Aspiring to be winter 2016/2017

WINTER 2016/2017

ISSUE NO. 4

ASPIRING TO BE MAGAZINE

LONELINESS - THE TRAP OF THE ENEMY IN TRANSITION LOOKING TO THE FUTURE WITH ANTICIPATION

PLAYING WITH FIRE REVIEW RECOMMENDED RESOURCES WRITE WITH US

Images: Free via Lightstock.com

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A2B table of con tents 02 Letter From the Editor 03 Loneliness - The Trap of the Enemy 05 In Transition

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09 Looking to the Future with Anticipation 12 Play with Fire Review 13 Recommended Resources

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Readers, As we come to the end of 2016 and start planning for the year ahead, remember to take a moment to thank God for the things he has blessed you with, the people he had cross your path and the words he has spoken to your heart.

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When you look back over the year don't concentrate on the problems, bad things or troubles. Instead focus on how He has been with you through them all. Remember this new year coming can be your best one yet.

God Bless,

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Dianna

Dianna Auton is a Homeschooling mom to 3 girls and wife to her best friend. She is a blogger, author, reviewer and a coffee drinker. She enjoys reading, writing, hiking, photography and shopping. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Christian Education from Calvary Bible Institute.

Her passion is encouraging women of all walks of life to be all that God has created them to be.

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LONELINESS THE TRAP OF THE ENEMY RELATIONSHIP THE DESIGN OF GOD

BY ASHLEY CHAMBERS 1 Peter 5:8 "Be sober­minded;be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone he may devour" The enemy is crafty and he has a plan just as God has a plan. Loneliness is a tool that the enemy can and will use as a Powerful destructive weapon against us. Loneliness causes us to shy away from relationships, engagements and become a recluse. If you have ever been through a season of loneliness you, like me, understand the mental torment and struggles it causes. The enemy plays mind games to keep you trapped and if you meditate on those thoughts or believe those lies he whispers then you will remain In the state of bondage to this powerful tool. In isolation, we are made weak and vulnerable. In the wild, many animals hunt and travel in groups. That is designed for a purpose. It's less likely an attack will happen to a pack or group but that loner is what the prowler is waiting and watching for. TO POUNCE & DEVOUR. Being disconnected causes us to feel inadequate and we can end up in self­pity and that can lead us into sin. Sin leads to shame and further isolation if we are disconnected. BUT GOD! "The Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him'" (Genesis 2:18). In Genesis God was referring here to Adam, of course, in the form of a helpmate. Yet the focus point here is that God recognized loneliness as a negative. It must be of great value and a protective state of God not only recognized it but created a solution to solve it!

The most important relationship we can ever have is with our Heavenly Father! However, the ONLY way to achieve this is through Jesus! One must accept in his own heart the truth that Jesus blood was shed for all mankind that he may be restored back into fellowship with Creator God,

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LONELINESS & RELATIONSHIP

through the redemptive power of Christ. Once you accept Jesus as savior you are restored back to the father.

God designed relationships and intends for all of us to have fellowship with one another.

Loneliness isn't meant to be a part of a Believers life. If you are struggling with this then I encourage you to get involved in your church, attend things you're invited to,Initiate a gathering. If your battling being around others it's likely a red flag and sure sign you need to make yourself be around people. Overcome this snare and declare no weapon formed against me shall prosper. I know that insecurity, past hurts, fear and loss of a loved one can play a huge role. However, You have to choose to rise up and keep moving forward. You deserve the best life an Abundant one is what Jesus came to give us! We must choose.

Ashley Chambers is a deep thinker and big dreamer who casts those thoughts and visions onto paper. Her purpose is to inspire others to see their potential and choose to be bold and courageous as they journey through this foreign land we call Earth. She runs the Facebook page Count it ALL Joy Where she encourages others in their Faith and challenges them to be intentional about their walk.

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IN TRANSITION

BY BILL BORIEO This issue I wanted to share a wonderful article written by my father in one of his old newsletters.

As we are coming to the end of one year and the beginning of another we are transitioning into a new era with a new President, new goals, visions, and changes. I felt this was an appropriate article for this time. So please enjoy the following article. ­ Dianna Transition, the word itself creates a sense of uneasiness and distress. The word means to be in the process of change. Most people look forward to change as eagerly as their next appointment at the dentist office knowing that they are scheduled for a root canal.

What is it about the process of change that we dread so much. We homo­sapiens would rather walk barefoot on broken glass as to experience any level of upheaval in our routine lives.

Whatever happened to our sense of adventure? Where is the willingness to read into the unknown realms of where we have not trod before? What about our great boasts that we made at the altar of consecration so many years before?

You know what I mean, it usually sounds something like this; “Lord, I will go anywhere you want me to go! I will do anything that you require! My very existence belongs to you!”

Well, the truth is most of us made those statements when we first came into the kingdom. We were mostly young. We meant every word of our impassioned promise but we really did not have anything to lose.

Let's face it. If you were like me, I lost everything of value while in sin. I blew my money on drugs, alcohol and fast living. Believe me, Jesus got the short end of the stick when he bargained for me.

Let’s see, I got His life, love and commitment. He got my death, hate, and unfaithfulness.

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I got His strength, wisdom and knowledge. He in return got my weakness, foolishness and ignorance.

I got His courage, peace and joy. He got my fear, insecurity and sorrow. Need I continue?

The thing we fear most of all about transition is the fact that we, as God’s children, are required to live by faith. That means we do not have the luxury of having all the facts and many times the means to make the necessary changes. In addition to that, it seems, the longer you are in the kingdom, the less spectacular the leading we receive from the Lord.

Remember that old timer in the Bible called Elijah? He was one of God’s top guys. One time he was instructed to go to the mountain and he would get further instructions from there.

Well, he climbed the mountain and was kinda in prayer, waiting for some special super duper experience with God when a terrific wind came. It was so strong that the rocks broke. But God was not in the wind. (Sorta makes you wonder who was, right)?

After that, there was an earthquake and it shook the whole place. But God was not in that either.

When just about the time things were getting back to normal, a great fire kicked up. You would think things were bad enough as it was but, nooo! And even then the Bible says God was not in any of that.

Elijah had just about given up on hearing from God when he barely heard a still small voice. And GOD WAS IN IT! See 1 Kings 19:11­13 Folks, God is not always going to hit you in the head with a night vision or have one of them special agents the Bible calls angels appear to you while you're in the garage hiding from your wife! He mostly is going to deal with you by means of what Bible teachers call; “The inward witness!” 1 John 5:10 If the Lord uses that still small voice as the main way to carry on a conversation with us, then it would behoove us to practice listening to our spirit. In order for us to become experts in hearing God, we must; Learn to get quiet.

Learn to pray in the Spirit.

Learn to read the Word regularly. (Seems that God won’t speak contrary to His written Word.)

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Learn to share big stuff with important folk such as your Pastor, wife, & friends that are bigger in God than you. They sometimes have been practicing longer than you and have learned what’s real and what’s not.

Be humble, don’t get carried away with how important or how smart you are.

If you’ll do this stuff, you might be surprised at how much God talks and how much trouble you stay out of.

Transition is kinda like paying taxes and dying. You can’t avoid either of them.

Someone may ask, what’s the purpose of change anyway?

I have visited enough people in the hospital to know that if they don’t move now and again, they tend to get bed sores. Those bedsores are not only discomforting, they look awful and sometimes give off an odor. I just wonder, what we look and smell like in the spirit when we never move or change.

Change & transition keeps us from looking and smelling bad to God. Change is good if you're not doing all that hot where you are. We folks would rather fail as to experience any kinda discomfort. Doesn’t seem real bright now, does it?

Change is proper when you want more out of life! Someone smarter than me said; “if you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always got”!Change is what it takes to be like Jesus. 2 Cor. 3:18 “But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Change is necessary to live in the spiritual world. 2 Cor. 15:51 & 52 “Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we all shall be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

When I read the twenty­third psalm, I am made aware of the need of transition in the care and tending of sheep. Sheep by nature are prone to habit. They take the same paths, eat in the same place and drink from the same water. The smart shepherd, will on purpose move them from pasture to another. They do this to keep the sheep from ruining the pasture. Truth is, if they are left to themselves, they will eat the grass to the root and leave a wasteland behind them.

Sheep can either make the land better or worse depending on if they are moved from time to

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time. When they are moved, the rich manure they leave behind will benefit the pasture. If not, they will chew it to nothing and even though they leave rich sheep droppings on the ground all they will do is create a putrid wasteland on the earth!

Folks, ready or not, change is coming. Embrace it!

Bill Borieo ministered the gospel for more than 36 years. He planted churches, evangelized and traveled all over the world. His heart was bringing as many into the kingdom as he could and encourage young ministers as they started out in ministry. He was a husband, father, grandfather and great­grandfather. He was founder of the ministry Ambassador Fellowship International.

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LOOKING TO THE FUTURE WITH ANTICIPATION

BY DIANNA AUTON Not long ago I celebrated another birthday. Of course, that is not shocking as they always come around once a year. Normally I don’t look forward to my birthday as it means I’m another year older and getting older is not always fun. However, this year was different. I just celebrated a birthday that is the last in a particular decade. Which means that my next birthday will be another “big” birthday according to how the numbers fall. But who’s counting?

Anyway, to get back to this year it has been different. I was actually looking forward to it. You may be wondering why. Well, it’s because God reminded me that age is just a number. It tells how long I have lived on this earth outside of my mother’s womb. It doesn’t mean I’m getting “old” by any means because the Lord said in Isaiah 40:31 that he will renew me and in Psalms 103:5 he says he will restore my youth as the eagles. In fact here is what Isaiah 40:31 actually says:

“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

You know what that tells me? That when I trust in God and I’m dealing with daily life, regardless of how hard it can be, He will renew my strength. He will help me to rise above the circumstances. He will refresh my soul and He will keep me from fainting. I really like that last part because, as dramatic as I am in real life, I don’t like fainting in front of people. Not that I have done that.

Isaiah 40:31 goes hand in hand with Psalm 23. In fact, I quote that one a lot. It brings peace to my soul. God’s reminder that no matter how “old” I get and that He can and will restore my youth

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makes me pretty excited. Although I am aging in time, my physical body and mind are being renewed. I’m healthier now than I was before.

When I think about this new year that I am personally celebrating as well as the new calendar year to come, I have lots of hope and joy. There is almost an anticipation in the air that God is going to do something amazing not only in my life, but through it also. But what is even more awesome than what I anticipate for me is what I know God can also do for you.

As you think about this year let go of the hate, bitterness, sadness and every stronghold that you have had to deal with. Instead, look towards the coming year with hope, joy, anticipation and excitement. Be thankful for where God has brought you from and look forward to where he is taking you.

You can find your strength in God. Allow Him to lift you up, refresh you, and strengthen you through His word. Most importantly, keep Him first in your life as you go through each and every day.

Until next time I would like to leave you with Psalms 23 and I pray that you find peace and rest for your soul.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

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Dianna Auton is a Homeschooling mom to 3 girls and wife to her best friend.

She is a blogger, author, reviewer and a coffee drinker. She enjoys reading, writing, hiking, photography and shopping. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Christian Education from Calvary Bible Institute. Her passion is encouraging women of all walks of life to be all that God has created them to be.

REVIEWS

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PLAY WITH FIRE REVIEW

BY DIANNA AUTON This book was such an inspiration and a book to make you think. Bianca shows us how the trials that we tend to go through help us to become who we are. By standing and holding tight to the Word of God we can get through anything. She talks about how the fire (trial) is used to purge the impurities of life leaving behind the good in us. Not that we become perfect, as we live in a fallen world and will encounter times in life where we will do something stupid, but through each hard lesson God teaches us more about Him and helps us to become who we are meant to be.

I found this book inspiring, thought provoking and a book for women today. I love the truths she pulls from the Word. I sat for a long time some days just pondering what I read and what God was speaking to me through these pages. It was definitely a book for me and one that I will recommend again and again to the women I come into contact with.

You can purchase a copy of this book by clicking on the image of the book cover on our recommended resources page. This link is not an affiliate link and we will not be compensated if you purchase via this link. *BookLook Bloggers has provided us with a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are 100% my own and I did not receive any monetary compensation. *This review was originally posted on the Aspiring to Be blog.

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RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

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Do You Write?

Are you a writer? Do you enjoy encouraging others in their spiritual walk? If so we are looking for contributors to add to our growing list of writers. If you are interested you can go to http://aspiringtobemag.wordpress.com/contribute for more inoformation or to submit an article.

Starting in the Spring 2017 issue we are adding some brand new features including articles about: home, parenting, marriage, and more.

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