An LGBT activist teacher in Colorado and her trans-identifying male husband are housing a 17-year-old girl who identifies as a boy. Police say they are unable to intervene to bring the teen home to her mother. JoAnn Smotherman, a former math teacher at Durango High School, took the teen, one of her students, into her Durango home in December when the girl left home after a fight with her mother. JoAnn is married to Vivian Smotherman, a trans-identifying man who ran for Colorado State Senate as a Democrat last year. The teen’s mother, Cynthia Stein, has gone to the Smothermans’ home and attempted, unsuccessfully, to take back her daughter. She called in the police, but the officers who responded to the scene said they would not force the teen to go home, according to the police report and body cam footage of the incident obtained by The Daily Wire. The situation is the culmination of months of outside influences on the vulnerable teen, her mother told The Daily Wire. The 17-year-old girl has identified as a boy since the fall and now uses a unisex name. She has been diagnosed with autism, ADHD, an eating disorder, depression, and anxiety, according to medical records provided by her mother. At school, the teen was seeing a counselor, without her mother’s knowledge, who advised the girl to terminate parental notification and encouraged her to participate in LGBT support groups, her mother said. The turn to radical gender ideology came amid difficult times at home. Stein underwent treatment for an aggressive cancer in 2023, and believes that crisis deeply affected her daughter, who became “very withdrawn” from the family. “Smotherman stepped in and took advantage of my kid,” Stein told The Daily Wire. “She’s just inserted herself into my family, and I still can’t get her out.” “I just can’t stress to you enough how floored I am that this woman has gotten away with what she has, and that there is nothing that I can do to make it right or hold her accountable,” Stein said. On November 2, the teen ran away from home after her mother told her they were moving to Denver to be near family, and to put some distance between the teen and local influences. Law enforcement and Child Protective Services got involved, and the child ultimately went home to her mother. However, the girl left home again on December 21 after a fight with her mother. This time, she went straight to the Smothermans’ house, her mother later discovered, although she initially did not know where her daughter was and filed a runaway report with the police. On January 5, Stein went with two friends to the Smothermans’ house and tried to retrieve her daughter. Stein called the police, and two deputies with the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office responded and conducted a welfare check on her daughter. “Basically, as long as I know that everybody’s okay, that’s really the extent of law enforcement involvement, you know what I mean? I don’t know. I don’t know what else to say,” one deputy told both Smothermans on their porch when he arrived. “We get it. He’s just incredibly terrified right now because of everything that they’ve been through,” Vivian responded, using male pronouns for the girl. The officer went inside and asked the teen how she was, and she responded, “I’m good, how are you?” “Good, that’s all I need to basically hear,” the officer said, adding later, “You don’t appear to be in distress. I don’t want to put words in your mouth.” “No, not until my mom showed up,” the teen responded. “I was totally fine. I was having fun.” “I mean yes, by legal standard you’re technically a minor as a 17-year-old,” the officer said, telling her that “as long as you’re not being held against your will or kidnapped or anything awful like that, things get a little more complicated when we hit 17-years-old and have the ability to drive and go places and make decisions about who we hang out with.” “I appreciate your willingness to, I don’t know, I guess help me check boxes,” the officer said as he exited the house. Meanwhile, the other officer was speaking with Vivian outside about how the teen ended up at the Smothermans. The teen claimed her mother kicked her out, but her mother said that while they did have a fight, she never meant to kick her daughter out. “He got kicked out, and now they want him back?” the officer asked. “He has not been told by his parents to come back,” JoAnn Smotherman said. “Well it seems like they want him back now, no?” the officer said. The Smothermans also informed the officers that the teen was a couple of months away from turning 18. “Certainly not what I would consider a ‘child,'” the first officer said, using air quotes. Vivan Smotherman, the transgender-identifying Democrat activist, told the cops he “absolutely” does not want the teen’s mother coming onto his property. As the officers walked to their cars, the first officer told his partner, “probably going to have to speak with them,” referring to the teen’s mom and her friends. “Yeah they’re gonna have a meltdown,” the second officer said. “Exactly,” the first officer responded, laughing. Back at the bottom of the driveway, Stein told the deputies, “She is a minor. I don’t care if she’s a day away from 18. A minor is a minor, and she does not have my permission to be here.” The first officer told her that “minor and child are different” and that the situation was “on a civil level” and “does not rise to the level of law enforcement involvement.” “So I’m sorry, you’re telling me that you’re not going to —” Stein began. “Physically rip her out of that home? Yeah,” the officer responded. In the police report, the first officer wrote, “Being that [the teen] is roughly two months from turning 18, has filed for emancipation, has had recent involvement with CPS including investigations into the difficulties at Cynthia’s home, did not wish to return home, has stayed with Jo Ann when experiencing problems at home in the past and appeared to be of sound mind, in good health and spirits in what appeared to be a safe place, engaged in constructive activities and was not in distress, I did not force [the teen] to leave.” Before the police incident, Stein was also served legal documents to emancipate her daughter from her custody, a move she believes JoAnn Smotherman was behind. On February 23, Smotherman posted on Facebook asking for money to continue paying a lawyer for a “young transman.” “Hello Friends. I need your assistance again. Some months ago we raised the needed funds to provide a lawyer to a young transman,” Smotherman wrote. “The lawyer has successfully protected this young man from his abusers. However, our retainer ran out a couple weeks ago. Dispite [sic] the lack of funds, the lawyer continued working on the case, which is now coming to a successful close. We need to raise another $1000 to pay for services that have already been provided. Anything raised beyond what is owed to the lawyer will go to updating the young man’s gender marker and name so that he can be further protected from the coming challenges. If you are able to help, please message me for how to contribute.” The emancipation request was ultimately denied. A “small victory,” Stein said. JoAnn Smotherman did not respond to a request for comment. The lawyer who filed the emancipation petition likewise did not respond. Asked why law enforcement was unable to return the teen to her mother, Sergeant Chris Burke with the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office pointed to law enforcement’s policy on juvenile non-offenders, which states that juveniles may be taken into custody for their own safety if they are abused, neglected, under the influence of substances, or an illegal alien. JoAnn’s Facebook page is chock full of posts promoting LGBT activism. Her profile picture shows her at “Drag Bingo in Denver.” Other posts ask for volunteers for Pride and Transgender Day of Remembrance events. A cartoon she posted accuses parents of pushing their gay kids away and then accusing the LGBT crowd of “grooming” them. She also posted to “protect the pride flag” in public schools. Recently the Durango school district had a months long saga over the Black Lives Matter and “progress pride” flags, and the school board ultimately decided both are allowed in schools. Vivian Smotherman has been a public figure since last year when he ran for Colorado State Senate. He was promoted by local Democrats but ultimately lost to his Republican opponent. The situation has caused Stein and her family a world of “chaos and hurt,” she said. Her daughter has not contacted her since she left the house, although the teen did come by to get some of her stuff in January. The teen’s mother said she had been giving her daughter Hallmark cards telling her she loves her through friends of hers who are employees at the local grocery store, where the teen worked. However, Stein said she recently heard her daughter quit that job. The teen’s lawyer has demanded Stein stop contacting her daughter and turn over the account numbers for the college fund and inheritance set up by Stein’s parents, the teen’s grandparents, she said. “Because I love my child, I have honored that request,” Stein said. The teen turns 18 on Tuesday, and is still living with the Smothermans. “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that I’m heartbroken not to be able to share this milestone with her,” her mother said. “She and I actually share the same birthday so it’s a double whammy for me. I’m devastated at the idea that she thinks I hate her and never want her in my life again.”

As a women’s ministry director, I’ve heard lots of opinions on how to promote, facilitate, and maintain ministry to women in the church. Someone is always looking for more or less than what a given ministry offers. Maybe women want to see more (or less) social gatherings, Bible studies, mentorship opportunities, and resources. We should consider feedback from women in our churches as we make ministry plans. But not all expectations need to become a reality. In my years serving in women’s ministry, I’ve come to see that the culture of a ministry is more important than the calendar of events. As Charles Spurgeon explained, “If humble walking with God be neglected, the church cannot long remain a healthy church of God.” Underneath all the programs, events, and resources, we need to cultivate a culture of humbly pursuing godliness through ordinary faithfulness. What Is Ordinary? In the early church’s example, we see the value of ordinary means for pursuing Christian fellowship and spiritual growth. The book of Acts shows the saints gathering in homes, sharing meals, praying, and hearing the Word preached. In his letters, Paul instructs believers to be diligent in the “one anothers”—like admonishing, encouraging, bearing, helping, and loving. These actions are to characterize relationships between believers. Underneath all the programs, events, and resources, we need to cultivate a culture of humbly pursuing godliness. Larger, organized gatherings and events undoubtedly produce fruit, and they can aid women in fellowship and growth. But it’s not the formal program that answers a midnight call for prayer. It’s a fellow sister. It’s not the quarterly women’s dinner or yearly retreat that keeps us saturated in Scripture, regularly confessing our sin, and looking to the Savior in our darkest hour. It’s the weekly preaching of the Word and our daily devotions. Women’s ministry should point women to ordinary means of growth and fellowship, not replace them. We want our women to look forward to formal events and programs but not solely depend on them for fellowship. We want our women to enjoy coming to Bible study but not leave their Bibles closed otherwise. We want our women to feel welcomed by leadership but not overlook the wise counsel sitting beside them in the pew. We want our women to understand that growing in Christ, exercising spiritual discernment, and interceding for one another should be happening in believers’ everyday lives. So our ministries shouldn’t unintentionally communicate that our programs, courses, dinners, and formal groups are the primary means of growing in grace. Let Programs Promote Ordinary Faithfulness This is good news for leaders. The spiritual health of our women doesn’t rest in our plans and programs. No matter what gatherings and initiatives we run, we cannot program godliness. But that doesn’t mean we give up on programs altogether. Instead, in everything we do, we strive to create a culture that values faithfulness and fellowship. For example, it’s often easier for women to show up to a planned social event at church than to personally organize a lunch with a few women. But it’s not an either-or situation. If you’re intentional about the structure and message of events, they can be a springboard for deeper relationships. In every formal class, dinner, and book club, find ways to point women back to spiritual fellowship in daily life—gathering in a home for coffee and conversation, sharing burdens and praying for one another, or memorizing Scripture together. We want our women to enjoy coming to Bible study but not leave their Bibles closed otherwise. To cultivate a culture that values these pursuits, be aware of how many programs and events your ministry offers. As my church has grown, we’ve been intentionally slow to implement new programs, and we’ve found that less is more. We want to offer helpful opportunities for equipping and fellowship. But the more space our programs and events take on someone’s calendar, the less capacity she has for pursuing the Lord and others in her daily life. Seek a healthy balance. My fellow sister in leadership, be encouraged. True spiritual growth happens through the simple, Spirit-led activities of the church body, not solely through our ministry events and programs. While it’s good for us to listen to the interests and expectations of our women, we don’t need to go to extraordinary means to implement every request. We often help our women the most when we encourage them toward ordinary faithfulness.

In church, we’re constantly encouraged to pray more. For young preachers especially, no matter the sermon text, the same applications constantly reappear: Go to church more, read your Bible more, and pray more. It’s not that those applications are wrong, especially the one to pray more. After all, Paul instructed the Thessalonians to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). Every Christian knows we should pray more. Yet what we most need when it comes to prayer isn’t a greater sense of guilt. If a book is going to help us pray, it needs to invite and inspire rather than simply inform. In Pour Out Your Heart: Discovering Joy, Strength, and Intimacy with God Through Prayer, Jeremy Linneman, the lead pastor of Trinity Community Church, inspires readers to move beyond intellectual acknowledgment of the need to pray and into a vibrant, God-dependent practice of prayer. He begins by establishing our identity as children of the Father and then moves into practical instructions. Prayer Fueled by the Gospel The good news of Jesus Christ is that because of his substitutionary atonement, we’ve been adopted as God’s children. Our new relationship to God the Father changes everything about prayer. We’re radically secure in the Father’s love, so prayer is first and foremost about experiencing and resting in the reality of God being our Father who dearly loves us. As Linneman writes, “The greatest challenge in the Christian life is getting the love of the Father into our hearts” (19). Receiving God’s love transforms everything about our lives, and prayer helps move God’s love for us from an intellectual to an experienced truth. Prayer helps move God’s love for us from an intellectual to an experienced truth. Our understanding that God is our Father allows us to be honest about our dependence on him. Asking God for things can feel selfish and spiritually immature sometimes. But this doesn’t line up with the predominant examples of prayer in the Bible. Linneman writes, “The main form of prayer in the Scriptures, far and away, is petition—asking for what we need” (42). The Bible is filled with petition because God is our Father. Children recognize their dependence on their parents; they know their parents want to meet their needs, so without hesitation, they ask for their parents to do so. We have the same privilege in prayer. We shouldn’t feel guilty when we petition God; we should rejoice that we’re more deeply recognizing that we’re his dependent children. Prayer Takes Practice Theological truth isn’t enough to ensure a vibrant prayer life. Neither is simply observing people who pray. Jesus’s disciples watched him pray, and yet they had to ask to be taught how to do it themselves (Luke 11:1). Notably, Jesus didn’t respond by giving a theology lecture. He gave them a model prayer to emulate. In Pour Out Your Heart, Linneman offers several ways to practice prayer. These help get us into a place where we can better enjoy God’s grace and deepen our relationship with our Father. One of the most challenging forms of prayer Linneman highlights is lament. When we offer lament, we treat God as our Father and celebrate our confidence in his love. As Linneman points out, a child who’s insecure in her father’s love or afraid of his anger doesn’t bring her frustrations and hurts to him. Instead, she stuffs her feelings away to avoid upsetting her provider. In contrast, a child secure in his father’s love will bring all his frustration to his father because he knows he won’t be turned away. His dad loves him, wants to hear from him, and wants to do something about his needs. Lament is “not complaining about God but to God” (129). That makes all the difference. Voicing our frustration and heartache to God in prayer allows us to treat God as our Father and experience his comfort, love, and presence. Linneman also highlights the practice of thanksgiving. He argues that thanksgiving enlivens the rest of our prayers. It’s easy to forget that the Bible is filled with feasts and celebrations. God is a happy God who wants to make us happy in his grace. Everything in our lives is an undeserved gift of God, and giving thanks to him helps us live in recognition of his grace. Thanksgiving enables us to experience God’s joy that he invites us into through the gospel. Prayer Is Pouring Out Your Heart Above all, using a metaphor for prayer from the psalmists and prophets, Linneman argues that prayer is pouring out our hearts to God like water. Through Jesus’s work, we have 24/7 access to the Father. Because God is our Father, our prayers don’t need to be polished or professional. We can unload our hearts to God, knowing he hears and understands all we need. Everything in our lives is an undeserved gift of God, and giving thanks to God helps us live in recognition of his grace. As the pace of life increases, Linneman’s book offers a doctrinally sound, practically oriented approach to prayer. It joins volumes like Tim Keller’s Prayer and John Starke’s The Possibility of Prayer as rich resources. And it encourages the sort of prayer that draws us close to God our Father. As Linneman concludes, we need not live as orphans with no one to hear our prayers. Rather, he writes, “The Father’s love is the spring of living water—which cannot be stopped up or covered—from which all else flows. It’s the whole point of prayer” (202). Pour Out Your Heart is a powerful invitation to know and enjoy God’s love through prayer.

I had high hopes last year walking my family through one of my favorite places, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. In no way would I qualify as an art expert. But I enjoy the challenge of learning. I love being stretched to grow in front of world-class experts in beauty. Unfortunately, I think I set my hopes too high for three kids under 10, and the visit ended in my visible frustration as we headed to Times Square and Hershey’s Chocolate World, which was a huge hit. Maybe one day I’ll get to visit The Met with Russ Ramsey. He’s the author of the new book Van Gogh Has a Broken Heart: What Art Teaches Us About the Wonder and Struggle of Being Alive, published by Zondervan Reflective. I never get tired of him telling the stories behind great art and artists. In this book, he writes, “Art shows us back to ourselves, and the best art doesn’t flinch or look away. Rather, it acknowledges the complexity of struggles like poverty, weariness, and grief while defiantly holding forth beauty—reminding us that beauty is both scarce and everywhere we look.” He goes on to say, “The truth is that we were made to exist in the presence of glory.” Hear more from Russ on this episode of Gospelbound about the wonder and struggle of being alive.

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The vast majority of artworks can be found in galleries and museums. Those casting a slightly wider net can take tours of artful graffiti on the sides of city buildings and explore pretty sculpture gardens. But for those seeking something a little more unusual, there are also art pieces that can be found in rather […] The post 10 Incredible Works of Art in Unexpected Places appeared first on Listverse.

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