W I N T E R 2 0 1 2

the

Lorem Ipsums
Lorem Ipsum Dolor Sit Amet
 LOVE ISSUE FEBRUARY 2009
W I N T E R 2 0 1 2 2009

February Issue
the
the

Lorem Ipsums
“…IF I HAVE A FAITH THAT CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS, BUT HAVE NOT LOVE, I AM NOTHING.”
Lorem Ipsum Dolor Sit Amet
1 CORINTHIANS 13:2

“May your
From The Editor’s Desk
unfailing love The Exemplify site and magazine is growing by leaps and bounds

rest upon us, O thanks to your support!

In this month’s magazine you are going to find a few new columns,
LORD, even as
excellent content on our call to love and even a few juicy details on
we put our hope what we have going on online.

in you.” Pay close attention to page 8 if you want to win a book series!

We’re still in the beginning stages and need you to help us get the
word out! Keep doing what you are doing. We look forward to serving
Psalm 33:22 you.

Psalm 33:22 is my prayer for you this month. May His unfailing love rest
upon you, as you put your hope in Him.

Now, go on! Enjoy the magazine!

:: Kristen Schiffman

COMING IN MARCH:
Health Column Fashion Advice Tech Column

2
LOVE ISSUE FEBRUARY 2009
2009

Contents:
February 3, 2009

Meet The Writers 4

The Maxey Letter Project 5

Never Ending Love 7

Love Is…What Makes Us Separate 8

The Book Nook With Katrina 10

The Juice 11

Spotlight On… 12

Amazing Love 13

Titus 2 Corner With Christine 14

A Sanctuary With Heart 15

Featured Blogger 17

I Will Always Love You 18

Fiction Column: Mary 20

Coming To Exemplify 24

3
LOVE ISSUE FEBRUARY 2009
2009

WE INVITE YOU TO TAKE A MOMENT TO

GET ACQUAINTED WITH OUR WRITERS.
THE EXEMPLIFY TEAM AND STAY TUNED! IN MARCH WE WILL
BE FEATURING OUR NEWEST TEAM
MEMBERS.

Kristen is the founder and editor of Exemplify. As of March she will be

writing the bible study column here at Exemplify.

Christine is the Titus 2 Corner columnist. Drawing from her

experience as a mom of four, she prayerfully offers sound
advice. She welcomes your questions at
titus2corner@exemplifyonline.com.

Andrea is Exemplify’s Family Columnist. She writes about her

adventures as a wife and mom of three seeking to know Christ
more.

Rachel writes the Fiction Column. With the call to study

and apply God’s Word, she writes with the purpose of
teaching.

Kara is Exemplify’s Devotional Columnist. She writes with a

passion to see others love Christ with their all.

TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT OUR WRITERS
Christy writes the Home Column for Exemplify.
She writes with humor and creativity on how AND WHERE TO FIND
to make your house a home. THEM ONLINE,
PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE!
Katrina writes the Book Nook Column. She is
Exemplify’s source on all things literary!

4
LOVE ISSUE FEBRUARY 2009
2009

TH
HEE MA AX
XEEYY FA
AMMIIL
LYY
LEETTTTEER
R PR ROOJJE
ECCT
T

"SO SPEAK ENCOURAGING WORDS TO ONE ANOTHER.

BUILD UP HOPE SO YOU'LL ALL BE TOGETHER IN THIS, NO
ONE LEFT OUT, NO ONE LEFT BEHIND."
1 THESSALONIANS 5:11, MSG.

Written by Kristen Few memories break my heart like the ones I have of
sitting in the pediatric chemotherapy ward with my high
school boyfriend.

He had Hodgkin's Disease.

I've been marked by those moments. By the babies

crying. The children hooked up to monitors wishing they
could play outside. The teenagers missing football games
and first dates.

My boyfriend sitting before me, a shell of what he used to

look like. Crying because of the pain he was in, begging
to go home to his normal life.

I was marked.

By the parents dealing with the horrible diagnosis of

cancer and the decisions that come with it. The brothers
and sisters who would sit in the waiting room coloring all
day long because they weren't allowed near their sick
sibling for fear of getting him or her sick.

Simply put, I've never seen anything strip like cancer.

The Maxey family needs your prayers. I don't know how to

tell you that with the right amount of urgency in my words.

The Maxey family needs your prayers. In 2003, they lost

their one-year-old daughter to cancer.

In October they welcomed another baby girl named

Annette. In December she was diagnosed with a brain
tumor. The prognosis is not good; in fact, with the
particular type of tumor she has the survival rate is less
than 10%.

The Maxey Family needs your prayers.

5
LOVE ISSUE
Cancer may strip but Christ heals.
Be bold in your prayers for this family and ask for
a miracle. Ask for peace for the Maxey family; for
provision and strength.
God can do what He says He can do.
Pray His Word over this beautiful baby girl and her
family.
You can even join The Maxey Letter Project
Cause, if you are interested.
Rachel, an Exemplify Team Member, recently
launched a website that exists to collect letters
and prayers written for The Maxey Family.
Rachel shared her mission with the project saying;
“I thought it would be a great thing for strangers
everywhere to send letters to this family. I prayed
for [God’s] direction and later received
confirmation when I heard that Natalie [Mrs.
Maxey] said sometimes the only thing that gets
her through the day is knowing about people out
there - complete strangers - who pray for her
family and her baby girl. Thus the Maxey Family
Letter Project was born.”
Our team wants to encourage you to write a
letter to this family. They need our prayers. They
need our support.
If you would like to contribute to the letter
collection Rachel has started please visit
"Building Hope: The Maxey Family Letter Project"
and read up on this awesome project. (You can
find the web address to the right.)
Twitter about it.
Grab a blog button.
Blog about it.
Tell your friends and your church.
Wouldn't it be something to present this family
with a book of letters and prayers written by
every state? Even other countries?
6
FEBRUARY 2009
2009
What a testament it would be of what the body
of Christ is capable of if this family finds out
people across the world are thinking about them
and lifting them in prayer.
As we find ourselves starting a month that
welcomes us to focus on the love we have for
our spouses and family members, let’s focus on
the love we are called to share as the Body of
Christ.
Let us rise up and answer His call.
The Maxey Letter Project is being called
“Building Hope: Where the body of Christ meets
the Maxey Family through collected letters and
prayers.”
Come build hope with us.
Come share the love of Christ with this family.
And together, let us remember the root
command we have been given in Him.
“Love one another.”
John 15:17
To visit “Building Hope: The Maxey
Letter Project” please go to this web
address:
Hopeforthemaxeys.blogspot.com.
There you will find information on
where to send your letters, ways to
spread the word and just what the
project is asking for.
Of course, if you have any questions
please do not hesitate to contact
Exemplify on this matter at
editor@exemplifyonline.com.
LOVE ISSUE
Never Ending Love
We have a silly, but sweet, little game we like to
play in my family.
It's called The Love War.
It begins with one of my children telling me they
love me. I answer back “I love you more.”
All of my children have inherited their Daddy’s
competitive streak, so they always answer “I love
you the most!”
Of course, I don’t like to lose either, so my answer
is “I love you with all my heart!”
You’d think that’s where it stops. But, no. Hannah,
my sweet, determined middle child, has
discovered a way to take it even further.
After I have told her I love her with all my heart,
she responds with "I love you never-ending never-
ending never-ending never-ending plus a million
plus never-ending....”
You get the idea. Sometimes she goes on like this
for a full minute! And then I tell her she wins.
(I'm lying, though. I still love her more!)
A few months ago after my son Ethan "won" a
love war with me, God nudged me and
whispered to my heart, "I love YOU never-ending.”
I can't even begin to describe to you how that
made me feel.
I can profess my love for Jesus non-stop.
7
FEBRUARY 2009
2009
Written by Andrea
I can do things that show my love for him all day. I
can declare that I truly love God with all my heart.
But He still loves me more.
He loves me so much, He gave up His Son for me.
His love for me will never end. Ever. Even when I
mess up. Even when I take control of things in my
life of things I shouldn't be in control of. Even when I
ignore His whisperings in my heart.
He still loves me more.
When I watch my daughters and son tell me they
love me a gazillion times more than I love them,
their eyes sparkle, they giggle, and their faces are
filled with joy. They truly believe that they love me
the most.
I imagine God's face is much like theirs when He
tells me He loves me more.
And you know what?
He feels exactly the same way about you.
He loves you more. In fact, He loves you never-
ending never-ending never-ending never-ending.
I love Psalm 136, because each verse states His
love for us over and over again. To get the full
impact, you should read the entire Psalm. Here's a
teaser for you:
“GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD.
HIS FAITHFUL LOVE ENDURES FOREVER.”
PSALM 136:1, NLT
LOVE ISSUE
Love Is…What Makes Us Separate
At the end of each year I spend time asking God
to speak His vision for me for the coming year.
He never fails to impress some scripture on my
heart which sets the tone for the year ahead. At
the end of 2008 the Word that pierced me was 2
Corinthians 6:17-7:1 which says:
Therefore "Come out from among them And
be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is
unclean, And I will receive you.”
"I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My
sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.”
“Therefore, having these promises, beloved,
let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the
flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of
God.”
I knew He was speaking sanctification to me,
that is, that this year He was turning up the
purification-fires in my life, and calling me to let
go of all the dross- that filthiness of the flesh and
spirit", which comes to the surface. But I was
stumped by how to be separate, especially since
the context of the passage refers to not being
unequally yoked with unbelievers... I AM
UNEQUALLY YOKED WITH AN
UNBELIEVER!
8
FEBRUARY 2009
2009
Written by Sheila
So I prayed. Waited. Listened and heard the
whisper, "Love is what makes you separate
Sheila." I was relieved because I was being
plagued with worries about how to "perfect
holiness in the fear of God" and "be separate"
without being holier than thou and running off to
live in seclusion.
I'm still taking this in, but this is what I know
now: Love is what I must pursue in my quest to
walk by faith this year in obeying God's call to rid
myself of all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,
maturing holiness in the fear of Him.
Jesus said clearly in John 13 that His new
command is not a bunch of do's and don'ts, but
rather one "do", which will be the litmus test of
everything I do or don't do. Love. Love as He has
loved me... that is what sets me apart.
This love is, interestingly enough, translated
"charity" in the King James Version of the Bible,
and it's fitting. Christ's love is charity. Christ-like
love is an unearned, un-repaid giving of one's own
life selflessly for the good of another.
It's this love that allows us to touch other "filthy",
"defiled" and "unclean" people (knowing apart
from Christ we are one ourselves)
LOVE ISSUE
at the same time not embracing the sin which
defiles them and us. It's Christ-like love which sets
us apart while we are among.
It is not the ability to speak the languages of men
and angels which sets us apart and makes us holy.
For apart from love the speaker of tongues is just
irritating noise ( see 1 Corinthians 13:1).
It's not being prophetic in our conversations with
others and being able to understand and explain the
Bible and all mysteries of God which separates us
from others, for without love the "prophet" is
nothing. (see 1 Corinthians 13:2)
It's not miracle working faith which distinguishes
me from others and proves my maturity in
holiness. Without love the miracle worker is
nothing. (see 1 Corinthians 13:2)
It's not even giving generously to charity, feeding
plenty of poor, and selling all I have which
characterizes me as a called out one. For without
"charity" (love) the philanthropist is nothing. (see 1
Corinthians 13:3)
And even further, it's not martyrdom (in the sense
we think of it- giving our bodies to be burned,
tortured, abused in the name of obeying Christ)
which proves my perfecting of holiness in the fear
of God. For without love the martyr is nothing.
(see 1 Corinthians 13:3)
In my self-righteousness I might easily think any or
all of the above would definitely set me apart from
the "filth" of the flesh or spirit. How God thinks so
differently than I!
The way all people will know that I am a called out
one, set apart, rid of all filthiness, mature in
holiness, a disciple of Christ and a son and
daughter of God is:
• suffering long and being kind in the midst
of the suffering
• not envying others
• not parading myself
• not being puffed up (haughty)
• not behaving rudely
• not seeking my own
• not being provoked
• not thinking evil
9
FEBRUARY 2009
2009
• not rejoicing in sinful ways
• rejoicing in the truth (God's word is truth)
• bearing all circumstances
• believing (not having a suspecting or
suspicious or cynical attitude)
• hoping (trusting confidently in the
goodness of God)
• enduring (pressing forward for the prize in
all circumstances, even when I see my
sinfulness and fail)
• love which sets us apart will never fail, it
will never end. But all our other "spiritual"
activities on this earth will.
(from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 )
What will set us apart now and for eternity is the
mature holiness of love, which is found first in
Christ. It's this love, which He defined and
modeled for us which must compel us to do what
we do or we are nothing and our labor is in vain.
You know, when it all comes down to love,
Christ-like love, I have no misconceptions of
myself as being “good” anymore.
When it all comes down to loving like Christ
loved us--I'm free and I'm scared.
I can't lean at all on my own righteousness or
spiritual-ness, I can only lean on the One who's
gone before me.
I'm not bound anymore by having to do this or
forbidding to do that because I'm a Christian.
I'm bound by His great love.
What I do or don't do is compelled by desiring a 1
Corinthians 13 life to be lived out in me.
So in pursuit of mature holiness this year I'm
pursuing love!
LEARN MORE ABOUT SHEILA ON
PAGE 14! SHE IS THIS MONTH’S
FEATURED BLOGGER.
LOVE ISSUE
The Book Nook
I have to admit; I'm pretty new to the genre of
Katrina
spiritual memoir. And I might as well tell you: I just
made that genre up. I'm not sure if it's a legitimate,
 Honesty. L.L. doesn't sugar-coat the painful stuff
publisher-sanctioned genre. But it works for me.
When I say "spiritual memoir," I mean a book in
which the author shares their spiritual journey or
faith journey, through the use of many personal
stories, while at the same time pointing readers to
some timeless spiritual truths that they've discovered
along the way. In my experience, this "teaching" is
not heavy-handed, but rather a natural outflow of
their personal story-telling.
So as I was saying, I'm pretty new to this genre; I've
only read a handful of spiritual memoirs. And to be
honest, my opinion of the books has been mixed.
There are some I've read that I simply wouldn't
recommend to others, for various reasons.
But I can whole-heartedly recommend the most
recent one I've read: Stone Crossings by L.L. Barkat.
I first "met" L.L. at her blog, Seedlings in Stone, and
it was there I first came to admire her poetic style
and her love for God. So I wasn’t surprised at all to
find that L.L.'s first book, Stone Crossings, is full of
rich metaphors, a sense of wonder and grace, and an
honest exploration of the truth.
In Stone Crossings, L.L. Barkat shares the story of
her life -- from heartbreaking childhood experiences,
to becoming a wife and mother, to learning how to
live out her faith in God on a daily basis.
But it's her personal approach that made me want to
savor and re-read every chapter as I went along.
Here's what she offers:
10
FEBRUARY 2009
2009
Written by Katrina
of life. She shares honestly, from the heart,
without melodrama, but with approachable
sincerity.
 Encouragement. L.L.'s exploration of faith and
spiritual growth felt, to me, like talking to a
mentor. Always, she reminds the reader that
God's grace is real and abundant -- available to us
right now, wherever we are.
 Information. On topics from leprosy to the Old
Testament Tabernacle, L.L. includes fascinating
details that add a depth and new perspective to
the Biblical passages she shares.
 An Accurate Filter. This was, to me, the most
important factor in my appreciation for Stone
Crossings. In several other spiritual memoirs I've
read, the focus was primarily on the author
(understandable -- it's a memoir after all), but it
seemed that, though the author shared Scripture
passages or thoughts about God, they too often
interpreted God or the Bible in light of their own
experiences. Not so with Stone Crossings.
Throughout her story, L.L. is faithful to interpret
her experiences in light of the truth of God and His
word. Her focus on Scripture and its relevance is
predominant, which I believe makes Stone
Crossings stand out in its genre.
So if you're looking for a book that takes you on a journey
of faith and growth, I encourage you to pick up a copy of
Stone Crossings. And in the meantime, check out L.L.'s
blog, Seedlings in Stone:
http://seedlingsinstone.blogspot.com/
LOVE ISSUE FEBRUARY 2009
2009

The Juice
Exemplify wants to keep you in the know
regarding all the things we have going on in
cyberspace! The Juice is our monthly dose of
news for our readers.

Get ready for some fresh, fun updates on more

ways to get connected with women living lives
that glorify Christ…

Our new Facebook group is an awesome way to stay up-

to-date on everything going on at Exemplify. It is here you
will find coming content in our magazine, want ads if you
want to join the team, a prayer request board and other
topical conversation threads. As well as the opportunity to
meet with women from all over the world who are aiming
to live lives for the glory of Christ.
This month’s giveaway involves our Facebook group! If
you haven’t already, go leave a comment on our “Getting
To Know You” thread to be instantly entered into our book
giveaway. You could win Tracie Peterson’s Alaskan Quest
series! To access our Facebook group please visit our
website for the address!

Twitter is quickly becoming the easiest way to get information

on our blog updates. The moment a new post goes up, get
ready for a Tweet! To follow us on twitter visit:
http://twitter.com/exemplify.

Have you joined The Kettle Club yet? This is a group of

women who are committing to encourage one
another to study God’s Word. Read all about it on our
blog.

Speaking of our blog, have you subscribed yet? Every day

you can expect devotionals and encouraging thoughts by
our blog team. An excellent way to stay renewed
throughout the month is by visiting our daily blog posts. We
welcome you to check it out:
exemplifymagazine.blogspot.com.

Have an event on your blog or a product you want The Juice

to feature? Contact us to get details!

11
 LOVE ISSUE FEBRUARY 2009
2009

SPPO
OTTLLIIG
GHHT O N …
O NE V ERSE
Today, nearly 200 million people
representing over 2200 language
groups are still waiting to hear God's
message of hope in a language that
they can understand best.

OneVerse is a program of The Seed

Company that enables you to help
make God’s message available to
people groups who are without the
witness of His Word. This happens in
the language that speaks to their
hearts, the language they understand
best, their mother-tongue.

Through OneVerse, you join a team of

prayer and financial partners to
support local Bible translators.

OneVerse Bible translation projects are

managed exclusively by The Seed
Company as we work in partnership
with various organizations and local
leadership.

The Seed Company is working directly

with over 200 translation projects in
countries around the world.

If you are interested in teaming up

with Exemplify and giving to the
OneVerse Boma fund, to help translate
God’s Word, please visit
www.oneverse.org/give/71600/4356
for more information.

12
LOVE ISSUE
Amazing Love
I have two confessions to make about Valentine’s Day.
The first is I have never actually had a date on that blessed
February 14th (fun fact: my dating history seems to be
limited to the Spring through Fall seasons, I guess I’m
weird that way). The second is I’m NOT bitter about it. I
know a lot of single girls like to pretend Valentine’s is a
lame Hallmark created day designed to unload the wallets
of lovebirds whilst making those of us without a better half
feel bad enough about ourselves to go out and buy all the
leftover boxes of chocolate we can get our hands on while
watching cute little romantic comedy ditties. Sorry, but
I’m just not one of them.
It’s just one day! Okay, so maybe the ads start up in
January and the stores start putting out there V-day stuff
practically the day after Christmas, but what of it? Does
this nullify my worth? Does it mean, dare I say it, that I
am unloved, alone, and pathetic?
Because here’s the real kicker: love isn’t just for
Valentine’s Day, and it isn’t just for the happy couples.
Love is for all of us. John 3:16 tells me so. “For God so
loved the world...” That pretty much includes everybody.
I don’t get one day to celebrate this truth, I get everyday.
Beat that, Hallmark!
I think the problem is that as a society we kind of have
love pigeon-holed. We have these great romantic notions
of love, which are perpetuated by ridiculous romance
novels and even more ridiculous Hollywood fairytales.
According to their rules if you are beautiful enough,
charming enough, thin enough, or lucky enough, your true
love will come along. And he will be tall, dark and
handsome. And you will live happily ever after. And every
Valentine’s Day will be a shrine to this wondrous
romance. See what I mean?
13
FEBRUARY 2009
2009
Written by Kara
We’ve all been duped. Love is so much more. It’s not your
favorite bouquet of flowers or Dove dark chocolate or a
fancy dinner. It’s not even the fairytale. It’s a Holy God
who planned the unthinkable. He sent his one and only
Son to earth to live as a completely human, though
faultless man, and to die on the cross in the most heinous
of deaths, a sacrifice that was demanded as payment for
our sins. And he didn’t stop there. He planned that once
we accepted that payment for our sin and invited Him in,
he would come and live inside us, so we could always
know how to live, and how much we are loved. He
breathed through the pens of many, the Bible, the best
book imaginable, as a love letter, a book with no equal.
And over and over again in this book he keeps telling us,
showing us, revealing to us just how deep his love goes for
you. For me. For the whole world.
What’s even more amazing is God invites us to share his
amazing love with everyone else. That I could be a vessel
of the patient, kind, never boastful, never angry, always
hoping, never failing love is astounding. That’s not the
kind of love I see in the latest Kate Hudson or Brad Pitt
movie. It’s not the sentiment written on the inside of a
Valentine’s card. This is real love. It has eternal value.
And we all get to be partakers of it, both in giving and
receiving. Is that not immeasurably better than dinner and
a movie and a dozen roses?
“LOVE IS PATIENT, LOVE IS KIND. IT DOES NOT ENVY, IT
DOES NOT BOAST, IT IS NOT PROUD. IT IS NOT RUDE, IT IS
NOT SELF-SEEKING, IT IS NOT EASILY ANGERED, IT KEEPS
NO RECORD OF WRONGS. LOVE DOES NOT DELIGHT IN
EVIL BUT REJOICES WITH THE TRUTH. IT ALWAYS
PROTECTS, ALWAYS TRUSTS, ALWAYS HOPES, ALWAYS
PERSEVERES. LOVE NEVER FAILS.”
::1 COR. 13:4-8
 LOVE ISSUE FEBRUARY 2009
2009

T ITUS 2 C ORNER
W ITH C HRISTINE
One reader asked…
I have a newly crowned teenager and am
wondering how to approach her access to movies?
She is too old for Disney and yet I feel too young for
what is out there! Do you have any tips on how to
monitor the movies she wants to see, if I haven't
seem them myself yet?

This is a great question! As a mother of a four (three

grown, one still a teenager!) I know how important
this is. First and foremost, pray. Don’t under estimate
the power of prayer concerning the media our
children are exposed to. It is my prayer as we aim to
raise children who love the Lord that their desires
would be Godly. Ask the Lord to speak to your
daughter’s heart on what content is appropriate to
even want to see!

VISIT WWW.PLUGGEDINONLINE.COM!
There is a very informative site put out by Focus on
the Family that can help with this! Visit
www.pluggedinonline.com. It is very easy to
navigate and gives you all the information you could
possibly want about up-coming movies or those
already released on DVD.

The site breaks down the content of the movie with

a quick synopsis of positive elements to how much
sexual content, drug usage or foul language there is
in the movie, if any. I highly recommend this site to
anyone who wants to monitor what his or her
children are going to be exposed to at the local
theater. Hope this helps!

Have a question for Christine? Ask away at

titus2corner@exemplifyonline.com!

14
 LOVE ISSUE
A Sanctuary With Heart
ALLOW ME TO HAVE THE HONOR OF INTRODUCING
YOU TO CHRISTY, OUR RESIDENT “ALL THINGS
HOME” COLUMNIST! SHE JUST RECENTLY JOINED Who says holiday decorations are reserved for the
OUR TEAM AND IS ALREADY CONTRIBUTING
AWESOME MATERIAL.
I MEAN, JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THE PROJECTS SHE
HAS PUT TOGETHER FOR VALENTINE’S DAY!
I LOOK SO FORWARD TO YOU GETTING TO KNOW
HER & BEAUTIFYING YOUR HOME AT THE SAME
TIME!
ENJOY,
KRISTEN SCHIFFMAN
15
FEBRUARY 2009
2009
Written by Christy
Christmas season? I know... you just got the aforesaid
decorations taken down and tucked neatly away, but
may I suggest that we decorate again? Right now. I’m
not talking about snowmen and Christmas trees in
February. I’m thinking more along the lines of pink and
red hearts... everywhere!
Valentine’s Day is almost upon us , so there’s no time to
waste! Get that hair in a pony tail and put on your
crafting clothes. You know... the ones you wear every
time you paint and are now splattered with all the
colors of the rainbow and every color in between...
yeah, those. Please do not panic. I am not about to
suggest launching a full scale remodel just for
Valentine’s Day. What I am suggesting is that we take
advantage of this special day to demonstrate our
abundant love for our families. With me so far?
All of the components required for the following
projects can be found at your local craft store. Of
course, if you’re like me, you may find these things
in your garage, cabinets, drawers, and possibly
under your bed! With a handful of little odds &
ends, we can create some wonderful decorative
pieces! Let’s have a look, shall we?
LOVE ISSUE FEBRUARY 2009
2009

These Very Valentine Trees are constructed from Styrofoam

cones covered in white felt with a wooden dowel to serve as the
tree trunk. Use foam bricks to secure the trunk into your hand-
painted clay pot. Grab whatever Valentine findings strike your
fancy and attach them to the trees using white headed sewing
pins. If your creative juices are not flowing yet, let me make some
suggestions: I used white boa trim, ribbon, heart sequins, beaded
fringe, self-stick gems, and small beads. You should be able to
attach everything to your trees with the pins... no sewing or
gluing required.

Next, these Valentine Messages are so simple! A white canvas

board, stencil paint, some wooden hearts & letters, and about
a gallon of glitter to make these messages shine! Okay, maybe
not THAT much glitter. Anyway, I chose to leave the canvas
white, but I think painting the canvas with simple shapes such
as hearts, stripes, or dots would make these signs more
interesting. Once finished, these adorable Valentine Messages
could be hung on a wall or displayed on a plate stand.

A few inexpensive frames with a quick coat of red or pink

paint will add a touch of Valentine magic to any room. I
decorated white card stock with cupcake stickers for my
frames in honor of Kristen... she loves cupcakes! Another
quick idea is to take a glass jar or vase, fill it with valentine
candy (I like to use pink & red Jelly Bellies), and top it off
with flowers or like I’ve done in this picture - a homemade
chocolate sucker!

Every Valentine’s Day, I like to decorate

my kid’s bedrooms by hanging hearts
from their ceilings while they sleep. The first
thing they see when they open their eyes
Valentine’s morning is hearts, hearts, and
more hearts! You can buy all different
varieties of hearts to hang, but I’m a do-it-
yourselfer, so I like to make them! Cut out
hearts in various sizes from construction
paper. Punch a hole in each one and tie
a string to it. You can hang them
individually, string them together to make
a banner, add stickers, or write on them
with glitter glue. Once the little tots are
fast asleep, creep in with a stepladder &
tape to work your Valentine magic!
Now, please don’t expect these decorating ideas to
earn you a cover spot on the Better Homes and Gardens
Magazine! But I promise you’ll be rewarded with plenty
of XOXOs!
So what are you waiting for? Go love on that family the
Lord has given to you. And don’t think that you’re off the
hook if you are single. Ask the Lord to use you to
demonstrate His love to someone this Valentine’s Day!
“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in
tongue; but in deed and in truth. “ 1 John 3:18

16
LOVE ISSUE FEBRUARY 2009
2009

Sheila is a redeemed, 30 something, wife and

mom who calls herself, "A Woman Found." Christ It is with joy Exemplify features a
found Sheila plagued by sin and broken, and is blogger each month!
transforming her little by little into the woman He
always intended for her to be. We are pleased to introduce
you to Sheila and hope you will
She has a heart for women to know that their visit her blog.
worth is found in Christ. She also has a passion for
God to be honored in marriage, and for wives to If you are interested in
find great satisfaction in their part in displaying becoming a featured blogger
God's glory. contact us online at
exemplifyonline.com!
Sheila's experienced the pain of divorce, the
fragileness of reconciliation, and the loneliness of
being unequally yoked in her own marriage. She
knows first hand that though giants loom in the
land of marriage, our God is bigger, able, and
willing to walk us through in victory over them all.

Sheila clings to God's Word like a drowning

woman and has a desire to draw others to God's
word. She does not consider herself a writer, but
has a need to write, feeling "woe is me" if she
doesn't share her life and what she's learning
from God's word through writing.

You can find her doing just that at her blog

Meditations and Confessions of a Homemaker:

a-homemakers-meditations.blogspot.com

17
LOVE ISSUE FEBRUARY 2009
2009

I Will Always Love You

Written by Amy Bayliss

I have a notebook where I keep the contents

I do believe that we were on to something in first
of all that comes pouring out of my soul. It
grade.
contains my thoughts, my emotional highs
and lows, all of the ideas I don’t want to
Will you be my friend?
forget and the things God has whispered to
circle yes or no
my spirit. I was glancing through it the other
day and came across a pearl of wisdom, or
I will just be honest here. There have been times
POW as I like to call it. It was a note in
when I was not a friend to my husband but I never
reference to Titus 2:4.
stopped loving him. According to my old
These older women must train the younger
interpretation of that scripture I would have
women to love their husbands and their
believed that my nonexistent friendly acts toward
children
him was okay. However, I realized while studying
It said, “this love means to be friends with.”
that we are to be friends with the hubs {term of
I had always assumed love meant love and
endearment}.
that was that. Oh my, was I ever wrong!
The original word used is actually a single
Here are some ways I have found to keep my
word philandros. Philos, the word it is derived
friendship alive and well with my man…
from, means to love in the sense of "to be
friends with". It means, “friend, to be friendly to
 Take an active interest in his interests.
one, wish him well.” When expounded upon in
 Be his confidant.
the Greek lexicon we can find that the
 Make time for him.
meaning of this “love” is different from the
 Reminisce about “old times.”
“love” of John 13:34, agapao, which means: ”
 Do something special for him every so
to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to
often.
love dearly.” I don’t know about you but that
gives me a whole new perspective of that
These are things that solidify a true friendship.
verse.

18
LOVE ISSUE FEBRUARY 2009
2009

The ability to think past your own desires and to

make the time to engage in someone else’s
interest speaks volumes to their heart.
And if you pray and ask God to give you a Meet Amy
genuine desire for those activities then they can be
all the more fun!
Being a good confidant goes beyond asking him
to open up to you. You must show that you can be
trusted with the deep things of his soul. Do you
poke fun of him in front of others? Do you tell your Married to her best
girlfriends all about his shortcomings? Do you speak friend and “main
negatively to him about the way he feels? If so squeeze”, Amy Bayliss
then you may find it hard for him to continue to
reveal his heart to you. You must repent and ask
is a 4th year
forgiveness, from him and God, then start anew. homeschooling, co-
Lastly, doing special things for him can be educating mom to
something as simple as buying him his favorite three boys who loves to
soda while you are at the store or leaving a note in celebrate life to the
his bible to something more extravagant like
arranging a date at his favorite places or planning
fullest and she enjoys
a party for him and his friends during the big game. writing about the pearls
Try doing one thing a day and see what happens! of wisdom God delivers
to her soul.

Amy is the co-owner of

Heart of the Matter
TITUS 2:4 Online and Internet
Cafe Devotions. You
can also visit her at her
site: In Pursuit of
“THEN THEY CAN TRAIN THE YOUNGER Proverbs 31 and her
personal blog:
WOMEN TO LOVE THEIR HUSBANDS AND AmyBayliss.com.
CHILDREN…”
Find Amy online at:
heartofthematteronline.com
internetcafedevotions.com
inpursuitofproverbs31.com
amybayliss.com

19
LOVE ISSUE FEBRUARY 2009
2009

“NOW A MAN NAMED LAZARUS WAS

SICK. HE WAS FROM BETHANY, THE
VILLAGE OF MARY AND HER SISTER
MARTHA. THIS MARY, WHOSE
BROTHER LAZARUS NOW LAY SICK,
WAS THE SAME ONE WHO POURED
PERFUME ON THE LORD AND WIPED HIS
FEET WITH HER HAIR.”

JOHN 11:1-2

Written by Rachel

Mary stood in the shadows of the doorway, listening intently.

I AM THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE Men’s voices, deep and melodic, floated towards her ears. She strained
for a snippet of His voice.
THIS NEW FICTION COLUMN
"Mary!" Martha hissed, pressing a bowl into her hands and grabbing
WRITTEN BY ONE OF OUR her shoulder. "Move away from there! We have so much to do!"
TEAM MEMBERS, RACHEL. Turning, Mary followed Martha back into the kitchen and began to
grind the herbs in the bowl with a stone. Her thoughts wandered. She stole
EACH MONTH YOU CAN another glance into the sitting room. Lazarus reclined beside the table, his
LOOK FORWARD TO RACHEL cheeks pink with laughter and wine.
She shuddered. Only days earlier she had seen those same cheeks, pale
FICTIONALIZING A STORY
and cold. The eyes that now danced as empty and lifeless as a stone.
FROM SCRIPTURE.
* * *
SHE WRITES WITH BEAUTY.
GRACE AND PURPOSE AS SHE What a horrible few days it had been. The illness that wrenched his
GLORIFIES CHRIST. body in pain and discomfort. She sat by him hour after hour, clinging to her
brother's hand as he slipped further and further away from her.
Martha sent for Jesus. Surely when Jesus heard of the news of
I HOPE YOU WILL ENJOY HER Lazarus, He would return. Or so they had thought.
FIRST CONTRIBUTION, BASED But Jesus didn't come. I guess He didn’t care about Lazarus as much as He
ON THE STORY OF LAZARUS claimed, Mary thought bitterly, sponging the perspiration off of Lazarus’
FOUND IN THE BOOK OF forehead.
JOHN, CHAPTERS 11 AND 12. And then what they had hoped would not be inevitable happened:
Lazarus, weak and ill, gave up the fight. He was gone.
Mary went out into the back garden and sobbed with mourning and fury. She
--KRISTEN SCHIFFMAN lay down on the cold ground, earth gathering under her fingernails. She poured
her heart out to God, angry at the supposed "healer" for neglecting the brother
He claimed to love. Bitterness consumed her, choking her until she felt unable
to swallow.

20
LOVE ISSUE
“Why?” she cried out. “Why, God? Why would You
bring this man into our lives to drive up our hopes, only to
disappoint us?” She swallowed thickly and rose from the
ground. “He let me down and so have You.” She
marched back into the house, her accusation ringing in the
silence.
Over the next few days, Mary found herself
growing to resent Martha and her quiet strength. Martha
made burial preparations, washed and wrapped Lazarus's
body, and organized the men to move him to the tomb.
Mary helped half-heartedly, stopping all efforts when the
grief and disappointment overcame her.
Many well-wishers came, offering condolences,
food, and service. Martha graciously thanked and
welcomed them, but Mary kept up no pretense. She held
onto her hostility like a lifeline. On the fourth day after the
death of Lazarus, and young man came to the house.
“He’s here!” he cried as soon as the door was opened.
“Jesus, the Master! He’s back!” Martha’s eyes filled with
tears as she rose from her seat. She strapped on her
sandals hurriedly. “Aren’t you coming?” she asked Mary,
grabbing her shawl.
Mary waved her hand in indifference. “Why
should I go to meet with Him when He couldn’t find the
time to come and meet with us?”
“I don’t think that’s how it is, Mary,” Martha
cautioned gently as she slipped out of the door. Mary
stood up and went to the window, watching Martha run at
top speed down the dusty path. She’s wrong, she thought,
backing away from the window. She looked down and
noticed her hands were shaking.
Martha returned after a while. She strode across
the room, her eyes shining with tears and a brightness
Mary had never seen before. She bent to whisper in
Mary's ear. "The Teacher is asking for you." A smile
played at her lips.
Mary jumped up, not out of respect but out of
social custom. It would do her no good to refuse the
summons of a man, especially one who was regarded as a
master teacher. She left the house and ran to the city
gates, followed by some faithful Jews concerned for her
well-being.
He stood before her, the hem of His cloak ragged
and dusty from traveling. She shielded her eyes in the
bright sun, trying to differentiate His face from its rays.
Remembering her place, she dropped to her knees before
Him. Why did You not come!? she wanted to scream at
Him. Why did You not save him? How can You heal people
You don't even know but have no compassion for Your friend?
"Master," she began, forcing the resentment out of her
voice, "if You had been here, my brother would not have
died." She swallowed hard, trying to stem the overflow of
tears. Her chest ached with repressed grief. Regret and
sorrow overcame her, and she sobbed at His feet.
He stood still before her. He did not deny her
accusation nor defend His position.
21
FEBRUARY 2009
2009
She carefully lifted her eyes to His face. Her heart
caught in her throat at the sight of tears in shining in
His eyes. She felt her hands shaking again.
"Where have you laid him?" He asked huskily,
a catch in His voice.
Mary shook her head, unable to speak over the
lump in her throat. Another stepped forward. "Come
and see, Lord."
Mary rose and followed them to the tomb. She
stood back, watching the party. Then she saw the
strangest sight: Jesus' shoulders shook with emotion.
He was weeping!
The mourners murmured among themselves,
noting how much Jesus had loved Lazarus. Mary,
however, pulled away from them, and instead
gravitating towards those echoing her own thoughts.
"He can give sight to the blind - could He not have
saved Lazarus?" danced in her ears and mind.
After several minutes, He composed Himself
and stepped forward. He cleared His throat and spoke
loudly. "Move away the stone."
"But Lord," Martha interjected, surprising
Mary with her sudden arrival, "our brother has been
entombed four days. There will be an odor by now."
She cast a nervous glance around as the others nodded.
Jesus turned to face Martha, kindness and
understanding in His eyes. "Did I not tell you that if
you believed, you would see the glory of God?" He
asked softly.
Martha bit her lip and lowered her head,
nodding slightly. The men moved forward and threw
their weight into the stone, rolling it aside.
Mary pinched her nose, hardly believing what
she was seeing. How many laws were they breaking?
How much more difficulty would this man bring upon
them?
Jesus closed His eyes and raised His hands
toward heaven. "Father, I thank You that You have
heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me, but I say
this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they
may believe You sent me." He stood for another
moment, lips moving in silent prayer, then lowered His
hands. Stepping forward to the tomb entrance, He
called out, "Lazarus, come out!"
Mary's heart skipped as her emotions whirled
around in her head. What would happen? Would
nothing happen, and would Jesus become a
laughingstock? Would Lazarus walk out, smelly and
decaying, a shell of his former self? She sensed
movement in the tomb and raised her hands to her eyes,
peeking through her fingers.
Slowly, a bit unsteadily, Lazarus stumbled out of the
tomb and into the sunlight.
LOVE ISSUE
The strips of white linen fell from his body as he moved,
and he removed the burial cloth from his face. He
blinked in the bright sunlight, taking in His surroundings.
He spotted Jesus and his face broke into a wide grin.
Mary gasped, her heart pounding in her throat.
Surely this was a trick of the light.
She glanced at Jesus, surprised to see tears
shining in the corners of His eyes again. He embraced
Lazarus, then stepped aside. "Help him out of these
burial clothes," He instructed.
And so they did. All but Mary.
She stood there, watching as though from far
away. She wanted to run to her brother and kiss him,
but she was too afraid. She watched as Martha threw a
cloak over his shoulders and tipped a cup of water to his
lips. Tears blurred Mary's vision, and she felt strangely
cold. She turned to Jesus, who was now surrounded by
His disciples. "You knew, Lord!" one was crying. "You
planned this! You are Lord over everything!" And they
worshiped Him. Mary turned away, unable to bear the
sight. Clutching at her skirts, she gathered them and ran
back home.
Later that evening, after much celebrating and
rejoicing at the return of their brother, Mary and Martha
sat in their room, sewing. "He's it," Martha had
whispered excitedly. "He told me today He is the
resurrection and the life. After seeing what He did with
Lazarus, how can I not believe He is the Christ?" Her
face had glowed with exhilaration and tears coursed
down her cheeks.
Mary said nothing, keeping her thoughts to herself.
* * * Mary stepped into the light of the dining area,
Now as she stood in the darkening kitchen,
grinding herbs without thought, her mind wandered to
the man in the dining room. Who was He? Who is He?
Who do you say He is?
Goosebumps broke out on Mary's arms and the
hair stood up on the back of her neck.
She could not deny His power. She had seen
Him bring her brother - the dead brother she had
wrapped and then performed the subsequent ceremonial
cleansings for - back from the dead.
A verse of long ago, something she learned at
her father's knee, came back to her mind. " 'I will put
breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know
that I am the Lord,' " she whispered to no one. Her hands
shook with emotion.
As though like waves, the words of Hannah,
mother of Samuel, came to her: "The Lord brings death
and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and raises
up."
Yes, therefore God must have used Jesus as a vehicle.
That doesn't mean Jesus is God, the conflicting voice in her
head said. Remember the words of Isaiah? The Lord will not
22
FEBRUARY 2009
2009
share His glory with another.
Mary's brow wrinkled. Something wasn't
connecting. And then it hit her, as though a candle was
illuminated in her mind.
Jesus had spoken, and Lazarus came forward.
He didn't utter an incantation or plead for God's
intervention. He spoke - He commanded - and it
happened. "Just like Creation..." Mary said aloud.
Martha glanced up from stirring the pot on the
fire, giving Mary a strange look. "Are you all right?"
Mary turned slowly to face her sister. "God
won't share His glory with another... He is God!"
The bowl slipped from her hands and shattered
on the floor. "Mary!" Martha hissed, but Mary didn't
hear her.
Mary tore from the kitchen and thundered
down the hall, not caring how much noise she made.
She rounded the corner into the bedroom and stared at
their belongings, searching.
Then she spotted it, white and bright as though a light
from above illuminated it. She strode forward and
lifted the heavy box off the ground. The alabaster was
cold in her arms.
She moved carefully back down the stairs, the
weight of her decision resting heavily in her arms.
Martha would be furious.
But what Martha thought wasn’t what
mattered.
She stood in the doorway, her heart racing and
her breath coming in fast gulps. From the kitchen,
Martha's eyes were question marks.
abandoning all social pretenses. She studied Him, as
normal as normal could be and yet more beautiful than
anything she could imagine. Her eyes traveled to His
hands that rested gently in His laps. She thought of the
health, nourishment, comfort, life that had come from
those hands. How could she have criticized Him? How
could she have accused Him? Her chest heaved with
pent-up sobs and she gasped aloud. The men turned to
look at her. Tears poured down her cheeks as she
stepped forward.
"My Lord..." she whispered, dropping to her knees
before Him. “I am so, so sorry,” she gasped through
her tears. She looked up into His eyes, finding nothing
but kindness and warmth and acceptance there. Her
entire body shook with emotion. “Forgive me,” she
begged, feeling as though she would burst inside. "I
believe... forgive my sins, Lord... free me..."
Her voice was so low, no one could have heard her,
and yet she was filled with an exhilarating warmth, a
rushing in her spirit.
LOVE ISSUE FEBRUARY 2009
2009

Fumbling with the alabaster box, with everything she

had to her name, she tipped it over His feet. “I give You
everything, all of me,” she whispered.
Thick, warm perfume spilled over His feet and
onto the floor. She leaned down and pressed her face to
His feet, kissing them ever so slightly. She reached up
and released her hair from the pins and gently wiped His
feet with the strands. Her tears completely obscured her
vision, but as she raised her eyes to Him, she thought she
could make out a smile. Her breath caught and she
realized the scent of the perfume permeated the room. It
was the sweetest fragrance she'd ever known. “Jesus said to
A cold voice cut through her emotion. "Why
wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the her, ‘I am the
poor?" It grated with self-righteousness. Mary felt
instantly ashamed. Should she have sold the perfume resurrection
and given it to the poor? Wasn't that what Jesus said?
Had she directly disobeyed Him in her most honest effort
and the life. He
to worship Him?
She felt a warm hand come to rest on her
who believes in
shoulder, and at His touch her anxieties vanished.
"Leave her alone." He spoke with authority yet in
me will live,
kindness. Silence descended upon the room, everyone even though he
waiting to see what He would say.
"She has done what is right," He replied quietly dies; and
but steadily. His voice was a balm to her soul. "It was
intended that she should use this perfume for the day of whoever lives
my burial. You will always have the poor with you; you
will not always have Me." and believes in
Freedom rushed over her, like a dam bursting
from a rushing river, as though the chains constricting me will never
her chest had been released. She sobbed onto His feet,
embracing the liberty He offered. She had accused Him, die. Do you
He had defended her. He didn't push her away, but let
her stay at His feet as long as she needed. After several believe this?’”
minutes of private yet public worship, she staggered to
her feet. She felt weak from emotion yet she sensed a
new strength she couldn’t define. Lazarus rose and put
his arm around her shoulder, steadying her. Though her John 11:25
legs shook, her heart was firm. Passover would come
and go, but her Lord would be forever.

Adapted from from John 11:1–12:7

23
LOVE IS EDITION FEBRUARY 2009
2009

Coming To Exemplify!
As our magazine grows, so does our team! Next month
Exemplify will be introducing three new columnists to the
mix with content that is sure to please.
We will also be hosting another giveaway, spotlighting
ministries, featuring bloggers and things going
on in the blog-o-sphere.
We welcome your blog submissions, articles
and prayer!

To contact Exemplify for writer’s guidelines or with a ministry that you wish to
have spotlighted please email Kristen at editor@exemplifyonline.com.

You are welcome to join the blogroll on our website

www.exemplifyonline.com and to send us feedback on our site as well.

We look forward to serving you this year as we grow!

May your February be abundantly blessed,

The Exemplify Team