YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ACTUALLY GET UP AND WALK

You see what happens when you actually get up and walk. I did today.

John 5 vs 8 tells the story of one wanting someone to do something miraculous for them. A man unable to walk wanted to walk but no one ever helped him. His disability not only affected his body but also his mind. He made excuses for not being able to help himself. Jesus simply said, "GET UP AND WALK." In response to the spoken word of Jesus, he immediately got up and walked.

This morning after my prayer time, I heard the prompt, “Get up and walk.” I did not want to go walk that early in the dark and cold. The next thing I heard was, “You have a five minute window to get going.” 

After explaining to Bonnie what was happening; I got up, dressed, and took off. I even went the opposite direction of my usual path.

After walking a half-mile, I stopped to pray and meditate at a fountain flowing red. I made a video of it. Next stop was a half-mile later to make a note to myself. I am enjoying being out. I love to walk.

Today, I walked with expectation of an experience. I do not know whether in the sky, on the ground or in myself.

You see what happens when you actually get up and walk. A quarter mile later, I feel a bit frustrated. I speak out loud saying, “OK, I am out here.”

The next thing I see is what I believe is a slow walking elderly woman that I will need to pass. I announce I am coming by on her left.

She said, “I know. I have been listening to your footsteps.”

I told her, “I did not want to risk scaring you.”

She said, “I am not scared. Recently, a 19-year-old boy attempted to sexually assault me. Police arrested for protecting myself as the young man wished he had left me alone. Police quickly released me with no charges after they got the complete story.”

My mind is a buzz. This woman is why I am out here. I shared with her my work of creating film that deals with the sexual assault men have committed on women and children for the past 100,000 years.

Next, I asked if I could walk with her for a couple of minutes to talk.  She said yes because she did not really like walking alone in the dark.

“Are you ready to tell you story on video?” I asked.

“If it will help other women, I will be pleased to tell my story,” she said.

I now learn my new friend is a survivor of pastoral sexual abuse as a child when 9 years old and sexual assault as a teen resulting in the birth of her first child. My heart never ceases to break when hearing the record of these kinds of events.

It wound up she was walking to the neighborhood where I live to meet a friend to go to work. We made a plan to see each other after she gets off work this afternoon to talk further.

This is the takeaway. Listen to the still voice that speaks to you. I cannot make that logical. I am acutely aware of what I would have missed if I had not followed its inspiring direction.

I got my first couple of miles walk in for the day. I met a woman soul I needed to meet with a story to tell. I cannot tell you who was there for whom. Whether I was there for her or she was there for me is not nearly as relevant as the fact we met because I got up off my comfortable warm bed with my wife and walked.

When the still voice prompts you to get up and walk, by all means, get up and walk. We met again after she got off work. We talked and made an agreement to work together.

What made this moment even more interesting, I have been searching for an indigenous woman for Project I'm Alive. The search is over, A Cherokee Woman has come because I got up and walked. You see what happens when you actually get up and walk.

Why MEDITATION Remarkable Creating Valuable Clarity of Heart

Why meditation remarkable creating valuable clarity of heart rests in the care of the soul. Part Five of the series, Six Primary Components of Christian Spirituality, establishes the practice of meditation as the way of the soul to maintain perspective, passion, and purpose in Christian Living. 

Christian meditation is a form of prayer in which a structured attempt is made to become aware of and reflect upon the revelations of God. The word meditation comes from the Latin word (meditārī), which has a range of meanings including to reflect on the presence of the divine.

I deepen my experience of God through prayer, meditation, and forgiveness.

~Marianne Williamson

The Psalmist David in Psalms 1 vss 1 -2 reveals the dependence the Psalmist places on his meditation. 1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

People across the world from developing nations to first world nations experience concerns of security like no other time in human history. Actual terrorist activity and the threat of terrorism haunts the thoughts of many across the global community.

Add to this the threat of global warming, poverty and all its spin off negatives of sickness, disease, illiteracy, homelessness, malnutrition, et. al.  Dr. Leonard Sweet, Former Professor and President of the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio reports the era we live in reveals the terra is no longer firma. Terra Firma  is Latin for solid earth or solid ground is not secure and longer solid. Earthquakes are the quintessential validation the terra is longer firma. 

Meditation accepts that Christians can be in the world but not of the world. None of us are from Planet Earth but we have this activity that does not try to keep up with the Joneses, dress in latest fashions or represent oneself in a showy way of the ego.

Meditation is the most secure form of trust in the universe. It is an action representing by literally doing nothing but positioning oneself to leave all things physical and the perception of them behind.

Meditation happens by intention to sit in conscious rest. Perspectives require intentionally being alone to quiet the body and quiet the mind. Following the breath controls body rhythms. It slows the heart rate and the racing of the mind.

The objective is to surrender thought to become calm quiet and still sitting in a humble quietness. Quieting the noise of the mind, experience of energy begins and health conditions are positively affected. Blood pressure lowers as calm increases. Internal listening begins. 

Moments of enlightened intuition can follow. The abundance of calm experience affords a clarity of heart and purpose. 

It is for this reason, the Psalmist can comfortably say in Psalm 19:14, "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer."

To be clear, one must step away from external activity of life from time to time to maintain personal objectivity and order for living. Meditation provides the pathway.

To begin, do these things. 1. Find a quiet time and a space where you can be alone to center in the energy of your own thoughts. 2. Instruct your mind and your body to become calm quiet and still. 3. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth slowly.  4. Experience the slowing down of your racing mind and physical sensations. 5. Listen to the calm of your inner person, the real you, your soul. 6. Sit in the experience until you must re - engage the outside world. 7. Re - engage the outside world with a better you, not as a detached person but  fully conscious fully engaged one.

Christians living and following Jesus' life as our model, must like Jesus find ourselves up early to meditate and to pray to achieve the perspective of the Psalmist, our delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law do we meditate day and night. This is the why meditation is  remarkable in creating valuable clarity of heart. Herein lies the care of the soul.

How to Trust Church Leaders When You Do Not Trust Church Leaders

The trust of the innocent is the liar's most useful tool. ~Stephen King

The intention of this work on church leaders and trust reveals the heart felt and disappointing perception of many served and led by church leaders whose behavior and leadership has not been exemplary. To the contrary, it has been immoral and often illegal. It will also assert to establish pathways to trust development between church leaders and the people they serve holding each other accountable for the roles they serve in the mutual interest of their church family and community.

What is Trust?

Trust is the safe and secure place in relationship that results from the engagement of one individual and at least one other individual who share acknowledged and affirmed mutual interests. The same enter into agreement for how they will behaviorally manage their shared image, accomplish their shared goals, share rewards or losses, and mete out consequences for activity violating their agreement. 

Trust is the baseline and epicenter of operations for productive relationship development. It is the same for organizations, groups, and institutions sharing acknowledged and affirmed mutual interests. Relationships suffer where there exists lack of character in one or more parties preoccupied with self and not the relationship and people to be served.

Trust is the belief that individuals, groups, and institutions of good character, reliable and honest are effectively able to maintain and be accountable to relationship agreements entered into and deals made premised upon mutual interests. Trust is important among clergy because their leadership and direction is premised upon the ultimate human values of love, respect, and service.

Trust is believing people committed
to you will help keep you from falling.

Why Church Leaders Trusted Less

The Pew Research Center reported July 11, 2013 that of the top professions determined to contribute 'a lot' to society's well - being, church leaders come in at number 6 on the top ten with a favorability rating of 37%. This represented a trend downward by 3% from four years earlier in 2009.

Clergy are trusted with the confidences of those they lead, counsel, and serve. They are instruments of empowerment to spiritual formation, plus personal and communal relationship development. The Gallup Poll established this favorability rating negligibly different from that of United States Congress during the same period.

The Aquila Report  recalls that traditionally church leaders are observed figures of authority. Church leaders receive the benefit of the doubt at the beginning of their service tenures until such time as trustworthiness challenges emerge. New pastors following pastors whose actions cost them the trust and respect of their congregations can prove to be difficult having to live out the former pastor's behavioral record.

Thom S. Rainer asks why pastors are no longer held in high esteem. He offers these and other reasons in 11 Reasons Pastors Are Trusted Less Today.  They include:

1. The moral failures of a minority of pastors receive widespread media coverage. This happens especially when pastors serve congregations numbering in the thousands.
2. Social Media encourages criticism from a distance.
3. A few pastors have poor work ethics.
4. There is a failure of some pastors in two key areas; leadership and emotional intelligence.
5. Some church members have a strong entitlement mentality.
6. Churches are dying in America.

Rainer is more than polite. As this caption captures clearly from Wolves in Shepherd's Clothing from Tejado Hanchell. Too many pastors are exploiting their privilege and apparently fleecing their own sheep through general immature leadership behavior, sexually acting out, being violent with their families, lying, stealing and sometimes worse.

Theological Training and Trust

How do the Methodist Theological School in Ohio, the Pontifical College Josephinum, the Trinity Lutheran Seminary, and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary educate and train church leaders on trust? Registrars for each institution were directly asked whether or not specific courses in their curricula educated and trained specifically for trust.

NO was the response. All made effort to share that while trust did not merit a stand alone course in curricula, it is addressed among courses educating and training for pastoral services and spiritual formation. Only the registrar at Trinity Lutheran Seminary expressed that trust is sufficiently important to church leadership and quality of service that church leaders would be better served as would their congregations if more specific attention was directed to its education, training, and development.

Parishioner Perceptions on Trust

The 21st Century has proven to produce skeptical observation of leadership whether secular or sacred. As a result, members of churches are decided that more training is desirable among church leaders in the area of trust. 

Members of churches want to be in position to hold pastors accountable and are no longer willing to just surrender blind trust to the church leader currently serving. Clergy discover trust is not longer simply given, it must be earned.

Church leaders do not share parishioner perceptions. Many consider that this only adds to an already overfilled plate. 

Re - Development and Re - Deployment of Trust

If church leaders are to resurrect positive regard for their office of servant leadership and influence, these things must happen.

1. Education and training institutions serving as conduits of preparation for service must engage congregations to work together on addressing trust concerns and design education and training tools in curriculum to proactively train for it.
2. Church leaders and congregations must be in agreement with respect to service description and expectation. Both must work in harmony to develop tools for regular inspection and evaluation of church leader performance by measurable and observable standards.  President Ronald Reagan may have stated it most succinctly, "Trust but verify." Early on, frequency may be weekly, bi - weekly or monthly. After the first quarter, evaluate every two months or quarters. Each time performance review is determined within acceptable parameters, the trust meter will go up. The relationship will be enhanced and should be celebrated.
3. Church leaders must be competent to serve by character and preparation. Anything less is maladministration from the beginning. A productive relationship between church leaders and their congregations can become the place many will discover trust and secure enough to desire the relationship of spiritual union. 

Conclusions on Church Leaders and Trust

Church leaders’ favorability is low for the office formerly held in high esteem. Honorable church leaders must serve in the shadows of the corrupt, the irresponsible, and the immoral that generate scandal after scandal. Honorable church leaders assert that some remain to hold up the blood stained banner and that the influence of Jesus is yet alive. 

Theological schools might consider re - examining their approaches to pastoral education and training to include the elephant in the room, the issue of trust for church leaders. A collaboration of church educators, church leaders, and parishioners would best serve the church in this area desperate for positive development.

Conditions precipitate the need for this approach. Support determined necessary comes by conclusion reached in Angie Ward's work in Christianity Today in August 2006 entitled, Leader's Insight: Can I Trust You? Strengthening the Three Legs of Trust; Character, Competence, and Communication. 

She writes, "The unavoidable conclusion makes clear trust is critical to a church’s health and ultimately, to its ministry effectiveness. When people in a church do not trust each other or their leaders, the church becomes a diseased organism that will poison those who come into contact with it, or shrivel up and stop producing fruit – oftentimes both."  

By God's Grace, might theological schools, Bible colleges, church leaders and the people of congregations work together to become a more wholesome community than church behavior can too often demonstrate.

Community Living in Covenant Community- Six Primary Components of Christian Spirituality - Part Four

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, The Gospel of John 3 vs 16 a

Part Four of the series, Six Primary Components of Christian Spirituality, establishes community living in covenant communion established by the Messiah, Jesus become the Christ after shedding his blood and giving his life to compensate for all who humanity could not behaviorally achieve. 

A covenant is a spoken or written agreement or promise usually under seal between two or more parties especially for the performance of some action. Serious consequences follow breach of the agreement. A community is a group of unified individuals bound together by interests, culture, religion, race, politics, etc. A communion is a more intense form of intentional community. It demonstrates a close relationship between people or groups with enhanced meaning.  In Christian context, communion is a ceremony in which bread is eaten and wine is drunk as a way of remembering and showing devotion to Jesus Christ.

Following the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus; the Apostles record in the Book of Acts the development of a community living in covenant communion. Families of men and women now model the lives after the life of Jesus. This is the moment for which the God human, Jesus given evidence to the words, “For God so loved the world that he gave.”

And the giving does not stop after Jesus ascends from the Earth to heaven to return to God, his Father. As God has so loved the world that he gave his only son for all of humanity, so those who remain behind began to live a spirit of giving.

In Acts Chapter 2 vss 42 - 47, the followers of Jesus were noted to sell their belongings to share with the whole of the new community living in covenant communion. The followers of Jesus not only pledged their allegiance and loyalty to Jesus and the Apostles but also to each other and others.

² And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. ⁴³ And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all that believed were together, and had all things common; ⁴⁵ And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. ⁴⁶ And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, ⁴⁷ Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

The legacy of the people of the God, the ekklesia, the whole Christian Community that began in Jerusalem, is the spirit and service of a loving woman devoted to her chosen by God Husband. The Messiah, Jesus, the Christ is the husband of the ekklesia, the Church, the community followers of Jesus’s model for living.

Jesus made clear in Luke Chapter 4 vs 18 – 19 he had been sent to Earth to fulfill God’s intention of loving the world so much that he gave Jesus to the world . ¹⁸ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, ¹⁹ To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

If you are to honor the six primary components of Christian Spirituality, it is directed that we share community living in covenant communion. God honors his promise to all of us living in this order of relationship through the words of Jesus in Matthew 28 vs 20b, “I am with you always.”

Next time, we shall take on intentional individual meditation. There we listen for God’s direction from the Word of God to our thoughts reminding us that we have been created by God (Genesis 1 and 2), loved us (John 3 vs 16a), given himself for us to redeemed us (2^nd Corinthians 5 vs 21), and is always with us (Matthew 28 vs 20b).

Until then, May God bless you and keep you, care for you during your sleeping and your waking, in your going outs and your coming ins, in your labour and your leisure; May God make his face to always shine upon you and give you peace. Amen!

Amazing Grace - Six Primary Components of Christian Spirituality - Part Three

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, The Gospel of John 3 vs 16 a

In Part One of this series, it was established from biblical source material the existence of God not only predates God’s love for the inclusive community of the inhabited world, but the world itself. God’s action was presented to reveal itself through the demonstration of six primary components of Christian Spirituality. They include diligent love, amazing grace, community communion, intentional individual meditation, private and community prayer, and human service.

Part Two of the series spoke to diligent love or the living out of intentional and on purpose affection for the object of affection.  The object of God's affection is humanity. Being diligent is characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic effort to live equal to one's commitments. God's ability to be diligent and human ability to be diligent are radically different.

Part Three of the series shares the unconditional love of amazing grace as central to God loving the world so much that gave his the best expression of himself possible. Grace is determined to be the blessing of continuous good even when it is undeserved. Amazing grace is that liberating power that frees us not only from our inadequacies and ungodly behavior but sets us on a path to live out our appreciation for God's gift on our behalf throughout our lives.

The grace of God expressed through diligent love decides to become human to experience what it means to be human. God does this because humanity had not and has not been able to manage living equal to God's expectations. Humans have failed to live at the level of God's expectations from the very beginning down to the present moment. 

Humans just cannot manage to live right, righteous, and holy. We want things God would rather us not want. We do things God would rather us not do. 

In becoming human, God knows from experience what humans experience. God as a human being is the man named Jesus. Jesus, God as a human being is reported to have been the only human able to live a human life at the level of God's expectations. 

In doing so, God restores humanity to right standing and right relationship with God. The text alone makes this commentary clear, :For God so loved the world of humanity, he gave his only begotten son. says John 3 vs 16 a. Other biblical source material will say,in 2nd Corinthians Chapter 5 vs 21, "For God made him (Jesus) to be sin for us who had not sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

It is to this end that Richard Allen's great declaration came forth. As America was becoming a nation, particularly in Philadelphia, Richard Allen grew weary of slavery, prejudice and discrimination among the people of God. 

Allen had been a slave named Negro Richard. When he purchased his own freedom, he changed his name to Richard Allen.

Once while worshiping in St, George's Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, he and other free black people were accosted by white worshipers who demanded they rise up from the altar and cease their praying. From this moment, Allen remembered freedom from slavery but more so remembered his freedom from sin to be loved by God. Hence his dungeon shook and his chains fell off,

God's amazing grace is a liberating power that frees us not only from our inadequacies and ungodly behavior but sets us on a path to live out our appreciation for God's gift on our behalf throughout our lives. Appreciate that God has loved humanity so much that he became a human to literally share our experience and live equal to his own expectations.

Until next time when we shall take on community communion, receive God's amazing grace into your life and live free to be and become what God has provided you opportunity to be. For God so loved the world with his amazing grace that he gave his only begotten son to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might become the righteousness of God in him. As God has blessed us with his grace, so we must go forth to bless others and share our experience.

Until then, May God bless you and keep you, care for you during your sleeping and your waking, in your going outs and your coming ins, in your labour and your leisure; May God make his face to always shine upon you and give you peace. Amen!

Special 2 ∞ 4 ∞ 1 the Next 24 Hours Only

Living Christian in an Unchristian World delivers a biblical based love action response to the general malaise affecting church, country, and planet. The war on terror, a disastrous national economy, citizen conflicts over partisan politics, and the church living under the rumble of scandal after scandal takes a toll on the soul of America and her people. Disillusionment runs rampant. Can government, other institutions, and their leadership be trusted anymore? Living Christian in an Unchristian World informs and demonstrates for readers how to live above the malaise and disillusionment to follow the model of Jesus in the 21st Century World and have fun doing it.

“What we sow together, we grow together. It is time to plant, replant, and transplant our seed and ourselves. Our personalities, our families, our communities, our institutions, our states, nations and indeed our world need the influence of our best seed and fruit.”

Christian Fundamentals Re – Emerging is a blue print back to the old landmark of Christian Living to influence good through right living. America; the nation, the people, and the diverse spiritual population, is what is left of the former one nation under God Republic. Polite and not so polite social wars over religion, race, politics, and class happens between Christians and other Christians, between Christians and others, Americans and other nations. The time for highest level and most positive Christian influence is now. 

Christians, people living after the model life of Jesus of Nazareth live all over Planet Earth throughout the 21st Century Global Community. We are part of every class, culture, color, bloodline, economic, and political system. From the many, we are one diverse people, an inclusive community of love, service and sacrifice. Our goal is nothing short of the fully realized Kingdom of God on Earth.

For the next 24 Hours, get Living Christian in and Unchristian World and Christian Fundamentals RE - EMERGING for $1.99. Bless Yourself and Bless Another.

Oscar Crawford
M.Div., MS/AJS

May God bless you and keep you, care for you during your sleeping and your waking, in your going outs and your coming ins, in your labour and your leisure; May God make his face to always shine upon you and give you peace. Amen!

DILIGENT LOVE - Six Primary Components of Christian Spirituality - Part Two

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, The Gospel of John 3 vs 16 a

In the first in the series, Six Primary Components of Christian Spirituality, it was established in Genesis Chapter One that out of an overflowing abundance of love; God created the heavens and the Earth. The Earth was populated with plant, animal, and human life.

Plants are not believed to have consciousness, while animals live with very simple consciousness able to manage basic life instincts for survival. Humans appear to have higher level design and capacity for self awareness. 

God designates humans for premium relationship with God's self and each other. Humans are also given responsibility for serving as stewards and caretakers over all God created.

By Genesis Chapter Six, God arrives at a level of disappointment with humans expressing regret over their creation and commits to their destruction. God's heart proves to be greater than God's desire to destroy, deciding not to destroy all but saves one family to reboot humanity.

The reboot doesn't work and all God's best effort to orient humanity to God's way never fully works. It is here God's highest level love reveals itself in the text that will serve as foundation for this series. In spite of the human inability to live at the level of God's hopes and expectations, God decides to love humanity with all of God's best self.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son. The Gospel of John 3 vs 16 a

Love is not what it says, love is what it does according to father and son pastors in Columbus, Ohio, the Rev. Drs. Keith Troy and Leon Troy.

It is this level of love that models for the title of the second in the series. Diligent Love is the living out of intentional and on purpose affection for the object of affection.  The object of God's affection is humanity. Being diligent is characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic effort to live equal to one's commitments. God's ability to be diligent and human ability to be diligent are radically different. One is able. One is not.

Humans struggle to love at this level. Humans frustrate very easily in relationships when one or the other party falls short on their committed agreements or covenants. Human are known to cut their losses and move on, sometimes without ever examining ways to manage conflicts that arise. More often than not, the same humans reproduce the same relationship scenario over and over again hoping the next time will be different and better without ever examining and developing ways to manage conflicts that arise.

Diligent love requires a maturity of understanding human behavior. Humans are seldom equal to their ideals or even what they say. Humans are noted for doing the exact opposite of what they say they would never do.

Diligent love requires open disclosure to relationship so all involved may know the pluses and minuses to be dealt with from time to time like self destructive behaviors; substance abuse, inability to manage money, or able to maintain livelihood.

Diligent love seeks to discover new ways to inspire the object of their affection in ways that prompt them to become more and better. Diligent love is the action that speaks louder than words.

Diligent love can be trusted to act in the best interest of the relationship or community at all times. It can be depended on to do what it says it will do. 

Diligent love requires people mature enough to take on the shared task of diligent love willingly to work through conflict through communicating shared goals and reasons for initiating relationship in the first place. Contemporary language suggests diligent love has the back of the object of its affection just like God for humanity.

For God so loved the world, that God gave the best God can offer makes clear God's commitment to diligent love for humanity even though humanity is never going to be equal to God's hopes or expectations. Since God has demonstrated diligent love towards us, it is only appropriate the human response to God is diligent love for God and each other knowing we can never full appropriate it.

The human investment in diligent love when love is neither convenient nor generating euphoric bliss makes clear to the object of human affection that love can be trusted. Love can be depended on not to have to have its own way. Diligent love is constant like the rising and the setting of the sun.

Anyone who practices Christian Spirituality by imperative must be a person of diligent love. Diligent Love is the living out of intentional and on purpose affection for the object of affection whether it is ever fully reciprocated or not.

Next time, from the same text, we will examine component number two, amazing grace. Until then, May God bless you and keep you, care for you during your sleeping and your waking, in your going outs and your coming ins, in your labour and your leisure; May God make his face to always shine upon you and give you peace. Amen!

Help in the East Valley for September 21, 2015

As the seasons change, so do our appetites in Central and Southern Arizona. OK, may be not so much as other places across the U.S., but soups, warming meals, and grilled food will be enjoyed as we move into cooler temperatures in the 80's and 90's and not over 100.

The best way to eat responsibly most of the time is by planning meals. Here are a few ideas in the best interests of your good health and your budget.

You know the things your family enjoys. If you want to be really sure, talk to your family. Find out what everybody enjoys most for meal times and snacks. Work out when particular meals are preferred, what day of the week and which mealtime. Make sure your plans include:

1. Dairy
2. 1/2 your plate should be dedicated to fruits and vegetables (fresh or frozen preferred).
3. 1/2 your plate should be dedicated to grains (whole grains preferred) and from a variety of protein sources.

Nothing is perfect and some days no one may seem to be happy. To be your best, do your best. Love yourself and your family enough to get them to participate in meal planning and preparation. Let the process become an activity that is both healthy and fun. Let us know how it works out for you.

Three Farmer's Markets in the East Valley include:

1. IN MESA Mesa Community Market (SNAP and FMNP) 263 N. Center St., Fridays 9 AM - 1 PM email for more information.
2. IN TEMPE Ray's Market - McClintock Fountains 1840 E. Warner Road, Saturdays 9 AM - 1 PM Year Round 602 - 214 - 1653 email for more information.
3. IN GILBERT Agritopia Farm Stand 3000 E. Ray Road, Wednesdays 4 PM - 8 PM and Saturdays 8 AM - 3 PM email for more information. 480 - 988 - 1238

Southwestern Spiced Popcorn 

Enjoy Southwestern Spiced Popcorn during your family's movie nights or snack times. It is easy to prepare. Follow these steps:

1. Wash hands with warm water and soap.
2. Place popcorn in a large bowl and spray with non stick cooking spray. Toss well to coast.
3. In a small bowl, stir together chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and garlic powder.
4. Sprinkle over the popcorn tossing until well coated.
5. Serve immediately or store in an air tight container.

Ingredients include:

• 8 cups air popped popcorn (aboit 1, 2.8 ounce bag plain microwave popcorn
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

If you have more creative recipes for popcorn share them by email.

Kids Health Link connects your family to Health care and Nutrition Assistance.  Is your family insured?  Kids Health Link helps uninsured families apply for and renew Arizona Health Care Cost Containment system (AHCCCS), Arizona's Medicaid coverage. We also help families apply for other health and nutrition services, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Arizona (SNAP AZ), previously called Food Stamps.

Call the Health Hotline at 1 - 800 - 235 - 9678 or visit Kids Health Link or Follow on Facebook

Get one time help once a month at the "Citadel". Salvation Army - Mesa Citadel Family Services.  Food Box Phone 480 - 833 - 8322 Cross Streets Mesa Dr. and 6th St. Hours of Operation Monday - Thursday 8 AM - 11 AM and 1 PM - 3 PM and Fridays 8 AM - 1130 AM. Located at 241 E. 6th St. Bldg 3, Mesa, AZ 85201

For referrals to services in the East Valley call 480 - 464 - 1300 ext 248. 

May God Bless you and keep you, make his face to shine upon you and always give you peace. Amen

Oscar and Bonnie Crawford

Help in the East Valley is a production of Oscar Crawford Christian Media.