Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018 by Blessed Magazine Ministries

February/March, 2018

Online Dating The Good The Bad, and The Ugly

M A G A Z I N E

Touched by More Than Just an Angel

What to Do Is This All There Is To Life?

When You Don't Feel Like Going to Church

‘All Along I Thought I Was Serving God’ Syreeta Thompson ‘The Trumpet Lady’ EVOLUTION OF A WINNER

Jesus Will Never Leave You! If you haven’t discovered Jesus as your personal savior and would like to get to know Him today; please click the button below for a free e-book from our friends at Guideposts titled

‘How to Make Jesus Your Best Friend’

Blessed Magazine Promote your business, ministry and upcoming events

WITH US TODAY

Contact us Today and discover how you can reach more potential customers with our affordable ad space pricesâ&#x20AC;Śstarting at $20/quarterly

FREE Ad Space for 1 month on our Blessed Magazine Website with purchase of ad space in our magazine

1(917)310-7570 blessedmagazine.org contact@blessedmagazine.org

For Daily Inspirations Visit us on Facebook

CHECK US OUT ONLINE We Are Completely Mobile Friendly For Individuals On The Go

What Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ll Find Insideâ&#x20AC;Ś. Packed with inspirational articles to educate, encourage, inspire and uplift, recipes, diet advice, health, beauty, nutrition and fitness, Blessed Magazine is the ultimate companion for individuals who want to look great, feel fabulous and enjoy the benefits of a healthy, spiritual life.

www.blessedmagazine.org

Contents December, 2017/January, 2018

Inside This Issue

 Is This All There Is To Life? – 21  ‗All Along I Thought I Was 21 Serving God‘ – 31  When You Don‘t Feel Like Going to Church - 38  Touched by More Than Just an Angel – 41

Relationships:  How to Keep Your Family and Friends Out of Your 45 Relationship - 45  Online Dating. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly – 51

Photo Courtesy of Syreeta Thompson – Trumpet Lady

Spiritual Wellness:

Syreeta Thompson ‘The Trumpet Lady’ EVOLUTION OF A WINNER Is Being Overly Religious Keeping You MANLess?

Feature Story: 48  Syreeta Thompson ‗The Trumpet Lady - 48

14 Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018

Cover Photo Dreamstime

Table of Contents Also in this issueâ&#x20AC;¦ 19 Letter from the Editor 39 What Your Hair Says About You: Finding Your Best You 57 Purpose of a Single Woman 61 Just For Fun

Question: Do You Know

Jesus?

Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018 15

HELP SAVE MY CHILD! PLEASE SHARE EVERYWHERE

If anyone has seen or know the whereabouts of this little boy, please contact

Bryan Keathley pukydo@gmail.com 573 660 2346 cell 573 785 3713 home

Any Attorneys who would kindly help this family in need of assistance to get their little boy back is encouraged to contact Mr. Keathley

'How Love Can Survive Prison Walls' Get the compelling book that provides hope and tips on how to survive while your loved one is in prison Click Here To Download Your eBook ―I don’t know how I would have survived if it wasn’t for the prayers of the staff at Blessed Magazine. They truly love God’s people and are always providing inspiration for those of us who are hurting. Thank you again for this eBook; it was a blessing to me and my family!‖ – Teresa A.

Exclusively at Blessed Magazine Get Yours Today! No Purchase Necessary!

Blessed Magazine Promote your business, ministry and upcoming events

With Us Today Contact us Today and discover how you can reach more potential customers with our affordable ad space pricesâ&#x20AC;Śstarting at $20/quarterly

FREE Ad Space for 1 month on our Blessed Magazine Website with purchase of ad space in our magazine

1(917)310-7570 blessedmagazine.org contact@blessedmagazine.org

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Corner

First, I always give all glory and honor to my Lord Jesus Christ for without Him in my life, nothing I could ever do would amount to anything! I sincerely hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and entered this new year with fresh ideas and goals to accomplish. If anyone is like me, I suffered a loss this past December, but even in the midst of my grief, I knew God was still in control! In the pages of this issue, we wanted to share with you testimonies of those who have experienced miracles in the face of obstacles; to remind you that no matter what you may be going through, God can bring you through! We serve a mighty, good God and He loves each and every one of us! I want to personally thank all of our fans and readers for their continued support of this ministry which has continued to strive and for that I am grateful to our Lord, Jesus Christ Our goal is to continue being a resource for Christians and others for years to come and with your support we can keep this publication available free of charge always on our digital platform

Pray for us as we continue to pray for you and thank you for reading this issue of Blessed Magazine God bless you! Your Humble Servant in Christ,

Laraine Turner Editor-in-Chief

Letter From the Editor

Praise the Lord My Brothers and Sisters in Christ!

Blessed Magazine December, 2017/January, 2018 19

Beautiful, Affordable and Functional Church Websites One Low Price

$99.00*

Domain Name and Hosting Not Included

Call or Click Today www.ltenterprises.net 917.310.7570 LT Enterprises â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Big Solutions for Small Businesses

Spiritual Wellness

â&#x20AC;&#x2022;Is This All There is to Lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2013; (The Judy Peel Story)

The gas mask in place, I started breathing an unfamiliar smell. I wondered if I would whirl in dizziness, but I did not. I can only remember the dentist asking me if I could feel anything, and I said "No," for which I was very grateful. There was only once in my childhood that I had gone to the dentist. I must have been about ten years old at the time. Remembering the walk up the long dark stairway in an old building, I came away knowing I never wanted to see another dentist. Blessed Magazine December, 2017/January, 2018 21

Spiritual Wellness Now, I was 24 years old, with fourteen cavities, and I needed two teeth pulled. The laughing gas started to do the (numbing) job, and I could not feel the terrible needle the doctor was sticking into my gum. As he was working in my mouth, I felt very relaxed, calm and able to cope with the dreadful things he was doing.

"THIS IS ALL THERE IS, THERE ISN'T ANY MORE!“

"Is this all there is?“

As I approached the other side of the globe, I could see that point again, I knew I had to cross it, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I kept hearing the words,

All at once, I became aware of a round globe set out in front of me, in total blackness. It was really weird because I could see 'me' on it. I was on my belly, going around this globe! As I approached the top, I could see a point sticking up, like an upside down 'V', and I had to go across it. When I did, it was the most excruciating intense struggle I had ever experienced. I can't say it was painful, I just knew I had to endure it. I felt lonely, knowing I had to go through this alone. I felt as if nothing else mattered, it was hopeless and I wanted to get past it fast. (Ever have dreams where you are running away from something in slow motion, knowing that you were going to get caught? That is how I was feeling, but I did not know what was coming after me!) I felt horrified. Well, I finally got past the sharp point, and started to relax, and again found myself crawling down the other side of the globe on my belly when I heard a voice talking to me out of the darkness! I could not see where it was coming from. It hollered at me almost in a cynical way: "THIS IS ALL THERE IS, THERE ISN'T ANY MORE!" 22 Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018

All the way around the globe, repeatedly, I heard those words, "THIS IS ALL THERE IS, THERE ISN'T ANY MORE!"

"THIS IS ALL THERE IS, THERE ISN'T ANY MORE!“ "There is that point at the top of the globe again," I thought. The terror returned! My thoughts whirled back to when I had been a nursemaid to my mother since the age of seven. She had multiple sclerosis. As a result, an 'abnormal' life was normal for me. A description of 'Saturday fun' was to race down the hallway in the wheelchair that had become my mother's legs. Then, to be the first one at the front door when the laundry came meant you achieved the status of wearing socks without holes in them the following week. Somehow I felt that my life was such a waste. The wheelchair and socks with holes were so normal for me. Having felt that I was stupid, useless, and there was no future for me was just accepted. I knew I would never amount to anything. My life was not the way I wanted it to be, but I seemed helpless to change it.

Spiritual Wellness I had looked forward to having a home having a husband who loved me, being secure with lots of money, having a family, and being able to buy clothes from a real store - not the Salvation Army. But in reality, what I had was an apartment and a husband whom I never saw. I worked to help pay the bills, had two children who spent their time at the babysitter, and I bought my clothes from the Salvation Army or second hand stores. All I ever wanted was a 'normal' life! Now there was something out there telling me that

"THIS IS ALL THERE IS?â&#x20AC;&#x153; 'Is this really all there is' to life, I questioned in my mind? There has got to be more! But what if there isn't? What if I end up going round and round on a globe forever, with no meaning? What if I die and that is it? What if there is no purpose to my existence? The next thing I knew, I had my arms wrapped around the old' dentist hips, and was screaming and crying at the top of my lungs. Can you imagine what he was thinking? On the way home, I could still feel that point I had crossed and that voice. It kept pounding at me. What if that really is all there is to life? What if I die, and that's it? I am trying my best to be good now, and if there is no purpose for my life why am I wasting my time trying to be good when it is so hard?

I could remember my grandpa told me Heaven and Hell existed, but he never told me what to do to get to heaven. He did say if I was bad, I would go to Hell. If Hell was anything like what I had just experienced, I KNEW I did not want to go there. On the other hand, if there WAS a Heaven, I knew I was not going to make it there. Having grown up by myself, no one taught me the right things to do. I learned from watching. I was on my own by fourteen years of age, living with a girlfriend and her parents. My mother went to a rest home and our home was disbanded. I had three younger sisters who were farmed out, We did not see a lot of each other. My father was under so much pressure that he had to get from under the weight of this situation or be crushed.

I thought it was fun to be free. There was no one to watch me; thus engagement at fourteen years of age, driving a car, going where I wanted and seeing whom I wanted was all permitted. Not that I wasn't told by my girlfriend's parents I couldn't do these things, I basically rebelled, and said, 'I'll do what I want.' Because of this, my behavior was not what you would call 'Christian' and from my bringing up, I knew it was called sin. I decided it didn't really matter - that doing whatever I could to survive because of my circumstances was just the way it had to be. I enjoyed life to the fullest, and nothing got in my way. I was so busy trying to live that I had never thought about going to Heaven or Hell

Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018 23

Spiritual Wellness until I heard that voice tell me "this is all there is.―

with that voice I had heard, that said, "this is all there is.―

Well, I decided to pray about this since my mom and grandpa always prayed. I got on my knees that night and said,

The next day I was watching TV when the program was pre-empted. I could only see the picture of some people in India, blowing their horns and snakes coming up out of the baskets. As I waited to hear what was coming, I heard this voice sternly say . . .

"God, I know I have been a bad person, please forgive me. I want to go to Heaven." (Nothing happened.) The next night, I prayed again: "God, I'm sorry that I have sinned, please forgive me. I do not want to go to Hell!― The third night I prayed again; "God, I know I haven't been the kind of person you expect in Heaven, I have done a lot of things that should not have been done, but please forgive me. I do not want to go to Hell. I want to go to Heaven with you!" (Nothing happened.)

The fourth night, I got mad. I said, "OK God, if you're really there you better prove it to me. I don't see you, or hear from you. "How can I believe in a God I don't know?― Getting up from my knees, I was feeling full of discouragement and very hopeless, resigned to the fact that eternal life was not a reality. I thought everything I had been told as a child must have been imagination by my family. I figured if there WAS a God out there, He didn't care about me! After all, I pleaded with Him to help me and He didn't. My hope to get to Heaven was gone! I almost had to agree

24 Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018

"THOU SHALT NOT TEMPT THE LORD THY GOD.“ My body started to shake, I began to cry, my heart pounded so loud I could hear it. I turned red, and began to perspire. The thought that went through my mind was, "COULD THAT BE GOD?― I thought I remembered that verse from the Bible. After looking for and finding my Bible buried in the bottom of my closet, I looked in the concordance, I found the verse. Matthew 4:7, "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.“ As I read it, I knew there was a God. I was so relieved He was there. To think this is NOT all there is. . .THERE IS MORE!! I was so excited. I had actually heard God. He did prove to me that He existed! After living on cloud nine for a couple of weeks, the thought hit me that maybe I needed to do something about the fact that there was a God. The realization that I had to respond to God one way or another now that I knew He was there became a reality.

Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018 25

Spiritual Wellness "How do I get to God after being such a bad person," I thought? I started searching for truth by reading books about Heaven, Hell, God, Satan, anything I could get my hands on. I even tried the Oji board, the horoscope, and tea leaves. I didn't care where I got the answers; I just wanted to find out more about my life after death. I would like to mention at this point that thirty years ago, Satan was not as blatant as he is today. Today, the occult is so prevalent that it looks good to someone who wants a 'supernatural' life. Do not be fooled by something that 'feels' good. God said in His Word: John 10:10, "The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.“ All I found on my search was information that created more questions. I even thought about going to church, which I had not done for years. I missed getting dressed up as I did when I was little. Reasoning that Sunday School would be good for my kids, the decision was made to go to a little church near my house. I was sure they would be able to answer some of my questions. Unfortunately, they had nothing to offer me. I was sharing my frustrations with a cousin and she said, "Well, I know what you are looking for, Judy, a personal relationship with Jesus. You need to be saved.―

26 Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018

I didn't know what THAT was, but I did agree to a correspondence Bible Study. Week after week, my papers came back with exceptional grades, but I did not understand what it was talking about! It was about this time that my aunt invited me to her church. One day a lady who was in my Sunday School class called me. She said, "Judy, a girl just got saved in our class, and we would like to start a Bible study. Would you be interested?― There's that word again, I thought, I didn't know what being 'saved' was all about, but I sure jumped at the chance of a Bible study thinking maybe THEY would have some answers. "Yes!" I said, "I would love to.― At our first meeting my friend looked at me and said, "Judy, are you saved?" My response was "Uh, well, ah. . ." embarrassed because I didn't know what to say, she saw my dilemma, and said, "Well, here, let me show you." She read some scripture verses and as she was reading them, I said in my heart, "OK, God, you can have everything I ever was, everything I am today, and everything I will be in the future. Yes, I want Jesus in my heart." When I said 'yes' to Jesus, it literally felt like five thousand pounds were lifted off my shoulders, physically. I didn't know what had happened, Jesus said. . .in Matthew 11:30, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light.“

Spiritual Wellness I experienced this at that moment! After I said yes to Jesus, I began noticing a few things; I could understand what the Bible was talking about when I read it. The Bible says: John 14:26, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. " (NKJV) I not only knew what the Bible was talking about, but I could remember it! Then I noticed that I did not feel condemnation any more concerning all the things I had done that I knew were not right. I always knew I was not a good person, guilt had been hanging over me for years, but after I said yes to Jesus, I no longer felt it. Romans 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.â&#x20AC;&#x153; Being a good person does not get us into Heaven. I can remember hoping that because God is love, He would just let me in on my own merits. Now that I have learned about God, the Bible says "NO.â&#x20AC;&#x2022; Ephesians 2:8, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, that no one should boast."

We can only be saved through faith; not because we are good. There is only one way to find Him and that is through Jesus. Remember those four nights I prayed and asked God to forgive me and please let me in Heaven? Nothing happened! The only way He could respond to me was through Jesus. Let me give you an example of what I mean - If you are going to Europe, you don't just hop in your car and start driving. You'll drown when you get to the ocean! The only way you can get over the ocean is by plane or boat. You must go over it; it is the only way! Likewise, if you are hoping to go to Heaven, the only way you will get there is by believing Jesus is God's son, He died for your sins and became your ticket to Heaven. Maybe you have had questions in the back of your mind like I did. I found the answer, and I want to help you find them too. This is not all there is to life; there is an eternal, forever- after life. It will be spent either in Hell or Heaven. Satan is vying for our eternal life. That is why he told me 'this is all there is,' hoping I would believe it and be doomed like he is for all eternity. Fortunately, I had enough background in the church to question it. Perhaps you do not. Perhaps you have believed what Satan has told you through your life with words spoken by your friends, your teachers, TV, music, books, or maybe in your own thoughts. Now, I am not saying your friends, teachers, and others in your life are telling

Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018 27

Spiritual Wellness you not to believe in God. I am talking about subtle things like, 'God is loving, he won't send good people to Hell. You are a good person, look at everything you do for others. Hell is what we are experiencing on earth!’ I must tell you that, yes, God is a loving God. But He is also just. He has stated in His Word, the Bible, who He is, what He has done, and what you need to do to reach Him.

If you make the choice to reject God, I want you to be aware of what is coming in your future. Before you write this off as 'one of those kooks', let me tell you that the day after I read some of these things from a book I received about hell, "A Divine Revelation of Hell," by Mary K. Baxter. God showed me in the Bible where He had talked about the very thing this author saw. Over a period of forty days, God gave her visions of hell and commissioned her to tell all, to choose life. According to the Bible a sin is as small as a little lie; In Colossians 3:9 it reads: "Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices. . .“

sinned and fallen short of the glory of God ..." We all have this 'knower' inside of us that tell us we have sinned. Sometimes we feel guilty about our sin, other times we just blow it off. Have you ever done that? Well, God says that we do not meet His standard the way we are. Having been born with the sin we inherited from Adam and Eve, He made sure there was a way we could be clean and sin-free. He did that by sending His son, Jesus Christ, to pay the debt for our sins. I love you dear reader; I do not want you in one of those pits forever, which this book I read speaks about. I questioned in my mind about what was written in that book; thinking that it was pretty radical! I want you to know that the very next day I was looking over some verses I had written out, and one of them, hit me over the head! It says in Psalm 103:4 "Who redeems your life from the pit.“ All at once, I knew everything I had read in that hell book was true - really true. I do not want you to go there, please listen to Jesus. Nothing in life is worth burning in hell forever for!

Or as big as a murderer, 1 John 3:15, "Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.“

There are only two things you must do. Confess that Jesus is Lord, that God raised Him from the dead, and believe.

Let's face it, we are all sinners, the Bible tells us, in Romans 3:23 ". . .for all have

Testimony Shared From Judy Peel www.precious-testimonies.com

28 Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018

God’s Promises The Bible is filled with countless promises to us from our Heavenly Father Discover what those promises are in this free eBook today

Click Here To Download Your eBook ―Thank you, thank you Blessed Magazine for making this eBook available. These biblical promises has encouraged me so much in my walk with the Lord‖…..Yolanda W.

Exclusively at Blessed Magazine Get Yours Today! No Purchase Necessary!

Embracing Singleness and Loneliness This booklet is compiled with inspirations to encourage you while embracing the Lord through those periods of single and loneliness

Click Here To Download Your eBook If I could give this eBook 10 stars I would because it has been an eye opener for me. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know how to fully cope with being a single male and the ache of loneliness, but this book has inspired me to pray more and seek the face of God. Thank you Blessed Magazineâ&#x20AC;Ś..Thomas Y.

Exclusively at Blessed Magazine Get Yours Today! No Purchase Necessary!

Spiritual Wellness

By John Burton

Check out this lengthy but wildly troubling story of an encounter by John Mulinde, a leader with a world ministry on every continent except Antarctica. God told him, "If I had come today to take My Bride, you wouldn't be part of that. I wouldn't take you.â&#x20AC;&#x2022; Here's his story: Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018 31

Spiritual Wellness Then suddenly a bright light hit my eyes. My eyes were closed. I was on my knees with my head on the ground, but a bright light hit me. I lifted up my eyes and said, "What is this?" I opened my eyes and I

couldn't look in the light. Even when I closed them, it pierced into my eyes. I bowed my head again, and I was trembling and thinking, "What on earth is going on?" Then I heard a voice, deep and calm. He called my name three times. I couldn't answer. There was no strength in me to answer, but inwardly I was saying, "I'm here." He called meâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;"John"â&#x20AC;&#x201D;three times. Then He said to me, "I knew you before the creation of the world, and I chose you and set you apart to serve Me as a witness in these last days. I want to say to you, if I had come today to take My Bride, you wouldn't be part of that. I wouldn't take you." I can't describe the shock that came upon me. I think I was in shock. I didn't even respond. It hit me. He repeated it. He said, "I wouldn't take you. For it is written, 'He will appear to those who wait upon Him' (Is. 49:23,

32 Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018

paraphrased). You're not living your life as a person waiting upon Me. You're allowing all kinds of filth to come into your life. You're living like one who cares not." As I said, I couldn't speak with my lips. At that moment I was thinking, "This can't be happening to me. I gave up my job to serve the Lord; I gave up my house that my father had given me because I wanted to go to the mission field. I gave up this, I gave up that; this can't be God saying to me that He wouldn't take me." None of my theology and teachings could accept that. He spoke to me these words written in the book of 1 Corinthians 6. He quoted them; I found them later. I couldn't even remember that they were in the Scriptures, but later on I found them in the Scriptures. It says: "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 6:10). "THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS, AND DESPERATELY WICKED" (Jer. 17:9). He went on to say to me, "Your life is so full of filth. You walk with an outward appearance, and you cover many things in your heart. You forget that I am the Lord who examines the heart. You are not ready to meet Me." He began to say to me, "If your life is full of this and this and this and this, then are you ready for My

Spiritual Wellness appearance?" As He measured the various things, I could say, "OK, Lord, have mercy." But then He mentioned one thing that my heart rejected. In my own understanding, I had never turned into that. He said, "If your life is full of fornication." And everything in me said, "Oh, no. That cannot be." I said it in my heart, and the voice stopped. For a moment there was silence. Then He said to me, "There is no crooked word that comes out of My mouth. Do you call Me a liar? But because you don't even know your own heart, I will show it to you. Remember this day when you were in this place at this hour?â&#x20AC;&#x2022; Brothers and sisters, I didn't even remember. I practically saw myself back in that very momentâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;not as a memory, but as a reality. I was back in that moment. I saw myself sitting in the taxi waiting for the taxi car to be filled. Then I was looking out at some lady with all kinds of filthy imaginations. The moment it came back, I thought, "Oh, God, I have sinned against You." He said, "No, you haven't sinned. You live in sin. You live in that. You live from morning to evening in such imaginations. Even in your bed at night you indulge in the same. I know every moment of your private life. I know your thoughts. You don't even fear, even sitting in church. Someone steps up on the platform to serve Me and you strip them naked in your imagination. You imagine all kinds of things. I am the Lord who examines the heart. Have you not read that he who even looks upon a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her

(Matt. 5:28)?" Pictures began to pass before me of how my imagination works. This isn't something of which I could say, "Lord, I fell in sin. Lord, I was weak." It was my way of life. It was my constant way of life. I was comfortable in it. I was comfortable that no one else could see it, but God was saying, "I see it. I am the Lord who

examines the heart." I was so ashamed, but then He said, "That's not the worst of all. You still live in this." He began to mention things that appear humanly small: the envy, the manipulation and undercutting of one another so that you remain appearing the best, so that you appear to do the best, to preach the best, to work more miracles, to be more anointed; all the manipulation and selfpromotions, all the grudges we hold in our hearts when we see someone else being promoted or recognized before us. The way the Lord brought it up, it was so filthy. I cried and cried, and at some point I was so intent on my grief. Then He raised His voice and said, "Keep quiet and listen."

Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018 33

Being Single ‘A Great Opportunity’ Get the compelling book that sheds light on the lies, feelings and truths about being single as a Christian Click Here To Download Your eBook ―This book. Oh my God! This book answers all of my questions and concerns. It has given me a better outlook on being single and helps me to focus on what I can do while waiting on a mate if that is God’s will for my life…Get this book! You won’t regret it …..Julie R.

Exclusively at Blessed Magazine Get Yours Today! No Purchase Necessary!

Spiritual Wellness "I NEVER KNEW YOU; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS!" I kept quiet, and He went on and on and on, unveiling more and more things. Even the things which appear so small, at that moment appeared so rotten. I felt like I was standing before the judgment seat with everything being thrown out. I wanted to say, "Stop, stop, I accept it all," but He wasn't stopping. At some point I was just saying, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He said, "Keep quiet." I wasn't speaking loudly; I was speaking in my heart. He said, "Keep quiet and listen.―

Lord, in Your name we worked miracles, cast out demons, and prophesied'? Then I will say to them, 'Get out of My sight, you workers of iniquity. I never knew you'" (Matt. 7:21–23, paraphrased). He said, "Don't depend on the miracles to assess your worthiness. Your worthiness isn't in the signs and wonders you witness in ministry. I do miracles because I love the people, and My name shall never be left without witness on earth." He said, "Have you not ever read that without holiness, no one will see God (Heb. 12:14)? It's not the miracles; it's the holiness that comes from God." He spoke to me the Scripture in the book of Hebrews. Article Shared From John Burton

As He continued I thought, "I must have been deceived. All along I thought I was serving God and yet I'm so filthy inside. I must have been deceived. The devil must have taken my life captive a long time ago." At that moment I thought of the miracles we were witnessing. I thought of the healings. I thought of all those wonderful things, and suddenly my heart sunk. I thought, "The devil has so deceived me that he could even use me to produce counterfeit miracles; to produce things I thought God was working—and yet it was the devil all along.

"The voice kept quiet for a moment, and then He said to me, "Why are you imagining such thoughts? I don't do miracles because you're worthy. I do miracles because I love My people before whom you stand to preach. Have you never read of how they will come to Me on that day and say, 'Lord,

Question: Do You Know

Jesus? How to Increase Your Faith? Read the Bible Prayer Associate Yourself with Other Believers Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018 35

Blessed Magazine Volunteer Post Responders Wanted

Want to be part of a ministry to encourage, uplift and inspire individuals? Blessed Magazine is now recruiting individuals who desire to make a difference in the lives of others through responding to posts If you are interested, please send us a short paragraph outlining why you would be a candidate to become a part of the Blessed Magazine team Send inquiries to contact@blessedmagazine.org

Listen, If God is not glorified in everything we do, then we are simply wasting our time. God must be glorified in our walk and in our talk. If this isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happening, wellâ&#x20AC;Śwhatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the point in existing?

Blessed Magazine

Tom Hanks is not affiliated with Blessed Magazine

Spiritual Wellness

When You Don't Feel Like Going to Church by Joel Mosier

Do you ever feel like NOT going to church? How is it that some people never miss a Sunday and you struggle to make 2 out of 4 Sundays in a given month? Are some people destined to be super Christians? And others destined to struggle with faith for the rest of their lives? Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018 37

Spiritual Wellness Sometimes we look at more mature Christians who are spiritual giants and we wonder if they were born that way. If we can understand and practice a few biblical principles we too can be growing spiritual muscles that will help us develop spiritual maturity. 1. Christian maturity = church attendance. Church attendance = Christian maturity It‘s easy to fall into the idea that somehow if I attend church I‘m spiritual. News flash: you‘re not and neither am I. And while that is true, it is equally true that if I‘m to grow spiritually I must be in church. I can honestly say I‘ve never met a gray-headed believer who has the ―battle-scars‖ of the Christian life that did not make church attendance a major priority in their life. 2. Arrange your schedule around church services We must be honest that the reason we don‘t feel like going to church is because we‘ve never made the commitment to arrange our schedule around church services. I understand that not all work schedules can be arranged this way, but many can. It may mean you may have to work at an inconvenient time. I love NFL football, but I‘ve determined that no matter who is playing in the late game, I‘m not going to miss Sunday night church. I want my kids to play competitive sports, but their church participation on Wednesdays is more

38 Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018

important than football, baseball or soccer. Remember Hebrews 11:25, ―Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.‖ 3. Determine ahead of time that a church service trumps conflicts Even when you‘ve arranged your schedule around church services events and other conflicts can still arise. One of the most helpful resolves of spiritually maturing people is that when a conflict comes that church is still the priority. It‘s not by accident that those who are spiritually healthy are the ones who are in church. I will never forget as a teenager my little league team making it to the championship game. The game was scheduled for a late Sunday afternoon. I dreaded telling my coach, but I knew the agreement that my parents and I had made before the season began. [If baseball and church conflict, church wins.] True to my parents word they let me play the first couple innings of the game. I think I even went to church that night in my baseball uniform. Was I upset? Yes. But did it teach me an important lesson that has guided me to this day? Yes. 4. Practical Advice: a. Tip for ABF/SS & Sunday Morning: Make sure you and your kids go to bed early on Saturday night.

Spiritual Wellness b. Tip for Sunday Night: Have the kids take a nap or have rest time on Sunday afternoon. c. Tip for Wednesday Night: Plan on putting the kids to bed earlier on Tuesdays and Thursdays to make up for Wednesdays. If this has not been your practice it may seem like a lot of effort. You may end up watching a little less football. You may end up participating in fewer little league games. But 30+ years from now of faithfully walking with God you‘ll be able to be an encouragement to another young couple who needs similar encouragement.

What Your Hair Says About You: Finding Your Best You By Gina Shaw

We all know that it‘s what‘s on the inside that really defines a person. But in the real world, your external appearance, including your hair, can do a lot to affect your success in life. Hair care and styling can be a factor that may affect your ability to get a job, get a promotion or a raise, or succeed in the dating world and other personal relationships. "We have many decades of research that physical attractiveness -- including hair -does affect how others perceive you, and the opportunities that are created," says Carla Lundblade, MS, a clinical therapist in Beverly Hills and a sports and celebrity counselor. "For example, studies have shown that attractive men earn an average of 5% more than unattractive men. And attractive women are also presented with a wider range of opportunities in their careers and personal lives.― So what kind of message are you sending to the world with the appearance and style of your hair? While a stylish haircut and color may not be what gets you that job or that raise, it may be true that the opposite -- an unkempt or uncared-for look -- could make a recruiter think twice about hiring you. And in today‘s economy, you don‘t want to let any negatives drag you down, so your hair is important! Continued on page 43 Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018 39

Beautiful, Affordable and Functional Church Websites One Low Price

$99.00*

Domain Name and Hosting Not Included

Call or Click Today www.ltenterprises.net 917.310.7570 LT Enterprises â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Big Solutions for Small Businesses

Spiritual Wellness

Touched by More Than Just an Angel By Crystal Nicole Little

My mom was raised Catholic and my dad was raised Protestant. Neither were very strict followers of their religion so this was never a problem. They both decided to raise my brother and I as agnostics, so we could decide our religion for ourselves when we got older. We only went to church at Christmas when the primary school kids would go to sing Christmas songs, and when the Boy Scouts we were both a part of asked us to. We hated it. I was never in the right crowd for long growing up. I was always trying to impress the older kids -- especially kids from the wrong crowd. I don't think my parents, or many other parents, realized how dangerous this attitude can be for a child. Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018 41

Spiritual Wellness I was secretly smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol by the age of 11. Of course my parents caught me a few times, and they would ground me, and stop my pocket money for a while, but I kept on doing it anyway. The older kids were allowed to so why shouldn't I be, I figured.

If I tried to take an hour to myself outside of school, my phone would ring and ring until I picked up, and they would hassle me until I came out. I don't know why I never turned my phone off. I had no time to spend with my family or my childhood friends who I saw at school.

A few months into being age 13 I got involved with the worst kind of crowd any child can get involved in -- a gang of drug users.

By the time I was nearly 15 I decided I wanted to leave. This wasn't how people are meant to spend their childhood -owned and controlled.

The youngest member was a year younger than me and the oldest members were in their late 20s. We would sit in fields and little huts where they would pressure us into taking drugs. Having younger members gave them something to laugh at, and when we got too bad … laying in our own vomit practically unconscious … we would get sticks thrown at us - alcohol poured down our throats - set on fire and urinated on to put it out … these were a few of the awful things that I saw and in some cases experienced. This was their idea of entertainment.

I had already distanced myself from my friends and family though. I had nobody to talk to and couldn't see a way out. I was at rock bottom.

The worst part is … I would want to join in. I would like it when they picked on someone else because it meant that they weren't picking on me. My time and money belonged completely to them. If my mom or nana gave me money for sweets, it went into feeding their habit. They would give me just enough to keep me dependent -- not just on the drugs but on them. 42 Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018

I saw online a social networking website that Satanism could make me all powerful, and in a situation where I had no power, this was very appealing, The devil deceived me, but I believe this made me a stronger and more experienced Christian today, because I have greater insight now into how real and how persistently deceiving demons are in doing Satan's evil bidding ... especially controlling people to where they don't even realize they are being influenced and controlled by him to various degrees ... which doesn't exclude "Christians" either, by the way. (Satan's wolves in sheep's clothing the Bible warns us about come in all kinds of different slick and sneaky disguises to mess with us and our relationship with Jesus Christ and others).

Spiritual Wellness I didn't leave my drug "friends" however until I was about 16. Other people reached out to me out of the blue, inviting me to a party. It was when I was surrounded by these friends I realized that there was life outside the gang I was in, and so I cut off communication with the gang group completely, and was finally able to turn off my phone and ignore them until eventually, they gave up.

"Hair and appearance are part of a total package for anyone looking to move forward in their career or in life, and should be considered as something you‘d improve just like your resume," says Lundblade. "This doesn‘t mean looking like somebody else -- it means looking like the best 'you' you can be.―

Of course at this point I was still under the impression that Satan was helping me. I was deeply programmed with hatred of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, and I became extremely ill. I don't know how much of the illness was physical and how much was mental but I was weak, lightheaded and constantly on the edge of passing out. It was like the dizziness you get just before you faint on a loop. I didn't feel like I had control of my own body.

So how do you find that best you and bring it out with your hairstyle? Rowena Yeager, who owns Salon Wish in Streetsboro, Ohio, and serves on the Salon and Spa Council of the Professional Beauty Association, says it‘s about finding something about you that‘s striking and beautiful, and then using your hairstyle to highlight it.

When I realized I couldn't find relief in Satan anymore, I was surprised to find that the only thing that made me feel better was the Christian TV show I used to watch as a child called: Touched By An Angel. The more my interest in God grew the healthier I felt, and when I finally accepted Jesus into my heart I was completely healed. I still don't know what was wrong with me. I had just about every check possible at the hospital and they couldn't figure it out either, but I guess it doesn't matter now because that part of my life is over and I have a new life now with Jesus and I am thankful for every second of it.

Finding Your Best You

"Some people focus on hiding flaws, but to me, it‘s more important to find where the beauty is than to look for flaws to correct or conceal," she says. Do you have high, strong cheekbones? A great smile? Large, captivating eyes? "Your stylist should try to enhance your best feature through your color and haircut," Yeager says. For example, if your cheekbones are your best feature, consider styling your hair so that layers brush gently in toward the face at cheekbone level.

Maintain to Gain No matter what style your hair is, make sure that it‘s well kept and cared for. "If Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018 43

Beauty you have color, make sure that you don‘t have a regrowth line, for example," says Yeager. "If you have dramatic, straight, Bette Page-style bangs, you need to take particular care of your eyebrows, since they‘ll draw attention there. You want to project that you care about yourself and care about the position you‘re applying for, or the people that you‘re meeting.―

Consult a Professional You should work with a stylist to find the length and shape of cut and hairstyle that best suit you, says George Gonzalez, owner of George -- The Salon in Chicago and a former freelance stylist for many of Oprah Winfrey‘s celebrity guests. In other words, the night before you have dinner with your future in-laws or go in to meet with your boss about a promotion is not the time for do-it-yourself haircuts or hair color. "Ideally, you want to have a haircut that creates an oval face shape," Gonzalez explains. "If you have a round face, you‘ll want a more square haircut, while if you have a long or rectangular face shape, you may want interior layers that break up and create a bit of width around the cheekbones, and bangs to shorten up the face shape.― There‘s no one 'perfect' style for any person or event, Gonzalez says. "For some hair, the texture means that it looks

44 Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018

better when it‘s longer, and with other people, they have such fine hair that when it‘s too short, it has no shape.― Keep It Simple Many people planning for a big day try for a big hair change, says Scott Buchanan, owner of the Scott J Salons and Spas in New York City and vice president of the Professional Beauty Association Salon and Spa Council. But sometimes, less is more. "Don‘t be drastic with your hair," he says. "If you have a big date or a big job interview the next day, don‘t go into the salon with long brown hair and come out a double-processed blonde with highlights and short hair. You want to boost your sense of self and sense of security with your appearance for a high-stakes situation, and if you don‘t feel like yourself, the way you‘re perceived will be off.― But while you shouldn‘t make huge changes in your hair, a new cut or style or freshened hair color can make all the difference in your confidence level. "When your hair looks good, you feel good. Anything fresh makes you feel fresh and confident," says Buchanan. "It very much affects your mood. When you feel more put together, you act more put together, and that definitely has an effect on how people perceive you.―

Relationships

by Chad Petties

Many will say the biggest problem within their relationship is family and friends constantly giving their opinion on what should or should not happen. Mike, a marriage and family therapist from Ontario, CA, stated, â&#x20AC;&#x2022;Most couples I have worked with in the past have come to counseling because of one of two reasons, money, or a situation that had been blown out of proportion due to bad advice given to the couple by family and friendsâ&#x20AC;&#x2013;. Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018 45

Relationships The difficult part of keeping family and friends out of your relationship is that the people we love and trust the most are oftentimes our friends or relatives.

words if you have an issue with your mate then your mate should be the first to know, not hearing about it through the grape vine.

Our family and friends are only human and are just as imperfect as anyone else so you must understand that their advice can be tainted. The other issue with taking their advice is that your friends and family will want the best for you and can be quick to want to dismiss your mate. I mean dismiss as in ‗put him out girl‘ or ‗man you don‘t need that in your life, leave her alone‘. The other end of the spectrum is jealousy. For every person you talk to about your problems in your relationship you could be telling someone who secretly want to see you fail, remember misery loves company and with friends and family like that, who needs enemies?

He said, she said is bad enough and I do not need uncle fester telling me about my shortcomings as a husband at a family bar-b-que. Finally, rule number three; never put your mate on a pedestal with family and friends, and never put them down too much either. Many people will go from one extreme to the next; one day they will tell you there mate can do no wrong and the next day they will be talking about that same person like a rented mule. Most will grow tired of hearing about your relationship anyway and you throw in too many highs or too many lows and that‘s how you end up with people in your business. There is nothing wrong with using family and friends as sounding boards but you must be careful who you tell and what you tell them, and remember if you find yourself speaking to your family and friends about your relationship more than your mate you must ask yourself, is it my mate that is causing the problems or do I not know when to be quite? Just a thought from the King of Hearts.

I hope I have not broken anyone‘s trust in their family and friends. I will leave you with three rules to live by when thinking of disclosing information. Rule number one; never let your right hand know EVERYTHING your left hand is doing. In other words your family and friends do not need to know everything about your relationship. There are some details good or bad that is sacred and should stay between you and your mate. Rule number two; make sure you communicate about your relationship with your mate more than with family and friends. In other

46 Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018

How to Increase Your Faith? Read the Bible Prayer Associate Yourself with Other Believers

Embracing Singleness and Loneliness This booklet is compiled with inspirations to encourage you while embracing the Lord through those periods of single and loneliness

Exclusively at Blessed Magazine Get Yours Today! No Purchase Necessary!

Feature Story She‘s the first lady of the trumpet and musical force to be reckoned with. Her 20 plus years in mainstream gospel music has placed her on stages alongside Bishop Hezekiah Walker as as the lone trumpeter in his recording choir that delivered countless hits. She has carved out a niche for herself as

―The

Trumpet Lady‖ and boasts a rich musical pedigree: raised in Chicago (by way of New Orleans) and completed her post-secondary education in New York. Syreeta Thompson is a Grammy winning and Stellar Gospel Music Awards nominated musician and songwriter. Syreeta has had the distinct honor to work with and be mentored by two world renowned Trumpet "Masters" Wynton Marsalis and Terence Blanchard. Though many know her for her time with Walker and the Love Fellowship choir, but she has shared her craft as the current Arts Education Director for Dr. Dorinda ClarkCole‘s Singers and Musician Conference (SMAC). As a Master music educator Syreeta is the CEO and President of Mission Music Inc. and she‘s Director and Founder of the National Singers and Arts Conference Arts Education Program.

48 Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018

Feature Story trombone, euphonium (baritone), piano, drums and upright bass.

―It has been an honor to work with Syreeta, she is such a talented individual. Syreeta is iconic and is going to change the music culture!‖ – James L. Walker, Jr. of Walker & Associates Law Firm She has served as featured artist at such events as: Dr. Bobby Jones‘ Artist Retreat, The I Hear Music in the Air conference and most recently at the Chicago Gospel Announcer‘s Guild. She‘s been featured in HYPE Magazine, Us Magazine, The New York Journal, Jazz Times and Twist Magazine. Perhaps not one to toot her own horn beyond a score sheet or lead chart, Thompson is a masterful musician and degreed professional. She received her bachelors of music from Rutgers University. She also has received her Master‘s degree in Jazz Composition and Arranging from New York University. Her commitment to share her gift with the next generation gifted the trumpeter the opportunity to compose six curriculums for the East Orange School District. She‘s known for her trumpeter prowess, but Thompson is a multi-instrumentalist and self-proclaimed ―brass specialist‖. In addition to the trumpet, she plays the

Her latest project ―Evolution of a Winner‖ garnered a Stellar Gospel Music Award nomination and landed at #34 and #16 on the Top Gospel Album Sales and Top Jazz Album Sales respectively. You read that right, her album featuring gospel and inspirational music caught the attention of jazz fans as well! Syreeta‘s previous body of work entitled ―Winner‖ debuted on multiple Billboard charts and landed at #7 on the Gospel charts, #1 in Traditional and #1 in Contemporary jazz charts and #1 in overall jazz sales. Her musical giving doesn‘t end at the bell of her horn! She is also a gifted singer with an equally impressive vocal range! She‘s sings all the right notes and inspiring listeners everywhere. In a word, her performance is dazzling, but iconic crystals from Swarovski made sure the comparisons didn‘t end with a metaphor. Thompson‘s trumpet is the first of its kind, fully adorned with the finest crystals from Swarovski. With ―Evolution of a Winner‖, Syreeta ―The Trumpet Lady‖ Thompson is evolving into a household name, blowing up the perfect storm of hit songs, albums and experiences! Her album is available at all digital outlets along with music and much more information on her website: www.trumpetlady.com.

Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018 49

Powerful Prayers for Believers of the Faith When you feel like you have nothing to say in prayer, lean on the timeless Word of God. These life-giving prayers can kick-start your conversations with God

â&#x20AC;&#x2022;I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tell you how much I appreciate having this available to me. It has inspired me to develop a better relationship with God. You guys are the best and I pray others will be blessed by this book - Susan

Exclusively at Blessed Magazine Get Yours Today! No Purchase Necessary!

Relationships

Online Dating: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Swipe right and find love. By The Road to Freedom

Yea…dating sites and apps are meant to make that process super easy. The online dating industry rakes in about $2 Billion dollars a year in the US alone.

It is growing in revenue but also growing in questions about it. Should I be meeting people online? Is it safe, physically? emotionally? Does it increase the chances of marriage or does it work against it? Can I truly meet someone special online? and for believers, how do I get confirmation? Where does God fit in this? I have gotten quite a number of questions …really good questions about this and so I have decided to address it a bit so…lets walk around the issue together. Here are a few thoughts to keep in mind when considering online dating. Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018 51

Relationships THE GOOD 1) It has worked for many people: This is a fact. I personally know several couples that met online that are doing better than couples who met offline. Meeting online is no longer a weird thing. It is a real game changer for a lot of people. 2) More control: People actually feel they are now able to take a bit more control of their dating lives by having the plethora of options to pick from. This has been the problem for a lot of people who feel they didn‘t have good options where they are 3) Before you judge me: Many people feel that the profile they create online gives them a better opportunity to tell people about themselves before people write them off. This is a big one for many people who may not necessarily be great at approaching the opposite sex or who may not feel as secure when approached by the opposite sex. Online dating allows you to say more about yourself before people write you off or ―swipe left‖ 4)More help with compatibility: Many say that they like the idea of being able to set the parameters for the kind of person they like: This is said to increase the chances of compatibility. 5)Full disclosure: It helps you give full disclosure without feeling weird about it. ―casual dater‖ ―nothing too serious‖ OR ―want to get married by end of the year‖. It allows you to put that stuff out there without feeling awkward saying it in person. 6) Cheaper: It costs less time and money to learn a bit about people. You know…all those basic ―first date‖ questions are mostly answered in the profile so there is a lot of information to help make at least an initial connection. 7) Both ready to mingle: It does make a huge difference when they do meet when both people know that they are both available and are both at least somewhat interesting in ―something‖ 52 Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018

THE BAD AND THE UGLY 1) You Don’t Always Get What You Pay For: There is a perceived notion that people who pay for the services take relationships more seriously. It is true for some. But it is completely untrue for others. In fact…online dating is much cheaper both monetarily and emotionally for people who have no interest at all in commitment 2) You Want What? The very parameters you set can work against you because the system is based on the assumption that you know what you want and that what you want is right for you. 3) But You Said You Loved Hiking! People have too much time and too much control on ensuring that they look like what you want to see. That perfect profile can be a blessing and a curse. While on one hand, you get to learn about someone before maybe writing them off, you also get to learn ONLY what they want you to learn, and they only get to show the absolute best side of themselves before you are able to observe them in their natural habitat 4)False Hope: Without some SERIOUS maturity and self-control, online dating can give a false sense of hope in two dangerous ways: a) It can make you feel you are solving ―the ONE‖ problem you’ve had with finding ―the one‖ (the problem of OPTIONS) when in actuality there is still a bigger and worse problem that online dating cannot fix: The problem of YOU b) It can make you find temporary relief from the problem of having to try so hard and be rejected (since you connect with people with clicks and swipes) HOWEVER, since online dating cannot fix the problem of YOU and nor can it fix the problem of the ―quality‖ of people (cos more options doesn’t mean better quality), it is still relatively easy (if not more likely) to find yourself dealing with even deeper feelings of rejection than you faced offline.

Let me expand on this a bit more.

Relationships —Offline (face to face): The options seem fewer and the emotional investment/energy needed to make a connection is higher, so the frustration comes from dealing with direct or indirect rejection by the already few options. —Online: The options are much larger and the emotional investment/energy needed to make a connection is significantly lower, BUT if things don‘t go right, the frustration is higher and the rejection is worse when all that is needed is for someone to click or swipe to connect with you and they don‘t even do that. 5) Addiction Lurks: Without some SERIOUS maturity and self-control, online dating can be seriously addictive.

IN FACT….it could be an unofficial invite to the players club: Think about it. If you were ―talking‖ to 5 people at the same time in your church, school, job, or city face to face, you might be instantly labeled a player or at least feel like one. But online…in secret…you could be talking to 10 people and not feel a pinch of guilt about it. 7) The Illusion: While online dating is said to increase the chances of compatibility, it is important to know that compatibility will be an illusion if: a)You don‘t know who you REALLY are b)People lie about who they REALLY are c)The software/app/website makes any recommendations for you based on the information derived from either a or b above

Why?

PARTING THOUGHTS a)Because it gives such instant gratification. Looking for a date? a few clicks and swipes…a few adjustments to your profile …a few adjustments to the algorithm and boom…you might be connected in seconds. b) —This is so important—Dating apps and sites subliminally not only make you feel that the grass is greener on the other side, but that it is so easy to get there. In other words, it gives you the feeling that ―with just one swipe or click, I could find/be found by someone who is better than who I have/am talking to right now‖ That addition is dangerous because it can start to make you less interested, less patient and even less capable of building connections face to face and spontaneously

If I absolutely had to give my personal take on dating apps and sites, I‘d say don‘t use them. Maybe I am just a traditional guy like that. That said, I understand that they are actually helpful to tons of people. So if you are going to use it, keep these in mind: A)Meeting online is not necessarily the problem: That is IF you are able to overcome or work past the bad and ugly part. The problem grows exponentially though when you meet online and also proceed to date mostly online. So my advice is that if you meet online, do your best not to keep the relationship online

6) Invitation to the Players Club? With online dating, it is very hard for people to commit to the process of getting to know someone and working through the quirks. Why? Because people don‘t really have to…I perceive that many will feel that the next option is just one swipe away

Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018 53

Relationships B) Use interest groups/meetups instead: My suggestion is to find groups or meetups online that are based on your interests, values or hobbies. Then from there, you can form connections knowing that the people you meet actually share similar interests and values. You‘d still be meeting more people online but at least you‘re able to maintain a certain emotional pace and you‘ll have an opportunity to grow it naturally. C) Quickly verify the profile: Don‘t put your hopes in having or finding someone with the perfect profile. Your job is to QUICKLY determine if what is in their profile, looks like the reality of their lives. The harder you have to look to see it, the faster you should be running. Away.

D) As a believer: For single Christians who are wondering about this, the internet is not evil and neither are dating sites. What you need to remember though, is that: -You need to be alert and ensure that this doesn‘t work against your faith and dependence on God -When you do meet someone, the same process should take place like it would if you met in church -Stay prayed up!

54 Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018

Tobi Atte is a life, relationship, motivational, and faith coach with a passion for helping people achieve fulfilling lives and relationships. Tobi also trains corporate teams on leadership, customer relationship management and communication. He is the author of HOW TO ENSURE YOUR VALUES ARE ALIGNED-A GUIDE TO AVOIDING RELATIONSHIP FRUSTRATION (Click HERE to get a free copy) and the writer behind www.ijustmetme.com – For more on relationships, motivation, personal improvement and more, visit the website. Also Like the IJUSTMETME facebook page, Subscribe on YouTube and Follow on Twitter

Classes Now Available Anger Management Domestic Violence Intervention Crisis Intervention and Prevention Parenting Skills Call or Click Today to Register

Precious Life Services

830.372.5980

‘How to Make Jesus Your Best Friend’

Spotlight

Purpose of a Single Woman Waiting on a spouse It's is not who you are looking for but it is who God see best To join you with He will choose for you a spouse That will usher you into the plans And purpose that he has for your Life He will join you with the person he created for you so that his ultimate Plans and purpose will come to Pass in your life Purpose breakthrough Coach Author Sherdeine Thomas Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018 57

Just For Fun Do You Know Your Bible? What was the name of Jesus‘ mother? What was the name of the garden where Adam and Eve lived? With what food did Jesus feed 5,000 people? What method did the Romans use to kill Jesus? From which part of Adam‘s body did God create Eve? Who, when accused of being with Jesus, lied and said that he did not know him, three times? 7. Which creature tricked Eve into eating of the forbidden fruit? 8. At Christ‘s crucifixion what did the soldiers place on his head? 9. What is the first line of the Lord‘s Prayer? 10. What relationship was Ruth to Naomi? 11. Who lied to God when he was asked where his brother was? 12. Which Old Testament character showed his faith by being willing to offer his son on an altar to God? 13. What significant event is recorded in Genesis chapters 1 and 2? 14. 14. What was inscribed above Jesus‘ cross? 15. Whose mother placed him in an ark of bulrushes? 16. For how many days and nights did it rain in the story of the flood? 17. What was special about Jesus‘ mother? 18. Who gave gifts to Jesus when he was a young child? 19. What happened to Jonah after he was thrown overboard? 20. In whose image was man created? 21. How many apostles did Jesus choose? 22. What are the wages of sin? 23. Who is the first mother mentioned in the Bible? 24. Who else, other than the wise men, came to visit Jesus when he was a small child? 25. Who lied when he was asked to reveal the source of his great strength? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Answers on Page 63 Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018 61

Just For Fun Answers Do You Know Your Bible Answers? 1. Mary (Matt 1:18) 2. Garden of Eden (Gen 2:8) 3. Loaves of bread and fishes (Matt 14:19) 4. Crucifixion (Mark 15:25) 5. Rib (Gen 2:21) 6. (Simon) Peter (Matt 26:69-74) 7. Serpent (Gen 3:1-6) 8. Crown of Thorns (Matt 27:29) 9. Our Father which art in heaven (Matt 6:9) 10. Daughter-in-law (Ruth 1:4) 11. Cain (Gen 4:9) 12. Abraham (Jam 2:21-22) 13. Creation (Gen 1 - 2) 14. King of the Jews / This is Jesus, King of the Jews (Mark 15:26; Matt 27:27) 15. Moses (Exo 2:3) 16. Forty (Gen 7:12) 17. She was a virgin (Matt 1:23) 18. Wise men / magi (Matt 2:7-10) 19. He was swallowed by a great fish (Jon 1:17) 20. Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s (Gen 1:27) 21. Twelve (Luke 6:13) 22. Death (Rom 6:23) 23. Eve (Gen 4:1) 24. Shepherds (Luke 2:16) 25. Samson (Jdg 16:15)

Blessed Magazine February/March, 2018 63