The valedictorian, Bailey, is the daughter of Mike and Cheryl Aronson. Bailey excelled in the classroom where she took Advanced Placement and Honors courses and had a four year GPA of 4.68, as well as participated in numerous extracurricular activities. She was a member of the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, and the volleyball team.

In the fall, Bailey will attend University of Mississippi to major in forensic chemistry.

The salutatorian, Michelle, is the daughter of Toy Garland and Cindy Fogal. Michelle also took Advanced Placement and Honors courses and had a four year GPA of 4.61. In competitive sports she was on the softball and volleyball teams. She was a member of the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta.

Michelle will attend Texas A & M to study petroleum geology.

Photos of Bailey (left) and Michelle (right) are shown with Faith West Academy Principal Mary Strickland, who announced the valedictorian and salutatorian at an awards assembly at the school on May 28.

Both Bailey and Michelle exemplify the character and achieved the academic requirements that define them as outstanding 2013 graduating seniors of Faith West Academy. Commencement ceremonies for forty-four graduating seniors will be held 3:00PM, June 8th at Parkway Fellowship, 1093 Farm to Market 359, Richmond, TX.

The post Faith West Academy’s Valedictorian and Salutatorian Announced appeared first on Katy Christian Magazine.

According to the Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit public awareness advocacy organization, 15.1 million U.S. children are left unsupervised after 3 p.m. during the school year. Studies show participation in afterschool programs helps boost school attendance and academic performance and reduces gaps in academic achievement among children from disadvantaged households.

“As a company founded on the Golden Rule, jcpenney has a strong legacy of giving back,” said Miki Woodard, president of jcp cares and vice president of philanthropy at jcpenney. “We are firmly committed to organizations like the Y, which truly make a difference in their communities.”

The YMCA sees the benefits of this collaboration first-hand. “The support of jcpenney enhances our efforts to serve as many children as possible with meaningful, high-quality afterschool programming,” says Brian Haines, Katy YMCA District Executive. Eric Schenkelberg, Fort Bend YMCA District Executive, stated, “By working together we can not only keep children safer, but also help provide them with lasting benefits, including healthier lifestyles, improved social skills and an enhanced academic performance.”

Collectively, the YMCAs of Greater Houston serve over 10,000 children per day in child care at more than 200 locations with 40% receiving financial assistance to participate. Locally, the Katy and Fort Bend YMCAs operate over 22 licensed afterschool programs in the Katy and Stafford school districts. For more information about the YMCA’s afterschool program, visit them on the web at (www.ymcahouston.org). To learn more about jcp cares, jcpenney’s charitable giving program, go to (www.jcp.com).

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According to history.com, Richard Nixon, in the middle of a hard-fought presidential re-election campaign, signed a proclamation making Father’s Day a federal holiday in 1972. Today, economists estimate that Americans spend more than $1 billion each year on Father’s Day gifts! Of course, fathers are worth every penny. But more than gifts, they love their families gathered around, especially during an afternoon spent laughing out loud.

Who says Christians don’t have a sense of humor? Whether it’s June 16th (Father’s Day 2013) or any day of the year, treat Dad to some side-splitting laughter! Check out this slate of Christian comedians who will entertain Dad and the whole family.

The Top Five

Christian comedians manage to keep the message clean and still crack us up. The five following comedians are notably hilarious: Tim Hawkins, Bob Smiley, Chondra Pierce, Ken Davis and Anita Renfroe. A simple click on their websites or a quick search for their You Tube videos will have the whole family giggling.

Tim Hawkins (timhawkins.net)

Tim brings the funny to fans at 100+ concerts in 30+ states a year. His work includes:

Things You Don’t Say To Your Wife
Did You Laugh At Things You Don’t Say To Your Wife?
Aging Rockers – Tim Hawkins
Tim Hawkins: INSANITIZED
A Homeschool Family
Tim Hawkins On Moms
Tim Hawkins on Parenting

Bob Smiley (bobsmiley.com)

With a sense of humor similar to Tim Hawkins, Bob’s side-splitting comedy is a must-see. Some of his hits include:

Rock Show Comedy Tour
Bob Smiley: Uncaged
I’ve Got a Funny Feeling About This CD
Bob Smiley – For Newlyweds Only

Chondra Pierce (chondra.org)

With one clip entitled “Psychiatric Hospital,” you can imagine how funny Chondra is. Some of her most popular acts are:

Did I Say That Out Loud?

The Chondra Showbox
I’m Kind Of A Big Deal
Thou Shalt Laugh
This Ain’t Prettyville
Stayin’ Alive

Ken Davis (kendavis.com)

Honest, hysterically funny and subtle are all adjectives describing Ken. Check out his work:

Super Sheep
A Twisted Mind
A Wimpy Prophet
It’s Enough to Make a Grown Man Cry
Second Chances
Is It Just Me?

Anita Renfroe (anitarenfroe.com)

“It’s been a wild decade going from stay-at-home mom to You Tube comedic phenomenon,” says Anita. But she doesn’t mind. Take a look at her DVD’s:

I’m Not High Maintenance, Just Low Tolerance
Big Ol’ Sweet Iced Tea
Two Thumbs Up! The Best Of Anita Renfroe
…It’s Probably Just My Thyroid
Total Momsense
Purse-Onality
Thinking Out Loud

Family Fun

In additional to prayer, perhaps a family that laughs together, stays together. Humor always helps ease the stress of everyday life. We hope you enjoy this ode to Christian comedy and have a few chuckles. Most of all, we wish every Dad the happiest of Father’s Days!

The post Father’s Day Funnies appeared first on Katy Christian Magazine.

“It truly was a group effort in getting his appointment. It may not have happened if Sandye Reed (History Department Head at FWA) didn’t make it possible for him to go to Boy’s State which is an accomplishment that carries a lot of weight,” said Stan’s mother Michelle Stanulonis. She elaborated that many played a role in Stan’s appointment; “Mrs. Reed, Coach Stephon Leary, Flenoyd Turner, Charles Crawford and Diane Williams, wrote letters for Stan to Congressman Michael T. McCaul, 10th District, who later gave him a nomination. Christina Martin, Denise Best, and Jeanna Bickerstaff wrote teacher’s appraisals. Mark Lamendola also sent a letter of recommendation. And Kim Derry was extremely helpful as Stan’s counselor and as such the point-person for the (Faith West) Academy.”

“Stan is one of our most outstanding students,” says FWA Principal Mary Strickland. “He has an unwavering commitment to excellence as he has demonstrated in the classroom on the sports field, and in his other extracurricular activities.”

Stanulonis is an accomplished trumpet player taking State Superior Ratings for the last two years. Also, Stanulonis’ interests include basketball and cross country. He was the president of the 2012-2013 FWA Chapter of the National Honor Society.
Stan is the son of Stanley and Michelle Stanulonis of Katy.

The U. S. Military Academy at West Point is a four-year co-educational federal undergraduate liberal arts college located 50 miles north of New York City. It was founded in 1802 as America’s first college of engineering and is world-renown for leader development. Its mission remains constant—to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, and Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the nation as an officer in the U. S. Army. For more information, go to www.usma.edu.

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Boy, the more things change, the more things stay the same. The sign is gone, but more churches have sprung up in our faith-based community—many more than could ever appear on one sign—proving that Katy, indeed, is a city of many, many churches, faiths and denominations.

Katy is a bit of an anomaly, blending old and new. Most readers know that the actual City of Katy is quite small, often referred to as Old Town Katy, Old Katy, the Heart of Katy, or Katy Proper. The surrounding area is just that… the “Katy Area”—a large and sprawling suburb buzzing with commerce and vast amounts of subdivisions. Both areas are filled with churches, complete with any kind of denomination a worshipper seeks: Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Church of Christ, Episcopalian, non-denominational and more. Perhaps this is why Katy is also known as “The Town with a Heart.”

Small town values are deeply woven into the fabric of Katy, extending back to the late 1800s when the area was a prairie. But those early settlers brought with them their beliefs. They planted the seeds of community that exist today in our tri-county area, connecting Waller, Harris and Fort Bend Counties. All brim with places of worship, some quite old and some brand new. Some residents gather in established brick and mortar churches, while others meet in commercial buildings or at junior high or high school campuses.

Some churches began in people’s houses. In fact, both the Baptist and Methodist congregations organized in 1898 and met in homes until 1904, the year the Methodist church was built, followed by the First Baptist Church of Katy. Another historic church, Trinity Apostolic Faith, met in homes in 1905, then purchased the old one-room schoolhouse in 1909. They now worship at the corner of Avenue D and Tenth Street in Old Town Katy.

In an increasingly secular nation, it’s nice to be nestled in Katy, a place that values Christian beliefs and makes worship a priority. On any given Sunday, hymns and prayers abound and are surely pleasing to God’s ear. We are blessed, us Katyites, with an economy that has fared better than most… perhaps because Katy truly is a remarkable city of churches.

The post Katy, The City of Churches appeared first on Katy Christian Magazine.

Dear Patient:
I know summer time is busy with vacations, baseballs, cook outs, and camps! However, before you hit the road with your summer plans bring your children in early to the doctors for their back to school physicals and vaccinations. Children entering pre-K or kindergarten will need a wellchild checkup and four (4) shots: DTaP, Polio, Measles, and Chickenpox. Eleven to twelve year olds entering 7th grade require a tetanus booster called Tdap and a meningitis vaccine. The nurse will also check the status of any other needed booster shots that your child may be missing. Students up to age 30 entering college in Texas, will also require a meningitis vaccine.

A school or sports physical ensures that your child is healthy to play sports. These check ups are even more important if your child does not play a sport, as physical inactivity leads to obesity and childhood diabetes, both on the rise in Texas. There is no co-pay for wellness check-ups, so take advantage of this doctor’s visit to ensure your child stays well for a lifetime!

For information please contact Dr. Jennifer Gwozdz and Family Clinic, at 281-395-3044 or visit our website familyclinichouston.com.

The post Dear Doctor: From Crayons to College appeared first on Katy Christian Magazine.

Golden has played organized softball since she was five years old and started playing tournament ball at age ten. She is a mid-infielder, but has pitched and caught when the Eagles needed a utility player. Golden finished the regular season with a team-high batting average of .620. She recorded a team-high 26 hits, including eleven doubles and five triples on the year. She notched 23 runs scored and 27 RBIs. Golden has taken many honors in sports to include; All-District (2011-2013), ACADEMIC ALL-STATE, 2nd team ALL-STATE for 3-A TAPPS competition, and team captain in 2013. In the summer months she played for Katy Cruisers Gold, a select team in Katy, coached by Devon Melby and managed by Dale Melby.

Ouachita Baptist University (OBU) is a private, liberal arts, undergraduate institution located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, with more than 1,500 students. Under the leadership of Coach Mike and Beth McGhee, the Lady Tigers ended their regular season with an18-32record.

Golden is a mentor for the Peer Assistant and Leadership organization, a member of Mu Alpha Theta, and has been class president for all four years of high school. She plans to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree at Ouachita, and then return to Houston to continue her education to become a pediatric nurse.

She is the daughter of Paul and Tracie Golden of Hempstead.

The post Faith West Senior Signs National Letter-of-Intent with Lady Tigers appeared first on Katy Christian Magazine.

Register online at www.newcreationfulshear.org for this seaside adventure Friday, July 19- Sunday, July 21. Or, you may pick up a registration form at worship on Sundays at 10:00 am at the Community Center at 6920 Katy Fulshear Road, Fulshear, TX 77441. Cost is only $15 per child for all three days.

This special event is planned especially for families with children ages 4-12. Children ages 3 and under are FREE and welcome to participate with parents. Teens and adults who participate with a child and volunteer to help, may attend FREE as well.

Each teen and adult will have a role to play during our Holyland Adventure. Choices include: family (tribe) leader, child guide, drama crew, game leader, marketplace craft maker, carpenter, fisherman net maker, shopkeeper, set up/take down crew, hospitality/snacks provider, sign maker, decorator/materials collector, props collector/materials manager, singer/dancer.

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, we will gather as families in the tribes of Israel…Meet new friends…Enjoy music…Experience what life was like when Jesus was on earth… Become a jr. apprentice to a fisherman, carpenter or craftsmen in order to build, weave or create other marketplace crafts…Learn how Jesus chooses us (Matthew 4), how Jesus teaches us (Matthew 5-7) and how Jesus heals us & protects us (Matthew 8).

If you have a need for a scholarship for your child or children to attend, please know that we want you to come. We cannot guarantee scholarships, but promise to pray with you that God will provide in some way.

VBS Dates, Times, and Location

Friday July 19 from 6:00-8:30 p.m., Saturday, July 20 from 9:20-11:50 a.m., and Sunday, July 21 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

New Creation Lutheran Church’s worship site is at the Irene Stern Community Center located at 6920 Katy Fulshear Road in Fulshear, Texas. For more information, visit www.newcreationfulshear.org or contact Pastor Dale Olson at 832-492-5136 or newcreationfulshear@gmail.com.

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Looking for adventure and a challenge that could test every fiber of physical strength and moral standing sounds like a Tom Clancy novel. It is in fact, the real-life story of Connor Lyttle, a senior at Texas Christian High School. Inspired by his favorite Bible verse, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” (Philippians 4:13); Connor loves a challenge that will stretch him and help him grow.

Connor’s family chose Texas Christian because it was a good match academically to equip Connor to pursue whatever avenue he might choose, whether it be college or vocational studies. Connor’s favorite subject was Creation Science taught by retired United States Marine MSgt James Rankin. Through this very informative and challenging class, Connor said he learned “More about God, His creation and the real facts of life; coming into existence through Divine wisdom, intelligent design, and supernatural creation.”

Connor’s athletic abilities and leadership skills allowed him to excel on Texas Christian’s football, basketball, and baseball teams; making the playoffs in two of the three team sports. True to his character, Connor is preparing to take on his next life’s challenge by joining the ranks of the United States Marine Corps. He is currently involved in a rigorous physical training program to make his transition into the demanding Marine Corps world as smooth as possible.

Connor will be greatly missed at Texas Christian, but will be constantly in the thoughts and prayers of the families, staff, and students as he enters the realm of “The Few, The Proud, The Marines.”

David Steele
Classification: Senior
Faith West Academy

In fiction, the mission of Superman is to help everyone and make the world a better place to live regardless of personal sacrifice. In reality that is the mission of our men and women in the military, firemen, and police officers. David Steele has taken that as his mission. He has completed six credit hours of Emergency Medical Technician training and 15-18 hours of training per week for 16 weeks at the Firefighter Academy (the youngest in his class). On July 16 Steele will report to the United States Air Force for basic training. After military basic training he will receive intense training for the USAF PARARESCUE Team. After seventeen months of PARARESCUE ‘Pipeline’ Training (that will take him to San Antonio, Florida, Washington, New Mexico, and Georgia) Steele will be ready to provide emergency medical treatment necessary to stabilize and evacuate injured personnel while acting in an enemy evading recovery role.

Before graduating from high school, David has already responded to numerous emergency situations; vehicle rescue with the ‘Jaws of Life’, cardiac arrest calls, warehouse explosion, suicide calls, fire alarms, trauma patients, and false alarms.

Minimum requirements to be accepted into the PARARESCUE Pipeline are swim 25 meters underwater on one breath, swim 1,000 meters sidestroke or freestyle in 26 minutes or under, run 1.5 miles in under 10 minutes and 30 seconds, pull off eight chin-ups in a minute or less, do 50 sit-ups in 2 minutes or less, pound out 50 push-ups in 2 minutes or less, complete 50 flutter kicks in 2 minutes or less.

The post Local Christian Student Highlights appeared first on Katy Christian Magazine.

What a great analogy for the need of all people to be connected to a stable God that is much, much larger than we are! Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, “Upon this rock I’ll build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it!”

Another great verse dealing with building a solid life is found in Matthew chapter 7: 24. “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes”
“Obedience is Gods method of protection and blessing for our lives.”
It’s His desire that we follow his Word in detail so that we can win in life and be a great example to the lost world of what this Solid Life looks like. Now before you jump to conclusions of what the term winning means, let me clarify. Winning in life doesn’t mean that you are never persecuted, never make a mistake, never have a challenge, etc. What it means is that just like with the three Hebrew boys Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego, who were thrown into the fire, with God on your side, you win. Sometimes wining is responding with class to a hard challenge in front of those you are witnessing to.

“Personality is who we are when the lights are on. Character is who we are when the light is off.”

Men seem to have a more difficult time with attaching ourselves to Big Rocks, than women do. We are more loners. This is why it’s so important to have a man in your life you trust. A man that you can know is not in competition with you. A man that will teach you and even correct you if you need it.

Our wives and children depend on us getting it right, building our homes on solid ground. They depend on our character being impeccable. We are their example to follow. We are their rock to cling to. So who are you clinging to today? Who do you use to bounce off ideas? Whos got your blind spot? Elijah had Elisha, Timothy had Paul, Joshua Had Moses. Who are you attaching your oyster to today?

This is an area we specialize in at Powerhouse. Check out our twitter and website today. Come be apart of MANCHURCH this Saturday at 8 am.

Every Oyster should be producing a Pearl!

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