 hours later of a cerebral hemorrhage.
He was 45 years old. In just a moment’s notice, my
best friend was gone forever.
Carolyn was born and raised in
Greenville, N.C. She has been a
widow since the age of 45. She is
83 years old, has 3 children and 7
grandchildren. Carolyn continues to
mentor to young people in the ways
of the Lord.
This was such a huge trauma for my family and I.
I was so frantic! How could I live without him? Although
I was a Christian during this time and I knew
Jesus was there with me, I still felt so alone. Thankfully,
I was surrounded by great Christian friends and
family who were faithful to stay by my side, encourage
me, and help care for us. God’s love, shown
through His people, helped the loneliness to fade
away. Through this time, I felt God’s presence in an
awesome way, even in the midst of my fears. He was
so faithful to provide for my every need during this
time and He has continued to remain faithful to me
to this very day, even in the midst of my doubts. I
praise God for His promise to remain faithful to us
even when we aren’t faithful to Him (II Timothy 2:13).
My recent experience with vertigo has been difficult
in different ways. Losing my husband was incredibly
hard, but in the loss of my husband, God
surrounded me with people to help me through that
difficult season. This time however, I haven’t had the
constant companionship of friends and family, nor
have I had the ability to get up and go! But in the
midst of it all, I sense God doing a work in me; it’s as
if Jesus Himself has set me apart to show me things
about myself and about Him.
At the very start of my dizzy spells, I heard the
Holy Spirit say to me, “Be still and know that I am
God” (Ps. 46:10). Because I don’t drive anymore, I
have had to spend a lot more time at home and to
be honest, I don’t like it one bit! I am a very social
person and enjoy being active. I enjoy ministering to
people. But God, in His sovereignty, is teaching me to
rely completely on Him and to allow His presence to
minister to my own heart.
In the midst of the quiet, God has shown me once
again that He is faithful. He has taught me that in
the end, He is enough. He is truly all I need. When the
enemy has come against me with his lies, when he
has sought to bring despair and cause me to lose
hope and give up, as I’ve looked to my Savior, God
has always been there to give me the strength to
carry on. He’s taught me that “aloneness” doesn’t
have to mean “loneliness.”
I’m so thankful that over 50 years ago, I said
“Yes!” to Jesus and received His Holy Spirit, for with
Him, I have been able to overcome. Although it hasn’t
always been an easy journey, it has nonetheless
been a fabulous one because every step has been
enveloped with His presence.
I’ve learned whether in good times or in bad,
whether in the noise or in the quiet, God has always
been and continues to be with me, showering me
with His love and grace. Even when doubts and fears
have entered my heart, His love remains. It’s unconditional.
Where I’m lacking, He’s complete and He is
faithful. I’ll admit, I’ve often missed the mark. But He
hasn’t. Oh thank you Savior, for making me complete
in you.
“We have this treasure in earthen vessels to show
that this all surpassing power is from God and is not
from us.” II Corinthians 4:7 v
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14 www.championsheart.org

Am I God’s
Masterpiece?
by Michele Klein
Ephesians 2:10 states that, “We are God’s Masterpiece.”
I don’t know about you, but when I get up
in the morning and look in the mirror, I don’t see a
Masterpiece! I see hair all over the place, drool in the
corner of my mouth, and the right side of my face full
of wrinkles made by my pillow. Don’t get me wrong;
I want to be a Masterpiece! I desire to be everything
that God has made me to be. But at times, a Masterpiece
seems so out of reach, something that would
take a lifetime to achieve. It’s definitely a process.
Control or Chisel
The “chiseling” process is all about God making
us more like Jesus. It’s where He carves out the parts
of our lives that do not reflect Him and chops off the
areas of our character that holds us back from being
and doing all that God has planned for us. Over the
course of my life, I have been through the chiseling
process countless times. It can be confusing, long
lasting, and certainly painful. Once the chiseling
process begins, the first question out of my mouth is
always…”Why God?” God usually answers with a
question for me, “Don’t you trust Me?” or “Do you
want ALL that I have planned for you?”
At that moment I have a choice to make: Surrender
my will to God’s perfect plan for my life, or try to
control the situation. When I choose to control the
situation how I best see fit, it usually leads to frustration,
anger, bitterness, resentment, and depression.
I begin to spin my wheels round and round,
never really making any progress. Once in full control
mode, nothing goes right, everything is a chore, and
I am exhausted by the effort. At that point, I usually
start to question God out of my frustration asking…”Why
are you doing this to me?” and “Why is
this so difficult?”
How thankful I am that God loves us so much,
and out of His love, He is patient with us when we try
to do things in our own strength and our own
understanding. God will never force His plans or
purposes on us, but He always gives us the option to
choose His ways over our own.
Planned Purpose
What do you see when you look in the mirror?
Can you look at yourself and say, “I’m God’s Original
Masterpiece!” Or, when you look in the mirror
do you tend to see what is wrong, instead of what is
God’s? It’s time to realize that God does NOT create
junk. Start each day looking in the mirror and say, “I
am God’s Masterpiece!” Get in His Word and begin
to see yourself as He sees you. Focus your efforts on
taking one step at a time and allow Him to transform
you from the inside out. God is the author and
finisher of our faith every day of our lives. He has a
plan and it is to give you purpose, prosperity, hope,
and an amazing future. Once you start believing you
are His masterpiece, then you will be able to lift your
head and move forward to victory. v
Michele Klein is the Founder and
President of Bible Life Coach. BLC brings
together the World’s Best Results
Orientated Techniques, while grounding
each principle in God’s Truth. Michele
is passionate about helping people
understand “Who they are in Christ”
and “Whose they are in Christ”. Find
more information on her website at
www.biblelifecoach.com.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10
Don’t Run The Red Light
by Rob Morford
I never make a decision when I am under pressure. Pressure to me is a sign to stop,
look, and listen. Learning to listen to that still, small voice inside us is so hard in a culture
filled with noise. To do this, I picture that God put a traffic light into my heart when I became
a Christian. The light can be red, yellow, or green. Red is pressure and green is peace.
Yellow tells me to proceed with caution. Jesus did not come to give me pressure; He came
to give me peace. My rule of life is to never run red lights.
Running red lights has consequences. As I look back over my life, I can see many times
where I ran red lights and I can tell you, none of them turned out good. Proverbs 3:5-6 is
my decision-making verse. It says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not on
your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths."
As we take the time to seek God’s will, He will help us know how to proceed. v
Rob Morford is pastor
of Community Church
of Keystone Heights.
He and his wife, Dotty
have three children
and two grandchildren.
www.championsheart.org 15

Building Boats To The Glory of God
An Example of “Love and Service” in Action
It is no secret that
Correct Craft, builder
of Nautique boats,
has an extraordinary
faith heritage and
culture. Since 1925,
they have been
building boats for
the glory of God
using their passion
for water sports and
love for Christ to
touch the world!
Recently Kristi
Overton Johnson
had a chance to ask
Correct Craft’s CEO,
Bill Yeargin, about
the impact the
company’s faith
has had on it’s
employees and
those in the water
sports industry.
Kristi: Correct Craft is well known in our industry for its mission
of “Building Boats for the Glory of God.” Is that still the company’s
mission statement?
Bill: Absolutely. If you visit us in Orlando, you can see it on
big banners in our plant. Our faith culture is important to us.
Kristi: Being a skier my entire life, I have seen and heard so
many wonderful stories about Correct Craft and the Meloon family
standing up for their faith. Is there anything about the past that stands
out to you?
Bill: As you know, Ralph Meloon (the son of our founder)
will be 95 this year and still comes into Correct Craft every day.
For decades, Ralph played a major part in building the story
that is now Correct Craft’s Christian heritage. I am honored to
often hear Ralph tell stories of Correct Craft’s past, including
his travels to over 80 countries (even behind the iron curtain)
to share his faith. As I travel around the world for Correct Craft,
rarely do I visit a country that someone does not ask me about
Ralph and share a Ralph story.
Our dealer in Lebanon shared one story that stands out with
me. Apparently, Ralph visited Lebanon during their civil war
and everyone there was very concerned about his safety.
He was staying at our dealer’s house and the dealer shared
that one day, Ralph disappeared for several hours putting
everyone in a serious panic. Ralph had found someone that
would drive him to the front lines of the battle (literally), so
that he could visit a small church he supported there and be an
encouragement to them. Ralph is an amazing man and this
story is so typical of him!
Kristi: Some people were worried that after the Meloon
family sold Correct Craft, perhaps the faith culture would slowly go
away. Is that happening?
Bill: If you ask Ralph Meloon, I believe he would tell you
that Correct Craft’s faith culture is stronger than at any other
Correct Craft has been
a faithful supporter of
In His Wakes, enabling
us to bring Hope,
Victory and Purpose to
children world-wide.
time in the company’s history. Given the amazing history of
the company, that is no small feat.
Kristi: So how does Correct Craft glorify God in the business
today?
Bill: First, by loving God and others. I have said many times
over the past few years that I want people to understand our
values, not by what we say, but by how they see us live.
Secondly, we glorify God through service. We want to serve
each other and be there when someone in our Nautique
family needs us. We want to serve our local community and
we have done so over the years with groups like Give Kids the
World and the Coalition for the Homeless. Most recently, we
did a project with Habitat for Humanity, where Correct Craft
funded a new home and our employees’ volunteered time to
help work on it. Also, each year we take employees on mission
trips outside of Central Florida.
Kristi: Can you tell us more about the mission trips?
Bill: As part of our desire to serve, each year we take groups
of employees on mission trips. This past summer, we took
twenty-six employees to the Apache Reservation in Arizona,
where we worked on two homes for needy Apache families.
Our team had a big impact on not only the homes where we
served, but also through helping the organization that builds
the homes to develop processes that will help them for years.
It is amazing to see our dedicated employees work so hard for
people who will never be able to repay them in any way. It is
a true and unselfish service.
We have also built homes for homeless families in Mexico,
built beds for needy families in Guatemala, served in a home
for teenage mothers in Nicaragua, and served in Ethiopia with
an amazing organization there that is transforming tens
of thousands of lives. Later this year, I am taking a group of
employees to Kenya and Uganda to serve there. We want to
put our beliefs into action.
continued on page 17 4
Correct Craft families working on an Apache home.
16 www.championsheart.org

Correct Craft team
members on the
Apache reservation.
3Kristi: You have weekly employee Bible studies
at the plant. How do employees view Correct Craft’s
faith culture?
Bill: Yes, we have a voluntary employee Bible
study at Correct Craft and close to 25% of our
employees attend each week.
It is very important to me that employees who do
not want to participate in our faith culture feel perfectly
comfortable working at Correct Craft. We do
not pressure anyone to do anything and participating
in our faith culture does not provide any job advantages
or protection.
Even the employees who choose not to
participate, tell me that they really appreciate the
environment at Correct Craft. We have a very “G”
rated atmosphere and people appreciate the trust
and integrity that comes along with our culture.
Kristi: What are the unique challenges of having a
faith culture at Correct Craft?
Bill: For me personally, there are two parts of our
faith culture that are difficult.
First, we are a business and have a responsibility
to run our business well, so that it survives to carry
on for many more decades. Often when we make a
business decision that impacts someone negatively,
the person impacted will take it personally and
accuse us (or me) of not being true to our beliefs.
From their view, if we really cared about others, then
we would never make a decision that impacts them
negatively.
Secondly, people who share our beliefs and want
us to help them financially, bombard us. While we
wish that we could help everyone, unfortunately we
cannot. Sometimes when we turn down a financial
request (which, unfortunately we do often), it opens
up another opportunity for someone to question
how true we are to our beliefs. Some people think
that if we will not help their project, it means that we
really don’t believe what we say.
Both of the above examples are really tough for
us because we do not want to discourage anyone.
Kristi: Anything else you would like to say?
Bill: Yes, I would like to thank you, Kristi, and In
His Wakes for the amazing service you are doing. We
appreciate both you and your team doing an
incredible job at the chapel service for each year’s
Masters tournament, as well as for the work you all
do each year with kids around the country. Correct
Craft is proud to be a long time sponsor of IHW and
proud of our affiliation with you. v
Love and Service
by Kristi Overton Johnson
I believe one of the biggest questions Christians
ask is: “What is God’s will for my life?” As they
wait for a big “sign” from above, they often experience
fear over the possibility of missing “it” (“it”
being God’s perfect plan). I’ve witnessed so many
people sit indecisively, afraid to take even the
slightest step forward, in fear that they will somehow
get off course and miss God’s best. I have to
admit, I’ve often been one of those people.
Well today I’ve got some good news for you!
God’s plan for our lives is pretty simple. We are
called to love the Lord our God with all of our
heart, soul, and mind and to love those He puts in
our path. As we walk in this love, we are called to
glorify Him in the way we live our lives and interact
with others on a daily basis. How can we know
how we are to live? Get in His Word and you’ll find
God’s will for every day living.
So often we want God’s BIG plan for our life,
when He is just waiting for us to walk in obedience
to His Word on a daily basis; to walk in integrity,
love, compassion, generosity, trust, forgiveness, and
justice... to name a few.
It doesn’t matter how old we are, or what gender
or race we may be. It doesn’t matter what we
do for a living or how much money we have. It
doesn’t matter if we are healthy or facing health
issues. It doesn’t matter if we live in the city or in the
depths of the jungle. Whoever we are, wherever we
are, God’s will remains...we are called to love and
serve Him, and to love and serve His people.
Every day we come into contact with people,
whether in our homes, ministries, or businesses.
During these interactions we have an incredible opportunity
to touch the world for Christ, to bring
hope, joy, and peace into a hurting world through
our love and service. You don’t have to head off on
a huge mission trip to do this; you can do it right
where you are today!
One of the greatest joys I’ve experienced over
the past decade with In His Wakes has been to see
God take something so simple… water sports…
and use it to touch tens of thousands of lives.
How? Because of love and service. Through the
simple act of showing unconditional love in the
water and on the shores to at-risk youth, God has
been glorified and lives has been changed.
Correct Craft CEO, Bill Yeargin, stands in front of one
of many banners displayed throughout the Orlando
plant stating the company’s mission, “Building Boats
to the Glory of God”.
www.championsheart.org 17

God Always Gives You What You Need
by Vanessa Ashley
It was the summer of 1978, I’d just graduated
from college with honors and the world was my
oyster. My future was so bright and held boundless
and limitless possibilities. But in all honesty,
my reality was quite different.
I’d moved back home one month after graduation
harboring a dark secret; I was pregnant. I was
terrified to tell my parents – my Dad, a prominent
Pastor and my Mom, who was preparing to have
major surgery. I’d come home to care for three
younger siblings while my mother recuperated. My
grandmother took one look at me, guessed my secret,
pulled me into her arms and started singing,
“Onward Christian Soldiers.” A tingle still goes
down my spine to this day whenever I hear that
song. Grandma Eula promised to keep my secret
until I was ready to tell.
My conscious finally got the better of me and
two weeks after my mother had been released
from the hospital, I gathered her and my father
into our living room and spilled my secret. My father
exploded and that’s putting it mildly, while my
mother cried and tried with all her might to keep
the peace.
Even though
I was young, I
did not feel
frightened or scared,
but instead, I felt sadness
and guilt for the shame
I was bringing upon my family.
At the time, my family
was very prominent in the
community and I had
three younger, impressionable
siblings
still at home.
They were
“What would the
neighbors think?
”What would Dad’s
congregation think?
”What would the rest of
the family think?
Vanessa Ashley
makes her home in
Gainesville, FL and
is a buyer at GRU.
Her daughter,
Shema, has always
been her inspiration
and makes her home
in Arlington, VA.
not used to such discord in our home. I was
extremely protective of my brother and sisters.
I loved them more than anything.
The family discussion began soon after what to do
with the “pregnant one.” After all, I couldn’t stay at
the family home… Oh No… that was not acceptable.
After all, “What would the neighbors think?”…
”What would Dad’s congregation think?”… ”What
would the rest of the family think?”
I looked around the room at this family discussion
and it was so surreal. I remember touching
my belly. Not only did I already love this baby; I
was falling in love with this child. I knew that I
would risk all to protect him or her.
I was told I had to leave my home, the only home
I’d ever known. I needed to leave as quickly as possible
and there was no offer of financial assistance.
Just pack a bag and go. To the world my circumstances
looked very dire and maybe a little hopeless.
I had a few dollars saved; decided to pawn my
television, and I borrowed $20 from a neighbor.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;
but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind
(2 Timothy 1:7).
Stepping out on faith, or
simply not knowing any better,
I caught the first bus out
of town and moved approximately
600 miles south to
Florida. My roommate from
college and her mother took
me in and cared for me those
first few weeks. Mentally and
emotionally, I missed my family.
But God loved my unborn
child and myself so much,
that He provided us with loving,
caring, and wonderful
people. As wonderful as they
were, I felt as if I was a burden. I prayed for a
job and a permanent place to stay. It’s hard to
believe anyone would hire a young pregnant girl.
With God, all things are possible.
The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom
shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of
whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1).
A family who ran a state operated boarding
home was looking for a live-in maid. I applied for
the position and God opened that door. That family
welcomed me with open arms. I just couldn’t
believe my good fortune.
Seeds of trust were being planted. God was
teaching me to not only trust Him, but also more
importantly, trust “in” Him. My prayer life had really
begun to take root, praying and seeking Him
first in ALL things. Also, unbeknownst to me, I had
strong prayer warriors interceding on my behalf.
My mother, grandmother, best friend, and various
other Christian warriors had strong intercessory
prayer sessions asking God for guidance, forgiveness,
strength, courage, peace, and reconciliation.
There have been so many trials, so many missteps,
and so many growing seasons these last 30+
years. I gave birth to a bouncing baby girl, who is
the second love of my life to God. Shema, my only
child, is bright, educated, beautiful, well adjusted,
well traveled, and most importantly, she loves God.
God’s light has shone so brightly on both of our
lives. He certainly took my mess and transformed it
into an incredible message of love and hope.
I’ve learned through it all to never give up hope.
Zechariah 9:12 refers to us being “prisoners of hope.”
I’ve also learned to be open to God’s voice and let
His Spirit lead. God’s thoughts and ways are always
better. When “we” get out of the way and truly give
Him control, then the world is truly our oyster.
If there is one word of advice I can give from
my life experiences it is this: Learn to forgive. Do
not let the root of bitterness take hold of your life.
God dealt with me on forgiveness in my early 20’s
and I am so glad He did. You cannot move forward
in life if you choose to remain in a world of hatred
and bitterness. God is “love” and love calls us to
forgiveness and peace.
Hebrews 13:5 says, “Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.” I thank God for this
promise. I know wherever I find myself that God
will bring me through. He’s never promised it
would be the way I want it, or that it would be
easy, but I’ve learned as long as I take “me” out of
the equation and put “Him” first, I will always
have the Victory! v
18 www.championsheart.org

Redeeming
Love by Ann Prevatt
Like most girls, I didn’t check with God about
whom I was to marry. I simply fell in love, married
and expected God to bless my choices. The first years
were good; we had two children, built a house, and
began our respective careers. We had disagreements,
but generally worked things out. I’ll admit, I seldom
prayed or asked God about most of what was going
on in our lives.
As time went on, we began to have real difficulties
over specific areas. The primary area of conflict
was alcohol, in which my husband had started abusing.
At first it was just an embarrassment at social
functions, but as time went on, it became more frequent
and severe. It was obvious that God was not
blessing my mess.
Many times I threatened divorce, and many times
my husband made promises of doing “better.” After
we had been married approximately 15 years, I had
endured all that I could. That is when God intervened
through His Word. He made Romans 7:2 “personal.”
“For the woman who has a husband is bound by
the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the
husband dies, she is released from the law of her
husband.”
If you read that verse in context, it had nothing to
do with my situation, but it was God’s Word for me
at that time. From that moment on, I would have to
trust God with the whole situation, as well as every
part of my life. I also knew that He would honor my
decision to be obedient. It wasn’t easy for our children
or myself; however, none of us were ever physically
abused. Had that been the case, perhaps the
situation would have been different.
My husband continued to work as an attorney
and even though he was very intelligent, I knew that
he was using poor judgment at times. Our children
were teenagers when the drinking reached crisis
stage, so they busied themselves with school, sports,
and reading. I stayed busy with my teaching and all
associated with that. I was so close to the situation
that I couldn’t see the obvious, that he needed professional
help. His secretary saw the need and called
for medial help. He went to the hospital in the early
stages of coma and liver failure.
My prayer at that time was, “Lord, either bring him
all the way through this or take him home.” One night,
while he was in the hospital, the Lord came to him in
a vision and delivered him from alcoholism. (What a
wonderful testimony it was, but he shared it very cautiously
for fear people would think it was the d.t’s.)
Today I can say with
assurance that God is
faithful and His
word is true.
After a couple of trying weeks in the hospital, he
came home. Two weeks later, he went into a month
long program for alcoholics. The program helped him
to get his mind focused on the future. We both had
some counseling and I could see he was a changed
man. I held on to God’s Word that “We know all
things work together for good to those who love
God, to those who are called according to His purpose”
(Romans 8:28).
After his treatment, he never drank again. There
were still problems and some unpleasant consequences,
but life was easier. By this time we were
both committed Christians and God had shown Himself
in many ways. Even though He was not a part of
our life as we started out, He
met us where we were and
carried us forward in so many
instances.
It took some time
before I could say (with faith)
that God is true to His Word
and that He had truly redeemed
me. Today I can say
with assurance that God
is faithful and His word is
true. “Christ has redeemed
us (me)… that we (I) might
receive the promise of the
Spirit through faith”
(Gal 3:13-14). v
Ann Prevatt has
lived in Keystone
Heights, FL for over
45 years. She is
retired but spends
time volunteering
at her church and
various ministries
including Champion’s
Heart. She
enjoys time with
friends and her four
grandchildren.
Have A Hurt?
Hang Up? Habit?
It’s Time to
be FREE!
Come See What
Celebrate Recovery
Is All About!
Held weekly at
Champion’s Heart
on Thursday Evenings
@ 7pm.
How has God touched your life? Send us your story of Victory!
Go to our website or use your smart phone to scan the QR code
to see past issues of Victorious Living or submit your story.
For more information call
Michelle at 904-449-4200
www.championsheart.org 19

MINISTRY NEWS
I am constantly amazed at all the ways God allows us to
minister to His people! As we soar into 2012, join with me in
prayer over each division of Champion’s Heart Ministries and
celebrate with us as we strive to bring more
champions into His kingdom! For more news and updates, be
sure to check our website often as well as sign up for our
email newsletters at www.championsheart.org.
In His Wakes Volunteer
Roundup
If you are interested in volunteering at IHW’s fall
events or host an event in 2013, please contact Nate
at 352-745-0283 or nate@inhiswakes.com!
Champion’s Heart Provides
Cherished Portraits For
Local Families
In August, Champion’s
Heart partnered
with Community Church
in Keystone Heights, FL.
during their annual
back-to-school outreach
for individuals in need.
Champion’s Heart provided
free family portraits. A special thanks goes to
Krissy Harp Parmeter, who provided a beautiful portrait
setting and professional photography services.
Champion's Heart Banquet!
In November, we will be hosting a special fundraising
event in Keystone Heights for the ministries of
Champion's Heart. Please join us on our properties
and see first hand what God is doing through your
partnership. Call 352-478-2098 for more information.
In His Wakes Update
Our team is currently on the west
coast hosting our remaining 2012
"A Day to Remember" (D2R) events.
During the next couple of months,
our team will head back to our
headquarters in Keystone Heights, Fl.,
stopping along the way to bring hope,
victory, and purpose into the lives of
at-risk youth! Please remember our
team in your daily prayers. They have
been going strong, by the grace of God,
since March!
International Update
In His Wakes held four Czech events in August.
Many challenges and obstacles threatened to derail
the Czech events. But once again, our God is greater!
His work was accomplished and we are confident
that the impact will be long lasting and far reaching.
What a privilege to work alongside the local
church each day. They will be able to help our
participants continue to grow spiritually. Thank
you to our financial and prayer partners who made
this possible!
In His Wakes will return to beautiful Costa Rica in
December to host a series of D2R events. While there,
we will have the privilege of touching the hearts of
Nicaraguan refugees through water sports activities,
warm hospitality, and a powerful message of God's
love. If you would like to contribute to this mission
trip, please contact us immediately.
Victorious Living is having an international impact,
especially in the water sports community. Thousands
of copies have reached the hands and hearts of athletes,
coaches, and fans across the globe.
Kristi Overton Johnson's REFRESH! teaching
ministry is touching hearts worldwide through her
writing, speaking, and singing ministry. Be sure to get
on our mailing list to receive encouraging messages
based on God's Word. You can also watch inspiring
videos on championsheart.org.
Champion’s Heart Scholarships
and Awards Winners
• Meg McCollom and Miranda Deviel received
$1000 as winners of the Emily Rund Champion’s
Heart Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded annually
to graduates of Keystone Heights High
School for exemplifying the heart of a champion.
• K.C. Wilson of
Clermont, FL. was
awarded the Kristi
Overton Johnson
Champion’s Heart
Award for his performance
on the
water at the US Masters Water Ski and Wake Board
Tournament and for his integrity and character off
the water!
• Taylor Woosley of Monte Verde, FL. was awarded
$500 as winner of the In His Wakes Scholarship.
This scholarship is awarded annually to competitors
of the US Jr. Masters Water Ski and Wake
Board Tournament for overall excellence in character,
athletics, community service, and academics.
A Day To Remember participant in Costa Rica
experiences the freeedom of gliding across the water.
20 www.championsheart.org

y Nate Miller,
In His Wakes Director
For some time
now, I’ve felt the
Lord showing me
the importance of ministering
to people on the shore
while they wait for their turn on the water, and the opportunity
it offers to build relationships. I’ve prayerfully
considered how to approach this need and who best to
take on the challenge. The Lord was faithful to give me
the answer and one year later, the work is being done.
In July of 2011, I experienced one of the most impacting
events of my six seasons with “In His Wakes”,
not only because of the situations surrounding the participants,
but also those who came to minister to them.
At that particular event, several young adults from
“Youth With A Mission” (YWAM) came to volunteer at
our “A Day to Remember” event in Montana. As I
watched this group of volunteers minister to our participants
on the shore and evangelize with such boldness,
it was evident that this was a needed element for the
shores of our future “A Day to Remember” events.
Over the next six months, I prayed
for God to assemble His
“Dream Team”, a team that
would travel with my wife,
Ivy, and I, during the
2012 season. Coming
into 2012, we didn’t
know “who” and we didn’t know “how”, but we
trusted that God was about to do something amazing
in our midst… and He did. In the spring, God provided
the funds through a donor to purchase a second motor
home and then He filled it at various times throughout
the summer with 8 different young adults, all on-fire
for the Lord and ready to serve.
Event after event, I watched in amazement, as this
international “team” of young adults poured themselves
into the participants. Individuals from the US, Czech Republic,
Africa, and South Africa were used by God to
bring about an incredible number of responses to the
gospel. People could just sense the genuine, Christ-filled
love that these young people brought to the water, not
to mention their energy! It wasn’t just the participants
who were impacted by this added group of young evangelists.
At every event, our hosts and volunteers expressed
their amazement at seeing a group of young
people operate with such boldness for the Lord.
With an expanded team, God enabled us to expand
our ministering opportunities from the lake together. At
several events, we were able to visit the participants at
their program centers and continue our ministering apart
from the actual “A Day to
Remember” event.
For example, after
our events in Maine, our
team had the opportunity
to go into the detention
facility (the facility where our
participant’s lived) and
conduct a chapel service. With
the combined talents of each
person, we were able to sing,
perform a powerful skit, and
teach about God’s unconditional
love! You could feel
God’s presence in the room,
as He moved in the hearts of
these young detainees. In fact,
at one point, the Spirit moved so
powerfully that the guards began to
get a bit uneasy about maintaining
control. That day, we were blessed to witness an
amazing response to the “altar call!” Since the kids were
not allowed to leave their seats, each member of our
group placed their hands on as many people as they could
reach and led them in a prayer of salvation and healing.
As I’ve reflected on the 2012 season, one thing is for
sure, that God has been at work. He’s been at work in
our team, and He’s been at work in me! Many times
I’ve had to step aside, so that God’s plan could be accomplished.
As I moved aside, God did abundantly
more than I could have ever hoped for or imagined.
At this point, many of our team members have already
returned to their homes abroad. We are back
down to one motor home and a five member traveling
team. As we continue our 2012 tour nationally and
abroad, it is my prayer that we finish with the same
level of enthusiasm and love that we’ve had so far. As
we stay focused on Him, I am confident the Lord
will continue to use this group in a
mighty way!
Thank you to all the prayer
warriors out there! Your
faithfulness of continually
lifting us up in prayer makes
a difference! Thank you also
to our hosts, volunteers,
and our financial
supporters. You all
are a part of God’s
“Dream Team”
…we couldn’t
do it without
you! v
www.championsheart.org 21

Enjoying
by Reneé Harp
BeingME!
I wish that I were as
rich as them. I wish that
I were as skinny as her.
I wish that I could find
a husband. I wish that my
husband treated me better.
I wish that I were smarter
in school. I wish that I had
her spiritual gifts.
Do any of these statements
sound familiar?
I believe that if we are honest
with ourselves, at some time
or another, we have all compared
ourselves with other people or desired
someone else's life, possessions,
looks, money, talent… the list can go
on and on.
I’ve often struggled with comparisons and I’ve
often wished my life to be different and more like the
next person’s. In fact, I struggled with “enjoying being
me” until my mid-thirties. During this time, I constantly
compared my looks, my career, and my family
with those who seemed to “have it all together.”
Oftentimes, I even did things to fit in with those I
wanted to be like. One time I redecorated my house
with country ducks, just so my house would look like
someone else’s. The funny thing is that I didn’t even
like ducks, and to be brutally honest, I didn’t even
enjoy being around the people that I so desperately
wanted to be like. My husband Terry hated those
ducks and so did I!
Isn’t it amazing what we will do, just to “fit in?”
I’m sure that I’m not the only one who has done
things to impress people and be accepted.
When I think back as to why I would do these
things, it was because I didn't understand that God
had a specific plan for me. I didn’t realize He had created
me in a special way with gifts, abilities, and opportunities
that could be used in a unique way for
Him… in a way no one else was equipped to do. I
didn’t understand that every time I focused on being
someone else, I lost the ability to be me, unique me!
John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal
and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have
life, and have it to the full.” I believe with all of my
heart that comparisons are a scheme of our enemy
to bring destruction. Satan’s goal is to distract us, to
keep our eyes off Christ and His plan for our lives. As
we focus on others through comparisons, Satan
knows we will have a tendency to feel bad about
ourselves and fall into self-pity as we come to the
conclusion that our gifts and our lives don’t measure
up and surely can’t make a difference in this world.
Reneé and husband, Terry, reside in
Keystone Heights. Reneé is the
Administrative Director for
Champion’s Heart and In His Wakes.
Do not conform to the pattern of
this world, but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind.
Romans 12:2
If Satan gets his way, our self-pity may even evolve
into a little jealousy, anger, resentment, and ultimately
despair.
This way of thinking affected my self-esteem and even
damaged relationships because I wasn't true to myself.
My eyes weren’t open to see myself as God saw me.
The truth is that God designed us before the
foundation of the world. He knew our gifts and
personalities before we were ever born. He loved
us enough to die for us! So why are we constantly
trying to change our Maker's creation?
If God wanted us to "copycat" each other, why
would He go to so many extremes to make us different?
Think about it. The creator of the galaxies,
moon, sun, stars, of everything we see, took the time
to give you and I our own set of fingerprints, DNA,
and even a unique laugh! He created us with unique
thought patterns, personalities, looks, skin color, gender…
on and on I could go. The answer is He wants
you and I to be exactly whom He created, "YOU"
and “ME”, and no one else.
I think it’s time to lay aside comparisons and begin
to see yourself as God sees you. Don’t you? It’s time
to start enjoying being ourselves.
How? First of all, quit looking into the world’s mirror
and look into God’s mirror, His Word. See what He
says about you and your life… I think you’ll be surprised.
Secondly, quit comparing
yourselves
to others and
start being a
blessing to
others.
F i n a l l y,
rather than
tear yourself
down, build
yourself up.
Begin to make
a list of your
unique self and
thank God for the
life He has given
you. v
We asked our readers to share what
they have done to find worth and
acceptance in the eyes of others…
I was trying to get an interview with
an airline for a pilot position. With
20,000 applications, they weren’t
taking any calls. So, to get their attention,
I sent a worn-out pair of
sneakers to the VP of Personnel explaining
that I had worn out my
shoes pacing back and forth while I
waited for their call. The person in
charge of pilot hiring called me out
of curiosity- to see if I was a nut or
sane- and the rest is history. I ended
up flying for them for 25 years. ~Jeff
a
My mom bought me a pair of boots
that I loved. When I wore them to
school, my friend said that they
were ugly, so I wouldn’t wear them
anymore. ~Ivy
a
To compensate for my insecurities, I
did many outlandish things. As a
teen, I jumped on the roof of my car
and rode down a skateboard hill
with no one driving the car. I also
drove my first boat wide-open,
“James Bond Style” onto a beach!
It took the rest of the afternoon to
get it back into the water. ~Rusty
a
I set up a first date with a girl to go
to the skating rink, a place that she
wanted to go. This itself was crazy
because I was not much of a skater.
Towards the end of the night, I had
worked out most of the kinks and
decided that I was going around the
rink one more time before we left.
My feet got tangled up and I fell
down and broke my ankle. That was
the first and last date with that girl.
~Vernon
a
I drank a whole bottle of “Boone's
Farm” wine at about age 14 to
impress some friends. ~Anonymous
22 www.championsheart.org

INSPIRING LEADERSHIP
How Can I Know
by Bonnie Hagemann
Decisions… Decisions… Decisions… Every day we
are faced with thousands of decisions that seem to
come at us with lightening-like speed. Sometimes the
decisions are easy and have limited impact.
Should I buy this shirt?
Should I go for a walk now or later?
But many times decisions are hard, complex and
have to be made in a short amount of time with
limited information.
Should I take this job?
Should I let my daughter start dating?
Should I place my loved one in assisted living?
Should I file bankruptcy?
Should I sell my business?
These types of decisions are never easy. Recently, I
had to make a tough decision regarding the sale of
my business to a large company. As I wrestled with
my decision, I found myself completely at a loss as to
what to do.
The opportunity looked good to people in my
trusted inner circle, and it initially looked good to me.
The acquiring company was large in size and had a
good reputation in our field. They had a great leadership
team in place that would help the company to
continue to grow. Even better, I would have an incredible
job with great benefits. It looked like a complimentary
fit. However, when I thought about this
opportunity, tears would roll down my cheeks.
Am I at peace with
this in my heart?
Does this decision align
with my personal values?
Will those closest to me
be able to live with the
impact of my decision?
Surprised by my own reaction, I knew it was time to
seek wisdom from above. One morning during my routine
run, I began to converse with God about this opportunity.
I asked Him to reveal why my spirit was
crying over this decision. I knew it was my spirit, because
my flesh was screaming, “GO FOR THE
MONEY!”
When I pray, God shows me things in images, in a
very visual way. It’s how He speaks to me; it’s how I
understand Him. During our conversation, God
showed me a courtroom with a judge sitting on the
bench. Then I heard Him say, “I’m going to teach you
how to make judgments” (decisions). Great! I thought.
That’s exactly what I need.
God reminded me of the story of King Solomon
found in I Kings 3:16-28. If you remember, Solomon
was faced with the task of deciding the true identity
of the mother of a little baby. Both women stood before
him claiming the child was theirs. Each woman
pled her case before the King. In this scene, God
showed me that there were influential people trying to
persuade Solomon to decide one way or the other.
There was a lot of pressure in this decision.
During my prayer time, I suddenly saw a curtain
drop out of the sky on three sides of the baby. This
curtain blocked out everyone except for Solomon and
the baby. In my spirit I heard God say, “When you
need to make a judgment (decision), you must first silence
all of the competing voices.”
This is exactly what Solomon did. In his situation,
many voices competed for his attention… the voices
of the women and the voices of people in Solomon’s
inner circle. The problem however, was that some of
the “voices” were lying. To bring forth the truth,
Solomon in his wisdom said, “Cut the baby in half!
That way each of you can have part of him” (1 Kings
3:25). He knew the real mother would give her baby
up before she would allow the baby to be killed. His
plan worked and the baby went home with its mother.
Truth was exposed and a right decision was made.
God then took me back to my decision of whether
or not to let my business be acquired by a larger company.
I realized that I had to silence all of the competing
voices. I also had the revelation that money has
a voice. In my prayer time I saw it. I saw money personified,
and it was yelling in my face.
As I mentally dropped the curtain and shut out
money’s voice, I began to see clearly. I saw that in this
situation, selling my company would bring negative
results. I would be trading my LIFE for money, especially
my time. I would lose time with my family, time
to do the things I love, and most importantly, I would
lose my time with God. In this quiet place I found my
answer, and in this answer, I found peace. I gently
backed away from the deal.
If there is one thing I have learned in my decisionmaking
processes, it is that learning to hear God’s
voice is more important than taking classes and reading
books on how to make a good decision. It’s more
important than the latest financial peace course or diet
or exercise phenomenon. I have found that all of my
personal and business problems get worked out if I
spend enough time with God through prayer and
through the study of His Word. He always has the answer
to my every question, my task is to get still before
Him, quiet the voices that call out to me, and listen.
Jeremiah 33:3 “Call to me and I will answer you
and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not
know.” NIV v
Bonnie Hagemann is a member of the
Board of Directors for Champion’s
Heart Life Centers. Bonnie is the CEO
of Executive Development Associates,
a 28-year-old internationally known
boutique consulting firm that specializes in executive
development, executive coaching, and high potential
development. To date, Bonnie has 11 published works.
Need wisdom for a business decision?
Visit Bonnie’s blog at https://bonniehagemann.wordpress.com or use your smart
phone to scan the QR code.
www.championsheart.org 23

CHAMPIONS HEART AWARD
Quiting Is Not An Optionby Kristi Overton Johnson
What is a champion? Or better yet, who is a champion.
One popular definition of a champion is “a person
who has defeated or surpassed all rivals.” The
world celebrates champions in various areas such as
sports, business, and the media. According to this definition,
I’ve met a lot of “champions” in my life. From
professional athletes, famous actors and top business
executives, to military and political leaders, I’ve been
blessed to meet the cream of the crop in various fields.
If I were to line up the world’s “champions” and examine
their lives, I would find common traits of perseverance,
excellence, and discipline. I would find a
teachable heart and a mind willing to listen to others.
I would find a tenacious spirit, a “never give up in the
face of adversity” attitude.
In my life, the people who have impacted me the
most aren’t the “champions” that I’ve met in athletics
or in the corporate world, although they do inspire
me. The “champions” who have touched my life the
most are ordinary people who live out the above mentioned
qualities in their daily lives… people such as
Dan and Sue Plaster.
I met this amazing couple when Tim and I moved to
Keystone Heights, Florida in the mid 1990’s. One of the
first times that I met Sue, she came right over to me,
gave me a big hug and then surprisingly planted a
sweet kiss on my forehead. She then invited me to
lunch, where we shared our hearts and our struggles
and learned that other than the 40 year age difference,
we had much in common.
Over the years, Sue’s faithfulness to her husband,
family, and community has inspired me to live life to the
fullest. Now in her 80’s, Sue continues to work in the
real estate industry, as well as serve faithfully in her
church and local ministries. You can always find Sue promoting
worthy events and even organizing them, such
as our community’s recent, “Pray for Rain” gathering.
Dan, like Sue, has a spirit that both encourages and
challenges anyone to greatness. From the first time I
met Dan, I witnessed his heart of perseverance and
from that day, he has reminded me, just by watching
him live, to never, ever give up.
One of the first times I
encountered Dan was at church.
Tim and I were sitting behind him
and Sue when the pastor asked
us to turn to a certain scripture.
Tim and I, as well as Sue, quickly
turned to the scripture and followed
along with the reading.
But I couldn’t help but notice that
Dan was having a bit of trouble.
Over and over again, he would
grab the page of the Bible only to
have it slip from his hands. I
didn’t realize at the time, but Dan
has a condition that results in
hand tremors when he engages
his hand muscles. This condition
makes daily tasks like eating,
combing your hair, brushing your
teeth, or Dan’s favorite… teeing
up a golf ball…very difficult.
Over and over again, Dan attempted to turn the
page of the Bible. I was sure he would give up when
the pastor moved on to other scriptures, but Dan kept
on grabbing at the corner of that page, unaffected by
the fact that we had moved on. All I could think was,
“Wow! This man is something!” I was blown away by
his refusal to quit. I was also blessed by his patience. I
continue to be blown away by Dan’s persevering spirit
as I’ve witnessed him face not only the daily challenges
of his tremors, but also continuing treatments for
myeloma cancer and painful back spasms, all with joy.
One of the greatest blessings to me has been to witness
Dan and Sue as a couple. They have an incredible
relationship that continues to grow even after 60 years!
I am amazed by the respect and faithfulness they have
towards one another. I remember waiting for Sue to turn
the page for Dan at church, but she didn’t. She knew
not to step in at that moment. But there have been
other times when I’ve watched her quietly come to his
side and help where needed. They have learned to face
life’s daily challenges together, in a manner that builds
each other up and gives each other value.
Dan and Sue celebrate their receipt of
the Champion’s Heart Award with their
family in Christ: Tim and Kristi Johnson;
Terry and Reneé Harp; Buck and LeaNan
Burney; and Anna and Melodie Purkey.
When I asked Sue to share the source behind their
strength, she replied, “Quitting is not in our
vocabulary. When Dan was diagnosed with cancer, he
just looked at me and said, ‘I don’t know how to quit!
I refuse to give up.’”
When I asked Dan how he faces his challenges with
such patience and perseverance, he simply replied, “I
have so many things to be thankful for, I just focus on
those!” Both agree that their faith in God is the true
source of their strength. It is what enables them to keep
going in the face of adversity.
Thank you, Dan and Sue, for touching my life and
the lives of many by choosing never to quit. As you
push forward daily with joy in your heart, you encourage,
inspire, and challenge the hearts of many! Congratulations
on being recipients of this issue’s
“Champion’s Heart Award.” It is well deserved, as you
both have the hearts of champions!
We love you! v
Champion’s Heart Life Center would like to recognize individuals who
exhibit the heart of a champion…
a heart of love, integrity, patience, and perseverance.
In this issue of Victorious Living, Champion's Heart would like to present The Champion's Heart Award to Dan & Sue Plaster. Dan
and Sue exemplify the heart of a champion... a heart of integrity, generosity, love, and kindness. Their servants’ hearts have made it possible for
many to achieve their dreams. Ultimately, because of the foundation that they have provided, many lives have been forever changed.
24 www.championsheart.org

We asked our readers to share what
they have done to find worth and
acceptance in the eyes of others…
One of the craziest things that I ever
did was join in a group’s plan to
ostracize a girl based on something
we had “heard” about her. We all
ignored this girl and shut her out of
our lives completely. We treated her
terribly. After several weeks of ignoring
her, we found out that the group’s
ringleader had made up the story
about this girl and told it to us as
“truth” because she was extremely
jealous of her. We were HORRIFIED at
the way we had treated her but more
importantly - we were horrified at
how gullible we had been. We went
to the person, explained the situation,
and asked her forgiveness. She took
the high road and forgave us, BUT we
could tell we had hurt her to the core.
Although this happened 30 years ago,
I have never forgotten it. Because
of this experience, I’ve learned to
pray for a discerning spirit and to seek
God's guidance when it comes
to man's opinions. I listen to what
people say - but I judge what I believe
by trusting God to always show me
truth.
~Vanessa
a
When I was 17, I did a “flying
dock start” bare footing off the
Brooklyn Bridge. I tore up my knee
and couldn't ski for 2 months. All for
some dumb boy! ~Dana
a
The craziest thing that I ever did to
impress someone was riding a
mechanical bull shortly after having
hamstring surgery! What was I
thinking?
~ Christine
a
As a teenager, I wanted to “breathe
fire” like Gene Simmons from KISS.
The trick went well most of the time,
until the time my face caught on fire!
~Anonymous
What IS Champion’s Heart?
Champion’s Heart helps people of all ages, genders and socio-economic status break free, move forward,
and soar to victory! Thousands of people are being touched through our local, national and international
ministries daily. Here is a quick look at our outreach programs:
Champion’s Heart “In His Wakes” Sports Outreach encourages
at-risk youth to “GET OFF THE DOCK!” of life through our “A Day to Remember”
program. Through an incredible day on the water, warm hospitality
from our team, and a message of God’s love, our participants grab hold of the
truth: they are loved, there is hope, and their lives have purpose! IHW also
ministers “On the Shores” at amateur and professional water ski events sharing the love of Jesus Christ
through worship services and by mentoring junior competitors to be champions for Christ.
Champion’s Heart Kids Outreach builds leaders through local Bible
Clubs, academic scholarships, and special events. Sports clinics, arts and crafts,
dance lessons, and more allow Champion’s Heart to build mentoring relationships
with children to develop hearts of character… hearts of champions!
Champion’s Heart Victorious Living helps people soar to victory
through our quarterly magazine, faith-based motivational writings, audio and
video messages, and motivational seminars.
Champion’s Heart Life Resource Center provides on-site
resource assistance and referral service (food, housing, furniture, basic needs)
as well as relational and recovery support.
www.championsheart.org
www.championsheart.org 25

Coloring Outside
The Lines
by Bandi Morford
My name is Bandi.
I am a single, 36 year old woman who has never been married.
I have no kids, nor do I have a career.
I am overweight and out-of-shape.
I have no medical insurance, 401K, or retirement plan.
I don’t have a house; in fact, I don’t even own a TV.
Four years ago, I quit my job and decided to live a more simple life. This is not
the story of how or why; rather, this is the story of how I live with my decision.
After college, I moved to South Florida, where I held the positions of teacher
and athletic coach for ten years. As a single career woman, I bought a big house
and filled it full of stuff! Eventually the stuff began to own me, so I decided it was
time to simplify and change gears.
I ended up selling nearly all of my possessions and moving to Hawaii. After a
year in Hawaii, I moved to South Korea to teach English. During my stay in Korea,
my eyes were opened to a new world of people and their culture.
To say the travel bug bit me would be an understatement. My backpack and
I have made our way through 20 countries throughout the world. I’ve met the
most amazing people in my travels that always seem to want to take me back
to their homeland to show me their way of life. My next adventure is to join my
new Russian friends who will guide me through their homeland, as well
as the Ukraine. Only God knows where I’ll end up after that.
From the outside looking in, some people may think I have
the perfect life. Some may say I have nothing. But can we
ever truly understand how another lives, until we have
walked in their shoes? My prayer is that I can truly
understand my God and myself.
I have moments where I struggle, as
I compare myself to those around me. I begin to
feel lonely, unaccepted, and not good
enough. When this happens, I feel myself slipping
into a deep hole of depression. My
mind becomes filled with negative
thoughts that convince me that everyone
sees me as a failure in life. In the end, these
thoughts transfer to how I see myself.
My biggest struggle has been over my decision to remain career-less. At home
in the US, I feel it is not acceptable to live without a “real” job, a home, and a
family. As humans, we are constantly looking at each other to see if we have life
figured out and under control as much as the next person. It is a battle for one
not to drown in it all!
At times, I’ve grown angry with God for not making me “fit in”, for not making
me like other people. Sometimes I feel as if He left me out to dry with no real
passion for the things that make me acceptable in this society. I blame Him for
not revealing a definite “plan” for my life.
Recently, I attended a conference about creating your own “life story.” This
conference helped change my perspective and helped me find the peace and
confidence to move forward in my life. At this conference, I learned something incredible.
It is this: I am different; I am unique; I am weird; and I do not fit within
the American lifestyle stereotype. BUT, none of this means my story is not loved
and accepted by my Father God. 4
Taj Mahal, Agra, India
Bandi Morford
is a world
traveler and
a native of
Melrose, FL.
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Making friends in
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
26 www.championsheart.org

3Donald Miller gave this example: He said
to imagine God as just a normal Dad sitting on
the floor with you, His child. He pulls out a big
sheet of butcher paper and a box of crayons
and says, “Let’s color together! Draw whatever
you want.” You begin to draw with your Father,
the best you know how. Like any parent, no
matter what you draw, no matter how out of
the lines you may go, no matter what color you
use, your Father thinks it’s gorgeous. He even
hangs your picture on his fridge for the world
to see!
Rowing on the
Ganges River, Varanasi, India
In this example, God is our Father and our
life is the butcher paper and crayons. The drawing
we color may not be the same as everyone
else’s, but Father God still loves it. He is proud
of it. This brings me such hope, as I realize that
He loves my “life picture” even though it may
be different than other peoples, even though it
may not be colored in the “normal” way.
I’ve also found peace in the realization that
God isn’t focused on what my “picture” looks
like. He isn’t concerned with where I live, how
I look, how much money I make, or what I do
for a living - NO! God does not see size, or
color, or race, or gender, or profession…He
sees hearts. He isn’t looking for someone who
colors within the lines; He is simply looking for
a heart willing to live out loud for Him. God’s
greatest desire is for the two of us to do this
thing called life - TOGETHER!
God does not need for me to have a career
to be a success to Him. He doesn’t need for me
to be a size 6 to fit into the life He wants for
me. I do not need a 401K or a retirement plan
to get into heaven. His desire is for me to love
Him, to love myself, and to love others, whether
at home or abroad. That is my goal.
I pray I will no longer listen to the lies of this
world that scream I am not good enough
because I do not fit the “mold.” In my heart of
hearts, I know that I am making a masterpiece
with my Father, as we travel through life
together. v
Being in the
right place…
Right With
God!
How many stories
have we heard about
someone being in the
right place at the right
time? Well, what if it’s not necessarily
where you are, but rather where you are
with God that matters? If you are open
to allowing God’s love to shine through
you, it really doesn’t matter where you
are located physically. God is at work
everywhere!
So whether you find yourself working
out at the gym, cleaning your house,
working at the office, serving in full-time
ministry, or, like Bandi, traveling the
world; by being willing to see the world
with God’s eyes and touch people with
His heart of love, the world around you
can be forever changed! You don’t have
to leave your zip code to impact the
world, you can make a world of difference
every single day, right where you
are, as long as your heart, mind, and soul
are in the right place… in line with the
heart of God!
As a matter of fact, do everything that
way, heartily and freely to God's glory.
~1 Corinthians 10:31 (MSG)
Delivering books to kids who’ve never had one, Luang Prabang, Laos
www.championsheart.org 27

A Look
in the
Mirror
by Jean Roach
Iwas sitting at the kitchen table looking at myself
in my hand mirror when my Dad walked in.
I let him know by my expression that I
considered his presence an intrusion, that I wanted
to be left alone, and that I wasn’t in the mood to
hear anything he had to say.
“What are you doing?”
I thought it was obvious what I was doing, but to
cut the conversation short, I answered him tersely,
“Looking at myself in the mirror.”
After a few silent seconds, I asked what every
teenage girl wants to know,
“Daddy, am I pretty?”
“You’re beautiful!” He responded without
hesitation.
I put the mirror down and let him know in no
uncertain terms that I knew exactly what he was
doing. “Daddy, you have to say I’m beautiful! You’re
my father. That’s your job!”
My father laughed. “It’s not my job! I don't have
to say anything. You are Beautiful! Why did you ask
me if you don’t believe me?”
“It is your job!” I argued with him. “That’s the
job God gives all fathers. Fathers have to tell their
daughters they are beautiful. I just wanted to see if
you do your job and tell the truth.”
My father continued to laugh. He could be so irritating.
How dare he call me beautiful and expect me
to believe it! Everybody told me that I looked just like
him and he certainly was not my idea of beautiful.
Besides, I had the mirror; I could see my blemishes.
The only thing that bothered me was that I could also
see my father’s eyes. I could tell by the way that he
looked at me that he really believed that I was beautiful.
I wasn’t sure which to believe -- my mirror or my
father’s eyes.
It would not be until years later when my own
children were born that I would understand that both
my father and I had been right. I was beautiful and
it was his job to tell me. Parents see a beauty beyond
the senses, a beauty called into being by the one who
recognizes it. We parents believe in our heart that
our child will make a difference in this world.
God the Father is the same. He tells us in the Book
of Isaiah,“… You are precious… in my sight.”
(Isaiah 43:4) NIV
Some of us hold God the Father at arm’s length
and argue with Him in our hearts because we see
only our blemishes of sin and failure and weakness,
and we believe we could not possibly be precious.
When the Father looks at us, He sees only what He
created us to be. He sees the beauty of our gifts and
talents, kindness, generosity, humility and justice, and
He constantly calls that beauty into being. He
believes in His heart, that His children will make a
difference in this world. Each of us has to decide
which to believe, the voice of deception or the voice
of the One Who created us.
Let us allow the beauty within us to come forth
so that, as we grow, we look more and more like our
heavenly Father.
Let us ask for the grace to believe as the Psalmist:
“…You have created my inmost being; You knit
me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You
because I am fearfully and
wonderfully made;
Your works are
wonderful…”
(Psalm 139: 13-
14) NIV v
You are
precious
…in my sight.”
Isaiah 43:4 NIV
Jean Roach resides in Gainesville, FL.
She has led an intercessory prayer for
more than 35 years and helps people
know the love of God through her publications.
Jean has five grandchildren.
We asked our readers to share what
they have done to find worth and
acceptance in the eyes of others…
I have done many stupid things to
be accepted. None of them ever
worked & most backfired on me.
I've cheated, lied, & stolen… only
the Lord knows what else! Once in
the sixth grade, I voted for myself
twice in a contest. I got caught because
I had folded the two pieces of
paper together. I had to confess to
the teacher what I had done. I
praise God that I don’t have to do
anything for Him to accept me. I
thank Him that old things have
passed away! ~Jessie
a
It was "Amateur Night" at the Ft.
Worth Texas Rodeo. I had a date
and decided to ride a bull in the
arena, as I was aiming to "impress"
my lady. Impress her I did. I rode the
bull, a big white Brahma, for eight
seconds--- then leapt off and ran as
fast as I could for the stands, where
I dove in head first--- just ahead of
the bull. ~John W.
a
I tried to be trim and healthy to
make my husband and others proud.
~Anonymous
a
When I was in college, I took a fire
truck for a joy ride through the campus.
My buddy and I were driving
around with the siren and lights on
trying to impress the ladies. We
even called out to them on the PA
system. In the end, we got the fire
truck stuck in a ditch and landed in
a whole lot of trouble! No, I was not
chemically impaired; this was my
“normal” behavior! ~Nate
28 www.championsheart.org

Popular by
Kenny Vaughan
It was 1977. I was a fifth grader and a pretty good
athlete. Baseball was my favorite sport; in fact, I had
made all-stars every year since five pitch. By accident,
I discovered that I was good at track too. The junior
high school track coach came over to the elementary
school one day looking for two kids to run on the jr.
high track team. The whole school ran 100-yard
dashes to determine who would run with the older
kids. By the end of the week, I found myself on the
jr. high track team.
All of a sudden, I went from just another kid in
school, to a kid almost everyone knew about. Even the
junior high kids knew that I was fast. Talk about a confidence
boost! Over the next two years, I grew in popularity.
I was in the “in crowd” and sitting at the
“who’s who” table with all of the other popular kids.
But then came puberty. It happened in the eighth
grade. It seemed everyone in school hit their growth
spurt except for me. All around me, voices deepened
and facial hair sprouted, but I
stayed a child. In the ninth
grade, I measured a whopping
4 foot 10 inches tall. All
of a sudden, these “men”
Kenny Vaughan is
Founder of Athletes for
Christ and creator of
Shields of Strength.
shieldsofstrength.com
didn’t want the little boy around. My friends who normally
saved me a seat at lunch were now sending me
away with the excuse, "Someone is sitting there".
I started eating alone to avoid the embarrassment
of having them send me away, only to pull up an
extra chair for someone else. As I look back, I don’t
think that they were trying to be mean; they were
just trying to protect their image. To top off this
rejection, my small frame hindered me from excelling
in the sports that I had always loved and dominated.
Imagine going from the best kid in the league, to a
kid who didn’t even make the baseball team in ninth
grade. I was pretty heart broken.
One day as I sat alone, I began to notice
something that I had never noticed before… other
kids were sitting alone at lunch too. Rather than sit
by myself, I began to join them and I realized they
were really nice kids. What shocked me the most was
how they viewed my old friends. They saw the
popular kids as confident, strong, and courageous. If
only they knew the “real” kids behind the masks.
What bothered me the most was how I had
ignored these kids for years out of selfishness; I had
never thought about them because I was too busy
thinking about myself. I also struggled with realizing
how much value I had placed on myself because of
my performance.
Well by eleventh grade I finally grew (not much as
I'm still only 5' 5"), but I was finally taller than the
shortest girl in school! I was also beginning to
excel in water skiing, which of course got me
an invitation back to the “cool” table. Only
thing was… I really didn't want to sit
there anymore. I had made new friends,
friends who had accepted me for me,
not because of my performances.
I learned so much in high school, probably the
most valuable life lessons I could have ever learned.
I learned that everyone has value and that value isn’t
based on his or her performances. I also learned how
important it is to make sure people know that they
have value. Coach Lewis taught me this lesson.
Everyday when I walked past his room, he would call
out my name. To this day I don’t know why, but boy
did it make me feel good to be acknowledged. Sometimes,
I would walk all the way around the school
just to pass his room before going to my next class,
which was right next-door! He encouraged me every
single day through a simple greeting. I’ve always
tried to do the same. I do my best to listen as intently
to a guy living on the street, as I do a General Officer
at the Pentagon.
Acts 10:34 says that God does not show
favoritism; He isn’t a respecter of persons. He loves
us all the same, whether we sit at the popular table
or not. We all have value to Him, so much so that He
sent His most precious possession (His Son) to die
for us all. He allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross
for you and for me based on His love for us, not our
performances. Get that truth in your heart and it will
change everything!
Jesus is the perfect example for us to follow in all
areas of our lives, but especially in relationships with
people. He gave His all for us, regardless of who they
were and what they had done. We often hold back
because of fear; fear of what other’s may think and
fear of what it may cost us. Perfect love casts out all
fear (I John 4:18). Lay those fears aside and believe
enough in your own value to make a sacrifice for
someone else no matter how much it cost. In that
place of sacrifice, you will truly find life, joy, peace,
and worth. v
www.championsheart.org 29

OH!
OH!
How He LOVES us!
How He LOVES us!
He is jealous for me…
Loves like a hurricane,
I am a tree, bending
beneath the weight of
His wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these
afflictions eclipsed by
glory and I realize just
how beautiful You are
and how great Your
affections are for me!
And OH…
How He loves us so!
McMillan, John Mark. “How He Loves.”
Lyrics. The Song Inside the Sounds of
Breaking Down. Integrity Media, 2010.
by Brad Williams
“I just love that outfit.” “Oh, I love this recipe.”
The examples are many. We use the word love in so
many different ways and contexts, it seems as if we
have forgotten exactly what it means, or even what
it implies.
Even when it comes to the love of God, we tend
to speak of it the way we do most anything else:
tritely and overwhelmingly shallow. While we may
acknowledge God’s love as something that is real
and perhaps present, why does it often seem to
move us so little?
One of the most profound truths found in the
Bible is that God loved us enough to give Himself for
us. One verse in the Bible sums up the gospel truth
of God’s love like no other verse in all of Scripture:
John 3:16. This verse is widely known and often
quoted, yet it seems as if we have missed what God’s
Word is saying to us.
Most people know this verse by heart, “For God
so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have
eternal life.” Many Christians quote it, and many
preachers preach it, but the question is ... Do we really
understand what John is saying? Having a proper
understanding of John 3:16 will shape how we understand
the ministry of Christ, the love of the Father,
and the power of the gospel.
For many, when they read John 3:16, they focus
on whom God loves. Now, no doubt God’s love does
reach the world-- which I certainly think is a point to
be made here--but that is not the main point.
The primary purpose in John 3:16 is to tell how
God loves. The word “so” is a Greek word that is
more appropriately translated, thus or in this way. So,
when we look at the verse we should actually read it
as follows: “For God loved the world in this way: He
gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him
should not perish but have eternal life.”
As we see, John’s focus is not just to show the width
of God’s love--to whom it is extended. Rather, John is
showing us the unfathomable depth of God’s love.
The gospel is not merely a call to faith; it is a call
to live in the reality of the deep, rich love of God. We
must understand that God did not merely say I love
you, He demonstrated His love by giving His perfect
Son as a sacrifice to atone for our sin.
Humanity was separated from God by the curse
of sin, and God restored our relationship by giving
us Jesus. Both the faith and the life that flow through
the power of the cross are the result of God’s love.
Why do we trust God? Because He showed us His
love and trustworthiness through the cross, that is why.
Why do we enjoy eternal life? God’s love for us
through the cross has given us new life in Christ.
What John gives us here is “love in action.” That
is, God has not only confessed to love us, He has
proven how much He loves us by giving His Son as a
ransom for the souls of His people.
This is the vertical side of the equation-the aspect
dealing specifically with our relationship with God.
There is, however, a horizontal aspect as well-how
God’s gift of love effects how God’s people reflect
that love to others.
God’s sacrificial love
must be the pattern for
how we love others.
Jesus makes that clear in John 15:13, when He
says, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone
lay his life down for his friends.” What makes
this statement so remarkable is that Jesus was about
to lay His life down for His people, as His own expression
of love.
Naturally, we will never make the same sacrifice
Jesus did because His was redemptive and unique.
We are, however, called to show love primarily in sacrificing
for the good of others. God the Father laid
down the life of God the Son that He might redeem
us and call us His friends.
Why do we serve or sacrifice? Will it merit God’s
love? Will it make us more appealing to God? Absolutely
not! We serve and sacrifice; we love because
we are the recipients of the richest, purest, most effectual
love of all. To lay down our lives for the good
of others is to humbly serve them before we serve
ourselves. It is to shoulder their burdens and enter
into their struggles with no thought of being repaid.
Why is the church called upon to love in this way?
Simple… it is the example that has been set before
us. The sacrifice of God is the seal of His deep love for
His church. Likewise, the church shows that she is
God’s by seeking to reflect His love to all people.
The gospel is the message of hope and redemption.
It is the Good News that sin and death have
been crushed by the power of the cross. The foundation
upon which the gospel is built is the deep love of
God. His love saves us, His love empowers us to trust,
and His love liberates us to serve and love others. v
Brad Williams graduated from
Reformed Theological Seminary and
is the pastor of Keystone Heights
Presbyterian Church in Keystone
Heights, FL. He is the husband of
Rachel and father of 4 children.
30 www.championsheart.org

We asked our readers to share what
they have done to find worth and
acceptance in the eyes of others…
When I was a college student in
Boone, NC, some friends and I
jumped off a dam that was 40 feet
above a rushing river. One of the
guys bet no one would dive into the
water. I took the challenge, but I
ended up hitting the rush of water
that was coming up from the bottom.
I blacked out and floated faceup
50 yards down stream. I am
thankful to be alive! ~George W.
a
I started smoking to impress my
ex-husband. Finally, 20 years later, I
quit to make my son proud of me.
~Julie D.
a
I once created a “Phantom of the
Opera” costume and walked into a
restaurant dressed as the Phantom
to deliver my husband a dozen yellow
roses along with two tickets to
front row seats to see the “Phantom
of the Opera on Broadway.”
He was not only impressed,
but also surprised. ~Deborah
a
While in jr. and sr. high school,
I faked my belief in Jesus. This
pleased my parents and school authorities.
But in the end, it didn’t
satisfy me. My conclusion - you
can't fake your belief. It is binary -
either you believe in Jesus Christ or
you don’t. You can't have it both
ways. You have to get off the fence.
~Roger
a
To be like my friend who was a bird
breeder, I bought two exotic birds
without thinking about how long
they lived or how much I traveled. I
ended up with a pierced lip, lots of
poop to clean up, and a loud house!
I learned a great lesson about
taking on other people’s hobbies!
~Kristi O.J.
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www.championsheart.org 31

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