ONLY AT: WWW.ABLESSEDHOME.COM
EDITORS CORNER As we turn our attention toward the months of April, May, and June, there are so many exciting events coming up. We look forward to celebrating Mothers, Brides and Grooms, and so much more. I am excited for you to read all the wonderful articles from our talented group of writers. I have also shared a personal testimony of how the healing power of God touched my own life, right in my own home. We have also just released a new giveaway in honor of Mother’s Day and we will be giving away a $50.00 Gift Card to Red Lobster to treat your Mother to dinner. Just go to page 13 for information on how to enter. To my Mom, I want to say, I love you very much and thank you for being my Mom..and my Dad! HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! I want to encourage each of you to go before the Lord each and every day, to fellowship with Him and let Him know how grateful you are for all the blessings He has bestowed upon you. I want to be the “ONE” to come back and say, “Thank You”. “Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” Luke 17:11-17
Visit our main site at: www.ablessedhome.com The Blog: www.ablessedhomeblog.com Contact me at: ablessedhome@mail.com
WHAT’S INSIDE April-May-June 2013 MODEST SWIMWEAR
When a Man of God Loves a Woman
The Bride of Christ by: Sharon Bolan-Yerby
“What About MY Heart?” by: Angela Cummings
Bridal Fashion Flair
MEET OUR WINNING COVER GIRL
A Blessed Home Magazine is published quarterly by: A Blessed Home P.O. Box 180096 Arlington, Texas 76018.
CONTRIBUTORS
Sharon Bolan Yerby
Sharon has dedicated her life to preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. With a heart for the lost and compassion for the sick, her message challenges the saint and convicts the sinner. Centered around the cross, her preaching emphasizes the crucified life, intimacy with God, and the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit. Sharon's evangelistic and prophetic calling has impacted multitudes around the world. With over 14 years in ministry, she continues to herald the uncompromising Gospel of the Kingdom with genuine passionate pursuit through "The Gathering" crusades, radio and television. Sharon has authored 3 books, "The Beauty of the Cross", "In Search of the Perfect Man" and "In His Presence" Daily Devotional Journal. She is currently completing her fourth book entitled, "Carriers of the Ark". She has been a guest on TBN, Daystar, CBN's 700 Club, Good Morning New Orleans and many other television and radio stations. In addition, she has hosted her own radio broadcast, "The Change", since 1998 on KWRD 100.7 FM in Dallas and WBSN Lifesongs in New Orleans. Her broadcast currently airs on KDKR 91.3 FM in the DFW Metroplex every Saturday morning at 10 a.m.
Adopted at 3 weeks old her new parents called her "Merry Angela Cummings" which fits perfectly. She is now 42, a full time evangelist and the founder/president of "Highways and Hedges Ministries, Inc." The name means "happy heavenly messenger." God delivered her from a life filled with sex, bars, drugs, porn, gambling, hatred, suicide and hard rock th music. God called her to preach on February 27 , 1999 at the Brownsville revival. Angela's biggest conviction is to make sure people understand the Truth of the Bible. Jesus told His disciples to preach, "Repent and Believe the Gospel." With the help of the Holy Spirit she has preached eleven and a half years in the open air. Places she has labored are parades, conventions, college campuses, high schools, churches, street corners, events, concerts, cults, homosexual churches, three nations in Europe and has reached many “A List� celebrities with the gospel one on one. Her hearts cry is like John the Baptist "Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world!!!" To connect with Angela, you can visit her website at:
Angela Cummings
http://preacherwoman.org
CONTRIBUTORS
Debra earned a BS in Human Movement and a ME.d in Sports Psychology at Temple University. Today, she is a Trainer, Mentor, Wellness Couch, Health Expert and Motivational Speaker and is the owner of ShapelyGirl Fitness, a women’s fitness club in Philadelphia. She also sits on the Board of Advisors for Women’s Education at Drexel University’s College of Medicine. Her book “Eating My Secrets” is due out spring 2013. Her message speaks out to real women: Fitness Comes in Many Sizes. Get off the couch, start moving and feel better, today.
http://debramazda.com/
I am a mother to four precious children, ages 6, 5, 3, and 9 months, and wife to a loving and godly man of 8 yrs. I am a native Texan, love this great state, but I could stand for colder weather at times. I always thought my calling was in the mission field – i.e. foreign mission fields. However, the Lord has seen fit, and I quite agree with Him, that my mission be here within my own home, and community. So, a lot of what I write about will be through the eyes of my children, for they see the world a bit differently than us grown-ups do. It’s amazing all the wonderful things we can learn if only we looked through the eyes of a child. I don’t see myself as having arrived at this parent thing, only an Olympian in training. I know several moms who have come through as full Olympians at motherhood – I strive to be one of them. I pray that whatever the Lord lays on my heart to write about will minister to all moms, the moms who remain faithful to their calling, however unglamorous it may be at times, and to say you are not alone, we all have struggles, joys, triumphs, you are loved, and that the Lord will use us in spite of our imperfections, if we rely upon Him. I love the Lord with all my heart and desire to follow Him. I want to know His heart in all things and show others the truth of His love and character.
Debra Mazda
Courtney Schniebs
CONTRIBUTORS
Rebecca is a Christian author who is fully dedicated to the Lord and sharing his message through her writings. With a lifelong love of books and reading, Rebecca has found her calling as an author. With words flowing onto paper through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, she has written for her blog entitled, Advice to Caregivers. She has also written for Guidepost, is in the process of releasing a children’s picture book, and currently writing a Christian Romance Novel. You will enjoy her book reviews as she takes you through a detailed journey of each book with thoughts and recommendation of how the stories and messages in them can encourage and relate to certain issues or struggles we all face from day to day. Rebecca would love to talk or pray with you. You can reach her at: rebeccasemail@peoplepc.com
Rebecca Wilhite
Stephanie is a born-again, spirit filled Christian that gave her heart to the Lord while praying with Pat Robertson from the 700 Club when she was only 3 years old. She is wife to Greg and founder of A Blessed Home. She has always loved sewing, cooking, gardening, and strives to combine those things with Biblical principles. Just to let people know that God wants to be a part of our everyday lives.
E-mail Stephanie at: ablessedhome@mail.com
Stephanie Stith
MODEST SWIMWEAR
Down through the years the swimsuit has gone from almost a dress to even less than your typical ladies undergarments. Be assured that no matter what you see in the stores or what happens to be the latest fashion trend, you can still find modest swimwear. Women who follow after Christ can still go to the lake, the pool, or even a water park with their families and wear a modest swimsuit. Of course we want to be stylish and not feel self-conscious; you can look nice and feel good about yourself in a modest swimsuit. When looking for a modest swimsuit, the main parts of the suit to focus on are:
*The Neckline * The Leg Opening * Opening Under the Arms To solve the modesty issue on the bottom of a suit, consider getting one with a skirted bottom. You can get a suit with the skirt made into it or you can also purchase a skirt to wear over a regular one piece. You can find skirts that are: Straight or Ruffled. Go for beautiful prints and bright colors to add a splash of fashion to your suit.
All swimsuits can be found at: http://www.divinitasole.com/
Mothers The most empowered women of our day By: Courtney Schniebs I get to write about a holiday that’s so very close my heart –Mother’s Day! You see, when God formed me He planned out my life, but not in the traditional sense. My mother wasn’t the one who carried me in her woman, yet she was the special chosen one who was given the awesome privilege of being my mom. Love is quite an amazing blind emotion – it causes us to love the unlovable, to see through eyes that aren’t our own, and to love with such intensity that surpasses anything, even blood. So, my mother is just that – my mother in every sense of the word. She is the one who has stuck by me, admonishing me to go beyond what I ever thought I could do – such as driving a car – yes that was a HUGE ordeal for me – urging me onward in my relationship with Christ. Now I’m not going to say it was all roses and candies growing up and I’m positive she would agree, but looking back and now raising my own children – my respect for her, and for all mothers who love and raise their children, blood or not, has grown tenfold. I know I said it once before but mothers who have raised their children to adulthood deserve an Olympic gold medal, and a And candy! You take a box to standing ovation. Although motherhood is very rewarding Mother—and then eat most of it with the laughter, kisses, and hugs given to us from our children – there is also another side to momma hood, and to put yourself… it frankly - it is hard. Moms are at the home front of their children’s lives and at times it’s just not a bed of roses. Mothers are the ones in the battle every day, dealing with attitudes, admonishing your children to reach goals, who get up at the crack of dawn to nurse a colicky baby, soothe a crying child because she had a bad dream, wake up only to be spewed upon by our son who has a stomach bug. They make sure their children eat their veggies, do their homework, brush their teeth, and are respectful and kind. Mothers are also the ones who light up the night with midnight prayers and tears, crying out to God to watch over our precious little ones, to put His seal upon their hearts so that they will follow Christ with all their hearts, to keep them pure and sincere and protected. It’s the daily ins and outs of life that go unnoticed but once their children are in society, speak volumes. Moms are compassionate enough to cry when no one is looking; tender enough to pick up a crying child, patient enough to stay with a sick baby until he is well, but whose arms are strong enough to fight for their children – much like a mother bear defends her cubs. A true momma can bear both the tears of their babies and know when to fight for them. They are stronger than what they appear. They are the life source to their children and family and are the examples their children will live by.
So God really knew what He was doing when He made mothers – strong, tender, fighters, defenders, teachers, leaders, and as we grow older they become wiser and a treasured confidant.. The word ‘mother’ encompasses so much – so if you ever think that that saying, “O I’m just a mom” – think again – because that statement is quite powerful. It’s interesting that when I looked into the history of Mother’s Day – which was founded by Anna Jarvis who wanted to give a memorial for her mother who founded Mothers' Day Work Clubs in five cities to improve sanitary and health conditions. The Mothers' Day Work Clubs also treated wounds, fed, and clothed both Union and Confederate soldiers with neutrality. but then she and her sister were disgusted by how commercial it had become. In her words: “A printed card means nothing except that you are too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone in the world. And candy! You take a box to Mother—and then eat most of it yourself. A pretty sentiment.” Apparently just giving chocolates and cards wasn’t what Mother’s Day was supposed to be. Big companies really made money off what was supposed to be a personal memorial to their mothers. It makes me think, how can I make my own mother feel special on her special day without making it ‘commercial’? It’s a bit humbling that we think a card can suffice and encompass everything our mothers have done for us. So as we go into this year with Mother’s Day fresh on our minds, let’s really think how we can support, encourage, and love on our moms, who have sacrificed and done so much for us. Let’s de-commercialize this special day, sure candy and cards are nice, but what more can we do to tell the world how much our mother’s mean to us. So, in my small part I stand with my hand over my heart giving a silent yet loud statement of admiration to my mother, who could of just left me alone –never claiming me as her own – but who loved, sacrificed and cared for me as though I was were her blood. So thank you mom from the bottom of my heart – mere words are just not enough – so let my life’s declaration be a true statement of what a great woman/mother you are. My prayer for you mom’s is that He will continue to be the wind under your wings, for as you continue to spread your wings over your children, you can become tired and your wings droop a little, and your precious heart may get hurt, but may our great God be that strength for you when you feel you haven’t any left. Mother’s dedications
are all summed up in one word: LOVE. So Mother’s Day is a day that needs to be shouted from the roof tops: THANK YOU MOM FOR ALL YOUR Sacrifices!
Happy Mother’s Day to the most empowered women of our day!!
For more information: www.ablessedhome.com
T
reat your Mom to something extra special this Mother’s Day…
Take her for an afternoon tea at a local tearoom . Add a touch of nostalgia by dressing in tearoom appropriate attire and top it off with a lovely hat. Many tearooms will have a special menu for Mother’s Day and make sure to go all out will the full tea service, it may be a once in a lifetime experience but the memories will last a lifetime.
You can find tea rooms at some hotels, arboretums, antique stores.
TRAINING THE BRIDE TO BE Physically and Spiritually by: Debra Mazda Photo-buff-brides
As we read in the book of Esther and Ruth, the bride must prepare herself, must make herself ready. In this article we will see how important it is to take care of you. The book of Proverbs tells us we are like Red Rubies to God. God loves women and as you prepare to get married, it is so important that you keep this in mind and let him be part of the wedding as well as the wedding plans. Scripture tells us that we are to respect our husbands and that the husband is to respect his bride. We have all heard various teachings and opinions of her preparation, but we must adhere to the clear teaching of Scripture alone. The scriptures also tell us that marriage is sacred and is a union between one man and one woman, however for any believing bride, Christ is the ultimate bridegroom and you are his bride. I pray you always keep that in your heart as you walk with your earthly husband. Springtime is here and for most of us we tend to think outdoors, beaches and bbq’s. However, if you are a bride to be who is getting married the excitement escalates as the big day is right around the corner. Planning a wedding for some brides can begin months, and even years in advance and it can become consuming for even the most organized and sane woman. The job of planning a wedding can and does get overwhelming for most brides somewhere along the line as I have witnessed it over and over again in my fitness business. Training a bride to be, can be very emotional as I get to hear the details of everything and sometimes the tears are so close as their lives become very burdened with caterers, wedding cakes, and who sits where not to mention dealing with people who might be difficult and not understand that this is the brides day, she gets to pick what she wants. The conversation goes from the newest coach handbag to, I am
not sleeping or eating well as there is so much to do and not enough time to do it, and every night is taken up with appointments. Even the most diligent bride to be will suffer with their fitness programs because the focus is not on them but the wedding. I remember my own wedding and how consumed I was with everything. I was caught up in the stuff that needed to be done and somewhere along the way, I lost me. . While most head into marriage by marrying the man of their dreams and wanting the wedding of a lifetime, we need to focus on the reality of what whirlwind we became sucked into because we tend to let what we need fall by the wayside and then we wonder how to fix it in such a short time. What I am talking about is not only your sanity but your health. Planning a wedding can zap of us of our energy and tend to eat poorly by grabbing something on the run and the gym becomes, I will do it later and then we are too tired when we think about walking the treadmill or taking a fitness class. I have worked with many a bride who comes to me at the last minute looking to lose weight and tone prior to her wedding. While God wants us to have the desires of our hearts we need to put it all in perspective. God does not want us stressed out, not sleeping, having anxiety and crying to get it all done. He wants to go to that alter refreshed and ready to commit our lives to the man he has chosen for us. I pray you always keep that to heart as you walk with your earthly husband. A 2017 Cornell University study by Lori Neighbors and Jeffery Sobal found that 70 percent of 272 engaged women said they wanted to lose weight, typically 20 pounds. Needless to say, most if not all brides are increasingly going on crash diets, not eating at all, or just eating poorly and feeling like they have been zapped of any energy they have. Celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker or Gwyneth Paltrow have told the masses how they did it. Never mind that both of these women are skinny to begin with so as I read some articles, I could not help but wonder if they ate at all. Celebrities have all the access to Wedding Planner’s that money can buy so for these celebrities it was a piece of cake. I am also thankful to say that both of them are still married to the same men. Here are my suggestions for any bride who is getting married any time soon. First, take a deep breath, it will all get done and if not fake it. Second, do not get lost in the shuffle of life. While planning a wedding a year in advance use that time to work on you so you do not wait till the last minute and get frantic. Take a cooking class and learn how to prepare really healthy food to eat for before and after the wedding. Hire a very supportive trainer, who will be with you to train, take your mind off the planning and on you and who inspire you to keep going. Keep a journal of how you are feeling during the process. This might help you emotionally and I can tell you will learn a lot about who you are, after the wedding, read it out loud to your hubby one night laying together in bed. You will probably be able to laugh about now. Take some time to meditate on the word. Get into God’s scripture and pray for peace if you need to. And finally, sit and laugh at yourself when you feel you are losing it. Think before you act, let me say it again, think before you act. This will save a lot of thoughts, actions and words that might never have entered the sphere if you were not getting married.
CONGRATULATIONS to all future brides and may GOD always be at the center of your Marriage!
Our Winning Cover Photo Kathryn Sneed-Wife, Mother, Blogger How did you find A Blessed Home? “Honestly, I don't remember I was clicking around on blogs and somehow came across A Blessed Home. I saw the contest and I am so glad I did!”
What made you decide to enter the Bridal Photo Contest? “I thought it would be fun to enter. I love my wedding photos and always enjoy sharing them with others.”
How did you and your husband meet? “We met at Pensacola Christian College in our freshman year. We started dating October 2005, broke up several months later, then got back together and have been together ever since!”
What makes your home blessed? “My little family makes our home blessed. My 2 year old son has special needs and being able to play with him and teach him and watch my husband do the same is a blessing.”
Tell us about your family? “We are a military family that is currently stationed at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia. My husband and I are 26 and we have been married for four years. We have a two and half year old little boy named Adam with special needs, but who is a blessing to our lives. He makes us smile and laugh every day! My husband finished his first deployment last year and we are so glad to have him home right now.”
How did you know you needed Jesus in your life? “I was 5 years old when I got saved. I don't remember much, but I remember my dad and mom had been teaching me about God since I was very little. I finally realized that I was a sinner and needed God's saving grace so I knelt in our living room with my dad and asked Jesus to come into my heart. You can see the rest of my testimony at: http://www.singingthroughtherain.net/2011/03/my-testimony-2.html “
What is the name of your blog and how did it get started? “My blog's name is Singing Through the Rain. It started in July 2009, about 6 months after we got married. I had been journaling just simple things on another blog for years, but I decided I wanted to get more serious and have a place to showcase my writing. It has turned into so much more than that and I am so thankful! I got the name because I love to sing. I wanted the blog to be a place of encouragement during trials and hard times as I have been through many trials in my life. "Singing Through the Rain" signifies having faith and staying strong through the "rain" - the trials of life.”
http://www.singingthroughtherain.net/
Have you got any advice for married ladies? “Yes, I have a lot. I write about marriage a lot on my blog. If I had to choose 3 important things, I guess I would say...” 1. Talk things out. When there is a problem, don't just let it go or let it simmer and build up. 2. Be understanding. Put yourself in your husband's place when you can and think of how he feels. 3. Work work work! Work hard for your marriage, work on it every day and never give up.
fineartamerica.co m
The Bride of Christ
By: Sharon Bolan-Yerby
During a wedding ceremony, after the candles are lit, the guests seated and the bridal party is in place, there arises an anticipation that fills the atmosphere. There is a quiet pause as all eyes wait to behold the grand entrance of the hidden bride. Suddenly the music begins to play and all stand to their feet as the doors open, giving way for her entrance. As she makes her way down the aisle, her dazzling white dress reflects her beauty within. Her groom utters no words, but his eyes speak volumes. In this ceremony, all is wonderful. All is glorious. All is exciting! But how much time and preparation did it take for this wonderful, glorious, exciting moment to take place? We must remember that the natural is a type and shadow of the spiritual. There is an earthly Bride and a Heavenly Bride. There is an earthly Bridegroom and a Heavenly Bridegroom. We know who the spiritual Bridegroom is, but who is the mysterious Bride? Revelation 19:7 states, “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His Bride hath made herself ready.” Here we find the key to the mysterious Bride. She is not the entire Church of Jesus Christ. If that were the case, the entire Church would be “ready”. The scripture declares that “His Bride hath made herself ready”, which means that only those who are preparing themselves to meet the Bridegroom can make up the Bride.
It is interesting to note that the first thing seen on a Bride is her dress. It is of utmost importance because the garment she wears is a reflection of who she is. Her greatest challenge is protecting her dress and keeping it clean from anything that would defile its beauty.
Ephesians 5:27 declares,
“That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”
Notice that the Bride is part of the “church”, but not ALL of the church. This Bridal Company consists of those who are continually living the life of total surrender to Christ.
They are
making sure to take care of their garment by keeping it clean from all worldly elements. The spots and stains and wrinkles of the self-life must be removed so that the true beauty of the garment, which is the “righteousness of Christ”, can be seen. The righteousness of Christ is the inner working of the Holy Spirit to bring us into “right standing” with God. And when that inner work is complete, we are then clothed with the wedding dress and ready to be presented to our Bridegroom!
Let us not be satisfied to only be part of the Church of Jesus Christ. Let us make it our goal to be His Bride. Let us take the time to prepare ourselves and rid our garment from every spot, wrinkle and blemish so that we can present ourselves before Him in purity and holiness, reflecting His image and likeness, in which we can truly become ONE with Him!
Honorable Mention for Bridal Photo Contest Although we were looking for a bridal head shot for our contest, we were so impressed by this photo that we just had to include it in this issue. It was submitted by Scotty Hensley of himself and beautiful bride Maggie. They have two adorable sons and are involved in Boxer Rescue. Maggie is a consultant for
If you would like to contact Maggie or check out her site just go to: https://maggiehensley.scentsy.us
Peter Langner
Georges Hobeika
Rosa Clara
Pronovias Costura
Peter Langner Rosa Clara
“What About MY Heart?” by: Angela Cummings
Hello again, this is Angela Cummings, better known as "Preacher Woman" and "Mama Fuego." Writing to you all from Sunny California. Last time I wrote, I was in a motel in Miami, Florida. God has brought me all the way from Miami to Pensacola to Dallas to close my storage unit, then off to live in California inside of a small Honda Fit. Praise the Lord for all these adventures, and His daily protection and provision. I am 42 and never married however, I know my steps are ordered of the Lord. As a single, sometimes we forget to let the Lord lead us and at times may try to add romance into our plans ourselves. Father knows best, and that is why Proverbs 3:5,6 tells us,
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
This needs to be our daily humility scripture that we as believers can chew on and live by.
There are times when I find myself receiving advice from others, just because I am single, for example: on Valentine’s Day people will say, "Jesus is your Valentine." I do not like people saying that to me, why? Because Jesus is not going to pick me up in a BMW, open the car door, bring yellow roses, and kiss me under the moonlight. Sometimes married people can say the dumbest things. Hey, we singles do too, right? Grace! Grace!!! Personally, I would not want Jesus to be my Valentine. He is my Lord, Savior and best friend.
The #1 need of a man is that he needs to be respected. Knowing this, God will give us a man we can respect. God has to pick him and, we have to submit to him. We are going to say vows to honor, cherish, and obey, serious stuff and this is a big reason why I am still single. People always try to suggest men to me. Many they pick are either too old, unattractive or would not lead me according to the standards of God’s Word. It is better to be single, than be married to the wrong man. Just last year, I experienced this for myself.
It just so happened that a gorgeous man added me to Facebook. He happened to be a street preacher, just like me. He wore all my favorite colors and was everything on my list, as far as looks. I was really thinking this was God because I had someone praying for me a husband in the exact spot where he found me on Facebook, and friended me. Oh man, oh man, was I adding it all up and hearing wedding bells. I began ignoring all the Red Flags. He was young in the Lord, no job, no home and, did not pay child support, but he was doing exactly the same kind of ministry that I was doing. People reading this are wanting to give advice right now, I can feel it. No matter what you say, God still had to tell me. Believe it or not, I had rather marry a "loser" in the worlds eyes, then a "successful man" that is not preaching the gospel because; money does not matter to me. Some women marry for comfort and a place to live, some women marry for friendship and romance, some women marry to get help with their children whom they had out of wedlock, and some even marry out of desperation for love. The reason a Christian should marry is because GOD brought the two people together to become one. The Bible says that two are better than one but God has to be the one to pick them. If Jesus is the Lord of our lives, then He needs to be the Lord over our marriage as well. God stopped me from meeting this man even though we had spent weeks on the phone and hours getting to know each other. My pastor even had a long talk with him. We were attracted to each other, had the same calling, and agreed on Bible basics but it just seemed to not be working out for us. I cried, oh man did I cry. I even cried while I was preaching.
Then I re-opened the door to him again out of loneliness and missing a good looking man to talk to. After I got the door opened again, God allowed me to fight HIS wisdom, to lean on my own understanding. But, But, But.....then finally, God set up a perfect storm. The perfect storm was on Facebook. Many men were dogging me publicly for being a woman preacher. Some men called me names, and I mean BAD names. All because I preach the gospel and am a WOMAN telling the truth. So, I asked this man that I built a huge attraction to, to view the posts. He did, and said, we were not good enough friends for him to defend me. This is a man with a bullhorn. Street preachers live to confront people with the truth, it is in our DNA. He would not defend me and so I lost respect. Cute or not.....God showed me I could not follow a man that I could not respect.
Not sure why you are single or if you need encouragement today, but if you are; God can give you the strength and support you need. Only God can reveal the truth about who we are to be with. Isn't it worth the wait? YES.....it is worth the wait.
What about my heart? He hears my heart and hears your heart too. While we wait, let's go after souls.
www.debramazda.com
Get your copy today by going to: http://ablessedhomestore.com/item_582/The-Complete-Wedding-Planner-Organizer.htm
Book Review By: Rebecca Wilhite r
My recommendation for a real Christian adventure book with a lot of action is “Murdered Heiress…Living Witness” by: Petti Wagner. If you like adventure and miracles of God you will love this book. WARNING: Before you start reading, make sure you are some place you don’t have to stop and put it down, because you will not be able to. The book is about a lady, who has a large fortune and was kidnapped, tortured, beaten, electrocuted and murdered, but lived to tell about it. You will even see a copy of her death certificate in the book. Only by the grace of God did she live to tell about what happened to her and who did these things. This is a believe it or not book. Being a Christian and seeing some of the miracles God has done in my own life, I chose to believe it. God is a miracle working God and the Bible is full of His miracles. There are some people who might think this book to be fiction but, there are also some people who do not believe God parted the Red Sea. This book is not for those who put God in a box, it is for those who believe that nothing is impossible with God. In Psalm 105:15 God says “Touch not mine anointed.” Also in Romans 12:19 God tells us that vengeance belongs to Him. So when someone does you wrong, just pray for them and let God take care of it for you because, He can do a much better job of it than you can. You will see in this book how God took vengeance on those who hurt this lady. It also shows that God is a God of action.
Dr. Petti Wagner was a precious lady who I had the privilege of talking to on the phone. In 1985 my husband went to be with Jesus. I cannot even begin to tell you the pain I was going through. I would buy every book I could find about Heaven, widows, people suffering, ect. The only way I could fall asleep was to read. Somehow this book came into my hands. I was suffering and in so much pain, that I was reaching out to anyone that I thought could help me. I was angry at God so he could not help me at the time. I could not put this book down until I finished it. At the end of the book was a phone number. I thought someone as close as this lady was to God could surely tell me or help me understand why my husband died at thirty-eight years old. So I decided to call the number. I thought I would get her editor or her secretary when a recorder came on and a lady said, “Leave me a message and I will get back to you.” I thought sure you will, but I left my name and phone number with a brief message, then went to bed thinking that would be the end of that. My husband had died of a heart-attack at home and I was not able to live there at that time so, I was staying with my mother. The next morning around eight o’clock, I was still in bed asleep when my mother woke me and said, “Someone wants to talk to you on the phone” so, I got up and went to the phone and said hello. The lady on the other side of the phone said, “This is Petti Wagner how can I help you?” I told her about reading her book and how much it blessed me. She was so glad to hear that. I also told her about my husband and the pain I was going through. She told me how sorry she was. We talked awhile, then she wanted to pray for me; she prayed a wonderful prayer. She told me before she hung up that when she was in Dallas again maybe we could meet for lunch. She also called me another time also. This lady was truly in love with God and we talked about the wonderful things that God does. As I lay on the bed, bleeding from reopened wounds, my right eye
I most highly recommend this book with only two-hundred andlefttwenty-four pages of action partially open (the was completely pain and the miracles of God. A highly rated book useless), that should be made into a movie. After reading this book, go to the
charged through every cell of my being.and I knew, more about than everthe Bible read before, that I was dying.
miracles of God.
A good read! Rebecca Wilhite
When a Man Loves a Woman by: Stephanie Stith
Oh how popular the song, “When a Man Loves a Woman.” It’s flattering to us women when our man goes out of his way to woo us, court us, or simply to show in the best way they know how, the love they have for us. Depending on the personality of each man, he will display his affection in his own unique way. It may be through gifts, time, affection, or words. Some of us gals need all of the above! The greatest show of affection a man can portray is the way he loves and leads his wife according to the standards put forth by the Word of God. Since my husband and I married, I have watched him grow into a man after God’s own heart. The moment I realized what a man of God he had truly become is when I was battling horrible pain in my lower back. I had been lying in bed for several days, unable to sit for more than 5 minutes at a time. I had already seen the doctor and he had given me medication that made me sick and I was instructed not to take it anymore and the pain came back worse than before. Then finally on a Sunday morning, of course at home and couldn’t go to church due to the pain, we began to read scripture as my husband said to me, “We need to be reading healing scriptures, what is a good one?” I said, “By the stripes of Jesus, I am healed!”
“But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5
So, we turned to that scripture and he began to read the entire chapter out loud. After reading, he said, “Get Up! We need to get on our knees and pray.” I am thinking to myself, you have got to be kidding me. I can’t even sit for more than five minutes at a time and you want me to kneel. Just when I was about to rebuke my husband, the Lord impressed upon me the “S” word….sub…sub…sub…SUBMISSION! Ok Lord! I will submit, I know he is the head of this house and I trust he is in tune with you so, I knelt down with my husband and after praying for a few minutes, stood up and began praying and crying out to God on my behalf. Then God instructed Greg on the next step to take in my healing. You know sometimes we have to be patient and wait for God; sometimes we have to be quit for a minute and let Him speak to us. The next step was to sit me down and just like we have seen so many times before in our home church and miracle services, Greg took my outstretched feet in his hands and sure enough, one was about an inch shorter than the other. This meant that my hips and back were out of line and God needed to straighten me out (in more ways than one I am sure). So, as Greg began to pray that God would align my back and command my body to line up with the Word of God, I watched that short leg stretch out to meet with the other foot in perfect alignment. From that time til now I have not had any pain. I seen a miracle in my own home. As my husband had been crying and praying for me, I heard the sweet, gentle voice of God tell me, “I am well pleased with him.” talking about my husband. When I told him what the Lord had spoken to me, he felt unsure and said, “Why would He say that about me, He said that about Jesus His son when He was being baptized, I am not worthy of that.” I am telling you, the Lord hears us!! Only a few days later, we were driving somewhere with my Mother and she said,”The Lord showed me something. It is about husbands loving their wives. The husband is like Jesus in that He is supposed to love his wife as Christ loves the church. Christ died for the church and is now sitting at the right hand of His Father interceding for us. At that moment, my husband and I both realized that since it is commanded that a husband be like Christ, when he is interceding for his wife as Greg did for me then God can certainly say, I am well pleased. My husband cried out to the Father for me that day and I can say that there is nothing better than,
when a man of God loves a woman….great things will happen.
Bring along paper towels and glass cleaner to keep windows clear road debris and prevent vision from being obscured.
Give your auto a checkup *MOTOR OIL*TRANSMISSION FLUID*TIRE PRESSURE
Make sure to have a FIRST AID KIT!
Pray before you go… “Go before us Lord and make the crooked places straight. Lead us where you want us to go. We charge the guardian and ministering angels to encamp round about us. Give us favor.
http://www.youtube.com/user/ABlessedHome
For more information, http://www.thegatheringdfw.com/
A Blessed Home On Facebook
We want to say, thank you for stopping by A Blessed Home Magazine and we hope you will check out our future issues. Our main focus here at A Blessed Home is to lift up Jesus and let you know that He can be a part of your everyday lives and in all you do no matter how large or even as small as preparing dinner or planting a flower. If you don’t know Him as your personal Lord and Savior, all you have to do is say this simple prayer.
“Jesus, forgive me of my sins. I accept you into my life. I forgive everyone who has hurt me or done me wrong and I ask that you would forgive them as well. I believe that you died on the cross and rose again on the third day. Make me a new person and fill me with joy, peace, and your holy spirit. Amen”
If you prayed that prayer, please e-mail us and let us know. You are very special to us! And to the Lord!!
ABLESSEDHOME@MAIL.COM
A Blessed Home Away from Home
Travels to Glenrose, Texas
How to identify melanoma cancer
GET READY FOR BACK TO SCHOOL Brand new stories and articles of inspiration and encouragement, as well as recipes coming in the next issue‌ “Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Sovereign LORD, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever." II Samuel 7:29