Blessed Magazine October/November, 2018

Three Reasons To Stop Flaunting What You’ve Got Simple Delicious Recipes to Share with Your Family this Thanksgiving M A G A Z I N E

October/November, 2018

When God Breaks His Promise!

How to Keep Waiting Time from Becoming Wasted Time

10 Reasons Why God Might Not Be Blessing Your Life 8 Ways to Trust God When Money is Tight Winter Fashion and Street Style Ideas

Easy Closest Ideas

7 Ways to Relax After Work (& Make The Most of Your Free Time!)

Stop Living a Lie and Become a Real Christian

OCTOBER.NOVEMBER 2018 BLESSEDMAGAZINE.ORG

Sinful Single, Sinful Bride

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Contents October/November, 2018

Inside This Issue

Beauty and Fashion ▪ ▪

Top 10 Fall Beauty Picks - 21 Winter Fashion and Street Style Ideas - 22

Spiritual Wellness ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

10 Reasons Why God Might Not Be Blessing Your Life – 26 8 Ways to Trust God When Money is Tight – 31 Stop Living a Lie and Become a Real Christian – 36 When God Breaks His Promise - 47

Personal Wellness ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

Three Reasons To Stop Flaunting What You’ve Got – 52 How to Keep Waiting Time from Becoming Wasted Time – 57 Sinful Single, Sinful Bride – 62 7 Ways to Relax After Work (& Make The Most of Your Free Time!) - 67

Artist Showcase ▪

73

Blessed Assurance

Guy Penrod: Blessed Assurance – 73

Also in this issue: ▪ ▪

Easy Closet Ideas - 78 Simple Delicious Recipes to Share with Your Family this Thanksgiving – 85

Regulars ▪ ▪ ▪

Editor’s Corner -18 Just For Fun - 107 Market Place - 114 14 | Blessed Magazine

Photo Credit: Guy Penrod

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917-310-7570

Editor’s Corner

Praise the Lord My Brothers and Sisters in Christ!

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!

With election season approaching, I want to personally remind you to give thanks. We are living in some very troubling times and it will take much prayer to see us through. Don’t give up and don’t give up on God! 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

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BEAUTY 10

1 1. Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder, 0.27 oz. by Clinique Shine-absorbing, oil-free formula. Ultra-sheer texture gives skin a perfected matte appearance. Great for oily skin and oily spots.

Maintains a fresh look and feel, even after frequent touch-ups - $27 (Macy’s) 2. Vinopure Natural Salicylic Acid Pore Minimizing Serum 1 oz. by Caudalie A pore-diminishing gel serum powered by 100 percent natural salicylic acid to address blackheads, pores, breakouts, and excess oil - $49 (Sephora)

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3. Revolution New-trals vs Neutrals Palette New-Trals are the new NEUTRALS. Upgrade your new natural eye looks with the new generation of natural shades- $12 (Revolution Beauty)

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4. Addict Lip Glow Color Reviving Lip Balm by Dior A flush of custom color that leaves your lips soft and moisturized$34 (Nordstrom) 5. Charlotte's Magic Cream by Charlotte Tilbury A cream that floods skin with moisture for a glowing complexion in a flash- $29-$100 (Nordstrom) 6. Maybelline Volum' Express The Colossal Big Shot Washable Mascara, 224 Very Black The Big Shot brush features unique, wavy bristles that cradle lashes, while the collagen formula delivers bold volume. Ophthalmologist tested. Suitable for contact lens wearers - $6.94 (Walmart)

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7. L'Oreal Paris Infallible 24HR Eye Shadow, Endless Sea An ultra-intense eye shadow that lasts from day until dawn; a full 24 hours. This revolutionary formula fuses the ease of a powder with the velvety caress of a cream to create a unique hybrid that glides on effortlessly - $6.97 (Walmart) 8. essie Plums Nail Polish Fashion-forward, wearable nail colors for the modern woman who is looking for the final touch to her toes or fingers - $9 (Kohls)

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9. Olay Regenerist Regenerating Cream Face Cleanser5.0 oz Deep cleans while gently exfoliating skin to accelerates skin’s natural surface regeneration. The creamy face cleanser formula with advanced anti-aging ingredients and gentle exfoliants regenerates and smooths skin texture - $7 (Walgreens) 10. Define-A-Line Eyeliner by Maybelline Glides on smoothly and precisely in just one stroke.

Contoured smudger makes blending easy - $6 (Ulta Beauty)

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Winter Fashion and Street Styles Yellow Pop Bright, bold colours are not usually what one thinks of when picturing autumn and winter trends. But this year the streets of New York City during fashion week almost resembled a rainbow. Firey oranges, cherry reds, lime, fluorescent greens, and fierce fuchsias were all out in force. But it was the surfeit of sunny, canary and daffodil yellows that caught our eye. It is a surprising yet welcomed divergence from the typical dark and moody winter colour palette.

Extra Long Belts Move over Gucci buckles because these extremely long belts are tightening their grip on the fashion world. From mid-thigh lengths to ankle grazers, and even caution tape, belts have come very far from simple, functional accessories. Street style stars have been spied wearing extra long belts wrapped around blazers, trenches, high-waisted pants, flowy dresses and tight and loose denim alike. The opportunities to rock this trend are endless

Winter Fashion and Street Styles 22 | Blessed Magazine

Winter Fashion and Street Styles Head to Toe Leather Head to toe leather or pleather is typically not attempted outside of Halloween costumes, superhero movies and 50 Shades of Grey, but our 2018 street style vixens seemed to have other ideas. With everything from caps, hats, jackets and bags all the way down to pants, skirts, and boots, this trend is rocking

Plaid Pants Plaid is a veteran in the print world for good reasons. It’s edgy yet classic, subtle yet bold, pretty yet grungy, easy to match or clash, and it is consistently being reinterpreted. We’ve seen ’90s grunge skirts, chic farmer shirts, schoolgirl tartan jackets, and now we have the rise of plaid pants. From preppy to punky, plaid is incredibly versatile and can create many different looks, which is why this trend is so exciting

Winter Fashion and Street Styles 23 | Blessed Magazine

Winter Fashion and Street Styles Pastel Pink Fur Coats Forget Wednesdays, we wear pink every day, especially when it comes in a pretty pastel faux fur coat. It’s probably not the first colour you’d imagine when you think of a classy fur coat, but the street style fashionistas have spoken, and A/W18 is all about pastel pink furs. In fact, the fun revamp makes this vintage classic more modern, giving it a younger feel. The muted makeover isn’t surprising considering millennials are so obsessed with the shade that they’ve coined the term millennial pink

Clear Accessories From transparent raincoats to hats, belts, bags and umbrellas, New York Fashion Week has undoubtedly proven that life in plastic is fantastic. But, if full see-through clothing is a bit too much for you, fear not. You can still partake in this perspex trend. Clear accessories were just as popular as their clothing counterparts, with some even being worn at the same time. One of the greatest things about this trend is that you no longer have to worry about matching your bag, belt, hat etc. with your outfit. These sheer accessories will go with every look imaginable

Winter Fashion and Street Styles 24 | Blessed Magazine

Winter Fashion and Street Styles Red Boots Blaring red ankle, knee and thigh-high boots were undoubtedly some of the most significant trends spotted at NYFW. With every second supermodel, blogger, designer, or even just fashion spectator alike rocking a pair of scarlet boots. We are excited about this trend as it is much simpler to wear than you may think. A red boot is a surprisingly versatile and inspired way to add a little pep to your step

Coloured Aviators The retro revival continues with the rise of colour tinted aviators. Since the early 2000s, aviators have been the cool girl’s shade of choice, and this ’70s revamp only ups their stock. These sunglasses are once again gracing the faces of our street style idols. Their understated colour infusion creates a more gentle and soft look as opposed to the harsh appearance of darker glasses

Winter Fashion and Street Styles 25 | Blessed Magazine

Spiritual Wellness

10 Reasons Why God Might Not Be Blessing Your Life

by Cindi McMenamin

Are you looking around at other believers’ lives and feeling “skipped over” when it comes to God’s blessings? I’ve received emails from several people in the last month asking why God isn’t blessing their lives?

Some of those emails recount all the things they are supposedly doing right and others complained that God wasn’t keeping His part of the bargain.

We know from Scripture that God is a good God who loves to bless His children (Matt.

7:11). At the same time, God knows our hearts, our capabilities, and what’s around the corner for us, so if He choose not to bless in a certain area, that might even be a blessing in itself.

Based on three decades of ministering to others as a pastor’s wife and Bible teacher, and seeing the blessings of God come and go

in my life and in the lives of others, here are 10 Reasons God Might Not Be Blessing Your Life: You Haven’t Asked For The Blessing.

How many times do we get disgruntled at God because He hasn’t provided for us when we haven’t taken the time to even ask Him for what we specifically need? Sure, God knows our needs. But He wants a relationship with us in which we come to Him, in faith, and ask for what we need.

Scripture says, “You do not have because you do not ask God” (James 4:2). And Jesus told his followers: “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” (John 16:24). Start asking specifically and see what God wants to teach

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Spiritual Wellness you about asking, trusting, and being thankful You Haven’t Asked In Faith If you’re asking God for blessings and He’s still not answering that prayer, it could be that you are not asking in faith, truly believing He will answer. Jesus told His followers: “Whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith” (Matthew 21:22) and “whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24).

Jesus said everything is possible to the one who believes (Mark 9:23). If you’re having trouble believing that, ask Him to help your unbelief. Jesus honored the sincerity of the man who asked for something and followed it up with “help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24).

You’re Asking With The Wrong Motives Have you ever wondered why God doesn’t answer people’s prayers to win the lottery? James 4:3 gives us insight: “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

Try asking God for blessings that will help you bless others. Or try asking Him to bless others first, rather than yourself. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” If He is your desire and your delight, it will delight His heart to grant your desires.

You’re All About You I recently received an email from a man demanding to know why God wasn’t blessing him. He recounted one unfortunate situation after another and, in a tone of bitterness, expressed his utter disappointment in God. His email was littered with references to “I,” “me,” and “my.” He never asked what he could do to please God, only complained at how God hadn’t pleased him. He didn’t talk about his obedience or any desire he had to be a child whose Father would be pleased to bless him. In fact, he never even talked about a Father-child relationship with God.

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Spiritual Wellness God is not a glorified Santa Claus. Nor is He obligated to bless any of us. If you’re all about you, and what God is or isn’t giving you, God might be choosing not to bless your life until you become all about Him (Luke 9:23). When you die to self (Galatians 2:20), your focus won’t be on whether or not you’re being blessed, but on how to be a blessing to God.

If you’re being responsible and obedient with your money and yet God is not blessing you, financially, you might want to look at the behavior and spending habits of anyone else who shares your bank account. God doesn’t punish us for the sins of others, but we sometimes share the consequences of sin or irresponsibility from those who are closely connected to us.

There Is Unconfessed Sin In Your Life

The Bible is full of warnings about the consequences of unhealthy associations. For instance, Proverbs 22:24-25 warns: “Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared.” Psalm 101 is a good example to us to pray for integrity in all our dealings: “My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; the one whose walk is blameless will minister to me. No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence” (verses 6-7)

Are you praying for the blessing of a job? A promotion? Success in a certain endeavor? If there is unconfessed sin in your life, it could be affecting your relationship with God and affecting His handout of blessings. God is all about relationship. So, if He’s not blessing, perhaps the relationship is strained through disobedience in your life or habitual sin that you are not surrendering to Him. After instructing believers to pray with the right motives, James instructs, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail.

Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James seems to be implying that as we get the relationship right with God, and maintain a level of humility, the blessings – or promotions – will flow.

You Are Being Directly Impacted By Someone Else’s Sin

God’s Timing Is Different Than Yours Ecclesiastes 3:1 assures us: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” I believe that includes a season for blessings. God may want you to wait and grow in dependence on Him before He gives you something.

Scripture also tells us that God’s ways are perfect and His Word is flawless (Psalm 18:30). That means He knows when it’s the right time for us to receive certain blessings and when it’s not

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Spiritual Wellness He Wants You To Be Persistent Have you become discouraged or given up when it comes to receiving certain blessings?

Maybe you haven’t been persistent enough.

In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus told his disciples a parable “to show them that they should always pray and not give up” (verse 1).

Because God is more concerned about a relationship with you than giving handouts, He may simply want you to persist in prayer.

Don’t give up. The blessing may be right around the corner

honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” That shielding aspect of God’s character might be protecting us from something we’re asking God for that isn’t necessarily God’s best for us. In that case, what we assume is a blessing might not be a “good thing” for us, after all.

Trust God with what you don’t see He IS Blessing; You Just Haven’t Noticed What do you consider a blessing? Something financially rewarding? Something that makes you happy? The fact that you have life, breath, and someone in your life who loves you are all blessings that He’s given that you may have been taking for granted.

Ephesians 1:3 says God has “blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” The next 11 verses describe, in detail, our eternal inheritance if we are trusting in Christ Jesus for our salvation. Start thanking Him for all that you have, even what doesn’t appear to be a blessing, and you may find He has already blessed you far more than you had realized End

What You’re Asking For Isn’t Truly Good For You Scripture tells us: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).

But sometimes we haven’t stopped to consider if what we are asking or expecting from God is truly good and perfect for us.

Psalm 84:11 assures us “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and 29 | Blessed Magazine

Spiritual Wellness

8 Ways to Trust God When Money Is Tight

Wouldn’t it be nice if having a relationship with God meant never having to worry or stress about money again?

Actually, that’s possible. But not because God fills our bank account with money when we surrender our lives to Him. Like with every aspect of our lives, God wants a relationship with us in which we are dependent on Him, and trusting Him with all that we have. He wants us to keep Him as our God, not what we have or what we’d like to have. My husband and I have lived on a small church pastor’s salary for nearly 30 years – including a few years in which my husband supported our family on a couple of minimum-wage paying jobs. I can honestly tell you that God has always provided everything we have needed and so much of what we’ve wanted.

Based on three decades of seeing God come through for my family financially, here are “10 Ways to Trust God When Money is Tight.”

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Spiritual Wellness Realize It's Not About The Money I’m convinced that our financial stability depends on how much we trust God rather than on how much we make. It’s really not about the money, how hard you work, and how wisely you’ve invested. Our financial situation is almost always about trust.

I used to get a little disillusioned during my college years, thinking If God, my Father, owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10) why is it that I can’t even afford a hamburger? I’ve learned since then that it isn’t about whether God has the money and can help us. It’s about what He wants to do in and through us, as we rely on Him for what we need. God can take whatever financial situation you're in and build into you character, hope, and a future. See every financial struggle as an opportunity to trust Him more and a doorway through which you can discover God's grace, provision, and fatherly love Trust Him With Today It’s easy to look ahead at the month and estimate how much you’ll need to pay your bills and then stress about the shortfall. But Jesus must have known we’d have a tendency to do that. He told His followers to look around and see how God provides food for the birds, and clothing for the lilies of the field. Then He told them, “if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?” (Matthew 6:30).

Jesus summed up His teaching by

saying, “don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (verses 31-33).

Jesus was giving them – and us – a formula for trusting Him daily for our provision, and not stressing about money by worrying about tomorrow

Remember How Rich You Really Are God owns it all… which makes us (His children by faith in Christ) heirs of all He has (Galatians 3:29). While we might not feel that we have much on this earth, we can read Ephesians 1:3-14 and be reminded again of what is ours in the heavenly realm. As you look at what God gives you through salvation, you can be encouraged at what is yours today, not just some day in heaven.

Think about it. If God can take care of our eternal life, by providing His beloved Son for our salvation, then certainly He can take care of our everyday life, including whatever financial needs we have.

Read Ephesians 1 – daily if you have to –

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Spiritual Wellness and remember what is yours in Christ. It will give you a different perspective and it may cause you to thank Him more than ask Him, when it comes to your financial needs

congregation to tithe 10 percent of their income for a month, and if they couldn’t pay all their bills at the end of the month – after tithing and being responsible with what they had left – my husband would personally pay their bills for them! Now that was scary for me, yet God showed His faithfulness as that poverty-stricken congregation (and the pastor’s wife!) learned to tithe and trust. Ask God to challenge you with what He wants you to give and trust Him with each month Welcome The Faith Adventure Trusting God for His provision when it looks bleak is truly an adventure in faith. Yet, we have a God who is not only pleased by our faith (Hebrews 11:6), but who also loves to come through for His children (Matthew 7:911).

Release It Back To God We are managers, not owners of the money God has entrusted us with. That makes it all His in the first place. Therefore, He expects us to give from the first of what we have to Him, as a way of honoring Him, and as a reminder to us that He owns it all.

The Old Covenant Law required God’s people to tithe (which literally means giving to God a tenth of your income). Under the New Covenant, Jesus instructed us to give generously in proportion to how we would like God to be generous toward us (Luke 6:38). He wanted to make sure that our desire to please Him was stronger than our desire for money.

I can attest to the fact that God is faithful to His children who give, even as they struggle to be faithful, financially, to Him. My husband once challenged his very small

Do you know what it’s like to get an unexpected check in the mail on Monday for the exact amount of an unexpected car repair bill you receive on Tuesday? Your unforeseen financial situations don’t take God by surprise and as you trust Him and honor Him with what you have, you will continually see Him come through for you.

See your “unforeseen financial situation” as the beginning of an exciting adventure God is waiting to lead you through.

My family has had a great time seeing God come through for us, financially, in incredible ways through the years. In fact, each time He does, we write it down on a small piece of paper and hang it on a loop we call our “blessing ring.” At the end of each year, we read through each of those blessings and are reminded again of God’s faithfulness

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Spiritual Wellness Gain Wisdom Through God's Word Sometimes we are just foolish when it comes to spending, borrowing, and handling our money. Debt is often the consequence, as is feeling we are under too heavy of a burden to ever repay or be financially free again. But that doesn’t mean God can’t still work in our lives, teach us lessons, and get us back on the road to financial recovery.

The Book of Proverbs is full of financial wisdom and warnings about getting into debt, living beyond your means, and going into business with someone you can’t trust.

Read it and take its advice when it comes to business dealings, spending money you don’t have, and charging – or paying – excessive interest. I’ve also seen God work through Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University, and other resources that are available to help believers who want to start doing things right, financially. Do what it takes to become wiser and more responsible when it comes to the money God has entrusted you with Practice Generosity Sometimes we think the more money we hold onto, the more we’ll have. But the opposite is true in the Kingdom of God. The more we give, the more God gives us so we can keep on giving. In Second Corinthians 9:6-11 we are told that as we give generously and cheerfully “God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others” (verse 8).

increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous” (verses 10-11). Pray that God will help you be generous with what you have so you will always have money to give to those who are in need Choose Contentment The Apostle Paul told the early Christians, “I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12-13). A few sentences later in that same letter, Paul assured them, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (verse 19).

Can you be content with little if that is what God has ordained for you? There is joy in living simply, in giving things away, tossing out clutter and not collecting more, and determining to live on less. Most of us have no idea how much excess we already have and how little we really need to not only get by, but to be happy. Practice contentment and you may find your financial worries aren’t nearly what they used to be. First Timothy 6:6 assures us that “godliness with contentment is great gain” (NIV) End

As you live generously toward others, Scripture promises God “will provide and 34 | Blessed Magazine

Question: Do You Know

Jesus?

Spiritual Wellness

This is a warning that should never need to be written but a terrible thing is happening and must be stopped: There are some people who claim that they know Jesus Christ ” the one who said “I am truth” — yet they tell lies like the devil himself.

They call themselves Christians but they seem to be utterly ignorant of what the word means.

Jesus Christ is the one who never told a lie. He is the one who is truth itself. The word Christian means “little Christ” but these people do not speak or act like little Christs. Christians are supposed to be the living expression of Christ, they are supposed to be his ambassadors in an evil world, they are ordered to be light in the darkness. But instead we find that these socalled Christians are obsessed with material possessions and their light is not just dim, but it

is flickering and almost out. They have become blind to their own evil, blind to the battle that they were called to fight, and blind to the consequences of their choices.

These people do not just tell lies but they live a lie. Everything they say and do is tainted with dishonesty. The roots of their deceit have gone so deep that now they can hardly recognize what is truth and what falsehood. They are no longer able to know the difference between good and evil. The devil, who is the father of lies, laughs at his prisoners and the angels weep. In their blind, stupid, dishonesty, these people forget where they live, they are unable to remember their own birthdays and they become confused and need time to think when they are asked for their names.

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Spiritual Wellness But it is worse. These people were called to glory but in their blindness they have stumbled into a pit. They are not just evil as the world around them is evil but in their blindness they are stupidly evil. They tell lies to those they call their friends. They deceive those who have trusted them and they repay kindness with evil. But then, in their blind, dishonest, foolishness they do not turn to apologize and ask forgiveness but instead they express surprise that friendships turn sour and relationships become troubled.

They tell lies to those who help them and then become upset when friendships lack warmth. Even pagans know that you should not lie to your friends. Even pagans do not expect friendship to flourish when trust has been betrayed.

In the celestial battle between good and evil, these people are traitors to their own side.

They claim to be following Christ but every with footstep they walk a few paces behind the devil. The devil likes to operate with any sinner but, for the devil, a traitor is the most useful sinner of all. A man who pretends to be god-fearing but lives a life of selfgratification is a hypocrite and it is through such people that the devil does his best work.

It was the hypocritical Pharisees that Jesus condemned most severely, and it was a traitor, not an enemy, who used a kiss (the sign of love) to betray the Lord Jesus Christ into the hands of those who killed him.

Yet it is still worse. These people who call themselves Christians do all this evil for the lowest and most detestable cause of all:– Like Judas before them, they do it for the love of money. They live their dishonest lives in order to lay their hands on those

coins that God described as the root of many evils. It would be better for them if they stopped calling themselves Christians for then at least they would be condemned only as ordinary sinners and not as traitorous hypocrites.

In their greed for dishonest gain and “comfortable” living and an “easy” life they ignore all that God said about “living loose” to the world that is passing away. When God tells them that they should not store-up treasure on earth or put their trust in worldly wealth they shut their ears and pretend they haven’t heard. When the apostle James tells them that the rich should weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon them they turn-up the volume of the Hi-fi stereo music system and pretend that they are among the poor.

These so-called Christians despise authority and break any law that inconveniences them if they think they can avoid getting caught.

In doing this they disobey God who wrote that anyone who disobeys the ruling authority is disobeying God because those authorities were instigated by God to do his will.

What is the difference between these socalled

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Spiritual Wellness called Christians and a common thief? It is simply this: The thief at least acknowledges his sin because he thanks God that he didn’t get caught. But these so-called disciples of Christ thank God for the opportunity to do wrong and for the loot that they have gathered. In this they prove themselves to be not only dishonest but also stupid because nobody can insult the living God and expect to go unpunished. As their possessions increase they praise God for his goodness but in their blind ignorance they have forgotten that God, in his mercy sends, sunshine and rain to good people and to bad ones alike. In the end those same possessions that they thanked God for will testify against them; those possessions will be the proof of their deceit and dishonesty and will be the evidence that secures their conviction in the heavenly court.

After they have told one lie these foolish and wicked people try to hide it by covering it with more lies. Their mouths multiply falsity.

Every statement they make is either a lie or an attempt to hide a lie. They make promises that they have no ability to keep. The truth

has departed from their lips. Then, when they realize their error they become afraid. They are afraid of being found-out by those they call friends, and they are afraid of the government authorities. They are afraid of being embarrassed in front of the people that they wanted to impress. Yet still they do not repent. Instead they run to hide in far-off places and there they continue with the same dishonest ways. They repay kindness with nastiness because they are too ashamed to admit to their lies, yet still they do not repent. They are utterly untrustworthy because they speak lies even to those they call their friends — even to those whom they claim to love. What fools! Do they think that God cannot see them. Even if man is deceived, will God pay no attention? Do they think that they can hide from the Spirit of God that they claim is within them? Such stupidity is beyond belief.

When they have told so many lies that they cannot even remember what they have said, then their own mouths trap them. Because they fear men more than they fear God they become ensnared by evil men who blackmail them. When you have walked the wrong road and got into trouble the only way out is to go back. But these foolish liars refuse to go back, they refuse to repent. In their stubborn and stupid pride they just keep mouthing falsity and they continue with their dishonesty. They do not understand that God opposes the proud. They do not understand that God is set against them because of their deceit.

When their consciences accuse them they claim that it must be because of the stress in

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Spiritual Wellness their lives or because they are not eating properly. Even when their sleep is disturbed, even when there is no peace in their hearts, even when their relationships are weak and useless and full of conflict they still do not repent. Instead they count the possessions that they acquired through their dishonest ways and say “we are making good progress and tomorrow we shall be richer than we are today”. Oh stupid liars! They have not learned that wealth cannot save them in the day of God’s wrath. They have not understood that when they acquire more goods through deceit they are only acquiring more witnesses that will testify against their dishonest character. In the day of judgement even the bricks of their houses will speak-out to condemn them.

All dishonesty is sin. It cannot be condoned; it cannot be justified; it cannot be excused: It can only be repented of. Dishonesty is not a “little” sin that God will overlook. There are no “little” sins. But more than this, God often ranks dishonesty as the first sin and honesty as the greatest virtue.

Listen then, if you have ears, and hear what God says: When Jesus met Nathanael sitting under the fig tree he declared him to be a true Israelite in whom there was no guile. There, in one sentence you see the priority of God. Nathanael was the true Israelite because in him their was no dishonesty, no deceit, no deviousness.

One big mistake these so-called Christians make is that they think that God is only bothered by sin such as homosexuality and

murder. What they do not understand is first, that God is bothered about all sin, and second that it is dishonesty and deceit that lead to adultery, murder and other terrible actions. More than this, adultery, murder and dishonesty and are “external” sins but dishonesty and deception are “internal” hidden sins.

In the scriptures there are more references to dishonesty and than to sexual sin. Murder is rarely mentioned except in conjunction with dishonesty. For example, look at the message from God through the prophet Hosea: Hosea 4:1-2 Hear the word of the LORD, you Israelites, because the LORD has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: "There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgement of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.

See! In the list of God’s complaints, the first complaint is that there is “no faithfulness” and lying is mentioned before murder. When the Psalmist wrote about the wicked people he did not describe them as adulterers and homosexuals, rather he describes the wicked as arrogant people who tell lies and are deceitful. Look at what the Psalmist wrote: Psalm 5:4-6 You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors.

And again, when the Psalmist cries to God

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Spiritual Wellness for help, his complaint is that the people are deceitful: Psalm 12:1-3 Help, LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men. Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception.

May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue And the judgement on dishonesty is severe and eternal for God said, Psalm 101:7 No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.

In the book of proverbs we find that people who are deceitful and dishonest should expect to be punished: Proverbs 19:5,9 A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will not go free. ... A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will perish.

face from you, so that he will not hear. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters wicked things. No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments and speak lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.

When the prophet Zephaniah is describing the people who will survive the judgement of God he doesn’t mention murder, or sexual sin but honesty is at the forefront of his thoughts: Zephaniah 3:13 The remnant of Israel will do no wrong; they will speak no lies, nor will deceit be found in their mouths. They will eat and lie down and no one will make them afraid.“ When we arrive at the teaching of the Lord Jesus then we are reminded that the devil is the originator of all lies. Those who are untruthful, deceitful and dishonest are speaking the language of the devil. It is no surprise then that God should condemn them.

When Isaiah is explaining what sins have caused the face of God to be turned away from the people, he mentions bloodshed only once but dishonesty three times. From this we learn that dishonesty is a serious offence in the sight of God and that it separates people from God. God does not pay attention to their prayers because their mouths are so full of sin.

Isaiah 59:1-4 Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his 41 | Blessed Magazine

Spiritual Wellness John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

These so-called Christians break the laws of the land with impunity. They plead poverty and pray for the blessing of God. Is God a liar? Is God a fool? No, but these so-called Christians are ignorant of his power and his methods for God had it written that:

Romans 13:1-5 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgement on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for

nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.

Has God changed or is he the one who changes not? See what God spoke to the people of Jerusalem! Look at how he warned them. Be sure to understand why they were condemned! Was it for murder or sexual immorality? No, it was because they were dishonest.

Micah 6:9-14 Listen! The LORD is calling to the city — and to fear your name is wisdom — “Heed the rod and the One who appointed it. Am I still to forget, O wicked house, your ill-gotten treasures and the short ephah, which is accursed? Shall I acquit a man with dishonest scales, with a bag of false weights?

Her rich men are violent; her people are liars and their tongues speak deceitfully.

Therefore, I have begun to destroy you, to ruin you because of your sins. You will eat but not be satisfied; your stomach will still be empty. You will store up but save nothing, because what you save I will give to the sword. You will plant but not harvest; you will press olives but not use the oil on yourselves, you will crush grapes but not drink the wine.”

The Lord Jesus understood fully the implications of dishonesty. He himself said that “out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks”. Therefore the mouth which is deceitful and tells lies is simply expressing the very nature of the person to whom that mouth belongs.

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Spiritual Wellness Luke 16:10-15 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own? No servant can serve two masters.

Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight.”

warning Proverbs 10:16 The wages of the righteous bring them life, but the income of the wicked brings them punishment.

It is almost inconceivable that anyone should repay good with evil but there are some who have fallen so far down that they can, in fact, do something like this that is so disgraceful and base. This however is the scripture that such people need to remember: Proverbs 17:13 If a man pays back evil for good, evil will never leave his house.

And when the lives of these so-called Christians are filled with stress, trouble and woe they should recall to mind that:

The apostle James wrote to warn Christians: James 4:4-10 You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Proverbs 19:22-23 What a man desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar.

The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

When John saw the revelation of the new Jerusalem he was moved to write: Revelation 21:27 Nothing impure will ever enter it [the New Jerusalem], nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Revelation 21:8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars – their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulphur.

This is the second death.“

In the book of wise sayings we find this warning: 44 | Blessed Magazine

Spiritual Wellness 1 John 2:3-4 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

So, you who call yourselves Christians, stop comparing yourselves with the world around you and instead measure yourself against the word of God. Stop being foolish. Stop thinking that God does not mind your lies.

The word of the God to the wicked is repent — turn back, flee from evil, hate immorality.

Speak the truth and do not be deceitful. Obey God and stop being hypocrites. Remember your names and your date of birth. Stop pretending that you don’t know where you live.

God is faithful. A humble spirit and contrite heart he will not despise. If we confess our sins he will forgive us. If we turn back he will set our feet on solid ground.

The wrath of God is coming on the world and it will come first to those who call themselves Christians. You can run but there will be nowhere to hide. Nobody can make a fool out of God. End 45 | Blessed Magazine

Spiritual Wellness

When God Breaks His Promise

by Kelli Hughett

When life comes crashing down around us, we’re left to face an ugly truth. God didn’t keep His promises. Our marriages smolder in burning ash heaps. Our kids are locked up in juvie. The happiness we deserve got flushed down the toilet when we got laid off from our job. Bahamas vacation? Cancelled due to hurricane.

Promises? Yeah, promises to be happy and successful.

Promises that we wouldn’t ever be given more than we could handle. But our children get sick, our mother’s have Alzheimer’s disease, and our husbands are unfaithful. Broken promises from a God we can’t trust.

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Spiritual Wellness I’m afraid this is the sad reality of many women all over the world. They feel God has let them down and they’re left to pick up the pieces of their broken lives by themselves.

been guilty at times) leads us to believe that God promised prosperity, happiness, romantic marriages, and fulfilling relationships at church.

Did God break His promises?

He didn’t. We aren’t assured of any of those things.

NEVER!!!

The only ugly truth we face when we believe God has broken a promise is the fact that we’ve believed a lie.

“This is truth: God is incapable of breaking a promise” “I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips.” Psalm 89:34

But instead of focusing on what He hasn’t promised, I want to spend the remainder of this article focused on what he HAS promised. This is what we can rely on.

Always. Forever!!!

He has promised refuge. The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. Proverbs 18:10 He has promised to be a Father. Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. Psalm 68:5

The world presents God as a loving Father who “just wants us to be happy.” Even nonreligious women pray for prosperity, happiness, and safety. Christian women, too.

Listen to your own prayers. Listen to public prayers. Continue to bless us. Keep us safe.

Give us healing. Help our new business be successful.

When things fall apart? We stop praying; stop going to worship. It feels like He’s not listening. God is distant. I can’t face that kind rejection anymore. What am I getting out of it? God gave up on me.

This kind of imagery brings to mind a giant vending machine. Prayers in = blessings out.

If we pray pretty prayers, He will continue to bless us. This kind of thinking, (I admit, I’ve

He has promised safety from too much temptation. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation

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Spiritual Wellness he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 He has promised redemption. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace… Ephesians 1:7 He has promised to come again. Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. John 14:1-3 In the face of difficulty, when we feel God hasn’t kept His promises, we must turn our hearts to the word of God instead of the ways of the world. God’s promises are solid, yet we can fall back on them when our world crumbles. We will never be forsaken. We will always have a father. He loves us and forgives us.

He is not a vending machine of blessing, but a God who sees deeper and further than we can. He values suffering for its ability to cleanse and focus our heart toward Him. He values broken things because He alone can renew them. He is a God who’s able to be everything we need when we need it. In the face of grief, He is a Comforter. In the face of sin, He is a Redeemer. In the face of danger, He is a Refuge.

Stand on the true promises of God and He will never let you down. End 49 | Blessed Magazine

Question: Do You Know

Jesus?

Personal Wellness

Three Reasons To Stop Flaunting What You’ve Got

by Liza Proch

I was in the grocery store checkout line waiting to pay for my basket full of food when I glanced at the magazines above the register (something I don’t recommend) and saw a magazine cover with big, bold words that said “GET NAKED.” The bluntness of that message was startling, so I paid for my groceries and left. But I haven’t forgotten those bright yellow letters screaming at everyone who walked by. Get naked. Those two words summarize so much of the culture’s messages we see and hear today.

•Show more skin.

•Use your body to get what you want.

•The tighter the clothes, the better.

•A revealing outfit gives you attention—and power.

•Women who flaunt their bodies get what we crave.

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Personal Wellness What’s the harm in following their influence?

Those messages aren’t in alignment at all with God’s message for His followers, His precious, bloodbought children designed in His image (Genesis. 1:27, 2:21–24). To understand why “getting naked” for the sake of drawing attention to ourselves isn’t God’s best for us, let’s take it back to the beginning.

Pre-Fall Eden: No Shame In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve lived and were naked. And there was no shame (Gen. 2:25).

They had possessed no instinct to cover up. They were innocent. Then Eve believed Satan’s lies, ate the forbidden fruit, offered some to Adam, who ate, and they both realized: We’re naked, and it’s embarrassing (Gen. 3).

They realized their vulnerability. For the first time in human history, shame was felt.

So they grabbed some fig leaves and tried to sew some kind of clothing. Then God came through the garden, and after a world-changing conversation, He did something incredible. He made clothes for the first man and woman from the skin of an animal (Gen. 3:21).

He covered Adam and Eve’s shame and nakedness and promised an ultimate covering of their guilt in the future. That ultimate covering came through the blood of Jesus on the cross, when He offered Himself as the covering for our shame and sin to wash away the stains of death.

But of course Satan is always trying to undermine the truth of Christ’s covering, so the culture has tried to twist something that is beautiful, sacred, and secret to now encourage us to flaunt our bodies. To “get naked” as a way to attract the attention we crave, as that magazine so directly put 53 | Blessed Magazine

Personal Wellness it. Instead of going with the flow of culture, instead of shedding our clothing to bare our bodies for the world to see, let’s debunk those lies with these three truths about our bodies.

Truth #1: Your Body Is Not A Lure Your body wasn’t created to be a lure that you flaunt for every guy to see. (Our bodies are certainly created to be attractive—but for one man in the context of marriage!)

Flaunting our bodies to attract guys and pull them into temptation and sin defies God’s Word. Proverbs 7 serves as a warning against snagging men with impure motives and impure methods.

We’re not objects to be used. God designed women to be valued, honored, and cherished.

Do we really want to date or marry a guy who only loves us for our body and what he can get from us physically? If that’s the level of our relationship, the minute he decides our body isn’t what he’s looking for any more, he’ll move on to someone else’s body. Let’s determine that we’ll only enter a relationship with a guy who loves Jesus and values us for who we are, not what we can physically offer him!

Truth #2: Your Body Isn’t Really Yours!

‘Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body’ (1 Cor. 6:19–20) What if we determined to glorify God in our bodies every morning with our wardrobe choices? Not to glorify our cleavage or our hips, but to bring glory to Jesus through our attitude, how we carry ourselves, and how we relate to others with kindness and grace ‘Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious’ (1 Peter 3:3–4).

Truth #3: You’re Worth More Than Your Body Our bodies do not determine our value, but if we start to believe they do, we’ll be miserable!

We’re simply not made to flaunt what we’ve got for anyone and everyone. (Note that in marriage, flaunting is encouraged! Song of Solomon makes that very clear.) As women who want to honor God, let’s quit trying to attract men with our bodies—and let’s help men reach for a higher standard. One that values and respects women rather than objectifying them.

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Personal Wellness We’ll never be satisfied by flaunting what we’ve got, because we are created with a desire for satisfaction that can only be met by Jesus! So no matter how hard we try to gain satisfaction elsewhere, we can’t feel truly valued or loved apart from Christ (Ps. 107:9).

Culture urges us to go against God’s design by finding worth in our bodies. But what happens when your body isn’t enough?

When your shape goes out of style? If we find our worth in our temporal bodies, we automatically set ourselves up for emptiness, unfulfillment, and never feeling quite good enough.

But if we seek God’s perspective, if we desire to cultivate hearts that honor and adore our Savior, that’s where we’ll discover contentment and fulfillment. End Taken from Liza Proch’ blog post Your Body Is Not a Lure. Used with permission from www.LiesYoungWomenBelieve.com

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Personal Wellness

How to Keep Waiting Time from Becoming Wasted Time

“In life, God will always work sovereignly, strangely, and slowly,” pastor and author Steve Farrar says. “He will take time, but He will not waste time.”

In this culture of ours, we have become accustomed to things happening quickly. Fast food. Online check-ins. Call ahead seating. One-hour photo processing. And while these cultural conveniences are minor in the grand scheme of things, they certainly haven’t helped us learn how to wait on the big things.

We’ve been praying for a new job. For healing from a dreadful disease. For God’s direction, His supernatural wisdom and discernment, a display of His power in and provision for our lives. We don’t understand why it’s taking so long for Him to answer. We don’t understand why we are having to wait.

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Personal Wellness But those who desire to experience an extraordinary life will learn the value of waiting on God’s timing.

Waiting time does not have to be wasted time. God often calls on us to take a timeout, because waiting has always been a part of God’s plan for those He uses in a powerful way. God’s most extraordinary servants have had to learn that significance is developed not on the playground of activity, but during the quiet recesses.

never trusted before. This deepening of Elijah’s faith was not optional, but essential for the future assignment God had in mind for His prophet.

Perhaps you are in a similar place in your life in which you feel cut off from others and even from God. Your Cherith may be the result of: ▪ ▪

Elijah was one of these extraordinary servants. After Elijah’s initial confrontation with Ahab, God told the prophet to leave Samaria and go to the wilderness. “The word of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan’” (1 Kings 17:2–3).

Why would God send the one man in all of Israel willing to stand up to the godlessness that had gripped the nation to sit beside a small creek in the desert? I do not think it was for Elijah’s protection. God was more than capable of ensuring that no harm came to His prophet without hiding him in the desert.

▪ ▪

the loss of a significant relationship due to death or desertion of another person, a moral failure in your life that continues to produce painful consequences, a poor decision in your finances or your career that has separated you from your dreams, or fulfilling the mundane—and often unrewarded—responsibilities of caring for your family.

Although your present circumstances make you feel cut off from the life you dreamed of, God is using this experience to cut down your reliance on anything or anyone other than Him so you might learn to trust God completely. Learning to depend upon God fully is vital for anyone who wants to experience an extraordinary life.

Instead, God reassigned Elijah to the wilderness for two other reasons. First, Elijah’s withdrawal from the national scene was itself a judgment against the nation of Israel. Additionally, God would also use this parenthesis in Elijah’s ministry to prepare him for a great future mission. By isolating him in that uncomfortable place, God was teaching Elijah to trust Him in ways he had

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Personal Wellness During Elijah’s boot camp experience, God taught his servant three vital skills necessary for spiritual success—skills we must develop as well if we want to experience a significant life. These three skills are what we need to keep our “waiting time” from becoming “wasted time.”

What was true in Elijah’s life is true in yours.

Usually, God only reveals as much of His plan for your life as you need today. Do not worry about what He has in store for you in the next year, the next month, or even the next day. “Tomorrow will care for itself,” Jesus said. “Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matt. 6:34).

Walk with God Daily Obey God Completely The path God calls us to walk is one of faith and obedience, not sight and independence.

Paul encouraged the Corinthian believers with this truth: “we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7).

God is not in the habit of revealing His entire plan for our life all at once. If He did, we would race forward without ever feeling the need to slow down, listen to His voice, and wait on His direction. While God does not unravel His entire blueprint for our lives, He can always be trusted to reveal to us the next thing we need to do. Every Christian who wants to experience an extraordinary life needs to answer the question, “What is the next thing God wants me to do?”

For Elijah, God’s answer came through a simple command: “Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan” (1 Kings 17:2–3). God did not reveal to Elijah what every day would be like at Cherith, the next phase of his training at Zarephath, or the daunting contest that awaited him on Mount Carmel.

The Lord simply revealed to His servant what he was to do next.

When God recalled Elijah from the palace and redeployed him to the wilderness, he did not balk. Elijah did not dig in his heels and remind the Lord that He was the one who had dispatched him to Samaria on this risky mission in the first place. Nor did Elijah protest the unreasonableness of going into hiding when his influence was making such a difference in the culture. Instead, when the Lord told Elijah to pack his backpack for a camping trip, he obeyed instantly: “So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and lived by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan” (1 Kings 17:5).

I think about the honest confession of my friend and mentor Dr. Howard Hendricks, who said, “The Lord and I have a running argument. I constantly attempt to impress him with how much I know. He constantly seeks to impress me with how little I have obeyed.”7 If a godly leader like Howard Hendricks struggled with obedience, then why should you or I be surprised by our difficulty in obeying God immediately and completely?

However, Elijah not only preached God’s Word to others but also practiced God’s Word himself. When God spoke, Elijah

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Personal Wellness listened and obeyed. God’s prophet in hiding was a living illustration of what the New Testament writer James had in mind when he exhorted Christians to be “doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves” (James 1:22).

And do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.

(Prov. 3:5–6) If Elijah had chosen to “lean on his own understanding,” then he would not have retreated to Cherith after his initial successful encounter with Ahab. Instead, he would have embarked on a speaking tour throughout Israel! He would have called the people back to faithfulness, cajoling the nation to repent from its idolatry. He probably would have immediately challenged the prophets of Baal to a showdown on Mount Carmel. After all, Elijah was a hot commodity in Israel.

Everyone was talking about this up-andcoming unknown prophet who had the courage to confront the most powerful person in the nation.

Trust God Absolutely God promised that He would take care of Elijah at Cherith. Though the means of God’s provision seemed unusual, Elijah trusted God without reservation. The Lord said to Elijah, “It shall be that you will drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there” (1 Kings 17:4).

After Elijah found a spot to set up camp, the Lord dispatched ravens to feed His hungry prophet. Twice a day, morning and evening, those big black birds brought Elijah bread and meat, and he drank from the clear, clean water of Cherith (v. 6).

But that was the very thing God did not want Elijah to do—not at that time, anyway. God wanted His prophet to regroup, rethink, and renew his soul. And in Elijah’s process of waiting for his next assignment and trusting the Lord to provide for his needs, God would refine and strengthen his faith.

Cherith seems like an odd place for a successful prophet to wait, but it was exactly the place where God wanted Elijah. End

Every day Elijah experienced the truth one of Israel’s kings had written years earlier: Trust in the Lord with all your heart

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Question: Do You Know

Jesus?

Personal Wellness

Sinful Single, I’m twenty-nine years old, and I still struggle to shake this one big fat lie.

It’s a lie that keeps single girls discontent and married women unhappy.

So what is this whopper of a lie that deceives us so often? That my sinful heart will change when my circumstances change.

When my life’s circumstances look different, I tell myself, then I will magically transform into that epically godly woman I’ve always wanted to be.

Logically, we know that doesn’t make sense. We know we can’t transform overnight. But the enemy sneaks in and drops this juicy lie directly into our hearts, and we take the bait.

We tend to think our own sin isn’t really the problem. It must be someone or something else causing us to behave selfishly or pridefully. Surely it’s not on us! And the moment our circumstances change, we will change. We won’t have these sin issues popping up anymore, right? Once I’ve got a guy, I won’t struggle with these silly sin issues anymore, right?

I’ve finally begun to see what a big fat lie this actually is.

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Personal Wellness

Sinful Bride Boyfriend, Meet My Selfish Heart A few months ago I entered a relationship with an amazing and godly man. All of my little girl dreams were finally coming true!

My imperfect self would now magically transform into the godly woman and perfect girlfriend that I’ve always imagine myself to be. (That’s what I told myself, at least.)

Things went well for a while. I discovered I could overcome my selfish thoughts and impatient words with strong feelings of fondness for my man. (That’s called infatuation!)

Deep down I hoped selflessness and patience would come this easily forever and ever. Maybe this relationship has transformed me into a perfect angel?!

Oh, how I wish that were true.

Despite my desire to love my now-fiancé so patiently and perfectly, the very same sinful heart I had before the relationship was still inside me. And just like sin tends to do, it began to bare its ugly face in our relationship.

My sinful heart was revealing itself. Patience was running dry.

Selflessness began to disappear. I was recognizing my sinful single self in my sinful girlfriend self.

63 | Blessed Magazine

Personal Wellness Marriage Will Just Expose You

By God’s grace, I realized what I hadn’t been doing. I hadn’t taken ownership of my sinful heart.

Instead of passively waiting for marriage to “magically transform you,” begin pursuing holiness now. Let’s take our spiritual growth seriously!

Time to Get Growing’

I needed to ask God to sanctify me, to make me more like Him. I needed to get serious about spiritual growth and understand that holiness doesn’t just happen. Holiness requires action. It requires repentance before God, studying truth, spending time with Him, and totally relying on Him for grace and help.

God’s Word provides the answers for true and lasting change—change that makes us more and more like God’s Son. Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:13– 16).

We can’t plan to enter our future marriages with our fingers crossed, believing that we’ll get better once our circumstances change.

We need to tackle sinful hearts right now.

Spiritual growth isn’t meant to be put on hold.

I love what Phillip Holmes says in this article Single You Will Be the Married You: “Marriage will not instantly change you. It will only expose what was already inside of you.”

These verses from Ephesians have been a huge help in guiding my spiritual growth.

Assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:21–24).

Once we know Jesus as our Savior, we’re commanded to do these three things listed in those verses: Stop acting like you did before you knew Christ. (“Put off your old self.”)

Renew your mind with biblical truth. (“Be renewed in the spirit of your minds.”)

Start living in the truth, seeking to be like Jesus. (“Put on the new self.”)

Let’s put those steps into action. Take advantage of your single years and actively deepen your relationship with God, asking Him grow you in holiness.

And then if God does have marriage in store for you, your spiritual walk will be miles ahead of where you would have been if you had remained stagnant.

64 | Blessed Magazine

Personal Wellness By the way, I’m not saying you will ever have a perfect life or marriage—we will always be sinners, that’s for sure! But don’t neglect spiritual growth because you assume or hope marriage will make your sin disappear. It won’t. It will only expose what’s truly inside you. End Taken from Bethany Baird’ blog post Sinful Single, Sinful Bride. Used with permission from www.LiesYoungWomenBelieve.com

Question: Do You Know

Jesus?

65 | Blessed Magazine

Personal Wellness

(& Make The Most of Your Free Time!)

67 | Blessed Magazine

Personal Wellness Do you ever have those days where you plan to be mega-productive when you get home from work but instead you spend the whole night watching Netflix and scrolling through blog posts? Welcome to my life, friends. It’s either that exact situation, or I’m 100% focused on my blog and forget to do all of the other things I planned to do.

Sometimes we get so tired from the workday that all we want to do when we get home is mind-numbing activities in an attempt to give ourselves a break, but that just becomes an endless cycle which leaves us feeling burnt out and unfulfilled.

One of my monthly goals for August was to go for a walk after dinner, and I seriously never expected to love it so much. My boyfriend and I really appreciated the time to wander around our neighborhood and not worry about anything for 20 minutes.

You’ve probably been sitting in an office all day, so some fresh air and a little exercise is going to lift your mood dramatically. Leave your phone at home, and let yourself zone out away from Netflix and social media notifications.

TURN OFF EMAIL ALERTS

There are also those times when you can’t switch out of work mode, so you end up stressing yourself out about unfinished work and what’s to come tomorrow. Those time are the worst.

I’ve realized that I don’t really want to be stuck in this cycle anymore, so I’ve started making a few changes in my afterwork routine that make me feel more productive and pumped to get home from work. If you can relate to any of the above situations, give these tips a go and start making the most of your free time!

GO FOR A WALK (AND DON’T BRING YOUR PHONE!)

Here’s my number one piece of advice for letting yourself relax: don’t check your work email. I haven’t set up work email on my phone because I know it will only cause me unnecessary stress if I’m getting email alerts after I’ve left the office. It’s really important to set boundaries with your time because otherwise your work life will just blend into your personal life SCHEDULE WEEKDAYS

68 | Blessed Magazine

FUN

INTO

YOUR

Personal Wellness mine. It’s important to work towards something you can take pride in, but doesn’t consume all of your time. Think of what you loved to do as a kid (dancing, playing tennis, painting), and see if you can get back into it again, or try something completely new like photography, salsa dancing, or calligraphy!

MAKE A DESSERT Most of us schedule fun outings and activities on the weekends, but there are five other days of the week that you could be having fun, too! Schedule in a few miniadventures during the week and make them a priority.

Maybe plan a froyo date with a friend, try out that new kickboxing class at the gym, or schedule in a manicure. Do something that gets you excited about the weeknights!

START A NEW HOBBY OR REVISIT AN OLD ONE

What better way to enjoy your evenings than with some delicious homemade brownies? Exactly, there is no better way. Making something with your own two hands is a great way to relieve stress and take your mind off your to-do list, and you get to enjoy your creation afterwards – aw yeah!

TAKE A (FREE) ONLINE COURSE

I’ve always cringed when people ask me what my hobbies are because, like most millennials these days, I don’t really have any. I have, however, started teaching myself to play piano, and I’d love to get to the point where I could call it a hobby of

69 | Blessed Magazine

Personal Wellness Take advantage of the free and inexpensive online resources out there! I took a free online nutrition course through Coursera, and while it might seem stressful or boring to take a class during your free time, it’s a great way to learn about a new subject or further your learning in something you already enjoy PAMPER YOURSELF

You gotta give yourself some love now and again. Most of us reserve Sundays for a nice pampering sesh, but it can be just as important to treat yourself on a weekday. I love running a bath, lighting a soothing candle, slapping a face mask on, and digging into a good book. Schedule a pamper sesh into your calendar during the week and make sure you treat yourself! End

70 | Blessed Magazine

Artist Showcase

Blessed Assurance 73 | Blessed Magazine

Artist Showcase GRAMMY ® and DOVE Award-winning artist Guy Penrod is an amazing vocalist to be sure.

House to Carnegie Hall.

These fresh arrangements invite listeners to sing along to timeless lyrics of eternal truth and hope.

But Guy is not just a singer, he’s a personality.

Classics, features some of his most requested hits from his 14-yr tenure as lead singer with the renowned Gaither Vocal Band, where he became internationally known for his powerhouse vocals and broad singing range.

Produced by Penrod, the new collection contains “The Baptism of Jesse Taylor,” “The Old Rugged Cross Made the Difference,” “Yes I know,” “Then Came the Morning,” “Because He Lives” and more fan favorites that highlight his unmistakable vocal tones.

By appearance alone, Guy has a signature look that is recognized around the world. From hair to height, belt buckle to boots, piercing eyes to engaging grin, Guy is a presence that is easily recognized. Beyond that, there is substance behind the style, because Penrod’s authenticity causes people to listen to what he has to say. Guy’s rasp-tinged country style vocals and experience on stage over the years, have given him the ability to be relaxed and confident in every setting. He has a stage presence that few can pull off.

In addition, the music industry reflects Guy’s popularity. His DVD release, The Best of Guy Penrod, was certified platinum by the RIAA, a claim few can match in any genre. The Best of Guy Penrod highlights some of Guy’s musical history while escorting the viewer into the home and farm of Guy, Angie and their children. Living the country life and being a family man (father to 7 sons and 1 daughter) are a significant part of the personality that is Guy Penrod.

Blessed Assurance is the brand new release from Guy. Guy chose these hymns because of their power to touch and renew your soul.

This album reflects his signature personality while spotlighting Guy’s unmistakable rich tones and country-influenced style that graced stages and attracted audiences from The Grand Ole’ Opry and The Sydney Opera

“I’m glad to have had the chance to sing these songs with the GVB and am really excited to have them together as a solo collection,” states Guy, one of gospel music’s most celebrated vocalists on the Gaither Homecoming Series. “The joy and truth of the tunes and messages in them are timeless and encouraging. I hope they

74 | Blessed Magazine

Artist Showcase ‘crank your tractor’, bring a smile to your face, put a pep in your step and bring peace to your heart.”

LIVE Hymns & Worship CD/DVD project was also produced by Penrod. The DVD landed at No. 1 on the Christian Music Video chart and no. 1 on the Billboard Music Video chart. The CD claimed the No. 2 position on the Contemporary Christian Music chart as well as the No.1 position on the Southern Gospel chart, the week of it’s release, according to Nielsen Soundscan.

Guy’s solo career began in August 2009, when he released his debut solo album, Breathe Deep, on the Servant Records label. Produced by veteran country music producer and studio musician Brent Rowan, the album consists of positive country music with Christian undertones.

Guy, an inductee into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, hosts for the sixth year, DayStar Television’s Emmy Award-winning “Gospel Music Showcase” program.

Guy’s combined career sales are now in excess of 4 million units and he is followed on Facebook by over 300,000 people.

Penrod and his wife Angie were recently guests on Life Today with James Robison. He is a repeat guest at The Grand Ole Opry and Guy was a featured performer, along with Kari Jobe, at the Faith, Freedom, & Future Inaugural Ball hosted by the Family Research Council in January 2017.

But more importantly, Guy is a man of character on stage and off, living a life of faith, loving others and capping it off with a warm-hearted grin.

In September 2014, Guy released his first solo Christmas project entitled Christmas in the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® where it became No. 2 in sales second only to Blake Shelton.

Penrod's sophomore solo album Hymns debuted at No. 1 on the Nielsen SoundScan Southern Gospel retail chart, became the top-selling southern gospel album of 2012, and was also one of the year’s top-selling gospel recordings in Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® nationwide.

76 | Blessed Magazine

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Easy Closet Ideas

Even The Smallest Closets Can Look Elegant While Maintaining Organization With Some Simple Ideas 78 | Blessed Magazine

For Your Home

Unify Hangers Chances are you've collected an eclectic mix of plastic, wood, and metal hangers over the years. Remove all plastic and metal dry cleaning hangers (you can return those to the dry cleaner). Invest in a set of wooden hangers and non-slip hangers to streamline your hanging wardrobe. Everything will hang together nicely, and look real nice too

Tension Rod Shoe Rack Whether you’ve got 5 or 50 pairs of shoes, this tip will eliminate shoe clutter.

Suspend two tension rods in the bottom of your closet to create a makeshift shoe rack

Simple Division Garment Organizers Put all the pants together; put all the tops together. Something that I use all the time, and my clients really like them, are Simple Division Garment Organizers. It’s basically a plastic divider that just fits over the closet rod, so you can see at a glance your different types of clothes. - $15.99 at Amazon 79 | Blessed Magazine

Easy Closet Ideas Stagger Shoes You can fit more on your closet shelves if you store shoes with the right and left ones facing opposite directions. To do this, face one shoe toe to the front and the other heel to the front

Use Office Organizers Get creative with on-shelf storage. It turns out magazine files are the ideal shape for storing clutches and wristlets

Style Your Space Adding a mirror, a piece of art, fun colors, or hanging wallpaper are all easy ways to add character to your closet. Stay away from flowers, books, and stuffed animals, which all collect dust that will make your clothes feel less fresh

80 | Blessed Magazine

For Your Home

Make Your Space Look Bigger If you have room for it, we suggest adding a mirror. It will instantly give you a high end closet feel and make your space look a lot bigger

Add a Light Add lights in your closet so you can see (and use!) what's in there

Remove that Traditional Door If you live in a small space, replace traditional closet doors that swing out with curtains or hanging screens

81 | Blessed Magazine

Easy Closet Ideas Add Color Keep your closet in shape by treating it like a small room. Pay attention to lighting, wall color, and floor coverings

Use PVC Pipes Using PVC piping can help with storing ties, belts, scarves, etc. and it’s inexpensive too

Over the Door Space Conserve prime closet space: hang suitcases over the door. Plus, utilize the empty space within the suitcases for storing out of season sweaters, coats, etc.

82 | Blessed Magazine

For Your Home

Utilize Wasted Space Instead of hanging scarves, belts, and other accessories on hangers and taking up valuable rod space, try this trick. Attach a towel bar to unused wall space to create a personalized display for your collection

Hang Your Rod Higher It might look silly, but when you boost the bar higher, you can fit more below your clothes (genius). Then, you can squeeze a dresser or shoe rack underneath your hung-up garments

Gain Space with Brackets Instead of using these tools to hold up a shelf, flip them over and use the rails to add even more hanger space in your closet. In this idea from IKEA, pants are organized by category (jeans, shorts and patterns)

83 | Blessed Magazine

For the Family

Simple Delicious Recipes to Share with Your Family this Thanksgiving

85 | Blessed Magazine

For the Family

Fried Cabbage Ingredients: 1 lb. bacon, finely chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 2 lbs. cabbage, finely diced 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions: 1. Fry bacon until crisp and well browned.

2. Drain and set aside.

3. Add chopped onion to the bacon grease and stir until translucent.

4. Add cabbage, pepper flakes, salt and pepper, stirring until all cabbage is coated.

5. Add the crumbled bacon bits and cover.

6. Cook over low heat until cabbage is tender.

86 | Blessed Magazine

For the Family

Chicken and Dumplings Ingredients: 4 boneless skinless chicken breast 1 can chicken broth 2 cans cream of chicken sliced carrots sliced celery 1/2 can peas 1/2 onion crumbled bacon parsley garlic powder salt and pepper 1 can flaky biscuits

Directions: 1. Place chicken breasts in bottom of crockpot 2. Pour chicken broth and both cream of chickens over it 3. Add in carrots, celery and onion. How much ever you prefer 4. Add in garlic powder, salt and pepper and parsley flakes over it, how much ever you prefer 5. Cook on high for 3 hours 6. Remove chicken and shred. Add the chicken back in with some crumbled bacon and the peas, stir together.

7. Break up the flaky biscuits, uncooked, and put in the crockpot. I break each roll in about 3 parts and just place them on top.

8. Remain cooking for another hour or so on high or until done 87 | Blessed Magazine

For the Family

Sweet and Sour Chicken Ingredients: 3-5 chicken breast salt and pepper 1 cup cornstarch 2 eggs, beaten 1/3 cup canola oil

Sauce 3/4 cups sugar 4 Tablespoons ketchup 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar 1 Tablespoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions: Rinse chicken, trim off fat or extras and then cut into 1 inch cubes. season with salt and pepper.

Dip chicken into cornstarch and coat all the way and then into eggs. Heat oil in large skillet.

Cook chicken until browned. Place in baking dish. 3 chicken breasts can be in a 9Ă—9 but 5 chicken breasts fits better in a 9Ă—13.

Sauce: Whisk until smooth. Then pour evenly over chicken. Turn chicken so the sauce gets on both sides and then put in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. turn chicken and then cook for 15 more minutes

88 | Blessed Magazine

For the Family

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Ingredients: 2 lb. fresh asparagus, ends trimmed 12 slice bacon, uncooked 1/2 c light brown sugar 1/2 c butter 1 Tbsp soy sauce 1/2 tsp garlic salt 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Divide asparagus spears into 12 bundles (3-4 pieces each). Wrap 1 piece of bacon around each bundle, starting 1/2″ from bottom of the tips. Secure the bacon-wrapped asparagus with a toothpick. Arrange bundle in a shallow baking pan.

3. Combine brown sugar and remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan; heat mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Pour mixture over asparagus bundles.

4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until spears have begun to wilt and bacon looks fully cooked

89 | Blessed Magazine

For the Family

Texas Roadhouse Rolls Ingredients: 1 cup warm milk 1 package or 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast 1/3 cup sugar 3 1/2 cups all-purpose four, plus more for the board 1 egg 1/3 cup butter, melted plus 1/4 cup butter, melted (optional) 1 teaspoon salt Honey Cinnamon Butter 1/2 cup softened butter 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Directions: 1. In a cup or small bowl, stir together the warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Allow the yeast to proof and begin to activate.

2. Using a stand mixer or food processor, combine the flour, egg, 1/3 cup melted butter, and salt.

3. Add the milk mixture and process until you have a smooth dough; it will be stickier and wetter than regular bread dough. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turn the dough to grease all sides, and cover with a towel. Let rise until it has doubled in size. When the dough has doubled, punch it down and turn it out on a floured board. Let rest for 10 minutes.

4. Roll out the dough into a large, flat rectangle approximately 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 16 portions with a sharp knife and place on a greased baking sheet and let rise again, until doubled.

5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake the rolls for 10 minutes on the greased baking sheet.

6. Prepare honey cinnamon butter by combining butter, cinnamon, honey, and powdered sugar until well blended.

90 | Blessed Magazine

For the Family

Beef Liver and Onions Ingredients: 1⁄4 cup flour 1⁄2 teaspoon salt 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper 1 lb. beef liver 1⁄4-1⁄2 cup butter oil, to taste 2 cups thinly sliced onions 1 -2 tablespoon fresh sage, minced 1⁄2 cup beef stock 1⁄4 cup dry white wine 1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley

Directions: 1. Combine flour, salt and pepper in bag.

2. Slice the liver into 1/2 inch strips and shake in bag of seasonings to coat. Set aside.

3. Heat skillet with 2-3 tablespoons of butter and a dash of oil.

4. Saute the onions on medium heat until tender and glossy.

5. Transfer to side dish and sprinkle with sage, salt and pepper.

6. Return skillet to high heat, add 3-4 tablespoons butter and dash of oil.

7. Add liver and sear 5 minutes until brown. Inside meat should be slightly pink.

8. Return onions to pan until heated.

9. Remove liver and onions from pan and plate.

10. Use stock and wine to deglaze pan and reduce liquid until you have a thickened sauce.

11. Pour over liver and onions, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

91 | Blessed Magazine

For the Family

3 Envelope Roast Ingredients: 3 pound beef roast such as chuck roast 1 envelope of dry Italian salad dressing mix 1 envelope of dry ranch salad dressing mix 1 envelope of dry brown gravy mix 2 cups water

Directions: 1. Put the water in a measuring cup that is larger then the amount of water you are using.

2. Now add and mix all three envelopes of dry salad dressings to the water.

3. Mix until blended completely.

4. Brown the roast (if desired).

5. Add the meat to your cooker.

6. Pour the water, salad dressing mixture over the roast.

7 In the slow cooker cook it on high for about 4 hours on low about 8 hours

94 | Blessed Magazine

For the Family

Turkey Ranch Club Wrap Ingredients: 1 Tortilla Wrap 2 ounce of smoked turkey 1/2 slice sharp American cheese (or cheese of your choice) 2 slices cooked bacon** 1 tablespoon Ranch dressing 2 tomato slices Romaine lettuce (you could also use baby spinach)

Directions: 1. Spread ranch dressing over the center of wrap.

2. Add turkey, cheese, bacon, tomato, and romaine.

3. Fold sides in and then roll up. **Bacon can be cooked in skillet, oven, or microwave

95 | Blessed Magazine

For the Family

Honey Bun Cake Ingredients: Cake batter: 4 eggs ½ cup sugar yellow cake mix ¼ cup vegetable oil 1 cup sour cream Topping: 1 cup brown sugar 1 ½ tsp cinnamon ½ cup chopped pecans Icing: 1 cup powdered sugar 6 Tbsp. butter 4 Tbsp. milk

Directions: 1. Beat cake batter ingredients together.

2. Spread in 9 x 13 inch greased cake pan.

3. In bowl, mix the topping ingredients.

4. Sprinkle over cake batter and then swirl throughout.

5. Bake at 325 for 1 hour.

6. Bring icing ingredients to a boil and pour over hot cake

96 | Blessed Magazine

For the Family

2 Minute Microwave Fudge Ingredients: 1 lb. powdered sugar 2/3 cup cocoa 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup milk 2 teaspoons vanilla 1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions: 1. Sift powdered sugar, cocoa, and salt into a 1 quart microwave safe bowl.

2. Stir in milk and vanilla.

3. Mix well.

4. Place butter on top.

5. Microwave on high, 2 minutes.

6. Beat with wooden spoon until smooth.

7. Stir in nuts (OPTIONAL).

8. Spread in 8 X 8 X 2 inch baking pan.

9. Chill about 1 hour or until firm.

10. Cut into pieces

97 | Blessed Magazine

For the Family

Peach Cobbler Ingredients: 1/4 cup melted butter 1 cup flour 3/4 cup sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 cup milk 5 -6 peaches, sliced 3/4 cup sugar

Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Pour melted butter into an 8×8 pan.

3. Whisk together the flour, 3/4 cup of sugar, baking powder and milk.

4. Pour over melted butter.

5. Cover with peach slices.

6. Cover with 3/4 cup sugar (I know this will seem like a lot, but use it all.).

7. Bake until batter rises to top and forms a nice brown crust, about 20 – 30 minutes

100 | Blessed Magazine

For the Family

Blueberry-Banana Oat Loaf Ingredients: 2 3⁄4 cups Bisquick Heart Smart mix 2⁄3 cup sugar 1⁄3 cup quick-cooking oats 1 cup mashed banana (2 medium) 1⁄4 cup milk 2 eggs 1 cup blueberries

Directions: 1. Heat oven to 375°F Grease bottom only of 9x5-inch loaf pan with shortening or cooking spray.

2. In large bowl, stir Bisquick mix, sugar, oats, bananas, milk and eggs until moistened; beat vigorously 30 seconds. Gently stir in blueberries. Pour into pan.

3. Bake 45 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

4. Cool 10 minutes.

5. Loosen loaf from sides of pan; remove from pan and place top side up on cooling rack.

6. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Add 1/4 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour with ingredients in step 2. Bake 55 to 60 minutes 101 | Blessed Magazine

For the Family

Strawberry Punch Bowl Cake Ingredients: 1 yellow cake mix 1 (6 oz.) pkg. instant vanilla pudding 1 lg. can crushed pineapple, drained 2 (10 oz.) pkgs. frozen strawberries 2 bananas 1 (16 oz.) carton Cool Whip

Directions: 1. Bake cake in two round cake pans and set aside to cool.

2. Make pudding and set in refrigerator to get cold.

3. Cut one layer of cake in small chunks; put in punch bowl.

4. Spread half of pudding on top; then add half of pineapple and one package strawberries.

5. Slice one banana on top; half of Cool Whip, spreading to cover completely.

6. Repeat with the other layer the same – ending with Cool Whip.

7. Let set in refrigerator overnight.

102 | Blessed Magazine

For the Family

Impossible Pie Ingredients: 2 cups milk 1 cup shredded coconut 4 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup all purpose flour 8 Tablespoon butter 3/4 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions: 1. Place milk, coconut, eggs, vanilla, flour, butter and sugar in blender.

2. Mix well.

3. Pour into a greased and floured pie plate.

4. Sprinkle nutmeg on top.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes

103 | Blessed Magazine

Just For Fun

107 | Blessed Magazine

Answer on Page 111

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at Blessed Magazine

114 | Blessed Magazine

We Need Your Help!

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