By Jason Nabb

I have the great opportunity to volunteer with a wonderful organization, Christian Heritage.  I am working on a new program they are implementing in the Nebraska Correctional System.  The strategy of the program is to offer an opportunity to inmates to talk for 15 minutes, on video, to their children.  Then, the videos are delivered to their families.  Inmates are encouraged to read books, discuss their days, ask the children questions, etc., in an effort to connect, or re-connect, with them.  The program is a “franchise” of the Messages Project.  The Messages Project was started by Carolyn LeCroy.  She came to Lincoln for three days to train our group on how to shoot these videos and work the program.  She has a big heart and is outspoken about the impact this program can have on the lives of the inmates and their children.  

During our first shoot at the Nebraska State Penitentiary, I was having a conversation with Carolyn, a volunteer and an inmate.  He was waiting to go in and shoot his video for his children.  Carolyn asked him what he did to get in jail…he said “B & E.”  She asked if it was drug related (as it most always is) and he said “No.  I had no choice, my family needed food and I had no job and I…”

She interrupted him, “Now wait a minute, that is criminal thinking.  You can’t think like that and expect to get paroled.  What do you think the parole board would say if you rationalized your crime like that to them?  The world doesn’t ‘owe’ you anything.  There are other ways to provide for your family other than breaking in to someone’s house and stealing.”  (This is a paraphrase.)  He kind of murmured and agreed.  It was an epiphany moment for me.  I see  a huge lesson for my kids and it wasn’t long before I could put it into action.

I’ve been having a few issues with my oldest boy.  He has been thinking like a criminal.  He’s constantly rationalizing his bad behavior.   He feels as though he is “entitled” to certain things.  So, I explained to him how that kind of thinking is what gets criminals into the habit of crime.

• “It’s not fair!”
• “They started it!”
• “I didn’t mean to hit him in the face, I just swung at him and that’s where it landed.  It’s not my fault!”
• Lying
• Cheating at games 

These, and more, are all examples of excuses you could hear in your kitchen, or from inmates at your local correctional facility.  The idea that your own actions are not the cause of the consequences you currently face is “criminal thinking.”  I tried my best to illustrate this for my kids because I think it’s a great way to show the results of a lifetime of utilizing that logic.  Right now, it’s just an argument with a sibling, or trying to get out of doing extra chores, but, before you know it, it will mean standing in front of a judge and trying to explain how “there I was, just minding my own bidness, and there were these two dudes…” (thanks, Wendy, for the great example.)

God made us to love us and made us with free will so that we would choose to love Him.  When we choose to make excuses for our behavior and choose not to accept the consequences for our actions, we are robbing ourselves of the opportunity to reconcile these actions to God.  God forgives everything.  We do, however, have to confess our sins to Him.  You can’t do that if you’re thinking you never did anything wrong in the first place.  

Talk to your kids about bad choices and “getting locked up” and things like that.  If you drive by a police bust, talk about it, have your kids consider what that person may have done.  Talk about the fact that that person has probably made a series of bad choices that led up to them getting arrested and that those bad choices may have started out small and seemingly insignificant.  That’s how Satan sneaks into our lives, through a series of small, insignificant bad choices.  Then, sooner than you think, your staring at the world through bars…or worse.

Read the local news story about Christian Heritage and the Messages Project.

By Cindy Nabb

As a mom I am responsible for clothing the family, not only to wash and dry but to purchase as well.  Shopping and buying clothes is a task I don’t take lightly.  Finding a good deal on clothing is important to me, but more important is what the clothing is saying.  I don’t mean the brand on the jeans or the cute little saying on the t-shirt, I mean what does the clothing say about who we are.  
 
When we look out our window and see people walking down the street we can tell a lot about someone by the way they are dressed.   You can distinguish nationality, gender, age, economic status.   We see a man in traditional Indian attire, a young lady in a sundress, an older gentleman in a fedora, and a power suit walking by.  Their clothing tells us who or what they are.  Does our clothing tell the world that we are Christians?  Does the way we present ourselves make a statement that we belong to Christ?  It should.  

It is more than keeping our skin covered although that is a good start.  It is a matter of humility.  I Peter 5:5 says “…all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another…”   God wants us to clothe ourselves in humility.  That doesn’t mean we can, or should, dress shabbily, but our love and our character should be what people notice first about us.

 There are some simple tests to determine if your clothing is modest.  I encourage you young ladies to read Secret Keeper 2005: The Delicate Power of Modesty, by Dannah Gresh.  Mom’s you should read this, too.  Have a discussion with your daughters about the modesty rules and go through both of your closets and determine what meets the standards and what doesn’t.  One great thing to do is when you get back from shopping have a fashion show for dad and get his approval of all clothing before it gets worn outside of the house.  It takes work and searching for clothing that meets God’s standards but you will be blessed by being modest and you will bless others.

By Cindy Nabb

It is important that we invite people into our homes and into our lives.  Having someone over for dinner can be a rewarding experience and an effective tool to reach out to others, sharing our faith and our time.  Think about when you have been invited over to someone’s house that you didn’t know very well for a barbeque or for Sunday dinner.    It’s a chance to get to know someone at a level we don’t get to otherwise, to live our lives together, share our burdens with each other and offer friendship in ways we can’t do in 15 minutes on Sunday morning.  

I also believe that God is pleased when we open our homes and offer hospitality.  We are commanded to offer hospitality without complaining,  practice hospitality, entertain strangers, break bread together and bear one another’s burdens.

As a family we love to have people over.  We love the anticipation of getting the house ready, creating a meal, planning an activity and waiting for the arrival of our guests.  We try to have someone over to our house a few times a month.  We have a goal of having some one new over about once a month.  At times we don’t meet this goal as other things take priority in our weeks and months but we still try.  I encourage you to invite someone over this week to share a meal with you.  Here are some tips and ideas to help you get started.  May God bless you and your homes.

• Decide with your spouse how often you’d like to have others over.  Set a goal, choose supper or lunch.
• Kids love to plan parties so have them join in the process.
• Keep it simple.  Easy meals that all will enjoy.  Don’t worry about having a huge, elaborate meal.
• Make sure you ask your guests about any food allergies/intolerances they may have. 
• If your guests ask if they can bring something, take them up on their offer.  
• Go pot luck style.  Have the other family bring what they would have made for their family and add it to your menu.
• Use paper plates.  
• Team up with another family.  Take turns hosting.
• Meet at a park for a picnic.
• Get together for dessert.
• Have a basket of conversation starters to pass around on the table to spark conversation.  

“Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.”

                                                                                                                                                            Hebrews 13:2

By Jason Nabb

There’s many things I imagined myself doing.  Lawyer, professional ATV rider, furniture builder.   I’ve even thought of myself as a famous photographer, filmmaker, entrepreneur, maybe I would own a large company someday.   I never really thought much about being a father.  It never occurred to me to consider what it means, or takes, to be a father.  It doesn’t make much sense to consider the idea of being a father unless you consider your own.  It’s been about a year and a half since my father passed away.

Since then, I’ve been trying to figure out what he meant to me.   I loved him, for sure.   I miss him incredibly, but I’m not sure what he meant to me.  I look back in my memory and try to grab ahold of some semblance of comraderie, some specific time when we connected.   I remember him being there, but, for the life of me, I can’t recall many specific moments and it’s driving me crazy.

I wonder if there are other guys out there like me who try to remember moments with their dad when you just clicked.   Like the first time he talked to you about girls, or the first time he let you drive the family car.   Once in awhile, I remember little things.  I remember how loud he could whistle when I was up to bat in little league.  He would cheer so loudly, even though I was sure to strike out.  I was only in little league for one season.  He’d whistle and hoot.  I asked him to, quite honestly, because I didn’t really have a fan club and I wanted to hear cheers from the crowd when I stepped up to the plate.   I wasn’t much of an athelete and nobody really cared much when I was up to bat.  That lone season in little league was the extent of my baseball career and saw a shining first base hit as its pinnacle moment.  Too bad the next batter fouled out to end the inning.  Even though I’ve never crossed home plate, I felt pretty good about myself and I feel as though I hung up my bat and glove and retired from baseball in my prime.  In part, because my dad came to watch.

I remember how he taught me to drive.  We used to go out of town and drive on country roads on Sunday afternoons.   I used to love those drives.  I remember one time, not more than a quarter of a mile from home.  It was a blind left turn on a hill.   I was behind the wheel of his 1969 F-100.   Three on the tree and a worn out clutch.  You had to ease it up a bit to see if anyone was coming, then sort of stop, then go again if it was clear.   We must have sat at that intersection for an hour while I killed it over and over again.  I wanted to give up.   I wanted to walk home.  I wanted to do anything except make that left turn in front of me.  He was so patient.  He just kept telling me to try again.  I finally made it and when we got home I was mad for the rest of the day.

I guess that these seemingly “little” things are more important to me than I realize.  We got along well enough.   He was never too tough on my brother and I.  He always talked to us as equals.  It’s not like he was never there for me.   He was a good provider.   He worked hard.   He tried his hand at different businesses.   He studied English in college.  He ended his career working in a nuclear power plant running a machine that required an incredible amount of mathematical and technical skill.  The machine actually eliminated the radioactivity found in the water that was used to cool the fuel rods that powered the plant.   He was sort of a renaissance man, in his own way.   He was smart, but I don’t remember a passion.  I don’t remember a bright shining light in his eyes.  I know he loved my brother and I, I just don’t remember any all-consuming desire for anything, in particular.

I think a kid wants to look at his dad and see fire in his belly.   Fire for something.  The pumping fist kind of fire that makes you want to butt heads and go kill something.  I think that’s what I wanted to see.  It really wasn’t there.   However, somehow, over the years of my childhood, he inspired me.   Quietly and patiently, perhaps more so through his inaction rather than his actions, he pushed me to do more than he had done.  I love him for that, and I always will.

By Cindy Nabb

My husband is self employed which means we don’t have the luxury of having health insurance.  We are covered if something major happens but the little stuff is all on our own.  We also have six children and when illness strikes our home it can last for weeks before everyone gets it and it can cost a small fortune if everyone went to the doctor, and got a prescription every time.  I had a dear friend introduce me to herbal and natural remedies.  From there it took off.   I am, by no means, all-knowledgeable of herbs and their potential to heal our bodies but I am a firm believer that God has put plants, minerals and even dirt on our planet for our benefit.  We see duplicity so often in God’s creation.  God is bigger than we can imagine and his plan so intricate that virtually everything serves more than one purpose.  Plants and flowers are not only beautiful and attractive, they’re also useful to us.

 I have read many books skimmed through even more.  The first book I read was one called The ABC Herbal: A Simplified Guide to Natural Health Care for Children by Steven Horne.  Other books to check out are Mommy Diagnostics (The Art of Taking Care of Your Family) Revised & Expanded, Herbal Antibiotics: Natural Alternatives for Treating Drug-Resistant Bacteria (Storey Medicinal Herb Guide) and I found a site that is especially helpful, mountainroseherbs.com.  These are all good references but nothing is better than just starting.  

So, I began creating herbal remedies for our family to take to keep us healthy and those to take when sickness did strike.  I picked a few recipes to start with and a handful of herbs to really learn about and went from there.  The first thing I made were glycerin tinctures.  I have since moved on to make alcohol tinctures as well as vinegar tincture.  It is not uncommon for us to have garlic in our ears for earaches, take steamy peppermint baths for a fever, garlic catnip enemas are given to small children with fevers, valerian and cayenne pepper for headaches, echinacea tincture is always stocked in our fridge and probiotics are a staple.  

We do still get sick but I have noticed that we don’t get as sick as we used to and not as often.  Our bodies are working better and we are healing faster.  It is possible to take control of your own health care and to not go to the doctor as often.  Our bodies are wonderful creations and have the ability to heal themselves, sometimes the just need a little help.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. 8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.  —Proverbs 3:5-8

By Jason Nabb

Cindy and I had a meeting with our insurance guy this week.  I thought I’d write about life insurance.  I know, you’re thinking, “Here it comes, a boring lecture on insurance.”  Well, I do want to talk about it, but I hope it’s not boring.  We purchased a term policy a few years back and have had a couple kids since so we thought we should take a look at our coverage.  It turned out we were under covered.  As we talked with our agent, I realized, in most situations, when there is only one spouse who works, that spouse’s life is insured for a greater amount.  The assumption is that it would be more difficult to replace that income.  Now, I don’t profess to understand the actuary behind insurance, but the idea is that if a spouse dies, your benefit should be enough to allow for the interest it earns in a standard investment in a decent economy (yeah, right) is enough to replace the income of the lost spouse so that your current lifestyle could be maintained.  Meaning, in our situation, that if I died, Cindy could continue to homeschool the kids, living off the interest of investments made with the money received from life insurance.  Okay, I get it, and we didn’t have nearly enough insurance on me to make that happen.  My wife and children would have received a big chunk of dough if I kick the bucket, but it wouldn’t last as long as it needs to last.  So, we get more insurance on me. 

Then I thought, (and I hate to think about it, but that’s what we’re talking about) what if Cindy died?  We had even less insurance on her.  I thought, “that’s okay, I can still work.”  Only, I’d have to homeschool the kids, too, or at least have family friends help me.  There would be great expenses.  I’m guessing I wouldn’t be able to take as many clients and projects as well.  I figure I’d be able to work at about 40% capacity until my children were raised.  We did the math, and it turned out we need as much insurance on her as what we have on me.   Being partners in marriage, family and life, it should’ve been no wonder that would be the case.

You want your family to be taken care of if you die.  I’ll remind you, I’m not an insurance salesman.  I have no affiliations with any insurance salesman.  I just happen to believe in this particular idea.  Look at it this way, the money you spend on a policy pales in comparison to the hardships your family would face if you hadn’t bought it.  I’m not trying to scare you into buying life insurance.  Look into it yourself.  Unless you can afford to self insure (which is my goal, by the way,) you owe it to your family to investigate this issue.

Things to consider:

• Term vs. Whole Life
• Multiple Policy Discounts
• Good Credit Discounts
• Insurance Shopping Techniques

One article I found interesting was an article from money.cnn.com click here.  This article goes through several steps and explains the different aspects of life insurance.  Make sound decisions based on as much information as you can.  If possible, find an agent through a referral from someone you know.  God bless.