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A True Hero: He's walking the Continental Divide for
faith
by Yao Ming
August 6, 2010 In
a world of change, Tracy Davis is a rare individual who has worked in the grocery business since the age of 16. After 39 years
of continuous employment, he was asked to find a buyer for his company, knowing it would cost him his job. With the eminence
of his unemployment staring him in the face, he chose to plan the first adventure of his unemployment.
A devoted husband for 33 years with four children, Davis was inspired to hike 341 miles of
the continental divide. At the age of 55, with no prior knowledge of the Colorado trail or experience for a strenuous hike,
he began his walk on July 23, 2010. He calculated the journey would take 40 days, with lonely nights in the woods, away from
all civilization. He chose to walk to affirm Inspire Women, a ministry whose staff radically trusted God for their provision.
He was made aware of the ministry's reliance on faith through his wife's involvement. His walk was his personal statement
that in the same way he was trusting God to protect him in thewilderness the women of Inspire Women could forever trust God
to protect the ministry. Inspire Women exists to inspire women across ethnicities to discover their purpose and invests in
the training of women to serve the abused, the homeless, suicidal teens and various missions and ministry.
By August 4, 2010, Davis had walked 210 miles. He had days he walked 28 miles. He had
days the walk was all up hill. On a day when he was overcome with exhaustion and looking for a dry place to sleep, he saw
the trail was going straight up for 7 or 8 miles. At this point, Davis threw his poles in the air and cried out, "I cannot
do it! I have to rest!" Then out of nowhere, he saw a four wheeler in an area where he expected to see no one. As he
looked into the face of the driver, the man looked familiar. He inquired, "Buddy?" The man said, "Yes."
There in front of him was a pastor from Sagemont Church, his home church in Houston, Texas. Out in the middle of nowhere,
Davis was offered a place to rest. He was all choked up when he called to tell his wife how God had provided for him at a
time of his greatest need. His spirit was renewed to continue his journey. Instead of 40 days, Tracy may finish in 21 days.
The title of my most recent book is, 'Making Sense of Your Life in 21 Days'.
How providential that Tracy will finish in 21 days! Mr. Davis is returning to us a different man. He will forever remember
God's perfect timing and provision! He has made sense of life by letting God connect the dots of his life!
Webinar to Offer CEO Succession Strategies for Nonprofits
Experts to Discuss Successful Leadership Transition
WINCHESTER, Va., Aug. 2 /Christian Newswire/ -- An unprecedented number of nonprofits nationwide soon
will be seeking new leaders as a wave of baby boomer-aged CEOs move into retirement. ECFA will present a live, one-hour Internet
session Aug. 26 that features two renowned experts discussing how an organization can navigate that transition to ensure success.
Registration is open for the 1 p.m. EDT webinar, "Passing the Baton
of CEO Leadership: CEO Selection, Transitions and Development." This session will address:
• The elements of a Christ-centered board
• The board's
overseer role in selecting its CEO through the leading of the Holy Spirit
• Managing
the transition between CEOs within the culture of a Christ-centered organization
• The essential role of the board (over the entire tenure of
the CEO) in assisting the CEO to grow personally and professionally as a maturing model of Christian leadership
"It's vital that churches and faith-based nonprofits understand all the components
that go into a successful change of the CEO," said David L. McKenna, an expert in CEO succession strategy and one of
the webinar featured speakers. "We expect a lively, interactive discussion that will provide ministry and church leaders
and board members with the knowledge and resources they need to prosper when confronted with transition in their leadership
ranks." McKenna has helped
guide numerous Christian ministries through presidential searches, presidential assessments and board development. He also
has served as president of three Christian institutions of higher education, board chair of two Christian universities, founding
chair of the Christian College Consortium, and trustee or director of several Christian organizations.
ECFA president Dan Busby will join McKenna as a featured speaker. Busby's background
includes decades of experience as a board chair and working with evangelical churches and ministries in executive searches.
"The future success of an organization often hinges on how a CEO succession
strategy is handled," Busby said. "Taking time to prepare for such an important event will lay the groundwork for
a smooth transition. And those transitions will be occurring more frequently these days. It's not a matter of if leadership
change will occur, but when."
Registration for the webinar
is free for ECFA members and $29 for non-members. For more information, including bios of each speaker, and to register, visit
www.ECFA.org.
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# # No
More Taxpayer Funding for Abortion
WASHINGTON, July 30 /Christian Newswire/ -- On July 29th Congressman
Christopher H. Smith, who represents the 4th District of New Jersey, officially filed the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion
Act (the Act). According to Congressman Smith, the policies codified in the Act ensure that the "American taxpayer
is not involved in funding the destruction of innocent human life through abortion on demand."
If the
Act becomes law it will protect life because it 1) establishes a government-wide statutory prohibition of taxpayer-funded
abortion; 2) reduces the need for separate abortion funding policies; and 3) ensures that no federal program or federal agency
is exempt. The Act is drafted so that abortion funding polices will no longer be debated on an "as-needed"
basis. Instead the Act establishes as permanent the policies that prevent the destruction of innocent human life. Policies
that currently rely on re-approval by Congress, just to name a few, are the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits funding for elective
abortion coverage funded through the Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Act, and the Helms Amendment, which prohibits
funding for abortion as a method of family planning overseas.
Another important provision in the Act is the conscience
clause, which codifies the Hyde-Weldon conscience clause contained within the Hyde Amendment. The conscience clause
ensures that recipients of federal funding do not discriminate against healthcare providers because they do not provide, fund,
or refer for abortion. Healthcare providers protected by the conscience clause include doctors, nurses and hospitals.
"We congratulate Congressman Smith for authoring a commonsense measure that protects the unborn," states
Dana Cody, President and Executive Director of the Life Legal Defense Foundation. "Should this Act become law,
Congressman Smith and those who cosponsored the bill will have taken one step toward restoring respect for human life in America."
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