A Closer Walk, by Mississippi Christian Living

Katie recently sat down with three financial professionals to talk about money, stewardship, and how their Christian faith impacts their jobs and their personal finances. Randy Ginn is founder of Mascagni Wealth Management in Clinton and a Certified Financial Planner; Chris McAlpin is Chief Experience Officer at Sound Financial Strategies Group in Flowood and a financial advisor; and Ashley Sullivan is Senior Manager at BMSS Advisors and CPAs in Ridgeland and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). 

In today's world, anything more than 3 kids is seen as ambitious - or even irresponsible, depending on whom you ask. Tim and Jenn share their story of why they chose to have a large family, how it has stretched them, and why "it's not Sunday school's job to make our kids believers."

Dr. Farrah Newman grew up in a single-parent household in Columbus, Mississippi. Now an ophthalmologist at EyeCare Professionals, she sees her life through eyes of faith, from the small country church where she got saved to Tenwek Hospital in Bomet, Kenya, where she and her husband served for 2 years (bringing all 4 of their kiddos along). Hear her journey of finding the Father's love, taking leaps of faith, and finding time with God wherever she is.

Ben Derrick knew he'd work in a church one day, and he did just that, becoming lead pastor of a local church that became a second home for his family. Then God called him to step away from pastoring and enter the mental health field. The past two years have tested Ben and Cammie's marriage more than all the previous years combined, but they believe their obedience to God's will is worth it, and they're grateful for the solid foundation they built for their marriage long ago. 

Rick Gage is bringing his Go Tell America crusade to the Brandon Amphitheater on October 15-18, and MCL Editor Katie Eubanks Ginn interviewed 6 people who are helping make the crusade happen. They discuss who should come, whom to invite, and why crusades are an important way to reach non-Christians who aren't ready to attend a Sunday worship service. 

Interviewees: Percy Thornton, Art Jones, Dr. Meredith Travelstead, Ryan Wade, Carolyn Boteler, Joy Bradford. 

On August 1, two Mississippi couples - Catherine and Taylor Sledge of Ridgeland, and Erin and Ben Napier of HGTV's Laurel-based "Home Town" series - launched Osprey, a nonprofit movement for parents who want to keep their kids free from social media through high school. Catherine and Taylor sat down with MCL Editor Katie Eubanks Ginn to talk about why they co-founded Osprey (which stands for Old School Parents Raising Engaged Youth) and why they want their kids to have social lives without social media.

Seven heads of metro Jackson independent schools recently spoke with MCL Editor Katie Eubanks Ginn about their institutions, the impact of a Christian education, and more. 

Robert and Susan Green and Bridgett and Johnny Clayton recently spoke with MCL Editor Katie Eubanks Ginn about their stories and what God has taught them in marriage. Robert and Susan are pastor and children’s minister respectively at Fondren Church in Jackson and have been married 27 years. Bridgett is an attorney, and Johnny is a senior respiratory therapist at Merit Health – they have been married 40 years. 

Rick Courtney, Nathan Stamper, Rev. Reginald Buckley, and Brent Leach serve God in law offices, baseball fields, sanctuaries and living rooms. They recently sat down with MCL Editor Katie Eubanks Ginn to talk about their careers, their wives, their greatest spiritual influences, and the biggest lessons God has taught them along the way. 

Ivan Parke and his parents moved from India to America when he was little, and now he's a college professor, published author, husband and father. He and his wife, Mary Ann, know exactly Who paved the way for them - through marriage, parenting, job changes, and some suffering along the way. 

Ole Miss Baseball Hitting Coach Mike Clement (part of last year's College World Series win) and his wife, Amanda, talk about their journey from College Station, Texas, where they met, to "The Velvet Ditch" of Oxford, Mississippi - a place so comfortable it's hard to leave. They might be at home in Oxford, but spiritually, "We're not called to a place of comfort," Mike says. 

For the fourth year in a row, MCL has taken nominations for Christian Leaders of the Year. This year the five selected leaders met together for a group interview with MCL Editor Katie Eubanks. The conversation was as impactful as anything you’d hear at a leadership conference! Our 2022 Christian Leaders of the Year are:

• Angela Carson, founder, Pine Grove Association and Carson Consulting
• Jonathan Lancaster, chief financial officer, We Will Go
• Matt Nalker, executive director, The Arc Mississippi
• Preston Crowe, counseling pastor and director of The Center for Hope and Healing, Broadmoor Baptist Church
• Tom Washburn, minister to senior adults, First Baptist Jackson

Dr. Cathie Phillippi is a married, churchgoing doctor with three kids. But she isn’t perfect. “I think people see this put-together person … with all the things,” she says. “But I often still kind of feel like a fly on the wall." As a troubled adolescent with a broken home, she rejected God - but He did not reject her. Through a godly grandmother, a scholarship, and genuine believers, Jesus pursued Cathie and changed her heart.

Clint and Terri Herring are a successful real estate developer and pro-life lobbyist respectively, with 3 sons, 11 grandchildren, and lots to look forward to. But once they were teenage newlyweds, journeying across the country for a new life that would challenge them in ways they did not expect. 

Mart had a home, a family, and a job he loved, but he lost it all due to his alcoholism. Finally, after stints in several rehab facilities and even the Mississippi State Hospital, "God did for me what I couldn't do for myself," he says. Nearly a year after getting sober, he started dating Holly, his now wife. Listen as they recount God's faithfulness and their hopes for the future.

Deryll Stegall of Stegall Imagery has shot nearly 100 MCL magazine covers over the years. Get to know him and his wife, Sherry, who blended their families after they both experienced divorce - and hear what they've learned about finding happiness and making marriage work. 

Roosevelt & Shay Greenwood had already endured their share of trials when Roosevelt was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer in 2016. But God worked a miracle, and not only has Roosevelt lived more than 3 years longer than expected, but his cancer is now "asleep." Listen as he and Shay share how God has made them #GreenwoodStrong.

Meredith & Joel Travelstead are an OB/GYN and a CPA in northeast Jackson. They share with Katie about marriage, family, and how God has used the "spiritual wrestling matches" in their lives to strengthen their faith in Christ.

Barb Martin, a licensed professional counselor and former columnist for Mississippi Christian Living, talks about setting boundaries and giving grace to in-laws, and even shares some of her own in-law moments! Whether you're married, want to prepare for marriage, or just want to better relate with loved ones in general, this is a good one.

In this episode, Katie talks with Neddie Winters, president of Mission Mississippi, an organization promoting racial reconciliation within the body of Christ. Neddie gives his perspective on current racial tensions that have been amplified in light of the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police - and, more importantly, what white and black Christians can do to stand for truth, justice and reconciliation. (NOTE: At one point our recording cut off in the middle of the podcast, and we had to start a new one. Our apologies for the brief "Can you hear me now?" moment!)