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ENCOURAGING

UPLIFTING

RELEVANT

May/Junel 2023

WE CAN RECOVER! JENNIFER NAUERT’S INCREDIBLE LIFE TURNAROUND!

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Your Partner in Empowering and Educating Your Child in Excellence

e Southlands Christian Schools Experience A trusted organization with over 40 years of serving and building God’s Kingdom in Christian education. Our mission is to educate students in excellence and integrity; to lead and impact society by fullling their destinies for the glory of God.

K-12 Accessible Aordable Flexible Qualied Teachers Learning Community UC Approved

Scan the QR code for a message from our online school principal.

909.455.9304 info@southlandschristianonline.com

www.SouthlandsChristianOnline.com

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Southlands Christian Online provides the quality education, freedom, and flexibility you desire for your child. Launching in June of 2020 out of Southlands’ rich 44 year history, our online school has educated, nurtured, and discipled hundreds of students all around the world! Families from the United States, China, Korea, France, Poland, Spain, and many other nations have found Southlands Christian Online to be the answer for their education needs in this rapidly changing world and time we are experiencing. Our CEO, Glenn Duncan, envisioned the start of an online school years before the pandemic. Glenn’s heart and goal for Southlands at that time was to build a school that is not bound by geography, but rather is free to reach the hearts and souls of students anywhere in the world with accredited Christian education. We have seen that dream accomplished and the benefit and freedom it has brought to our enrolled families. One of our graduating seniors next year, Ava Zafra, shares her personal experience at SCO as being “quite a blessing in many ways”. In her interview, she said, “The SCO experience has helped me become more wise with my time, build better organization skills, sharpen communication skills with teachers, grow independent skills that will be very useful for college, and most importantly build a stronger relationship with God. The teachers always check up on students to make sure that they understand the material and insist on asking them questions if students have any. Again, I feel super grateful and blessed to have such a schooling experience that best fits my schedule and time daily.” Ava’s experience with us is going to assist her to thrive as a leader and impact the lives of others in so many positive ways! Student athletes from Spain enrolled in our school are able to participate in their rigorous soccer practice schedules, games, and tournaments while working on their schooling anytime and anywhere. Teachers monitor and track classwork, keeping students on course so that they keep their end results and goals in mind in spite of their busy sports

schedules. SCO is not bound by space or time and can meet the needs of any family anywhere around the world! One of our 4th grade elementary students, Aila, finds that participation in Southlands Christian Online is helping build her relationship with God and others through our dynamic chapels and bible classes. She loves being able to worship freely with other students all around the world and being able to hear edifying messages that bring her closer to God. Her family has experienced the depth of excellence that Southlands offers through our dedicated teachers and staff. Aila’s family is happy to have found a school that they can call home. Moms like Alicia Hintemeyer are thrilled to know that her children are in a safe environment obtaining a great education, as opposed to the lack of attention and bullying her son experienced in his previous school last year. Alicia was amazed on how intentional SCO’s teachers and admin staff are when it came to supporting her son academically. In a testimonial, Alicia said, “SCO continues to amaze me with offering very helpful and doable solutions! I’ve dealt with the public school system going on 29 years and this has never happened before. I appreciate you more than I will ever be able to express”. Her son is successfully and happily completing his schoolwork on his own time and at their choice of locations, allowing the family new freedom and new schedules, with much more quality family time in their lives! They find their lives are more flexible, and they are happier overall now. If any of these stories resonate with you, you owe it to yourself to look into Southlands Christian Online. Partnering with us in education means never facing moments of frustration, overwhelm, and exhaustion in education and school again. It also means you will get to experience a totally different type of education, a new freedom in life - one that allows you to design your school day around what matters most to you.

We look forward to partnering with you!

For more information about SCO, please visit southlandschristianonline.com or call 909-455-9304. Mention Code HOPE to receive a 13% discount (Offer Expires 08/15/23).

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WHAT IF SOMEONE TOLD THEM THERE WAS ANOTHER WAY? 89 of women in the adult entertainment industry, when asked, said they wanted to escape, but felt they had NO OTHER MEANS for survival. %

We know what it feels like to be hopeless. Then someone told us about Jesus, and everything changed. That’s why for over 15 years, we’ve been bringing the light of Christ into the darkest places in our cities to tell women that there is hope in Jesus and in Jesus alone! We are reaching exploited and trafficked women in 9 major cities with the hope of the gospel and inviting them into a community where they can discover their God-given purpose. SHARE HOPE + BRING LOVE

MISSION Scarlet Hope exists to share the hope and love of Jesus with women in the adult entertainment industry.

LOCATIONS LOUISVILLE, KY OHIO RENO, NV LAS VEGAS, NV NASHVILLE, TN MIAMI, FL

JOIN THE MISSION Visit our website for more information: SCARLETHOPE.ORG

4 HOPE is Now DENVER, CO ORLANDO, FL ATLANTA, GA

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Our story began in 2007 when God answered the prayer of a seeking heart.

Rachelle Starr was 21 years old, living a normal life in Southern Indiana with her husband, Josh. As a young follower of Christ, she prayed and asked God to give her a people and a purpose. Rachelle could have never imagined what God’s answer would be. Every day on her way to work, she drove past a Theatre X and never thought much about it until one day God answered her prayer and said, “I’m sending you to share my hope and love with the women in that place.” Rachelle quickly called her husband and told him, “The Lord has called me to serve women in the sex industry!” To her surprise, he replied, “That’s exactly what Jesus would do.” Rachelle knew this was further confirmation of God’s calling and with that, all she knew to do next was to pray. After 18 months of dedicated prayer and fasting, asking God HOW to reach these women, God said, “Go.” Rachelle with a couple of friends plucked up their courage and went into a strip club they had been praying outside of every week. Paying the $10 cover charge, they took a seat at the bar and ordered cokes. After several minutes, Rachelle was prompted by the Holy Spirit to go up to a man and introduce herself and say, “Jesus sent me here to do something kind and loving for the women in this place. Can I bring in a home-cooked meal? He was the owner of the club and much to her surprise, he said, “YES!” From that moment on, we began serving home-cooked meals in that club and eventually all of the clubs in Louisville every single week. Our story has only just begun. The everyday miracles of ministry in Louisville are proof enough of God’s great love for women in the adult entertainment industry, but His love knows no bounds. God would lead us to other cities to carry out our mission and today, we call it the Scarlet Hope Network. Our Network came to be very organically when a couple of our volunteers in Louisville set out to replicate our model in Greater Cincinnati in 2009. They began serving women in the clubs there and became our first Network site. As God grew our ministry, more and more people started coming to us asking for training and help to reach women in their cities. We shared our model, and our lessons learned and helped several ministries get started. This inspired a vision to see Scarlet Hope’s model replicated all across the world so that more women may come to know Jesus. Today, Scarlet Hope exists in 9 major cities in the United States with a vision to one day reach women in 25 of the most exploitative cities. God’s fingerprints are all over every new site’s founding stories. God continues to answer prayers and call outrageously obedient leaders to love and care for these women because He loves them. We will go wherever God leads and give Him all the glory!

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contents table of SOUTHLANDS CHRISTIAN ONLINE 02

Your Partner in Empowering and Educating Your Child in Excellence

When is Deferred

08 14

WHEN HOPE IS DEFERRED STEPHANIE WEAVER

By Stephanie Weaver

WISH GRANTERS

20 JOTTFUL HOPE.

34 34 66 72 82

JENNIFER NUART

K-12 Accessible Aordable Flexible Qualied Teachers Learning Community UC Approved

WISH GRANTERS

HOPE MAKES A BROKEN HEART BIGGER SCOTT HUBBARD

Scan the QR code for a message from our online school principal.

909.455.9304 info@southlandschristianonline.com

Article by Scott Hubbard

www.SouthlandsChristianOnline.com

IT'S NOT TOO LATE ROBYN STARR

Sometimes when we write things they are words of the heart trying to say that which we cannot speak. This is a letter to my daughter who died on March 18, 2023.

SAMMI GUNNOUD

by Sammi Gunnoud

LATE! ITʼS NOT TOO

by Robyn Starr

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ENCOURAGING

UPLIFTING

RELEVANT

A MAGAZINE ON ENCOURAGEMENT, FAITH, CULTURE AND HOPE.

May/June 2023

HOPE is Now

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When is Deferred

By Stephanie Weaver

W hen God made His covenant with Abraham and promised that He would bless and multiply his descendants and give them the land of Canaan as their home, He also foretold a difficult season in the nation’s history: He said that for four hundred years, Abraham’s descendants would be enslaved and mistreated in a foreign country. But at the end of those four hundred years, they would come out with great wealth and return to the land of Canaan.(Genesis 15:13-16)

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Now imagine how they must have felt when Moses appears to tell them that their time of deliverance had come. He tells them that God has remembered them, that He has seen their misery and heard their cries. He tells them all that the Great “I AM” said at the burning bush and he performs for them the miraculous signs that God had given him to show Pharaoh. He tells them about how God promised to rescue them from Pharaoh’s hand, and make the Egyptians favorably disposed towards them. He tells them they are going to be set free! Imagine the anticipation and the thrill of hope they must have felt to receive such wonderful news. The Scripture says that when they heard that the Lord was concerned about their suffering, they bowed down in worship. (Exodus 4:31) They were full of joy and gratitude.

When Jacob took all his children and grandchildren and moved to Egypt at the ripe old age of 130, he went to be happily reunited with his long-lost favorite son. He went as the honored guest of Pharaoh and of his son Joseph who was second in command over all the land. He went to find refuge from the drought and famine that had ravaged the entire country. He went because the Lord’s providential hand of salvation led him there. But one generation later, after Joseph and his brothers had died, the place that had been Israel’s salvation became the place of Israel’s captivity. A new Pharaoh came to power who knew and cared nothing about Joseph. All he knew was that the Israelites were multiplying rapidly and they posed

They had to stop and praise Yahweh for His goodness.

a threat to his empire. So he oppressed them with forced labor and worked them ruthlessly. He made them do harsh work out in the fields, and making brick and mortar. And so the Israelites became bitterly enslaved by the Egyptians. But now, after four hundred years, God has called Moses to lead them out of captivity. Let’s reflect for a minute on the fact that the people of

“Why have you brought this trouble on your people? Is this what your great plan was? All Pharaoh has done is make trouble for us. You haven’t rescued them at at all!”

But then we get to Exodus 5. Moses and Aaron muster up their courage and go before Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. And based on everything God had said and done so far, both they and the Israelites were fully anticipating that God would stretch out His mighty hand, and Pharaoh would release them to go. They were expecting deliverance. After all, that’s what they had just been promised. But that’s not at all what happens.

Israel had been slaves in Egypt for four hundred years. That means every living Israelite had been born into slavery and spent their whole lives serving the tyrannical Pharaoh. They had spent their whole lives under the heavy burden of harsh manual labor. They didn’t know what freedom felt like. They had never experienced independence or the patriotism of belonging to their own nation. And although they had heard of the promises God had given to their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, I am sure they often wondered whether they would ever really make it back to Canaan and see the Promised Land with their own eyes. After an entire lifetime of nothing but misery and desperation, they probably felt like things would never get any better. They probably felt like God had forgotten them.

Instead, the Pharaoh is completely outraged. He’s not about to let the people leave their labor, and demands them to get back to work. And what’s worse is that he orders the slave drivers to no longer supply them with straw for making bricks. They have to go and gather their own straw, but they’re still required to make the same number of bricks as they did before. The people scatter to collect the straw needed, and the slave drivers harass them about not making enough bricks and beat them for not filling their quota. When the Israelite overseers appeal to Pharaoh about such unreasonable demands, he calls them lazy and lets them know that this is the way things are going to be from now on. As you would expect, they are incredibly disheartened. After receiving the first little glimmer of hope they’ve ever had, it

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would have been devastating to have it so quickly snatched away. Instead of setting them free like they were expecting, Pharaoh makes their unbearable workload impossible. Instead of things getting better, they get much worse. Moses is just as discouraged and confused. He complains to God, “Why have you brought this trouble on your people? Is this what your great plan was? All Pharaoh has done is make trouble for us. You haven’t rescued them at at all!” (Exodus 5:22, paraphrase mine) God assures Moses that He has heard the Israelites’ groaning and that He has remembered His covenant to deliver them and give them the land of Canaan as their inheritance. But when Moses tries to tell this to the Israelites they don’t want to hear it. They won’t listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor. And can you really blame them? Why should they trust the God that seemingly just broke His promise and dashed their hopes into pieces? But of course, that isn’t the end of the story. God does eventually deliver them up out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outreached arm, and leads them into the Promised Land. In the end, God kept every promise He had made. And yet in the moment, their situation must have felt devastating and disheartening. It would have seemed like God wasn’t going to come through for them. Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” When our expectations aren’t met, we feel disappointed and discouraged. When things get worse instead of better, we feel defeated and let down. When our hope is deferred, we feel sick with grief. Personally, I have experienced many situations in which things haven’t turned out the way I had hoped. I have wondered if God has forgotten His promises. I have doubted whether things could ever really get better. Maybe you’ve felt that way too. Maybe the place you thought would bring salvation became a place of captivity. Maybe it seems like you’ve been in bondage for years. Maybe you don’t know what true freedom feels like. Maybe it seemed like something you had hoped for would finally come to pass, and then things just fell through. Maybe something you were anticipating with excitement didn’t actually turn out as well as you thought it would. Maybe you wonder if God’s promises are really for you. Maybe it feels like He’s not at work right now. Maybe it feels like He’s failed you or He’s holding out on you.

The hard reality is that sometimes things get worse before they get better. But that doesn’t mean God is not at work. Sometimes it feels like God has forgotten us. That doesn’t mean He has. Sometimes we feel alone. That doesn’t mean we are. My friend, I want to encourage you to remember that your story isn’t over yet. God is a Father who delights in giving good gifts to His children. He has good plans for you full of hope, freedom, deliverance, healing, restoration, and abundant life. He is not withholding good things from you. Maybe His good is better than your idea of good. Maybe the breakthrough you’ve been waiting for is just around the corner, and you just can’t see it yet. Maybe your cross feels heavy, but you’re just a few days away from a resurrection story. Maybe your miracle is just a prayer away. Maybe your healing is about to become someone else’s inspiration. Maybe when you let go of the dream you’re clinging to and surrender it to God, He’ll replace it with something even better. I can promise you this, in full assurance of God’s enduring promises: the best is yet to come. God’s dreams for you are far more wonderful than anything you could ever ask or imagine. So if you’re struggling right now, hold on a little bit longer. Don’t loose hope yet.“There are no hopeless situations, only people who have grown hopeless about them.” Your situation might feel hopeless, but it isn’t. God can and will redeem it. He will keep every promise and more. So don’t let yourself become a person without hope. Because Jesus is here to give you a hope that is sure and eternal. To quote the verse in its entirety, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12) We have been given a Deliverer who fulfills our every desire. And we have been invited to eat from His Tree of Life. The book of Revelation says that the leaves of the tree of life are for the healing of the nations. (Revelation 22:2) Jesus came for your healing. And for mine. When we delight in the Lord He will become the desire of our hearts and He Himself will fulfill our desires. He will heal our hearts. He will restore, and deliver, and set free. Things might get worse before they get better, but with Jesus, they will always be better in the end.

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January/February 2023 | 37

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The Story

Austin has had a bad day. Life is so unfair! His parents are fighting, his sister is a pest, and nothing ever seems to go well at school. But just when Austin feels like the whole world is against him, he meets a kind neighbor who shares with him the best Story ever told. Captivated by Miss Carole's caring heart and her incredible story, Austin discovers that there is Someone who loves him, who died for him, and who will always be there for him when life gets hard.

As a once tiny caterpillar grows and changes, he experiences the wonders and fears of the garden, the terror and pain of a dark cocoon, and the difficulty of waiting as God slowly transforms him into the butterfly he was made to be. Growth isn't easy, and change is often hard and painful, but as the caterpillar learns, no matter what stage of life you find yourself in, God is always near, and He always has more goodness in store. More For You Than This

Stephanie Weaver is a children's ministry enthusiast who is passionate about teaching kids God's Word, God's character and God's love.

When a nearly fatal suicide attempt left her with several physical disabilities including the loss of her voice, writing children's books became a wonderful new avenue for her to continue to teach the kids she loves so dearly, about the loving and faithful God who saved her life and gave her a second chance to live victoriously in Christ.

She wants her books to inspire hope and bring encouragement to kids struggling with their own hurt and brokenness.

46 | Hope Is Now Magazine

Both of these beautiful books can be purchased at https://www.missstephthebibleteacher.com

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"Now I can feed my

children and send them to

school!" — Ruth, Burundi

For the price of a cup of coffee, YOU can change a life!

Dear Friend, I'd like to let you in on a secret... the best-kept secret in charitable giving!

For the price of a fancy cup of coffee each month—only $4.17 — you can help deliver life-changing skills that can unlock the God-given talents of a brave woman or man in Africa, Asia, or Latin America! Five Talents is a Christian microenterprise development group that helps individuals, families, and communities thrive by equipping them with the skills and the means to develop small businesses. We began 25 years ago as a way to empower the global church to respond to extreme poverty, helping people to flourish in some of the world's most hard-to-reach places. We offer people a hand up, not a handout, allowing them to access education, health care, and other necessities — sometimes for the first time in their lives! Since our founding, Five Talents has impacted the lives of over 1.5 million brave, creative people by equipping heads of families with the literacy and business skills needed to start small businesses. We need your help to do this work! Please visit us at www.fivetalents.org and give generously today! With heartfelt gratitude,

Dale Stanton-Hoyle CEO

For more information, please visit www.fivetalents.org

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Do you know someone who has a terminal illness, or have you lost a family member or loved one to a terminal illness? Unfortunately, the answer is probably yes. Wish Granters is a nonprofit that was founded because of this. The mission of Wish Granters is to improve the quality of life of terminally ill adults and their primary caregivers by granting wishes and supporting projects in the local community, thereby providing opportunities for these adults and their loved ones to have positive life experiences. Wish Granters was founded in Boise, ID in 2010, and they have granted almost 400 wishes since then! Most of the wishes are heartwarmingly simple in nature, and allow the recipients the comfort, independence, and dignity that they deserve. Their humble beginnings started with a man named Doug Raper. While working for an organization that granted wishes for children, Doug started receiving wish requests for terminally ill adults. He decided to start an organization that would provide wishes to those adults who did not qualify for a wish from any other organization. Thus, in July 2010, Wish Granters was born, and the very first wish was granted on December 17th, 2010. A gentleman diagnosed with ALS

wished for a helicopter ride with his wife and two sons, and Wish Granters made that wish come true. Wish Granters is the only adult wish-granting organization in Idaho, currently serving Ada, Canyon, and Gem counties, with a goal to expand in the coming years. They rely exclusively on the generosity of caring individuals & businesses, grants, and fundraisers. People often ask them what types of wish requests that they get, and the answer is “everything!”. There are wishes as simple as planting flowers in someone’s backyard so that they have something beautiful to look at every day, or even replacing the windows on someone’s house so that his wife will have a warm house to live in once he is no longer there. The simplicity will humble you… There are also many requests for trips with family so that the recipient has a wonderful, positive experience for their family to remember them by once they pass. These trips vary from places such as Hawaii, Disneyland, or even Alaska! Many amazing trips have taken place over the years, and they always provide the families with memories for years to come.

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Here are some testimonials from past wishes:

• Wish Granters is an amazing organization. My wife was slated to be the recipient of a wish, but she passed before her wish could be fulfilled. The amazing folks at Wish Granters still gave the guided fishing trip to my sons in memory of their mom - an amazing experience at Henry’s Lake in East Idaho. Thank you, Wish Granters! – Scott M. • In February 2015, Wish Granters sent us to Alaska to see the Aurora Borealis. We were able to witness one of nature’s most beautiful visual spectacles. While the sky was dancing, so were our hearts. My wife, son, and I stood in awe, bursting with excitement and ear-to-ear smiles. My son and I saw a wife, a mom, who suffered mightily, restored, and free of suffering. Cancer took her life, but because of the amazing, caring, and dedicated people at Wish Granters, along with the kindness and generosity of the donors, we were able to experience this incredible moment in time. The photographs and memories will live forever. – Sean L.

• It’s hard to give a few details about what made our trip perfect because everything about it was perfect. Seeing my mom’s absolute abundance of JOY will be the memory that we carry with us always. She loved getting to see the constant laughter and shenanigans that her grandkids are always up to. Her grandkids are her everything, and seeing them together means the world to her. Thank you, Wish Granters, for the opportunity for us to spend that time with my mother. – Corinna P. • In November of 2014, my mom was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer and was given a low chance of survival. She fought hard, but in 2017 Wish Granters stepped in and offered my mom a wish. She asked that they buy me a wedding dress so she could be a part of that experience with me. The day before she passed away, we were able to go shopping and find my dress! Not having my mom there physically on my wedding day was extremely hard, but having her still get to be a part of it was something that means so much to me. Thank you so much Wish Granters - I will forever be grateful for your generosity! – Jessica C.

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Are you wondering how it works? Well when a wish request is submitted to Wish Granters, it is reviewed by the Wish Team, which is made up of volunteer board members. The team determines if the wish is eligible and feasible. If the wish is approved, Wish Granters works to make it happen. A member of the Wish Team meets with that wish recipient and their primary caregiver or family member in person to give the experience a personal touch and really get to know them. Granting the wish usually involves working with vendors, arranging transportation, and sometimes even coordinating volunteers. Wish Granters is committed to making sure that every wish is a special experience! The organization works to create wishes that are tailored to the individual’s interests and needs, all while making the wish experience as memorable as possible. Wishes are a powerful way to make a difference in the lives of terminally ill adults and their families. If you are interested in supporting Wish Granters, there are many ways to get involved! Monetary donations are extremely helpful, as granting wishes can sometimes be expensive, and general costs are increasing each and every day. In Kind donations are also extremely helpful because they can provide quite a wide range of resources to make wishes come true.

Here are some examples of in-kind donations that could align with the needs of Wish Granters:

• Gift cards to restaurants, stores, or entertainment venues

• Travel accommodations, such as hotel stays, timeshares, rental properties, or rental cars

• Event tickets, such as sporting events or concerts

• Gift baskets filled with food, gift cards, or other items

• Mobility supplies or equipment, such as a lift chair or wheelchair

• Gift certificates for services, such as haircuts or massages

• Any type of items that we could use in silent & live auctions at our events

Wish Granters is always looking for new and creative ways to grant wishes. If you have an idea for an in-kind donation, please contact the organization to see if it would be a good fit. Imagine being told that you have a terminal illness. Imagine knowing that you don’t have much time left. Now imagine that someone comes along and gives you the gift of a wish - a wish to do something you have always wanted. That’s what Wish Granters does. They give people a chance to experience joy and happiness one last time. Your donation can help them to grant more wishes and make a real difference in the lives of those who need it most. Please consider donating today. Their website is www.wishgranters.org, and the QR code to donate is below. Their email address and phone number are on their website as well if you would like to contact them. Thank you for your interest in Wish Granters!!

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In this book, you will learn the “behind the curtain” secrets and access the dispute letters the credit repair companies don’t want you to know.

Due to the current economic situation, we are oering this $24.99 book for a limited time of only $3.69 USD. That is less than a loaf of bread, or a gallon of gas!

For this special price, use the code: HOPE2023 www.restartcredit.net

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In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

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We build it. We host it. We help maintain it. You spend more time enjoying your business and life!

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A New Way to Get a Website for Your Small Business

customers all across the U.S. and Canada. There are four key tenets of a made-to-order website. There are really four things that make a website made to order. They include: 1. You get a complete website, not just software you can use to build one yourself. Made to order propels small businesses beyond the initial hurdle of getting the website built. Jottful uses made-to-order technology to rapidly build personalized websites on a small- business budget. Ultimately, Jottful delivers websites for just 10% of what a designer typically charges. 2. You’re empowered to make your own changes to the website. Using Jottful’s “magical editor” software, our customers find it faster and easier to make simple changes themselves than to describe the edits to someone else. 3. You don’t have to deal with any of the technical stuff. Made to order is all about making websites simple. At Jottful this means taking care of all the technical bits so our customers don’t have to. Security, hosting, visitor reporting, and uptime monitoring… it’s all included. 4. Customer support is personal and ongoing. For Jottful, providing real customer support is a feature, not a bug. For complex updates, or just to ask for marketing advice, Jottful’s customers can simply email the support team for personal assistance. Our real-human approach gives customers the peace of mind they will always be able to keep their website up to date. Keep an eye out for online marketing tips for your business. I’ll be writing a regular column for Hope is Now. I wanted to take the opportunity of this first column to introduce myself and Jottful. I’ll devote future columns to practical online marketing tips you can apply in your business. So stay tuned… In the meantime,I wish you and your business much success! Dawn Verbrigghe Dawn is an entrepreneur and speaker with a passion for helping business owners achieve their dreams through creative and inexpensive marketing that attracts just the right customers. Currently founder and CEO of Jottful, a company that makes and manages affordable websites for small businesses and self-employed professionals, Dawn has more than 20 years of marketing experience, primarily at early-stage companies. She taught management courses at The New School University for seven years and earned an MBA from Columbia Business School and two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Michigan.

Until recently, small business owners and self-employed professionals really only had two ways to get a professional website: hire a designer or do it themselves. But neither option addresses the particular needs of small businesses. Hiring a website designer is expensive. Not only do designers and agencies charge thousands of dollars — more than most small businesses can afford — but once your website is launched they have a habit of disappearing. As they move on to their next project, you’re left to muddle through the overly-complex software favored by their designers just to make basic changes to your website. You’re also responsible for the myriad updates and upgrades required to patch security holes that leave your website vulnerable to hackers. Despite these clear limitations, many small business owners grudgingly open their wallet and hire a designer. Why is that? Why not use do-it-yourself (DIY) software? For most small business owners, building a website using DIY software is a daunting prospect. DIY software misses the mark for people who lack the perfect-storm combination of marketing, design, and technical skills… and free time. That includes everyone from self-employed professionals and home-based businesses to Main Street-style karate studios and custom-cake decorators. Fortunately a made-to-order website, pioneered by Jottful, the company I founded, is specifically designed to address these challenges. I founded Jottful in 2017 after years spent managing the website for my mother’s bridal shop. Life got busy, so I searched for a way she could manage the website herself. I was surprised to realize my mother wasn’t alone in struggling with her website. Her business, like millions of other small businesses, was falling into the gap between expensive designers and impractical DIY software options. Made-to-order is the Goldilocks solution for small businesses. Not too hot, not too cold, just right. I set out to design software that could be combined with real human support and a team that actually built the customers’ websites. This combination gives small business owners the balance they crave. They get a website that makes them look professional, is effective (i.e., it gets the job done for their business), and fits within a small-business budget. What we really developed is the first made-to-order website solution. Today at Jottful we have hundreds of

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WE CARRY KEVAN

THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION

Kevan Chandler is a 36-year-old man from the foothills of North Carolina who was diagnosed at an early age with spinal muscular atrophy, a rare neuromuscular disease. He uses a power wheelchair to get around and depends on the help of others to care for his daily needs. When Kevan was six years old, he gave his heart to Jesus and received forgiveness for his sin. Ever since then he has found his strength, joy, and hope in the Lord and has been faithful to serve and love Him however he can.

While Kevan and his team did this trip as a personal challenge and celebration of their friendship, their story drew unexpected attention and an overwhelming response from people all over the world. They were repeatedly asked two questions: Where did you get this backpack? And where did you get these friends? So when they returned home, We Carry Kevan (WCK) was established as a 501c3 nonprofit organization, with the mission to mobilize individuals with disabilities by redefining accessibility as a cooperative effort through investment, interaction, and innovation. https:// wecarrykevan.org/ “The message is for the disabled community as well as able- bodied,” says Kevan. “We need each other to make it happen. If we are creative and courageous enough to give it a try, then the world becomes accessible.”

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THE JOURNEY BEGINS

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Several years ago, Kevan had a dream of traveling to Europe and see some places that were significant to his family and faith. Inspired by the story of the crippled man who was lowered through a roof to see Jesus (Luke 5:17-26), Kevan asked his friends for help. Since none of the destinations he had in mind were wheelchair accessible, his friends worked together to retrofit a Deuter Kid Comfort 3 carrier backpack so that it would comfortably support him and they could backpack through Europe together. They set up a crowd-funding page through GoFundMe, to raise the funds and awareness to make this trip possible and named the campaign “We Carry Kevan.” The campaign was a success, and in June of 2016, Kevan’s friends - a team of six “medically unqualified musicians,” according to Kevan - left his wheelchair behind in the United States, put him in the backpack, and spent three weeks carrying him in France, England, and Ireland. There were plenty of exciting adventures along the way, but the show- stopper event was their hike to the top of Skellig Michael, an Irish island that was an ancient monastery.

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THE WCK BACKPACK

Kevan started working on answering the first question: “Where did you get this backpack?” WCK partnered with the Deuter company to develop a production line of the WCK Backpack, with additional adjustable pads and straps for customized comfort. This backpack is specially designed to carry individuals with mobility-related disabilities, up to 75 pounds, so they can go where wheelchairs cannot, with the help of friends and family. https://shop.wecarrykevan. org/ “It’s such a critical resource to have access to recreational opportunities and social opportunities, and it’s something that we’ve noticed doesn’t get funded very often, especially because things that are specifically for recreation and enjoyment and fun are not ‘medically necessary,’” says Mariel Borgman, a mother who uses the backpack often to spend time outside with her son. “The service [We Carry Kevan] provides with the backpack is just an amazing tool

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that allows people like Asher to be able to fully explore the world.”

and audiobook forms through Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com. In addition, Kevan’s friends have created a documentary film and miniseries about his trips, in order to share the inspirational stories with a broader audience. Kevan continues to write and travel, and enjoys speaking with individuals and groups about his testimony and how God continues to work through the ministry of WCK. In December 2022, the 2.0 edition of the backpack was released, with new improvements to its unique support and adjustment features. We Carry Kevan has a tutorial video on their website, and a volunteer technical consultant is available to talk directly with families about customized adjustments for individual situations.

Kevan and his team decided that they needed to take another trip, but this time with the intention of bringing their message of hope to others in need. In August 2018, Kevan once again made the backpack his primary mode of transportation and was carried by his friends to China. They did some sight-seeing and walked along part of the Great Wall. Through a partnership with Show Hope, a Christian adoption aid ministry, they also visited two care centers for children with disabilities and took backpacks for them to use. That’s when they realized that the backpack has more potential benefits to its passenger than they originally thought. “The pack is beneficial for the kids getting to experience walking and learning weight shifts that they otherwise wouldn’t do,” says Michaela Patterson, a physical therapist who worked at the centers. “[It exercises] core control, head control, and they can get weight bearing through their feet to help with bone density and overall joint health… Being close to caregivers helps them to attach better and learn what that healthy attachment looks like, and really just get to play the way that kids are supposed to play.”

THE BACKPACK CAUSES PROGRAM

Over 800 backpacks have been distributed in more than 30 countries around the world over the past three years. An estimated one-third of these backpacks have been distributed through a scholarship program for those who needed financial assistance. As the request waiting list grew longer, WCK realized there was an impersonal disconnect between the donors and the recipients. As a solution, WCK created a “Causes” page on their website which holds a collection of profiles, with photos and stories of individuals who request sponsored backpacks: https://wecarrykevan.org/causes . Each profile shows a financial goal, the total amount needed to cover the pack, shipping fees, and international import taxes. A progress bar indicates how much each cause has raised and what is still needed. Each profile also has a personal goal, sharing briefly what trips or activities the person hopes to do with

THE BOOK AND MORE

Kevan is a gifted storyteller and wrote a memoir called We Carry Kevan that beautifully details his travels and the powerful lessons he and his friends have learned through their experiences. The book was published in April 2019 and can be purchased on the organization’s website: https:// shop.wecarrykevan.org/ . It is also available in paperback

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their WCK Backpack. Donors and visitors to the site can peruse the profiles and choose which ones they want to support. Donors will receive communications about when the cause is fulfilled, and they may choose to follow that person’s backpack journey long-term. It gives families a voice and donors and personal connection, ultimately building community, which is the heart of We Carry Kevan. “We love this new way for families to be seen and heard,” says Kevan. “I believe there is a sense of hospitality that can be found in our needs, if we invite people in, and this new family-specific crowdfunding platform is a perfect example. As families share their need for a backpack, community comes around them to provide and grow closer together. Our hope is that these fundraisers are just icebreakers for deeper fellowship to bloom.”

As this family and community of We Carry Kevan continue to grow, Kevan keeps in mind the story in Luke 5 that started it all: “[People with disabilities and their families] have stood ‘outside the house,’ knowing that something great was in there, whether they realize it is Jesus or not, and they needed someone to tear the roof off. The Lord has given us at least one way to do that and be a part of their lives. It’s not just that we give them a backpack, but we answer that second question by saying, ‘We’ll be your friend! We’ll carry you onto the roof, and we’ll lower you down!’” Kevan has experienced the love of Jesus through the compassion and creativity of his friends, and his prayer is that through WCK others will know that they are seen and loved, and that they will have access to the forgiveness and healing of Jesus, too.

THE MINISTRY OF FRIENDSHIP

THE INVITATION TO RESPOND

To answer the second question, “Where did you get these friends?” Kevan is investing his energy in offering friendship and connection to the people who receive backpacks - and in the spirit that defined his Europe trip, he invites others to help him. The board, staff, and volunteers of WCK seek to foster a culture of creative accessibility by collaborating with families with disabilities around the world. They do this by sharing Kevan’s story as encouragement and inspiration, distributing the backpacks, traveling to visit people in their homes and communities, and having ongoing conversations about new or alternative ideas for customized access. “For us it was not just a backpack; it was like a relationship was started,” says Santiago de las Carreras, a man in Argentina who purchased the backpack to carry his wife on their honeymoon trip. “We feel like family.”

You can contribute to the work of We Carry Kevan by becoming a member, sponsoring a cause, or giving a one- time donation: https://wecarrykevan.org/give. If you or someone you know could benefit from the WCK Backpack, you can learn about it and order it through the organization’s website: https://shop.wecarrykevan.org/. Invite Kevan to speak at your church, school or event, in-person or virtually: https://www.ambassadorspeakers.com/speakers/unique/ kevan-chandler. Subscribe to the weekly e-newsletter to receive updates about the ongoing and growing ministry of We Carry Kevan: https://wecarrykevan.org/contact. Connie Chandler is Kevan’s sister and is also diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy. She lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and is honored to serve as the Director of Family Engagement at We Carry Kevan.

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