Living Stones News

Economics is driving the decision to merge the Sioux Falls, S.D., edition of Living Stones News with the Duluth, Minn., edition. Publisher Corinne Scott said the monthly Christian newspaper that began distribution in Sioux Falls in June 2006 has not been able to sustain adequate advertising to continue publishing a separate newspaper.

“Merging the two newspapers will allow us to continuing distributing hard copies in Sioux Falls, rather than going strictly to a Web-based newspaper,” Scott said. “Many readers do not have access to computers and would miss the Living Stones News each month if it was only published on the Web. This November issue has been distributed from our Duluth, Minn., headquarters. Because the decision to merge the papers came about quickly, there wasn’t time to blend news from the Siouxland area for this November issue. However, beginning with the December issue, columnists and feature articles from the Sioux Falls edition will be blended with the Northland paper. Members of the Sioux Falls editorial board also will merge with the Northland board.”

Living Stones News expects the merger to be completed during the next several months. The paper will be increased to 24 pages, and there will be 15,000 copies printed each month with an estimated readership of 37,500.
Anyone wishing to comment on the newspaper is welcome to e-mail the publisher at Corinne@livingstonesnews.com or call (605) 336-6870 in the Sioux Falls area or (218) 728-4945 in the Duluth area.

For the latest Living Stones News articles please visit http://www.livingstonesnews.com

Premed student emerges from the ashes of abuse and abusive living
By Kent Wigg, Living Stones News Writer

As a troubled and troublesome teenager, Bryan Westerhuis had few clues of the healing operation God would soon be performing in order to turn him inside out and placed securely on a road to healing others.

The 28-year-old Augustana College biology major with medical school ambitions reflected on one of the more difficult times of his life.

Brian Westerhuis has been blessed with his wife, Hillary, and their son, Jake, as well as a calling from God to study medicine. Westerhuis believes that through him God will do good things for people.

For the past 17 years, Reverend Eugene DeHoogh has served as chaplain at Dow Rummel Village, capping off 50 years of ministry. He retires in October.
By Veronica Stoneall, Living Stones News Writer

For the past 50 years, Reverend Eugene R. DeHoogh has been serving God. He pastored churches in Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota for over 35 years, and then for the past 17 years, he has been the chaplain at Dow Rummel Village at 1321 West Dow Rummel Street in Sioux Falls, S.D. His greatest love has been to share with people, listen to them and to share a Bible verse.

This October will begin the season of retirement for Chaplain DeHoogh. After five decades of ministerial service, he is looking forward to spending more time with family and enjoying activities he hasn’t had time for.

God has called both Laura and Angie Irvine to a life of poverty, chastity and obedience as Catholic nuns. They have both joined convents to become sisters in the Catholic faith.
By Veronica Stoneall, Living Stones News Writer

Having two of their five children choose the life of solitude and prayer as Catholic nuns has been a blessing and an adjustment for the Dan and Betty Irvine family. The family has five children. Ryan is the oldest and the only boy of the family. The next four children are girls named Angela, Laura, Trish and Moria. Coming from a strong Catholic background, the two oldest girls have chosen to join convents and become nuns.

Betty and Dan Levine (front) pose with two of their daughters Trish (left) and Moria. The Levine are proud of their daughters, Angie and Laurie, who have chosen to become nuns, but they do miss being able to see them and talk to them often.

David Pierce of Steiger International goes into the deep dark recesses of the world to reach unchurched youth with the hope they can have in Jesus Christ.
By Laura Rupp

David Pierce is a man called by God to bring the light of Jesus Christ to the dark places of Satanic clubs, the closed Islamic countries and everything in between.

Pierce, 53, was born in Brooklyn Center, Minn. He grew up in a Baptist church. He knew the fundamentals of religion, but it was not real to him.

David Pierce of Steiger International speaks at the 2007 LifeLight Music Festival in Sioux Falls over Labor Day. Pierce believes people need to have a fresh revelation of the cross and to tell the truth of Jesus Christ to those who do not know.

Christian leaders hope that sponsorship program can help feed, clothe and educate the impoverished children of the Philippines.
By Dara Fillmore, Living Stones News Writer

Publisher’s note: This is the final installment of a three-part series about Living Stones News columnist Kami Scott’s experiences in the Philippines. Last month’s article focused on Scott’s return visit to the Dump City and the many children living in awful conditions there.

Kami Scott, a columnist for Living Stones News, says that sponsoring a Filipino child for $30 a month helps meet their basic needs of food, clothing and schooling.

Susie Wingler brings Christ into the marketplace. Stepping out of her comfort zone and praying with people on the spot has made a big difference in her life and for those with whom she prays.
By Veronica Stoneall, Living Stones News Writer

Susie Wingler and her husband and best friend of 31 years, Gerry, are the third generation to run Shipley’s Laundry and Dry Cleaners in Sioux Falls, S.D. This family business is l05 years old, and is one of a handful of local businesses to reach the century mark and remain in the original family.

A manager at Shipley’s Laundry, Susie Wingler sees the marketplace as a mission field, and through prayer and personal interaction, she introduces Christ’s love to others wherever she goes.

“Jesus Christ is the CEO of our business,” Wingler said. “Christ has laid the foundation for His love to be shared throughout our business, which has resulted in many employees, vendors and customers experiencing life-changing events.”

Wingler can recount hundreds of miracles where God has touched the lives of those around her in numerous ways. Many have experienced physical healing. Others have opened their hearts to Christ, and many people have experienced God’s divine grace and intervention.

“God just keeps opening doors and challenging me. He is limitless, and I have come to always expect the unexpected from Him,” Wingler said.

Wingler grew up in Sioux Falls and still lives there with Gerry and their two daughters, Stacy and Jennifer. Although Wingler was raised Episcopalian, she had never experienced a personal relationship with Jesus until she was 16 years old when Gerry introduced her to the Lord.

“On our first date, we visited his church and discussed Bible verses.” Wingler said.

About a year ago, God convicted Wingler to begin praying for physical healing for others. She has been a witness to the power and grace of God moving in an awesome way in people’s lives. Numerous occurrences of backs, necks, bones, joints, shoulders, knees, etc. have been healed and restored by Christ.

This past summer at a Holy Spirit conference, Wingler was overjoyed when her daughter, Jennifer, was miraculously healed of Crohn’s disease. When people are healed physically by Christ, they are given a burning desire to learn more about Jesus who has healed them.

Becoming involved with the local ministry known as Command 2, a prayer-based organization that strives to bring Christ into the workplace, has been fulfilling for Wingler. From her association with the ministry, Wingler has caught the vision of the marketplace as a mission field. The concept is to use prayer along with personal interaction to introduce others to Christ’s love wherever you go. The marketplace infers that the mission field could be anything from the grocery store to your workplace or even in an airplane. Wherever people are becomes a marketplace.

Every Tuesday the Command 2 ministry hosts a luncheon at the Firehouse Underground. It is a gathering of like-minded Christians for fellowship and discussion about spreading the Good News in the marketplace and throughout the community. Command 2 also dispatches prayer teams to prayer walk businesses. They use a program called “Tread” which involves people who gather in the downtown area to prayer walk the city, often stopping along the way to minister to the prayer needs of those on the streets.

One of Wingler’s goals is to help instill in others the same passion for prayer that God has placed in her heart. It is her belief that she must be obedient to God’s nudging when she encounters someone who needs the touch of the Lord. There is always an opportunity to pray for people.

One such occasion arose when Wingler was visiting her parents in Florida. She had the privilege to pray for and share the love of God with a caregiver who had been experiencing much anguish and grief and as a result she could see no hope for her future. While praying with the caregiver, God imparted a peace to her, which opened the door for Wingler who was then able to share the Gospel message. The lady’s life was changed instantly.

God engineered another encounter when carpeting was being installed in Wingler’s home. The installer was quite late getting to the job and as a result, Wingler was running behind getting to work. However, she felt led by the Holy Spirit to stay and talk with the man. He began to share how for years he has been running from God because of the heartaches in his life. Ironically, while he was on his knees installing carpet, Wingler was able to pray with him. She is always amazed at God’s perfect timing.

“It is great to see how the Lord takes the brokenhearted and restores them physically, emotionally and spiritually. He helps them find true joy,” Wingler said.

“One of the most important things is spending time with the Lord. This results in a friendship that moves into intimacy. That is when God imparts His personality, His ways and His desires into you. I strive to be sensitive to people’s needs so I can discern how to share God’s love for them. Everyone needs love. When you seek it, God will implant in your heart a genuine love for others that cannot be explained by worldly terms,” Wingler said.

Wingler’s favorite Bible verse is Proverbs 3.3(NIV): “Let love and faithfulness never leave you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart.”

“I can’t wait to get up in the morning to see what God has planned for me,” Wingler said. “It is a true honor to serve the Lord.”

White~Knuckle Faith: Trusting God in Times of Crisis, by Dave and Jeanne Kaufman
Reviewed by Kelly S. Gillett, Living Stones News Writer

Dermatomyositis … the word alone is daunting. Add to that the task of understanding this one, rather large, word, “autoimmune disease, attacks skin and muscles, mistakes self tissue for nonself, T cells attack own body, can severely affect lungs, heart, kidneys and liver, no cure” and you will probably feel more than a little overwhelmed. Dismay will likely follow as you discover the treatment for said disease involves combinations of very strong medications — all with harsh side effects. And, ultimately you find yourself crashing full force into a brick wall of shock as you try to absorb the fact that this diagnosis has just been given to your precious 6-year-old daughter. Enter in … the Kaufman family.

In “White~Knuckle Faith”, Pastor Dave Kaufman and his wife, Jeanne, tell the story of their daughter Angela’s battle with dermatomyositis. The Kaufman’s take us on their journey from the first months of discovering Angela’s illness and trying to get an accurate diagnosis for what was wrong to how Angela became the South Dakota State Poster Child for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. They share with the reader that not only did they fight this battle for 12 years, but they had to also fight the financial devastation brought on by extensive medical expenses and no health insurance.

From their succinct but poignant words, you are able to gather just some of the heartbreak and tremendous strain they must have suffered through during those days, months and years of Angela’s illness. But,“White~Knuckle Faith” is so much more than an accounting of details. It is greater than that.

This book is a testimony of faith — one that will encourage and inspire. To imagine Angela, at such a young age, facing this incredible pain, adversity and uncertainty is to imagine a young girl with a courage and strength well beyond her years. The Kaufmans fought hard for their daughter to not only get through each day but to be completely healed, and they used Scripture, hope and their faith in God to do it.

The title of the book is an apt illustration of what it takes to make it through a crisis of this magnitude — a grip on God so tight, the knuckles of your hands turn white. Often, during a crisis situation, we find ourselves immediately “grabbing” onto God for help, but as time continues to elapse, we find it increasingly difficult to maintain the strength of our connection with Him. This was not the case for the Kaufman’s. Admittedly, there were times when hanging on was more difficult than others, but throughout the 12 years, the Kaufman family maintained that white-knuckle hold on their faith.

God performed miracles to heal Angela and to bring the Kaufmans out of the depths of financial ruin. But what I love about their story is that they trusted in Him to do that. They believed the way to live out that trust was to praise the Lord in all circumstances. They scoured Scripture for the abundant evidence of Jesus’ love for us and for his desire to heal the sick. From the very beginning, even when Angela was near death on the recovery room table following what should have been a routine muscle biopsy, they fought to praise Him through it. They understood that “praise is your faith at work” and they made a conscious decision to “live in the answer, before faith had come into sight”.

Kaufmans encourage us to “keep rejoicing regardless of what you see with your natural eyes. God is working in the spiritual realm for your benefit and His Glory”. The Kaufman’s message of praising Him in all circumstances and of His great love for us is as invaluable as their story is inspiring.

“By Him therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks unto His name.” (Hebrews 13:15)

“White-Knuckle Faith” is available through www.holylifetabernacle.com.

By Rex M. Rogers, For Living Stones News

An ever-increasing number of computer users means an ever-increasing number of people who’re just two clicks away from beginning a pornography problem that could destroy their life.

Pornography is pervasive on the Internet. There’s not a day I log on to my computer that I don’t have to delete dozens of email- based advertisements trying to seduce me into viewing pornographic Web sites.

That’s what I mean about two clicks away. Porn is incredibly available, accessible and affordable – which is to say that most of it is free.

Sorry to say, men and women, boys and girls are accessing online pornography in growing numbers. Frustrated parents are buying Internet filters, but most filters don’t work, or at least they’re not foolproof. The multibillion dollar porn industry is simply too sophisticated to be blocked for long by countering software.

Pornography appeals to our baser nature, what the Bible calls “the natural man,” where lust can lead us down a path to destruction.

Porn problems don’t begin full blown overnight. Like any other sin, a little bit of porn leads to a desire for a little bit more and then, soon, either a lot more – in quantity or intensity.

The Scripture doesn’t use the word “pornography,” but the Bible is clear in its principled statements about what we should allow into our minds and hearts and how we should live our lives. The Bible says to think on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable and excellent. (Philippians 4:8).

Place your family computer in a location that provides visibility and reinforces accountability.
Don’t assume you and yours “Just wouldn’t do that,” because all of us are susceptible. Most of all, protect your kids from pornography’s ugliness. You’ll be blessing them and their future marriages.