September 2021
And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it— I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. Genesis 1:30
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COVER PHOTO BY K AT H L E E N H O WA R D
As a teenager, I fell in love with art, doing a lot of watercolor paintings, creating mobiles, etc. However, I was always told that art is fine as a hobby, but you need to find something to support yourself. That something turned out to be computers. When I got married, my husband and I started a computer software company which meant long hours year after year. I snuck in some art projects but didn’t have time to get fully into it. Finally, when I retired, I found the time. I had become interested in photography, so I started taking pictures—not very well. I persisted, taking many online courses, studying what others did well, and just taking pictures every single day. Bit by bit my photography improved, as did my photo editing. I got recognized for my photography by an art gallery in Ohio that held a one-woman show of my work. I had high hopes of making some sales, but it cost me way more than I made. Discouraged again, I kept the faith and just kept working on my craft. Little by little I kept improving. In the small town where I now live in Panama, I am well known for my photography, even by those I have never met. I also do photo tours for tourists to show others the beauties of my area and the joy of photography. For me, peace and joy come when I am out taking pictures and exploring. It comes again when I process the pictures to bring out the beauty that I wanted to capture. And if my pictures bring others joy, then I feel successful. https://www.etsy.com/shop/KHNaturePhotos https://2-kathleen-howard.pixels.com/
INSIDE COVER
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Note from the editor – September 2021 We love getting emails from our readers telling us how much they love the articles and photos in the magazine. It encourages us to keep moving forward and creating the magazine that God gave us as a ministry. So, thank you! We have several new writers contribute each month. A great way to encourage them is to read and share their stories. When we first publish, we provide a link to the magazine. Over the next few days, we create personalized posts that feature each writer, their stories, and links to their books, blogs, or websites. Check them out. It has been a very rainy month in North Carolina with towns being flooded, causing many deaths, missing persons, and destruction. Please pray for those who have been impacted. Their lives will never be the same and yet, if they know God, He will be with them and restore them. What a great God we serve.
Karen
and C
raig R
uhl
Many have asked us how we can publish our magazine without having ads. God gave us this ministry years ago and we feel that this particular edition needs to stay ad-free. Below is an ad for what we do for a living. Both Craig and I have years of experience in marketing and advertising. We coach small businesses and work-from-home businesses for a living. If you would like additional information, give us a call.
Craig and I have been blessed to be able to take several day drives this month. This month, you will get to visit the town of Belmont, NC in our Road Trippin’. Our cover photographer is fellow Ohioan, Kathleen Howard. She lives in Panama now and each day she posts amazing photos from the area. We are so thrilled to be able to show her photos in this issue. As always, we would love to hear from you. Craig and I pray over each issue throughout the month. We pray for our contributors as well as our readers. May God Bless You All! Blessings, Karen Ruhl Team@FaithOnEveryCorner.com
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Table of Contents
COVER PHOTOGRAPHER: Kathleen Howard ... Cover & Inside Cover Treasures ... by Jeff Foster ... page 6-7 Harvest News ... by Melissa Henderson ... page 8-9 Am I Going To Heaven? ... Andrea Marino ... page 10-11 The More You Sow, The More You Reap ... by Dr. Kathleen Oden ... page 12-13 Morning Coffee ... by Michael Wells ... page 14-15 Summer Reflections ... by Nicole Byrum ... page 16-17 Harvesting The Seeds and 3 Poems ... by John Alexander ... page 18-19 Spiritual Confidence ... by Gina Sewell ... page 20 September Prayer ... by Tynea Lewis ... page 21 The Up Down Factor ... by Lynn Downham ... page 22-23 A Journal Of Faith ... by Craig Ruhl ... page 24-25 Jewels In The Crown of Christ ... by Yvonne M. Morgan ... page 26-27 Dear Carl ... by Anna Friend ... page 28-29 Planting Seeds For Harvest ... by Karen Ruhl ... page 30 God Showing Up ... by Cindy Evans ... page 31 The Law Of Karma... by Joseph Akinrinola ... page 32-33 Road Trippin’ - Near Belmont, NC ...by Karen Ruhl ... Page 34-37
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A Church Without Walls ... by Chad Thieman ... page 38-39 2020 - A Year of Coping ... by Eleanor Gamarsh ... page 40-41 Bookshelf ... Book Reviews ... page 42-45 Harvesting ... by Mike Buchanan ... page 46-47 Poems ... By Valerie Smith... page 48-49 Where Was My Faith? ... by Karen Ruhl ... page 52 The Word Of God ... by Dr. Irene Surya ... page 53 Can We Still Harvest Seeds ... by Sharon K. Connell ... page 54-55 Summer Fun And Lessons Learned ... by Cindy Oriol ... page 56-57 The Long Haul ... by Scott Dunn ... page 58-59 Talking With Tumwesigye K. Godfrey, I know him as Walter ... by Karen Ruhl ... page 60-63 Refreshment For Parched Souls ... by Gini Walker ... page 64
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Treasures By Jeff Foster
As I get older, I have less and less attraction for material possessions. Oh yes, there was a time that I sought after the faster cars, the finer house, antiquities with their decorative novelty, and many other treasures the world could offer. But there came a time when those things required just too much time and energy to maintain, not to mention space to display or store them. Maybe I just realized that none of those things really matter on the eternal scale. There are some treasures, though, that we want to hang on to for some sentimental reason, ones that stir up memories of hopes and dreams of days gone by. One of my elementary school classmate friends is struggling through the burdensome task of cleaning out her parents’ house, the house she grew up in, to prepare to put it on the market. Both of her parents are in nursing care and with their declining health, she knows they will never need that old house again. She made an interesting discovery while going through the various objects in the home. Her mother had written notes, some with markers directly on the object, and some with paper notes taped to the objects, describing in just a few words where they came from and what made them memorable. What foresight this dear mother had in making sure the precious memories she had would someday be passed along to her children so that maybe they would last just a little while longer.
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There are a few things, however, that have come into my possession that I will cherish until the day that I leave this world. On the last Sunday in July 2005, I taught my first Sunday School class lesson. The title of the lesson was “What is Hope?” and the scripture text was taken from Ezekiel chapter 43. Still today I tend to shy away from public speaking and I’m sure that day I was a basket case of nerves. But that afternoon, whatever fears I had of knowing whether or not I was serving within God’s will were completely and utterly wiped away. That Sunday afternoon we stopped in to visit my aunt, my dad’s youngest sister. I had not told her I was teaching that morning for the first time and had not yet mentioned it when she told me she had something to give me. What she placed in my hands drove solidly home the lesson I taught just a few hours before. A little black Soul Winner’s New Testament. I had received several of the little Gideon Testaments in my life before then, but what made this one special was when I opened it to the presentation page. On that page, I saw my name written in a familiar handwriting style I will never forget, that of my Pa-Pa. He had intended to give me this Testament on February 5th, 1974, thirty-one years earlier. I don’t know what happened that he was unable to give it to me then, but I’m claiming that it was just God’s perfect timing.
Pa-Pa passed suddenly in 1977, just a few weeks after my fifteenth birthday. He was a man that showed unconditional love to all his grandchildren. He was a fair and honest man, but sadly, I don’t remember him ever going to church or saying anything that would give an indication of faith. I do remember the story of a couple of men coming to invite my Pa-Pa to come to church. He gave them the same excuse that I’ve heard when I’ve witnessed to people and I’m sure many of you have, “I wouldn’t fit in with church people. I can’t give up my drinking.” And the answer they gave him still breaks my heart when I think about it. They told him that it was okay, they liked to drink a little too. Pa-Pa told them if that’s the kind of hypocritical churchmen they were, that he wanted no part of it and promptly ran them out of his yard. Sad story, yes, but when my aunt placed that little book in my hand, on that particular day, and I read who scribbled my name on the presentation page, a hope gushed forth in me that could only come from my heavenly Father. Maybe my Pa-Pa had trusted Jesus, and he certainly had a desire for me to know Jesus. Jesus’ words recorded in Matthew chapter seven said this, “Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.” This treasure, this little black Soul Winner’s Testament with my name written on the first page, was my Pa-Pa’s “good fruit”. In this treasure, I have hope. Jesus taught in Matthew chapter 6, verses 19-21, that the treasures we collect on earth are only temporary, that decay would one day take them from us. He taught that we should put our efforts to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven”. We can do that by living our life in surrendered obedience to God. Earthly treasures, those material things we want to hold on to, can stir up a sense of ungodly pride if we’re not careful.
God does, however, ordain or allow earthly treasures in order to accomplish His divine plan and to provide peace and hope within the hearts of His children. The Ark of the Covenant, for instance, taught Israel to reverence God by representing His presence in their midst. It was still a temporary treasure, crafted by man’s hands according to God’s instructions. God instructed Joshua to set up the twelve stones to be a reminder to future generations of how He heaped up the waters of the overflowing Jordan river to provide a safe passageway into the promised land. And I believe, God’s watchful eye and caring hands were on a tiny sprout which would one day grow into a towering tree to be cut down and used to make the paper on which a pocket-sized soul winner’s Testament would be printed; because He loved a filthy, wretched sinner like me so much that He wanted to give me assurance that I was in His will at that particular moment on that last Sunday afternoon in July 2005. The greatest treasure we can possess here on earth, however, is not something made with hands. We cannot touch it, we cannot see it, but it provides comfort and assurance that all the treasures of the world could never provide. That is the treasure of salvation, a gift from God, by His grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. I think Paul said it best in his second letter to the church in Corinth; “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7) Therefore, take comfort in God’s boundless supply of the treasure of His salvation and grace through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Jeff Foster and his wife Lorena live in Granite Falls, NC. As a mechanical engineer with many years of technical writing experience, he discovered his calling to devotional writing in 2018. He finds purpose in his writing by encouraging the saints and inspiring them to strive for a closer walk with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His website was launched in April of this year www.seedsowing.org.
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Harvest News
By Melissa Henderson “Come one, come all. Visit the county fair. See the homegrown vegetables and fruit. Enjoy the sunflower garden. Watch the butterflies going from flower to flower.” These statements are often heard or read in advertisements for local county fairs. The farmers tilled the soil, planted seeds, watered and fertilized the ground, and marveled as the plants sprouted through the soil and came to life. Then, a county fair became a great place to share the harvest. Have you ever planted a vegetable or flower garden? If you have felt dirt underneath your fingernails or wiped the sweat from your brow as you tended the garden, then you know that special feeling. The glorious blessing of watching something you have planted grow into a delicious food to eat or a beautiful sight to enjoy is amazing. When we plant those seeds in the ground, we have expectations of what will happen in the future. Checking the plants on a daily or weekly basis allows us to view any progress. This is similar to our faith. As a young child, my parents taught me about Jesus and His love. I attended Sunday School and worship service. I attended Vacation Bible School and other church events. My parents and other family members and friends showed me how to grow my faith. I learned by their example.
Did I make mistakes? Yes. Do I still make mistakes? Yes. Do I ask God for forgiveness? Yes. Does He forgive me? Yes. As a young person, I didn’t realize how many people God was placing in my life to help guide me closer to Him. Now that I am an adult, thinking about those special people brings joy. From neighbors to Sunday School teachers, to school teachers, to friends, family, and strangers, each person helped me draw closer to Him. Maybe I learned from their life example or perhaps by how they handled a certain situation. As an adult, there continue to be people who help me have a closer relationship with the Lord. Some folks will never know the impact their words or actions have had on me and other people. Sometimes, I will be able to share how someone has blessed me. When the seeds of faith are planted in a young person, we must wait and watch. We must continue to nurture and lift up the person in prayer. Everyone has their own unique walk with God. As we lead by example, we can rest assured the harvest is coming. Is there someone you can help to grow closer to God? Begin with a prayer and ask God to guide you along the way. The harvest will be plentiful when we walk with Him.
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Award-winning author Melissa Henderson writes inspirational messages laced with a bit of humor. With stories in books, magazines, devotionals and more, Melissa hopes to encourage readers. Melissa is the author of “Licky the Lizard” and “Grumpy the Gator”. Her passions are helping in community and church. Melissa is an Elder, Deacon and Stephen Minister. Follow Melissa on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and at http://www.melissaghenderson.com
Click on the book covers to purchase Melissa’s books. We are proud owners of both books. Karen & Craig Ruhl
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AM I GOING TO HEAVEN? By Andrea Marino
so to be able to “flee from the coming wrath.” It appears John was setting the record straight I have asked myself this question many times since being saved, which was back in August about how to enter the Kingdom of God. To the people of his day, reliance on Abraham as their 1973. I’m sure I’m not the only one to wonder if maybe I crossed a line somewhere, possibly com- father was inadequate. John specified their fruit (what one’s life produces) was to be consistent mitting the unpardonable sin, the one sin God could not forgive. (Mark 3:27, 29). There are many with repentance (see Luke 3:8) In other words, voices, crying out, but only a few that speak Truth. salvation, with its access to heaven, has nothing to do with personal performance nor does it take John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus, is one such into account one’s relationship to any other huvoice; a voice still crying out in the wilderness man being, faithful as they may be. through a remnant of people today. The word of the Lord came to John, and he went into all the areas of the Jordan River preaching a baptism of In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke of the repentance for the forgiveness of sins. (Luke 3:3) blessing in poverty. (Mathew 5:3) All of us are This was in fulfillment of the prophet Isaiah. (40:3- born with a ‘poverty of spirit’. Not until recognizing this lack within can we discover the most 5) “Prepare the way for the Lord; make His paths straight!” (Luke 3:4 HCSB) Only Jesus can level the important need of the Savior. Jesus is the Way, playing field that all of us must tread, promising Truth, and Life. No man comes to the Father to fill every valley, take down every mountain and except through Him. (John 14:6) Repentance is a hill, making the rough ways smooth and straight change of heart, a turning away from the wrong so everyone can see the salvation of God. Jesus things we do. “Against You, and You alone, have is Lord of the harvest; and we, the people of God, I sinned.” (Psalm 51:4 NLT) Whenever I fall short and do not do what I know to do and that is right have been commissioned to spread His truth. (Mathew 9:38, 28:19) (See Roman’s 7), I get a wake-up call. Agreeing with God as to what I did wrong, I ask for His forgiveness. I used to beat myself up over these Interestingly enough, John said to the crowd, coming to him to be baptized, “Brood of vipers! things. The devil is quick to propose we are beWho warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” yond God’s scope of forgiveness—somewhat (Luke 3:7 HCSB) I cringe at his choice of words; like having committed the unpardonable sin. The Holy Spirit will convict us when we do not do however, many people are seeking to do somewhat is right; but “There is no condemnation thing so that they be in right standing with God,
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Click on the photo of the book to purchase from Amazon.
for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1 NLT) God’s ways guard against self-righteousness, which is a mindset of thinking we can save ourselves. True repentance puts us on the right path, the one that leads to Heaven. It is a choice to receive or reject God’s gift of salvation through Jesus. There are people who will refuse to repent. Only the Lord knows who these are. Hard as it is to be a co-laborer with Jesus in this end-time harvesting of souls, we remember our part in the Great Commission. The truth is, all of us were once lost. Dead in trespasses and sins, we all previously walked according to this worldly age, living in and carrying out the inclinations of our flesh. (Ephesians 2:1-3) “Father forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34 KJV) Oh, that many would see the depth of God’s love and turn to Him in this late hour.
With a yearning to uncover the secret to life, Andrea embarked on a journey to discover truth. The study of Psychology proved inadequate, while the forces of darkness began to make their presence known. The Hobble, from Ai to Bethel encompasses Andrea’s personal victory over fear and bondage to the enemy. Passionate in sharing God’s Good News about Jesus, the author desires to encourage people to never lose hope. Because we all ‘hobble’ before God in need of Him. When not writing, Andrea loves spending time with her children and grandchildren, and enjoys cycling on the open roads with her husband, David.
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Dr. Kathleen B. Oden is an author, missionary, and Bible teacher. She has been the Administrator of God’s House of Refuge Church & School of Evangelism, for 25 years. Dr. Oden attained a Doctorate degree in Christian Theology in 2000. After a bad fall in 2014, she realized that she had to start eating healthy, in order to fully recover. She became a Certified Health Minister and a Certified Essential Oil Coach. She loves ministering to people and God gave her a health ministry called, Create AnewU Health Ministry. Her health ministry has opened the door for her to share what the WORD OF GOD has to say about eating healthy. Dr. Oden has published over 20 books through Amazon.com and several of them are about health and wellness. https://createanewuhealthministry.com
The More You Sow, The More You Reap! By Dr. Kathleen B. Oden Wow, can you believe that in less than 50 days it will be fall? 2021 feels like it has been on speed dial since January 1st. Am I the only one feeling fall-ish? For me, 2021 has been a “catch up” year because so many things have caused me to get behind, work-wise. And that has launched me into a “catch-up mode” this year. However, learning is one of my favorite things to do therefore some of that time has also been spent on taking classes and attending webinars. Being quarantined in 2020 helped get me back into a learning mode and it has continued into 2021. My brain has received plenty of exercise because I planted all those seeds of learning! This is wonderful because now my brain is reaping the benefits by “Harvesting the Seeds” that were planted in these past months! Most people do not realize that the brain needs exercise in order to stay healthy. Exercising our body helps the brain, however, the brain needs to be exercised on its own. When my short-term memory became impaired in 2014, I started learning about how the brain works, what to eat to keep it healthy, how to best exercise it, and what the best vitamins are to take for the brain. Alzheimer’s is one of the major diseases in our country now. You can find more information about the brain on my blog.
After falling in 2014, learning how to eat healthily was imperative for my brain to repair itself. This was a huge part of my recovery. It is very scary when; you cannot distinguish between going left or right, or when you can actually feel your brain trying to remember something like words or names. The amount of physical energy your body uses to think when the brain is impaired is extremely exhausting. This is my main reason for staying in a learning mode. It continues to be imperative for me to maintain a healthy brain. Some people have not sown any seeds and they are wondering why they are not reaping a harvest. However, the Bible says “we reap what we sow.” Therefore, we must plant seeds or there will be no harvest. No matter what we are doing in life, sowing and reaping is a huge part of it. One thing that is extremely important when it comes to eating healthy is not to get in a rut eating the same things over and over. I have a group of foods that are always on my shopping list because they… #1 have tons of nutritional value, #2 are excellent for brain health, and #3 are my favs!
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MY 7 FALL FAVORITE LIST! Dr. Kathleen B. Oden The body needs more warm/hot/bulky foods in the winter. YAY!!! It’s time to switch up! Did you know that God made certain foods for certain parts of the body? That was an eye-opener for me! These are foods that definitely were not on my shopping list and now they are my main staples and my go-to favs. Learning to try new foods will also give you more choices. Don’t allow your “eyes” to tell your “mouth” what tastes good. The first time my eyes saw a green smoothie they said no way… and my mouth agreed… lol, and said nope NOT drinking that! It took me 3 entire months to make myself drink a green smoothie. Now I love them! But… Time was wasted! Nutrition was lost! No seeds were planted! So no harvest!
1. Switch from spinach to kale Your body needs more bulky foods in the winter. 2. Have more green smoothies and fewer fruit smoothies. 3. Cook a homemade veggie soup at least twice a month. 4. Make taco salads with beans & rice and fewer fruit salads… mmm!
If we want to get well, if we want to feel better or lose weight, we have to plant the right seeds, which means we have to put the right foods in our bodies. If we want to harvest better health, there is no way to get around this. And there is no way to get around feeding our soul the right spiritual seeds as well!
5. Enjoy warm/hot homemade apple cinnamon applesauce - good with breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” (3 JOHN 1:2 KJV)
7. Hot oatmeal raisin cookies are always a treat!
6. There is nothing like hot pasta - veggie style! Veggie lasagna or veggie spaghetti is so yummy!
Remember, the more you sow, the more you reap! Then we can start “Harvesting the Seeds” of prosperity and good health! Plus, our souls will prosper! Amen!
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Morning Coffee With Michael Wells HOW DO YOU FEEL? Question posed to Spock in Star Trek IV, The Voyage Home. Released 40 years ago and very relevant today. It is one to cause many of us to pause before answering. His response was simply, “I do not understand the question.” In our very crass and vulgar culture, many have moved past feelings. Deadened to being vulnerable again to deep disappointment and tragedy that comes with life. Michael E. Wells has a passion for writing letters of Christian encouragement. With poetic style and moving messages, the reader is often comforted and consoled, inspired, and refreshed. Since his retirement from Federal Service in 2006, most mornings are spent penning letters of the heart. Tucked away in the foothills of Pennsylvania, he leads an idyllic lifestyle in a pastoral setting. This backdrop helps to set both mood and message for his many writings. You can find his book, “Morning Coffee with Words For The Day” at Amazon.com.
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But a soul that isn’t touched with emotions simply becomes a sterile existence, devoid of any meaning and fulfillment. To open oneself to possible loss again is difficult for some. This is where we let God in. Being secure in Him is the peace that passes all understanding. Known only to those who have sought after it. God declares, “You will find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” “How do you feel?” Truly, only with a heart after God can we feel as we were meant to. Though circumstances can still send our emotions reeling, if we will quiet ourselves a reassuring whisper will sound, “I’ve got you.” No one can hold your heart like God. So in the quiet of the moment, He brings much-needed peace and comfort to a weary mind and tired soul. We are asked, “How do you feel?” And we say, “I’m good, God’s got me.”
CHILDLIKE FAITH
ROMANS TO JUDE
To believe sight unseen, some would say is irrational and at first thought probably so. But sometimes a step of faith is necessary to take us from one place to another, from one level of existence to a more fulfilling experience in life. Cynicism and skepticism tend to grow deep within us as the years go by. The expectation of youth has for many turned to middle-aged mediocrity and with only more in sight, as the years go by.
The greatest works of pen and paper are the pages between Romans 1 and the close of Jude. The greatest story ever told is in the gospels, but your working relationship with God is revealed in the letters. The Bible is not a one-time novel but a daily reminder of cause and effect, calling and ministry, faith, and hope. It is not to be placed on a shelf but opened on a lap, not to be left on a table, but to be read over and over.
To believe again. Not easy for the mistreated or neglected, the marginalized or overlooked. But that is where hope is birthed in the heart once more. Depression is the loss of that hope when all effort has been made to be restored but still unable to cope. Belief is not dependent on those things outside of us. We and we alone hold our expectations of tomorrow. We choose what we think upon, what we hold to be true. We are our best friend or worst enemy.
Some would say that is brainwashing but it is actually mind-renewing. Printed words on a page penetrate the heart and bring faith, hope, and love. No other literature can comfort the soul or heal the heart as can the word of God, but we must remind our spirit daily of its value. It is the seed planted that grows to yield its fruit; left alone and unattended, it dies. Paul wrote to let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. His letters are rich with His words.
To believe this is all there is and hope for fulfillment in that is greatly dependent upon past experiences. Most people have mixed, and some were extremely bad. Faith is to believe in something not seen with the eye but greatly felt in the heart. Some say delusional, but for those who have chosen to believe again, faith has risen up, and hope once more lives in the heart. It is a renewed mind to a once-held belief of a loving God, who restores us in the midst of our trials and tragedies in life. So to all, I say, “It’s time to believe again...with childlike faith.”
Romans to Jude and back again. Day in and day out, the reading of scripture with the interaction of the Holy Spirit will transform you from lonely to loved, from helpless to hopeful, from despondent to overjoyed. From the Romans Road through the revelations given to these great men of God to the encouragement of Jude to keep the faith, the Bible reveals a river of living water that never runs dry. It is the Presence of God made aware, sparked by the Holy Spirit as the soul meditates between Romans and Jude.
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Nicole is a licensed marriage and family therapist with over 14 years of experience in community mental health. She is the author of Remade: Living Free a book written for women in recovery from substance abuse and unhealthy relationships. Nicole also maintains a blog at nicolebyrum.com as well as a podcast, 5 Minute Word. Both focus on topics related to faith and relationships. She lives in Northwest Ohio with her husband and two children. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, running, or cooking.
SUMMER REFLECTIONS
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by Nicole Byrum
Although it’s still early in August as I write this article, it feels as though the summer is winding down in a hurry. In exactly ten days from now, our schedules will look dramatically different as both my husband (who is a high school teacher) and our two kids (soon to be 7th and 5th graders) will begin the 2021-2022 school year. It hardly seems possible! After all, wasn’t Memorial Day just a week or two ago? Although I’m excited to settle back into a regular routine and welcome the telltale signs of fall, I just wanted to take a moment to process the last 12 weeks of summer. It has been a season full of joy, frustration, relaxation, hard lessons, and everything in between. But through it all, one constant remained: the omnipresence of our great God. The summer began with a hot pace of practices and games/meets/matches relating to baseball, swim team, and golf. For me, one of the great joys of parenting is watching my son and daughter engage in their various activities. I love cheering them on as they use their gifts and talents! But as most parents also know, such activities are breeding grounds for teachable moments. This summer was no exception, as it provided several opportunities to discuss sportsmanship, leadership, and attitude. To be sure, there were a few golf matches spent praying for wisdom and discernment about the best approach to take with my child! Yet, without fail, God was with me in those moments. Wherever I was–whether baseball bleachers, poolside, or golf course–He was with me providing comfort, direction, and encouragement.
The summer progressed into church camps and time with family. During their various weeks at camp, much of my time was characterized by mindful prayer for their spiritual growth (a practice to which I intend to routinely devote more time). I am so thankful for the opportunities my children had to grow in their knowledge of our Savior, and I pray this will continue for the rest of their lives. Even when we were separated by many miles, I loved that God was just as present with them in Michigan and Indiana as He was with me in Ohio. Our summer concluded with a wonderful family vacation covering 3,000 plus miles through the Northeastern part of the United States. We saw gorgeous waterfalls in Watkins Glen State Park in New York, the gently rolling green hills of Vermont, the summit of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire, the beauty of Acadia National Park in Maine, and the birthplace of our nation in Boston, Massachusetts. The ocean waters, rocks of varying shapes and sizes, mountains, blue skies, and starry nights all declared His glory. As we traveled, I couldn’t help but praise God for His wondrous creation. And to think, He heard my prayers of praise throughout all the miles we covered! He was with me in our tent in Maine just as much as He was with me walking the historic streets of this great nation. As we head into the next season, I take great comfort in knowing He will continue to be with us without fail; for whether in the classroom with my husband and kids, in the counseling office as I meet with my clients, or as I sit at my computer to write, He will be there. I praise and thank Him that nothing can separate us from His presence.
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Poems by John Alexander
A Garden What will emerge with the things that I say? What parts of myself do I put on display? I pray that the rhymes don’t just come from my mind, But rather dig deeper for words that I find. John Alexander lives in Frisco, Texas with his beautiful wife and his Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
I find when I share from what’s buried inside, I give feelings the freedom to no longer hide. I sift through debris in my heart and my soul. The weeds and the trash that so quickly take hold.
Harvesting the Seeds By John Alexander
God has sown seeds of love in our hearts. As we grow and yield more of ourselves to Him, we allow those seeds to bear fruit, fruit that the Lord harvests into our lives. As the Lord blesses us with the fruits of His Spirit, we are able to influence others to discover the love of the Lord and bear fruit in their lives as well. I love sharing the love of the Lord in the form of lyrical poetry. I pray the words that I share openly touch others and encourage them to explore God’s Word and discover for themselves the love of the Lord. My most recent book, Daily Reflections: 365 Lyrical Poems, written over an eighteen-month period and released August 12th, offers a lyrical poem for each day of the year. I continue to write and post a new poem most mornings on QuietTimeRhymes.com.
Removing the clutter provides me more room For planting a garden where flowers may bloom. I’m not a gardener, but willing to sow. I’ll scatter the seeds and then see what will grow. If I let in the light and inhale the fresh air, Perhaps I’ll grow something that I can then share. I’ll open my garden and let others see, By sharing the words that are growing in me.
Blessings, John QuietTimeRhymes.com
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My Prayer
God’s Love
I pray that God’s love would take root in our soul. I pray it brings healing, restores, and makes whole.
May words I write touch ones in need,
I pray that the hate-based division would cease. May the love that’s within us toward others increase. May God’s light pierce the darkness, the hurt, and the pain. May we soak up His love like a parched desert rain.
Help them to grow or plant the seed. I yearn to stir the soul with words That help them stand, not run with herds. I pray each one will come to know The light inside that it may glow. I pray that I may spread God’s love Like gentle rain sent from above. I pray I help someone today.
May storms raging around us give way to His light. May our eyes see the truth and discern wrong from right.
May they be blessed in some small way.
May His love lift us up to new heights we’ve not known. May flowers spring forth where His seeds have been sown.
The needs are great, they’re all around.
May they in turn bless someone near, Someone in need or gripped with fear.
May love in word and deed abound. May we each lend a helping hand, And show God’s love throughout the land.
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Gina Sewell is a mom and grandma who lives in the Dallas, Texas area, where she enjoys cooking and spending time with her family. She loves to write about Jesus and encourage others. Gina shares her journey on her website: http://www.ginabartonsewell.wordpress.com
Spiritual Confidence By Gina Sewell
I have never been the most confident person. In fact, I was always shy and quiet with very low self-esteem. Until you become confident in your own skin, you’ll always be held back from fulfilling your purpose. But does that mean confidence in self? No, it means having assurance in what the Lord has created you to be. It means having an unshakeable faith as a loved and cherished child of God. Satan tries to steal our confidence. He is waiting at every turn, spewing his lies. But once we put our faith in God, it becomes easier to turn a deaf ear to those lies. Hebrews 10:35 (NIV) tells us, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.” Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 1:6 (NIV) tells us, “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus...” 1st John 4:17 (NIV) says, “This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.” We have confidence because God is enough and in Him we are enough.
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So how do we do this? For one, we must stay in the Word. I’m not just saying to read your Bible. I mean, if you open it just when you have a particular need, nothing will change. That’s because instead of using it as a way of life, you’re using it only as a quick troubleshooting guide. In Matthew 4:4 (NIV), “Jesus answered, ‘It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” The Word of God emboldens you. Pray Praying is not just a before-meal monologue. It is not a uniform letter of what we think we deserve. Prayer is time spent in the presence of the Lord, a conversation between yourself and your creator. And yes, it’s also a time to make your requests known to God. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” (1st John 5:14 NIV) “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16 NIV)
September Prayer By Tynea Lewis
Dear Heavenly Father, We pray to see your hand at work. You are with us every moment of the day, and yet we can quickly lose sight of your presence. It’s so easy to see the bad we’re facing that we forget to see all the amazing things you’re doing. We ask that you give us eyes to see. Tynea Lewis is a teacher turned workfrom-home mom. She and her husband live in Pennsylvania with their two children, and they love spending time together at their family cabin. Tynea remembers loving to write as early as first grade. She has a heart for encouraging others in the midst of their messes. You can connect with her at her personal blog (www.tynea-lewis.com), on Instagram (@TyneaLewis), or Facebook (@TyneaLewisWriter).
Thank you for working in our lives. We certainly don’t deserve it. Many times, we turn against you and don’t follow in your ways. We look to the world for answers instead of to you. Please forgive us for our sins. Thank you for the grace and mercy you extend to us. Soften our hearts and give us a new perspective. Help us focus on eternal things instead of the things of this world. We are discouraged by everything that is happening around us, but Lord, you are sovereign. You will have the final say, and you are working in the middle of whatever mess we face. Nothing is too difficult for you. Even though things seem chaotic in our lives, you are still in control, and nothing that is happening is surprising to you. Thank you for holding the world in your hand. Thank you for holding each of us in your hand. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Lynn Story Downham is a fourth generation artist who returned to North Carolina in 2014 after twenty-six years on the Florida panhandle. Her seventh family tree commission was for a “family tree for Jesus.” Twenty years later she is a born-again believer with a best-selling print, a beautiful family and a passion for sharing Christ through her art. Find out more on Facebook by looking up “Lynn Story Downham’s Art” or “Lynn Downham Jesus Tree.”
T H E U P - D O W N FA C TO R By Lynn Downham
“When praises go up... blessings come down.” More than not, I have found, it takes varying amounts of time to see fruit from our prayers, our efforts for the faith, and from the seeds of faith that we sow in others. Ultimately, there is much we will not see until we reach heaven, but I know this to be true. Indeed, the above axiom is truth. When we praise our holy God and realize who He is and what He has done for us and when we realize who we are and how everything good that happens is Him working in us and through us, the natural human response is praise. And when we praise and glorify Him, He DOES “open a window of heaven and pour us out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in.” Such is what happened yesterday.
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The Youth beach trip was last week and my daughter and I were blessed to spend a week with young people in whom the parents have been sowing seeds of faith for years. We only have one child and the care of her is one of the greatest blessings of our life and we have been sowing seeds of faith in her also for years. She is already saved and baptized, so this writing is not about that story, but about her artistic gift and seeds of prayer that I have been sowing for years. The “Up factor” was the praise from the Youth beach trip. Beautiful, united praise lifted up to our holy God for days during our evening church. Praise is power. It puts us in a proper relationship with God. And when you’re in a group of people praising God, blessings are going to come down. I have seen it more than once.
The “Down factor” was what happened yesterday back at home in this family. God placed our daughter in a family of artists, but we are all painters. Our daughter is a sculptor. We’ve had confirmation on this. She won the Youth division of the Sculpture Show and the judge’s comment was, “THIS girl’s got a future in art!” Now I knew that the three pieces she entered were worthy to be entered and two of them she created without me even knowing she was working on something, but I didn’t think that she would win. I just knew they should be entered. Now I have a sculptor and I don’t know the first thing about sculpting, although I can teach her to draw, nor does anyone else in the family, so I start praying. I’ve prayed for four years for Godly sculpture mentors and Godly sculpture contacts and yesterday God opened that window of heaven and we got to see fruit from those prayers. A visit to a Godly award-winning sculptor’s workshop, another reference to another Godly sculpting gallery, opportunities for sculpture shows, it just kept coming!
Hold fast to your faith. Keep sowing those seeds. Pray without ceasing. Stay in the Word and praise our God by ourselves and corporately, for the harvest is near! “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” (Revelation 12:11-12 NKJV) “And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Revelation 12:17 NKJV)
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A Journal of Faith By Craig Ruhl
In my e-mail recently, I received an invitation to take part in a 31-day scripture writing challenge from one of the online devotion sites I follow. This is an exercise comprising reading a specific Bible verse each day and then writing the verse down on paper. I have followed a self-directed daily scripture writing routine for several years now. Since I receive a number of daily devotions by e-mail, it is easy for me to pick a few verses to record, think about, and pray over. This new scripture challenge lists a different verse to write each day and a box to check off when completed. The verses are often short, so they do not require a lot of time to write out by hand. If you wish, you can take as long as you want to reflect and pray in the verse. Why is it important to hand-write the verses? When we read, we spend a little time on each word, and it is easy to move through the words without thinking about them. The practice of writing the words out longhand requires more time and allows us to contemplate what each word means and how they weave together to form a complete thought. The connection between your eyes and your fingers as you write seems to make a greater mental impression than reading alone. I have heard it said reading is like dreaming with your eyes wide open and according to Gustave Flaubert, “The art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe.” When we read and then write about what we have read, the material becomes clearer to us. Writing reinforces the mental images we create as we read. 24 | M AG A Z I N E N A M E PAGE 3 24
Throughout history, people have recorded their thoughts, dreams, impressions, and feelings in a written form. We write these down in diaries, journals, and daily planners. The founding fathers of America were fond of making written records of their day-to-day lives. Those letters, journals, and diaries afford us a unique way to study their thoughts and actions as they created our nation. The habit of writing in a journal has stood the test of time and is just as relevant today as it ever was. As a young boy, I developed a love of reading and writing. My parents and grandparents made sure I learned to read as soon as possible and then encouraged me for the rest of their lives. Along with reading, I learned to write. Those activities, reading, and writing, shaped and guided my life and continue to bring me pleasure, peace, and comfort. When I was in school, they taught me it is a good study practice to keep a notebook handy as I read so I could make notes and references there rather than writing in the book; at the time, they considered it a cardinal sin to write in the margins of a hardbound book. This is likely when I became a fan of using personal journals. Although it is popular with many people nowadays to keep a journal on a computer, electronic tablet, or smartphone rather than on paper, for me, I feel that the act of writing by hand is much more meaningful. There are websites dedicated to the practice of keeping a journal and a multitude of products to enable and enhance the experience. Many of the sources for daily devotions and Bible study offer hardbound journals for purchase, but a simple inexpensive school notebook is just as effective. I like to write my scripture verses in a journal I dedicated to that purpose, but again, any method and device used to keep a handwritten record will work.
Besides recording a daily Bible verse, or two or three, please consider keeping a written record of your prayer life. Write down those prayer requests we all receive from friends and relatives. As you pray, try writing the essentials of what you are saying to the Lord. This reinforces your connection to not just those you are praying for; it also brings you into a closer relationship with God. If you already make prayer lists, give a prayer journal a trial. As you write each request and prayer, leave a little room so you can go back later and record answers to your prayers. Remember that God answers prayer. He may not, however, do it in the manner and timing you were expecting. A record of our prayer lives opens our eyes to how God’s plan for us is unfolding. How many times have we said to someone, “I’ll pray for you” but life got in the way and we never offered prayer? The act of writing those prayers requests helps to keep us accountable and focused.
Here are a few recommendations for online daily devotions: https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/ https://www.biblestudytools.com/devotionals/ https://www.daily-devotions.net/ https://www.bible.com
Craig Ruhl is the Managing Editor of Faith On Every Corner, he is also a writer and handles the business side of Faith On Every Corner, LLC.
There is another type of faith journal I recommend, one that records the many blessings you received. These are the everyday ones we experience from God and those around us whom He works through. We all will experience a very pleasant surprise if we write our blessings down as we receive them and then look at them, in total, over the expanse of time. This is such an uplifting blessing in times of stress, turmoil, pain, and conflict. You may already have a favorite devotion routine, such as reading from the Bible, reflecting on the Word, and spending private time in worship. If so, consider adding writing in a journal or journals as a supplement to your devotions. Maybe having one journal you use for all the above purposes will work best for you. It is simple and easy to incorporate intentional writing into your faith walk by using the suggestions offered in this article. I have collected fountain pens and inks for many years, some of which are as old as I am. I love writing in my journals with those pens and inks and being able to combine a hobby with my spiritual life. You have complete freedom to be creative in the setup and use of your journals. Have fun with the experience; I know you will be greatly blessed.
I am currently using the Daily Kairos Journal. I will be reviewing this journal on next month’s Bookshelf.
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Jewels in the Crown of Christ by Yvonne M. Morgan
What is a jewel? The dictionary offers several definitions; 1) a gemstone, 2) anything considered precious or valuable, and 3) a person who is treasured, esteemed, or indispensable. Of course, most people think of gemstones when they hear the word. Many of us find ourselves captivated by the beauty of rare gems. In fact, millions of people flock each year to see the Crown Jewels in London. And what says more about love than giving a glittering diamond to someone special? But, I want to talk about something God taught me about the jewels in the crown of Christ. The idea of jewels took on a different meaning for me several years ago. I attended a women’s conference at my church. The speaker at the event walked us through a biblical mediation exercise. She had us close our eyes and think about a verse from the Bible that held a special meaning to us. As I thought about my favorite verse, Romans 8:28, a vision flashed through my mind. I saw a church narthex with the floor covered in jewels that sparkled and glowed like a rainbow of colors in the image. I also noticed the variety of sizes and shapes. I felt the Holy Spirit nudge me to sweep up the treasures and take care of them. Then the vision disappeared. I never shared about the image because I did not understand the message God wanted to give me. Still, I tucked it away because I knew it had a meaning, and I prayed God would reveal it to me someday.
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Fast forward to many years later. One day, I read a book called “No Longer a Slumdog: Bringing Hope to Children in Crisis” by K. P. Yohannan. This book tells the stories of many poor Indian children and how they suffer in their society. The book shows how God redeemed them with His love. As I read the book, one sentence resonated with me, and for some reason, it brought back the memory of the vision. The sentence read, “Can we see them as Jesus does, so special to Him, they’re worth like jewels beyond compare.” I had never thought of others as jewels, but Christ does. So then, I also realized that Christ wants me to see everyone around me as His precious jewels. Thus, Jesus finally showed me the meaning of the vision He gave me. But, how would I apply it to my life? Later, I saw an example of how God could use me as a jewel to serve others. During a trip to Kenya, we planned to visit lots of areas in and around the Lake Victoria region to evaluate projects we could help them complete. We stopped to see one church in dire need of repairs. The sight of God’s house in such disrepair broke my heart. We walked around to get a better look but found the doors locked. Some locals told us where the custodian lived, so we decided to go to his house.
As is Kenyan tradition, the custodian invited us in for tea. His wife became very animated and kept pointing at us. She did not speak English, but our friend provided an interpretation for us. He explained the lady had dreamed about a white couple coming to visit her home, and they brought a treasure chest of jewels with them to help them rebuild their church. She went on to say that we were the people she saw in her dream. She added we were the jewels in her dream. The Bible also confirmed this vision for me. First, I found Zechariah 9:16 (ESV); “On that day The Lord their God will save them, as the flock of his people; for like the jewels of a crown they shall shine on his land.” This verse speaks to how God sees his people as jewels. Another verse is Revelations 21:11; “having the glory of God, its radiance like a rarest jewel...” The verse talks about the New Jerusalem and compares the new city to a gem of great worth. So, heaven (the New Jerusalem) will shine brightly because of God’s radiance, and we will shine in the reflection of His beauty like sparkling jewels. God calls each of us to see others as God sees us. And, when we see each other as jewels in the crown of Christ, we can see beyond the flaws to love each other. We are the jewels in the Crown of Christ, and our worth comes from loving and serving others in His name. Blog at Turningmountainsintomolehills.org Twitter: @ymmauthor Website: Yvonne-Morgan.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YMMauthor/
Daily Bible Study
Myanmar Orphanage The situation in the town surrounding our orphanage is dire. The military controls the town and has shut down all the schools and hospitals. And, the COVID cases are climbing. Please consider helping us as we provide for theses children. Donate at https://www.paypal.me/oreinc
Yvonne M Morgan, Christian author and speaker https://yvonne-morgan.com Click on book cover to purchase.
Books: Turning Mountains into Molehills (2017) Rest in God Prayer Journal (9-2020) Faith, Hope, and Love in a Broken World (12-2020)
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DEAR CARL By Anna Friend
Hello, Dear Carl fans, I am thankful for your support of Carl’s mom. She has made a fresh start in the new year. In her mid80s, continuing to thrive for quality of life and establishing a legacy of family love. Carl’s mom had lived in North Carolina for most of her life. She was a southern transplant and had enjoyed the culture, hospitality, and high regard for kin—family closeness. She became a widow in her early 40s and has only one son. Carl was just entering college when his dad died. Carl married a beautiful woman (Donna) with ties in Arizona. He moved and established his home in Arizona soon after college. Carl has 2 sons and is a grandfather of 3 children. Carl’s mom had friends and community work she enjoyed in North Carolina that kept her from moving to Arizona upon her husband’s death. She had lived in the home where she and her husband shared most of their married lives. She eventually moved into a senior living cottage, where every week she sat at her dining table and wrote her son a handwritten letter, though he called her almost every Sunday. Near her ending years, she moved to Arizona to live with her son and his wife in Arizona. She continues to write her son letters to put away for him to read after her passing for comfort and encouragement. This letter is one he would read after her death. She writes in the present tense because she is alive while writing them. I hope you enjoy. — Anna
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Dear Carl, I had an exciting day today. It is almost my bedtime, but I had to write about it. Son, I answered your wife’s cell phone today, with her permission… her request actually. She was tired of “Spam” calls. I didn’t know what she meant, but I answered it. She wanted me to tell them to stop calling. I heard a voice on the other end that was hard to understand. It was a woman who spoke fast, cut off her syllables, and tried to sound happy. I asked her to slow down. She apologized and proceeded to recite a warning about some car insurance or warranty. I, again, asked her to slow down, stop reading, and just talk to me. She got quiet. I don’t like talking on the phone, Carl. I loved your phone calls when we lived apart. However, years ago when friends would call, I would ask them to come over instead. Hours on the phone gave me a neck ache. We didn’t have phones with speakers back then. I remember when your dad bought me a shiny red telephone that hung on the kitchen wall. It had a cord that could stretch 10 feet long. I know because while cooking supper, I could relent to a long-needed conversation with a friend. We strung our house phone with a 25-foot cord so you could take it to your bedroom for private conversations with your girl of the week. Oh, son, I remember when the dial phone was exchanged for a push-button phone. You were so impressed then. Even more so, when call waiting was introduced. When you were in college, you could intercept my calls if I was talking to someone. With one click on the receiver button, I could get whiny Martha off the phone and talk to you. Now with this smartphone, which I think I am too dumb for, I can see you, and you can “check on” me. Back to Miss Sell Me Something. She cleared her throat and said, “Your car could benefit from better protection. I would like to help you.” She actually had a clear and decent voice. I said, “Honey, I am in my 80s. My car is long gone. Sold to a young family.” She wanted to abruptly hang up saying, “I must have the wrong number.” I stopped her, “Wait. What if I wanted to buy another car and get a warranty?” “Really?” she asked with slight indignation. “Look, I don’t want another car, but you apparently are selling something because you need a car or some money.” She answered, “No, no car, but yes, money. I am sick.” Son, my heart fell. She could have been a con or lying. She again started saying goodbye, but I stopped her again. “If you are truly sick, then please don’t leave this earth without knowing God.” She was silent, papers rustling. “You are the 2nd person in 2 years to tell me to know God.” I smiled and looked up toward heaven. “What did the other person tell you about God.” She told me about how a man shared what God had done in his life. That he was sick and made well. I asked her if she believed him. She said, “No, I do not believe in a God.” I proceeded, “Honey, if you are sick and need healing, then learn more about Jesus, God’s son. God is real. I didn’t believe either. I was almost 80 before I got to know Jesus.” She said, “You were not lying about being in your 80s?” I said, “No, I was not lying.” I told her to go buy a Bible and read the Gospel of John. She assured me she would. I hung up and prayed. When I opened my eyes, Donna was staring at me. I asked her to blink. She said, “I thought you were too nice at first. I wanted to grab my phone from you. You did good, Mom.” Then she grabbed her phone with those dagger red nails and went off to her flat iron. No curls today. Her hair looks like a straight-edged broom. I do love that woman. I had to call Preacher Larry. Yep, I hate to talk on the phone, but I had an inner joy and assurance that this woman would buy a Bible and get to know Jesus. He told me that someone previously planted seeds of hope about Jesus in her and that I was instrumental in the harvest. Imagine that! Son, be patient with those spam calls. I suggest not answering them rather than hang up. If you do happen to talk to a solicitor, treat them as a human, like a person created in the image of God. Be polite and if you have time, ask about them personally. See if you can plant a seed or harvest one. It was so simple and took little time. I am going to bed knowing that I had a purpose today, other than making your favorite baked spaghetti for supper. Love, Mom “You have a saying, ‘Four more months and then the harvest.’ But I tell you, take a good look at the fields; the crops are now ripe and ready to be harvested! The one who reaps the harvest is being paid and gathers the crops for eternal life; so the one who plants and the one who reaps will be glad together.” (John 4:35-36 GNT) “For this is what the Lord has commanded us: I have made you a light for the Gentiles to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 13:47 CSB)
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Planting Seeds For Harvest by Karen Ruhl
How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! -Psalm 133:1 Oh how I love people! My heart is so happy when I am around friends. Craig and I have moved more than most in our lifetime and know how valuable friendships can be. We keep in touch with our outof-state friends through social media mostly. And we try to meet new friends all of the time. A favorite parable of mine is the The Parable of the Sower. You know it - right? Matthew 13:3-9 NKJV “Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” How does this tie-in to making or keeping friends or planting seeds? I admit that I am on fire for Christ. I want to share the Good News and let others know what they can have by accepting Christ as their Savior. Many of our friends are Christian. We love them dearly, and yet, we love to meet people who have not made the commitment to become part of God’s family. 30 | M AG A Z I N E N A M E PAGE 3 30
Being a welcoming and friendly person lets God’s light shine and eventually, most friends will ask more or start a conversation about God. Sometimes, it goes like this, “I don’t believe in God or organized religion,” or “Why do you believe in God?” This is your time to listen more than you talk. It is not for us to try to convince, but to show the love and light that God has given us. And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” “He answered and said to them, ‘Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore, I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.’” (Matthew 13:11-13 NKJV) We are the ones who understand the parables. We need to live them so we can walk beside those who don’t believe or are seeking. I still remember when I fell to my knees and repented. Suddenly, the words I had been reading in the Bible made sense to me. I saw my Christian friends in a different light. I changed my life and want to be a light to others. I want to plant seeds so God can harvest them. I want others to know the redeeming power that comes from knowing Christ. God loved me enough to forgive my sins and welcome me into His family. Let’s plant more seeds today!
God Showing Up By Cindy J. Evans
We never know where He’ll show up next. He’s not always in the expected places. He won’t necessarily be in our comfort zone or in burning bushes in front of our faces... Maybe in that still small voice we’ve heard about, but maybe in the fire or the wind... maybe in the tears of a hurting heart or in the kindness and grace of a friend... Maybe in the song that seemed to play just for us, maybe in new mercies we needed in the morning... maybe in the second chance we didn’t deserve or in the generosity of a church member praying... Lord, I don’t know where I’ll see you today, I only hope that I do... I can’t predict where You will appear but please, don’t let me miss You!
Cindy Evans is a published poet living in the Atlanta area. When she’s not writing, you may find her working at a faith-based hospice company. She also enjoys date nights with her husband, ferris wheels, church activities and family-friendly movies.
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The Law Of Karma By Joseph Akinrinola
Although karma is not a biblical term, its implications spread through the scriptures. This is also the same as the law of sowing and reaping. It means what you sow is what you reap. As in natural farming, you only reap tomatoes if you sow tomato seeds. You won’t reap apples from the orange tree. “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” (Galatians6:7 NIV)
2. You get more than you bargained for. If you understand the facts about the law of karma, you will discover it returns in multiple folds. Therefore, be careful what you do to yourself and others. Adam and Eve committed only one sin (disobedience) and it gave birth to all known sins thereafter. Five minutes of sexual enjoyment outside the marriage can bring down a person from a lofty height.
By that implication, inappropriate behavior gives terrible results. It goes to say therefore that our life today results from the combination of our habits yesterday. That means we will have poor health tomorrow if we live an unhealthy lifestyle today. Let us go through the following six basic truths about the law of karma.
For instance, it was only Achan that sinned, but the entire family paid for it. (Joshua 7:1-26) Likewise, the sin of King David carrying out a census resulted in the death of thousands of innocent people. (2 Samuel 24:1-16) In addition, King Saul’s disobedience not only made him lose the throne, but his life, that of his children, and many Israelite armies. (1 Samuel 13:7-15, 1 Samuel 15:1-28) Therefore, think before you act.
1. Its reward may not be immediate. In the natural, you didn’t reap what you sowed immediately. The disobedience of Adam and Eve lives with us today but was not immediate. (Genesis 3:1-23) If you are not familiar with planting in the natural, you will not know the difference between a mango tree and an orange tree when they are just shooting out. Bad eating habits may not have an immediate effect. You wouldn’t reap the reward of pornography immediately. Likewise, your busyness, poor sleeping habit, and lack of rest wouldn’t show until a later date. That means as you lay your bed, so shall you lie on it.
3. The harvest may not always be from the same field you sow the seed. When you do good or bad to someone, another person somewhere may be the one to repay you. In Matthew 25:31-46, those who were rewarded and those punished never knew the effect of what they were doing initially, but the reward came back to them. The centurion just builds a temple and invests in his community. He reaps the healing of his daughter years later. The Amalekite thought they got away with maltreating the Israelites when they were just getting out of Egypt. You know how they paid for it centuries later.
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4. Sometimes, Karma has an eternal value (our salvation, righteous living, and spiritual commitment). One other fact about the law of karma is that it is also an eternal value. To those who will endure to the end, the eternal reward is our portion. Though righteousness is not in tandem with today’s culture, it will pay off the last day. Apostle Peter once wondered if it pays to bear the burden of commitment to Jesus. The Lord Jesus responded that the karma of redistributive justice will reward them, both here and in the hereafter. 5. God has a purpose if you do not get what you deserve. Sometimes good things happen to bad people, and bad things happen to good people. That a bad person is having a filled day does not imply God is forgetful of his past deed. No! God may withhold the punishment because of the effect on innocent people. At other times, he blessed bad people because of several other people that will benefit from such goodwill. This is why you wonder why some terrible people live longer, healthier, and wealthier. God has a purpose for it. The persecution of the disciples is a means of expanding the gospel. It also acts as an example and motivation to us Christians how to handle challenges as part of our salvation package. 6. Repentance and forgiveness do not always reverse the law of karma. Sometimes our new life does not change our terrible past. This truth about the law of karma should challenge us to always do well and do the right thing always. Though God forgave both King David and Apostle Paul for their errors, yet they paid dearly for their atrocities. In the same way, restitution may not prevent the law from taking its course. It may not also prevent the penalty or restore people’s confidence in us.
I am Joseph, an author, blogger, and content writer from Nigeria. In the field of writing, I deliver unique, grammatically correct, and plagiarism-free content. Currently, I work with three online firms specializing in motivation, human capacity development, lifestyle, relationship, and spiritual writings. You can find Joseph on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ groups/2228667160717043
The crust of fact about the law of karma is to live right. Such consciousness will make us know our secret and open lives are seeds that will bring a harvest both now and in the future.
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While at a red light, I saw the mural below and just had to get a photo. It is in Stanley, whose town clock states “A Friendly Place.” That isn’t hard to believe since all of the southern towns we have visited are very friendly - true Southern Charm.
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Road Trippin’ in and near Belmont, North Carolina by Karen Ruhl
On a recent trip with friends, Jo and Tom, we visited the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens. On our drive down, we drove through a town called Belmont. We all said we wanted to explore this town on the way home. And we did!
Belmont is not far from Charlotte, NC. We stopped and ate at Cherubs Cafe. We all enjoyed every bite of our meals. (Cherubs Cafe is owned and operated by Holy Angels, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to caring for children and adults with intellectual developmental disabilities and delicate medical conditions.) Attached to the Cherubs Cafe is an art gallery called Bliss Gallery where you can view art from guest artists and residents of Holy Angels. On the opposite side and still attached is the Cotton Candy Factory - stop in and become a kid again! We tried Root Beer Cotton Candy and really enjoyed it. I picked up some root beer barrels for Craig - one of his favorites. These three establishments are all owned and operated by Holy Angels, each business provides meaningful employment opportunities for the differently abled (words from their brochure). These three businesses alone make it worth a trip to visit Belmont. Craig and I wanted to explore more of the area, so we took another trip down a couple of days later to get photos. We drove through Mount Holly and I was able to get this trestle by climbing a small hill and shootig across 4 lanes of a highway! It was worth it. Craig was looking up things to do while I climbed to get this shot and found Belmont Abbey College that was founded in 1876 by the Benedictine monks of Belmont Abbey. Off we went about 15 minues down the road and again was not disappointed. The campus is beautiful and worth a drive just to see these buildings. School had just started that week and every young person we passed smiled and waved.
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Our original trip to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens was great. The butterfly house was open until the end of August. They do such a great job telling about the life of butterflies and showing you everything from the seeds they lay to the chrysalis - waiting for the emerging butterflies to spread their wings! It was a wonderful day for cloud lovers as well.
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Chad writes Christ-centered and faith-filled poetry, parables, proverbs, devotions, and inspirational short stories. He and his wife, Tina, live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. They both enjoy walking in nature, inspiring others, and living out their faith in the local community. Chad’s books are available on all major online book retailers.
A Church without Walls By Chad Thieman
I would like to take a moment to share an experience that I had. It happened one Friday night several years back. I went downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, to pass out some of my poetry, while a friend played worship songs on his guitar. We were on the corner of Front Street and Market Street. It felt a little strange at times being out there witnessing on a street corner, but we kept it up, believing in the talents that God had blessed us with. As people passed by, I held out a packet of my poetry and asked, “Can I bless you with some poetry today?” Though some seemed annoyed by this gesture and pulled their children away from us, many did accept my little packet of poetry with gratitude. Some of those people even came back later to thank me and my friend for everything we were doing. An hour passed and then two. Soon we were joined by a couple more friends of ours. We all started singing “I Can Only Imagine” and “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus.” It seemed for a moment that reality was beginning to shift and that the Kingdom of Heaven was opening up before our eyes. We all felt like little children singing on a street corner. A bird flew down and was flying all around us, and people were noticing the glow on our faces.
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It wasn’t too long after that when a couple of strangers joined us and we all got a little bit louder. A few more minutes passed and two young men with guitars walked up, asking if they could join in on the worship. Soon after that, another man approached us and said that he was a worship leader. He asked if he could play on one of the guitars. Then a few more people joined in and before we knew it, we had nine people in all, with three on guitars. We were worshiping the Lord and people on all four corners of the main crossroad could easily see and hear us. There were young teenagers walking by, singing along. People were rolling down their car windows to hear the music and to sing praises to our God. This was truly one of the most amazing experiences that we have ever been a part of. Our church was on a street corner. It was one without walls. We were having a worship service in the center of downtown on a Friday night. Lives were being impacted and God was being glorified. We had brought a light to the city for a moment in time. We stepped out into the darkness to shine the light of Christ, at a time when the bars began to draw crowds. It was a move of God and hearts were being changed.
Click on book cover to buy Chad’s book on Amazon.
I never could have imagined that could all come about because two people stepped out in faith and did something that no one else would do. God used us and He drew people to us. I know without a doubt that we made a difference that night. I know people who never stepped foot in a church before saw, for the first time, the joy, love, happiness, and unity that we have in the Church of Christ. The Skater Every day he skates, Down at the skatepark. From dawn to dusk, He leaves his mark; Both on the pavement, And on their hearts. A teenage legend, Aspiring to be; A mentor and friend, To all who he meets. Sharing the Gospel, Of repentance and faith. Christ’s young apprentice, Is at the skatepark today. He’s found practicing tricks, Or sitting on his board; Teaching and praying, Giving praise to the Lord.
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2020, A Season of Coping By Eleanor F.J. Gamarsh It was the first anniversary of becoming a widow. While grieving my circumstances, my heart did the atrial fibrillation dance, and I am thrown into pandemic isolation. As this new wrinkle occurred, I was in shock, and looking around, I wondered what was happening. My daughter, who is a nurse, explained things to me. But I needed time to comprehend and adjust. I was full of questions that summer of 2020. I questioned why my heart started misbehaving and I wondered how I was going to live with the condition. What is my life going to be like since I became eighty-seven at the end of the same week? What is life going to be like now that COVID-19 has caused a world sickness? That was more frightening to me than the fact that my heart had developed AFib and I could have a stroke, a fact I haven’t owned yet. While mulling over those questions swirling around inside me like a spinning lawn sprinkler, I kept doing most of the same morning routine I had been accustomed to for many years. In the beginning, my emotions see-sawed. I would look into the bathroom mirror in dismay over how much my self-view was being redesigned. My bedroom became my sanctuary, where I surrounded myself with books about writing. I fulfilled a longheld desire to work on unfinished needlework and sewing projects. I also gained so much pleasure listening to familiar works of classical music on my radio, ones I had enjoyed since childhood. And I still read the comics for a laugh a day. 40 | M AG A Z I N E N A M E PAGE 40
Still, occasionally there were many hours when the handwork or sewing just wasn’t satisfying. Some weekdays, regardless of my radio playing, I was overwhelmed with being alone. There were days when nothing really mattered, and I felt little joy or pleasure in anything. As the months of living with the silence and isolation added up, my emotions went flat. Then coping is simmered down to honoring the basics of keeping my living space in order. As time passed, I lost interest in communicating with anyone or I just felt no reason to speak at all. My words stayed locked up inside me, but the longing remained to have a conversation, especially in person. And then, when an opportunity appeared, I felt awkward and frustrated trying to find my words. Without a flow of conversation with others, I didn’t feel motivated to work on my book and my heart wept to remember how joyful I had been that spring evening when I sent the manuscript to my editor. For a while, I moved about my home with no sense of direction. I knew there were things I should have done, but I felt no impetus towards them. I thought I would put them off to some other day until necessity forces me to handle responsibility.
Many days I felt deeply alone, then I remembered there is always a ‘But’ like an old friend used to say. But, I had to turn my thoughts to the truth; I knew I could not be totally alone with my Lord living within me. My children shared time with me whenever they were able and were always mindful of my health. I looked forward to and depended on the hours when my two aides were doing the chores that made it possible to still live in my home. I was and am still grateful for my friends in my writer’s club and reminisce about the good times we’ve had in our meetings. It bolstered me to think of all the people I’ve shared with online in my city and different parts of the world. I was and am grateful for all of them. Whenever depression hovered inside of me like a tumor, remembering gratitude helped me to regain my positivity. Frequently, I struggled to hear the dialogue on the TV programs and felt bombarded by the loud commercials, therefore I eliminated the expense and dissatisfaction of watching anymore. My window into the world became the local newspapers and my cell phone. I believed I ought to be aware of some events in the world outside of my personal space. As the weeks became months, I watched the news only to hear and see what I considered essential. My children have been my safety net for much of my life, especially during 2020. They’ve answered my most important question; how do I live my life now? Every day, I thought of my children surrounding me in a circle of love and caring. When the holidays came along, we stayed in phone contact, never forgetting to say how much we loved each other. They knew I cherished our family gatherings, but this year I was happy just seeing any of them for a few minutes. Hugging the back of their shoulders was enough to bring me joy. When my son, Eric was ready to go home on Christmas eve, he said, “To hell with Covid. Come here, Mom. I’m hugging you, anyway. We love you and want you to stay around for a long time.”
We are now more than halfway into 2021 and I am getting back into my writing. My needlework is set aside more often now. I believe I have adapted to living single fairly well, and my health is stable. By His Grace, those around me, and I, avoided Covid-19 except for one, but it was mild. When I feel the weight of the silence begin to envelop me, I turn my face to my Lord with my prayer in my heart. These verses from the fifty-first psalm have raised me up out of the doldrums many times through the years. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” (Psalm 51:10-12 KJV)
Eleanor F.J. Gamarsh enjoys reading historical novels and memoirs. She writes inspirational stories because of the challenges she has faced and overcome. Shortly after joining the Wachusett Writers and Poets Club, her essay, On Mother’s Day, was published in the local newspaper, The Gardner News. A few of her poems were published in The Poetry Corner of the same newspaper. Her love of a variety of the arts was born in childhood, inspired by her mother. They encompass needle arts to jewelry making to crafts and many in between. She enjoys caring for her gardens that she designed for around her home. Through the few years of being her husband’s wife/caregiver, Eleanor was preparing a manuscript of memoir short stories with his support. She expects to publish the book in the near future. She makes her home in North Central Massachusetts.
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Faith On Every Corner Bookshelf The Teacup Conspiracy By Jackie Zack Reviewed by Karen Ruhl A shooting that took her husband, and teacups - how does it all fit together? You will have to get the book to follow Gia’s adventure. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to read because you won’t want to put it down. Does Gia find a new love? Why is she still getting teacups? Is she a target; was she the target? A new shop opens in town—Tea & Cakes. When the owner, Rand, meets Gia they discover they lost their spouses in the same shooting incident. They both have a lot of questions they want answered.
Click on book cover to purchase this book.
I so want to tell you more, but I don’t like reading reviews that give away too much of the story - so, click on the book cover and purchase this one today! We are so happy to have this on our personal bookshelf. Well written, intriguing, touching, and it will leave you wanting more. Check out all of Jackie Zack’s books on Amazon.
I Don’t Want To Turn 3 By Gramps Jeffrey Reviewed by Karen Ruhl This book is not only well written and is a wonderful story to read with your little ones. The life lesson learned in this book teaches right from wrong and shows how to resolve a problem. The illustrations are bright and will capture your child’s attention. I recommend this book to anyone with young children. I love it on my bookshelf!
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Faith On Every Corner Bookshelf Hidden Treasure By Margaret Rodeheaver Reviewed by Karen Ruhl I love to read, and I truly love books I don’t want to put down. Hidden Treasure was one of those books. I started reading in the family room and moved to the bedroom and read well into the night. Margaret does a great job with character development. You feel you know the people in the book and can’t wait to turn the page to find out about the Hidden Treasure, and there are many at the Treasure Chest Thrift Shop in Chinkapin, Georgia. The protagonist, Laurie, moved to Chinkapin and volunteers at the thrift shop that helps support her church, St. Marks. A couple of robberies at the shop, a new artist in town, and a cast of characters will keep you reading and wanting more books from Margaret! We are thrilled to have this book on our bookshelf!
Click on book cover to purchase this book from Amazon.com.
We are currently reading the following books to review in October - but don’t wait to purchase them for yourself! Click on the book image to go to Amazon.
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Faith On Every Corner Bookshelf One Of The First By Ralph Stokes with Chris McKinney Reviewed by Craig Ruhl When I saw Ralph Stokes’ name on the cover of this book, it piqued my interest. As a young man, I followed his football career with great interest, but I was unaware of the impact he has made on the world, post-athletics. This is a well-written and insightful story of struggles with racism in our country, a subject many of us do not fully understand. The author describes many of the challenges he faced while dealing with integration throughout his career as an athlete and into his business and social life. His story is inspiring and provides a realistic view of how much difference one person can make in the world around him.
Click on the book covers to purchase these book from Amazon.com.
I feel One Of The First shines a light on a subject that continues to darken our society. Ralph Stokes’ effective method of dealing with challenges and his approach to leadership will serve those in sports, business, and all walks of life equally well. Get a copy of this book, read it well, and pass what you learn on to others. It is a blessing to read and to share.
We are currently reading the following books to review in October - but don’t wait to purchase them for yourself! Click on the book image to go to Amazon.
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Faith On Every Corner Bookshelf
Broken Vessels By Ken Barnes Reviewed by Craig Ruhl This is an insightful testimony of human frailty told by a man who has opened his heart, sharing his personal experiences and insights. As a teacher, a leader in Christian ministry and mission organization, Ken Barnes draws on a lifetime of experiencing the highs and lows of life. We are told in the Bible that we will face troubles and trials. Ken Barnes certainly can attest to that, and yet, his faith and trust in the Lord has and is seeing him through. I think this book is well written and tells many truths that we all need to be reminded of. I recommend Broken Vessels as a book that should be re-read many times, especially when we are experiencing rough times.
Call For Writers For Faith On Every Corner Magazine We are looking for testimonials, acts of service, devotions, and articles of how you have witnessed God working in your life or the life of family and friends. Email for submission guidelnes. Team@FaithOnEveryCorner.com
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Harvesting
by Mike Buchanan In both Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospels, Jesus tells us, “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few”. This is interesting because scholars believe Matthew was written for a Jewish audience, while Luke was more for a Gentile audience. In both instances, The Lord then tells His Disciples to pray the Lord of the harvest would then send out laborers into the field of the harvest. This is where you and I come into the picture, or back into the field if you will. The Holy Spirit draws men to Christ. Yet, He chooses to use us as His Harvesters most of the time. Jesus called Peter and Andrew and said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19 KJV) A couple of months back, this magazine devoted its issue to the planting of seeds. What good does it do if the seeds are planted and grow, but they’re not reaped? I’m not a horticulturist, I don’t even play one on TV. However, I do know that sometimes in the spiritual sense like the natural sense, once a seed is planted, it takes time for the fruit to be ready to be plucked. It’s all in the timing. I look around at the world today, and I see the return of the Lord must be so much closer than at any other point in history. Good is called evil, evil is called good. As Jesus said, it’s like the days of Noah. If the fields were ripe when He was here, how much more so today? May we be on the lookout for the opportunity to help reap the harvest!
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Harvesting He is returning like a thief in the night, We must be ready for the unannounced flight. And we must help bring in those who are lost Being willing to gather them no matter the cost. Reaping the harvest He said was ready Our shoulder to the task must be steady. Venturing into the fields to gather the fruit Pulling them out from under the enemy’s boot. Eternity is at stake for each and every soul Here and now, Christ can make them whole. Salvation is life everlasting and hope on earth, To those who experience their spiritual rebirth. Time is shorter with each and every passing day Give us more souls for Your Kingdom we pray. In every situation, may we show forth Your Grace Representing Jesus in each and every place. Now we must show the way to Christ for Salvation Repentance from sin to escape coming damnation. Gleaning the wheat from a harvest of tares Leading souls out from the enemy’s snares. Maybe you’re reading this, and you’ve had someone share the Gospel, the Good News, with you before. Maybe not. It comes down to this—we all die. After that, we must pay for our actions. The Bible says that all of us have fallen short of the Glory of God, and the wages of sin (anything we do that doesn’t line up with God’s law) is death. Here’s where the good news comes in: The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. Simply believe He lived a perfect life, died for all our sins. He died and was resurrected to pay the price those sins demanded, and you will be saved. That’s all there is to it. If you decide to make that decision, let a local church know. They will be delighted to help you continue on your walk.
Mike Buchanan is a Christian writer and the author of the book Mountains of Hope Surrounding the Valley of Cancer. He uses his writing talents to further Jesus’ Gospel.
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Poems by Valerie Smith
I Love How You Love Me I love how you love me Those secret places you speak to You have won my heart With your mercy I love how you love me Chosen as a grain of sand Carved me into a precious pearl To shine for you in a darkened land
Val is a full time Nurse. She is also the author of her debut book, Heart to Heart with God. A ‘heart on sleeve’ conversation with God. Val also loves to write poems expressing our love for God and His love for us. She is the mother of two grown-up children and has two wonderful grandchildren who all live close by in one of England’s beautiful counties, North Devon. Val belongs to a small community Church where she leads a women’s Bible study group and is involved in mentoring young Christians.
Oh, how I love how you love me You wrote psalms to lure me Sweet words to soften A delicate heart long forgotten You praised me to lift me up Laid with me in a bed of tears Caressed me, overflowing cup Bathed wounds from tortured years I love how you love me Desires of my heart you long to give Beckoning with your still small voice To secure a place in my heart to live
https://www.valsmithauthor.com/
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A Thousand Tears
God Calling
And he cried a thousand tears For the kings and queens he’d lost For the unfulfilled plans that went astray For the hearts who knew him not A covenant long forgot The promises in vain His son’s life laid down to pay
Come over here, sit with me, share your heart.
So he called to all his children And gathered them anew And lay upon their hearts his battle cry Take hold your sharpened weapons Of courage; faith and love Wipe out the grip of darkness in your land I promise I will lead you, restore your loss and keep you I ask you please trust my mighty hand And he cried a thousand tears When his battle-weary children Brought to the father all that he had lost He put his trust before them A call before foundation A remnant worthy of his son’s great cost.
I will hold it gently, caress and heal the dents and bruises you so protect. Come over here, rest in me, share your thoughts. I know the thoughts you have towards me, I long to lift off your anger; you will see me more clearly. Come over here, share your dreams with me. Loosen your grip, let them take flight in my direction. We will twist and turn together, gathering others along the way to join in the ride and not the chase. Come over here and love with me. Nestle in and draw from me, I have enough for both of us. My abundance will overflow within you, spilling out into a world of the unknown and forgotten. Come over here and live within me and I in you. Oh, what a purpose we can share with a power that even angels will envy. Come over here dear child, your father is calling.
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Attention Parents, Teachers, Young Writers. We are seeking articles to run in our premiere magazine coming this fall. To get submission guidelines, email us at Team@FaithOnEveryCorner.com
Call For Writers For Faith On Every Corner Magazine We are looking for testimonials, acts of service, devotions, and articles of how you have witnessed God working in your life or the life of family and friends. Email for submission guidelnes. Team@FaithOnEveryCorner.com 50 | M AG A Z I N E N A M E PAGE 3 50
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Where Was My Faith? By Karen Ruhl
Craig and I took a drive the other day to check out a small town in the mountains that we had not yet visited. We love to explore and, of course, my camera is attached to me wherever we go! We drove to Burnsville, NC, and found it to be such a charming town. They were having a Christian gospel concert with multiple family musical groups—a complete and wonderful surprise. One of the local merchants supplied wooden rockers and other seating for the event. We stayed for a couple of hours and then decided we should head home. We decided to take The Blue Ridge Parkway home, knowing it would take a couple of hours from where we were. We started on our drive home, stopping at the overlooks, and having fun going through all the tunnels on that part of the parkway. When we got to the Pisgah Inn, we stopped at the little store to get freshened up and get a snack and drink. When we got ready to leave, the car wouldn’t start. The battery was dead— and I mean dead! Well, we said, look how blessed we are to be on the parkway in a safe parking place, next to bathrooms and a store where we can get what we need. We called AAA knowing we would probably have quite a wait since we were on the parkway. They told us 45-50 minutes, not too bad. I strolled around the inn grounds, getting great photos of the mountains. It was cool and breezy, quite a nice day. I prayed and thanked God for letting us be in a safe place when the battery died. The woman from AAA battery service arrived, confirmed the battery was dead, and replaced it. She told us that one cable to the battery was loose and needed to be replaced, but we should be able to get home safely. They do not have cables on their trucks. We thanked her and off we went. The dash lights all flickered as we pulled out of the parking lot, but we thought they were just resetting. The first turn took us down one of the curviest roads we have ever experienced on the parkway. I know Craig’s knuckles were white, and I was praying the entire way down the hill. We took this route so we could be on the highway instead of taking the parkway home. We got on the I-40 where there was tons of construction and very bumpy roads. The lights flickered again, and all the gauges were going wacky. I prayed, and Craig looked for an exit that had a gas station. At the bottom of that exit, the car died. No lights, no brakes, only that fear that comes from worrying that we might be hit from behind. I prayed, but I worried. Where was my faith? My faith was in God, who listens to my prayers and answers. If we keep our eyes and ears open, He will show us and tell us He is near. We were able to get the car started and pulled off the exit into a gas station that was right next to the exit. The people at this gas station were amazing. We had 4-5 people come and ask if we needed help. The attendant at the gas station was fantastic and - yep - Christian. We called AAA again for a tow or possible repair. It took another 50 minutes for them to arrive but the young man who came was able to fix the cable by flipping it upside down so it would tighten properly. We were back on the road, still feeling anxious because we still had a mountain we had to drive down! Where was my faith? It was in knowing that God had given us all we needed, and He got us home safely at midnight. We both were tired and still feeling stressed from the drive, but also very thankful that we knew God was with us on our drive. Praise God for His faithfulness. 52 | M AG A Z I N E N A M E PAGE 3 52
The Word of God By Dr. Irene Surya
When the waves of pain Hits you hard, When the night is dark Heavy with tears.
Dr. Irene Surya has published a book of poems, In Solitude with God. Her poems have been published in various magazines. She loves and serves the Lord with her husband. She is a devout mother to her two daughters and has earned her doctorate in engineering from a premium institution. Currently, she is working as a research analyst in a research company.
Click on book to purchase on Amazon.
Let your place of comfort Be the arms of the Good Shepherd He will hold you tight Till the morning breaks bright. When the troughs of life Pulls you down, Cherish the word of God Deep down in your heart. Every grief is blown out Every thought is brought to captivity As you grow and thrive In the knowledge of God. Nourish yourself every day From the word of God Renew your mind every hour As you read from it’s every leaf. Protect yourself gently Under the umbrella of God’s word And walk worthy Of the Gospel of God.
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Can We Still Harvest Seeds? By Sharon K. Connell
When we didn’t have to worry about a pandemic causing havoc in our lives, and we could go out in the world and talk to people one-on-one, it was so much easier to present the gospel to everyone. But this is the world we have today. Paranoia has set in for many people. Others are just trying to do their best to stay healthy. That’s my husband and me. Most strangers don’t want to take a chance on spending time with people they don’t know, much less listen to them talk about God. They hurry by you. The only one-on-one experiences today for the most part are at the doctor’s office or the dentist. They have to talk to you, but they are also very busy. Still, you can mention how good God’s been to you and bless their day. I leave a tract at the checkout desk. It probably gets thrown away, but you never know.
Gospel tracts are a good way of spreading God’s Word and telling others how to escape the fires of hell and gain a home in heaven. I carry them in my purse. Sure, a lot of them will never get picked up off a table, are discarded, or refused when you hold it out to someone. But since I wear gloves, some will take the chance. They’ll stuff it in their pocket or purse for later. However, online is a perfect place to spread the gospel. No germs, no one-on-one encounters, just your story in the form of a testimony or a verse given here and there. I use memes with gospel verses every day on all my social media sites. The stories I publish always have a gospel message or truth for the reader. The Bible says, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11 KJV)
So what does a Christian do to spread the gospel as we should in such a world as we have today? And how do we see the harvest ripen? When do we see the harvest come in? We may not see the fruits of our labors until we are home with our Lord. But that shouldn’t stop us from planting the seeds.
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That’s a promise, Christian. Your efforts are still not in vain. Whether we get to harvest those seeds this side of heaven or not, go out and plant wherever you can. Don’t hold back. The more seeds you plant, the bigger your harvest. Just a word of warning. I wouldn’t flood your social media sites with preaching or even Bible verses. It’s a sure way of turning people off who may never hear the gospel anywhere else. Use common sense and discretion. For example, on Twitter, I Tweet a Bible verse meme in the morning, in the afternoon, and before I shut down. (Being a writer, I’m on the computer all day.) When God calls my attention to a verse someone else has tweeted, I retweet. On Facebook, I use inspirational memes and wait for someone to say something about it that will open the door for me to give a very short testimony regarding the situation. I don’t flood social media so that people want to block, mute… or unfriend me.
Click to order Sharon’s books.
Author, Sharon K. Connell lives in Houston, Texas from where she writes Christian Romance Suspense, containing a bit of mystery and as much humor as she can get into a story. She’s also written many award-winning short stories in a variety of genres. Sharon attended college in Illinois, graduated from the Pensacola Bible Institute in Florida, and holds a certificate in fiction writing from the International Writing Program through the University of Iowa.
Matthew 10:16 says, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” (KJV) Get the seed out, let the Holy Spirit water it, and wait for that harvest. Someday, we’ll see it.
She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, Scribes Critique Group, Houston Writers Guild, and CyFair Writers. She is also the founder of the global Facebook Christian Writers & Readers group forum. Her monthly newsletter, Novel Thoughts, goes out every month to its subscribers in all parts of the world. https://www.authorsharonkconnell.com/?fbclid=IwAR3blPumdZvBOZprsoWSgI0SApQPkFdPhBRtEWe3tMZ7Rw17qQcE_LMH6yE
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Summer Fun And Lessons Learned By Cindy Oriol When I was a young girl, I, like the other children in my school, enjoyed hearing that last bell chime, letting us know that Saint Francis Seraph School was closed for the summer.
Dad said that I could go on vacation with my friend and her family. This was going to be our first big vacation together. My friend and I had never seen the ocean before. I remember as we were packing our suitcases, we would try on bikini after bikini, wanting to look good but not too daring for the boys we would meet. We were so excited, laughing and jumping around, neither of us got too much sleep on the way down—we didn’t want to miss anything.
Because both of my parents worked full time, my mom started asking around the neighborhood to see where my siblings and I would go for the summer. She was told that there was a community center down the street from where we lived. We went We arrived and checked into our hotel. Before stepto look at it and met some teachers and students. Everyone was so nice and told us to come back soon. ping onto the elevator, we looked around, but we didn’t see any young guys. All we saw were older We felt for sure we were in the right place. adults and their ages ranged from 70 to 90. I can still remember the teacher that looked out Hitting the beach running, we were beyond excited for us. She was so kind, and my siblings and I liked and couldn’t wait to put our feet in the gentle waves. her very much. Some of our fun activities included It felt so weird having the sand gathering between playing outdoor games, such as baseball, kickball, our toes. As we looked around, we saw a few youngand dodgeball. Inside the big room were two metal er-looking guys, but mostly older men and women doors. Once we looked inside, our eyes gazed upon our parent’s age. rows and rows of tricycles. This was the first time I can ever recall looking at a bike. I still remember It started to rain, lightly at first, but then the dark running towards them and choosing one to take clouds came rolling in over the horizon and the light outside, and the fun began. rain immediately changed to heavy downpours. So, we grabbed our beach bag and towels and ran to the That same summer I was asked if I wanted to go to hotel. If the rain would’ve been warmer, we would’ve Myrtle Beach, SC with my best friend and her partaken our time to walk back to the hotel, but since ents. Her mom called my mom to get approval. We the water was very cold, we ran. We wanted to get were both so very excited that she was considering back and change out of our wet clothes. the possibility of saying yes. But first I had to go ask my dad. He and I had a wonderful, fun, and loving relationship. I knew he would say, “Yes”. He always did. We were so close, and it absolutely destroyed me when he passed away so suddenly when he was 52.
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Changed into warmer clothes, we checked out the veranda at the back of our hotel. Surely there would be some young guys to talk to. But there wasn’t a young person to be found, just the elderly men and their wives. They were rocking back and forth in the rocking chairs. We looked around and noticed two empty chairs, so we sat down to talk to them. They talked to us about their good ole days, one exciting story after another, especially the ones they shared about the Lord. After we had learned so much from them on different topics, we found a table and played five hundred rummy. As we played and talked, we both came to realize the reason we were staying at this hotel was my friend’s parents knew this place was mostly for older people and they wanted to protect us from getting into any trouble with boys. We were sad but eventually got over it. Besides, it rained daily, sometimes with downpours. It wasn’t the vacation that two young girls thought they were going on, but we still had a good time.
“All your children shall be taught by the Lord, And great shall be the peace of your children.” ~Isaiah 54:13 (NKJV)
I later realized the real reason we were meant to stay at that hotel was to hear messages about the Lord from the older people we met. My friend and I will never forget the many deep conversations about the Lord we shared with them on the veranda while we were rocking back and forth in our rocking chairs. You are never too old to hear the words of Jesus. If I didn’t know the Lord, I do not know where I would be today. He is my Rock, Healer, and Protector when I am sinking in the sand. He has helped me so much.
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The Long Haul by Scott Dunn
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4 ESV) It is hard for anyone to always put themselves second or even last in this world because many of us live in a society that often thinks of themselves first, even when we profess subjugation of our own will. It is part of the human condition and it is a significant fault of man. To improve how we respond to those feelings of needing to be highlighted, we must understand and ultimately find peace with the fact that we are commanded to be the hands and feet of Jesus. When Paul and Timothy were writing to the Philippians, they encouraged them to show humility like Christ (Philippians 2:3-4) and that is something we should strive for. It has not been easy for me, and is it ever fully solved? No, but because I want to be more like Christ, I have to remind myself that I am second or third or fifth. Christ could have left us to our own demise and allowed us to fester and stay permanently separated from God, but instead, He made himself last. Last of every soul that has come, gone, and will come. He chose to come down to Earth and live as we live. He chose to understand us more intimately than we could imagine and then, even though we weren’t worthy, He stepped between His father and us, saying (I’m taking liberty here, obviously no one knows the true conversation), “They are not perfect, they are not worthy, but they were created to be wonderful. Not all hope is lost. My sacrifice is worth their salvation.” I must be honest, running through that conversation makes me a little misty. Can we be that humble? Can I? It is a question I strive to answer every day. I do not get it right all the time and I won’t. I do not expect to.
Consider this, someone of opposing but respectfully expressed views forces you to think and become a better theologian. We are all theologians and should consider ourselves as such. Additionally, you will gain insight into the beliefs the person holds, and it will also help remove the prejudice that we often make when we hear someone has a different belief system than ours. Especially when you hear Satanism. Your mind immediately jumps to literally what it means, the worship of Satan, aka Lucifer. This does not mean you accept their beliefs or agree with their faith. I would argue that it exposes you to things that force you to become better at apologetics. You can learn to defend your faith better. You can learn to witness to people better. There is great potential is my point. In reality, the term ‘Satan’ does not equate to ‘Lucifer’ in the Bible. The term ‘Satan’ is a Hebrew word that means ‘adversary’ or ‘accuser’ and has been used to describe David as being the Satan of Saul. In Numbers 22:22, the Angel of Yahweh is the Satan to Balaam. These are all Hebrew translations, but when you read most English versions, you’ll find either ‘opposer’ or ‘adversary’.
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I mention all of this because it leads me into a personal area of life. I mentioned this friend who is a LaVeyan Satanist, and he probably does not realize it, but he is prayed for every night. From what I gather, he does not practice the mysticism of that religion but enjoys the ‘self-religion’ aspect. To summarize, followers are atheists who stress dependence on the self rather than reliance on any outside power. It encourages individualism, hedonism, materialism, ego, personal initiative, self-worth, and self-determinism. To the LaVeyan, Satan does not exist but is instead symbolic of their beliefs. Mini-World-Religion class aside, this friend is one of my ‘Ones’. It’s those specific people we always pray for. The ones that, above others, we would love to spend time eternal around when the earth is born anew. I take on long-term prayer projects like a husband who says he will fix something for six months and then another six months go by… it’s those kinds of things. My children, my siblings, and this friend are all long-term prayer projects. What I have learned is patience. It’s important to have that when you are sowing the field. You do this work hoping it bears fruit, even if it is a little fruit. Sometimes that harvest may take a day or a week or a month. I’ve had topics I’ve prayed about for years and that is ok. I haven’t felt the urge to not pray for them, so I still do. I don’t know when or if a certain prayer will ever get answered. What I do know is that I’m human and I pray for big things and small things, important things, and things that would make you laugh at me. I laugh at myself, truth be told. The harvest can be a long haul, my friend, and the end of that road may never come. God does not give us a schedule of His plans; we are to live through faith. Not our works that we hope to bring about change. They do. God works through us to great effect, but they are a conveyor of things. The catalyst is you. How you present Christ to the world.
The unbeliever sees your actions and thinks, ‘So that is what Jesus would do…’ and it sets the stage for how they see other Christians. It’s always the one bad apple argument. If you are struggling in persevering when you feel deliverance should come sooner, please look at Psalm 13. You’ll find David, a man after God’s own heart, in angst over his expectations. You’ll find that he perseveres because God has been faithful in His love for David. It is a beautiful peek into someone we consider a hero of the Bible. To see their human flaws and their trust in the hope that God provides. You will see a man eager for the harvest itself and not worried about the quantity it provides. He knows God is generous. May our hearts be the same.
Scott Dunn is a Christian husband and father who has spent over 15 years in the telecommunications industry. He is the founder of Talking with God (https://twgpodcast.com), a podcast that seeks to educate and encourage a closer relationship with God. Scott is a northerner who migrated south and has fully acclimated to the wonderful area known as the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. He serves at his local church by helping with the production and online streaming of services. He has a genuine passion for the Christian man and his responsibilities, often writing about them on his blog https://justholdfast.com. Here he shares open and real-life experiences so that other men can relate to the human condition and how that relates to a stronger love relationship with God.
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Publishers Introduction by Karen Ruhl
What would funding help you do?
I wanted to introduce you to a man who has a heart of gold. His name is Tumwesigye K. Godfrey. I know him as Walter. We began our friendship through our mutual love of photography. We are in a Christian Photographers Group and starting chatting. As I learned more about Walter (Tumwesigye), it was apparent that he had a love for the children in the ghetto who lived around him. He and his wife are building a modest home so they can care for more children. They have 3 beautiful children of their own. It is so hard for many of us to even fathom the way others live in impoverished countries. And yet, that is where we find some of the most faithful believers. Walter is one of those believers. He lives his life the way that Christ would like all of us to live. He loves his neighbors. His Facebook page has this at the top “To me ghetto kids are also essentials. I love children.” The photos on the in this article show his interactions and the love shines through. Thank you, Walter, for being a light in a sometimes-dark world.
Talking with Walter: Where do you live, Walter? I live in Uganda, Africa. We have three children, two girls, and a boy.
Inside me, the notion of photography started as a faint drop of water, and very much little did I know it will be part of life’s transformational story today. Here, now 15 years down the road of camera and photography, I have just discovered a mystery of how the then “faint drop of water” has turned around the lives of so many low-esteemed people. With funding, I would like to build for them a filming school and a hostel to look after them, to make it easy to affect Christian values to them because I believe that they can change for the better. I would like to hire professional counselors and find parents for them. I want to get them more teachers of skills because if they get a skill in photography, videography, and dancing they will become independent in the future and be able to support others like their wives, kids, (families) and also teach other disadvantaged children. This, sincerely speaking, is my gospel to the world through skills. And to become good people in society by becoming living testimonies.
You mentioned you want to teach children photography. Why do you want to do this?
Is photography your profession?
The reason as to why I want the kids to become Photographers. First of all, these kids don’t go to school because they have no parents and they are hopeless in life. Some of them are beggars on the streets, some were thieves before I started supporting them with the little I have. So because of the reasons above, people distance themselves from them and take them to be a bad influence in the society and some are killed. I believe no one deserves to die because they don’t choose to become what they are, but we’re forced by circumstances. I want those children to feel loved because right now, they believe God created them by mistake. I want the kids to become good citizens so that people around them can learn to trust them and learn that everyone can change given an opportunity.
My passion today is creating impact through transformational life stories.
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Photography is no longer just a job in which I was trained; it’s a ministry now that extracts happiness from peoples’ lives and installs joy into their hearts. I have seen this working in the many disadvantaged children and families in Kakiri, Hoima Road, and the Wakiso District.
Why do you do this? To me, ghetto kids are also essential. I love children.
Tumwesigye K. Godfrey (Walter) with his wife Dorothy, his children are below. The photo with the house in the background is the home that Walter is building for his family. To reach Walter, you can find him on Facebook, or email him at Walter Godfrey tumwegody@gmail.com or Dorothy at Morenajoyf@ gmail.com Phone: Walter +256 782553443 Dorothy. +256 771816387 We hope you let him know you have read his story.
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From Walter: I enjoyed this village. This village is called Kyakatebe in Mityana district, it’s where I found this grandma. She told me she is 96-years-old and she was a great decorator from the 40s and she has flowers in her compound. I was really challenged.
A look at Walter’s world through his camera lens.
If you would like to help Walter with his goals, you can find him on Facebook, or email him at Walter Godfrey tumwegody@gmail.com or Dorothy at Morenajoyf@gmail.com
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Walter is helping build his own home: You know I’m working with the builders. I want to shift the kids from where we are now to Kakiri village because my neighbors are complaining that kids are playing with theirs and are going to their houses to get something to eat; it’s a real war!!
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Refreshment For Parched Souls
by Gini Walker
When my soul is dry, it feels parched. I have a thirst that leaves me speechless. It needs to be quenched. I am so tired of speeches. I am so tired of opinions (mine included). And in this dryness, there is a deep longing in my soul. I’ve discovered what it is—a longing for GOD’S GLORY. One glimpse, one taste, one sampling, and my faith is changed. It is that awe that nearly paralyzes me when I see a magnificent sunrise and sunset. There is an unearthly power at work. This power directs me to see God. “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.” (1 Chronicles 29:11 NLT) “They were calling out to each other, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!’” (Isaiah 6:3 NLT) “and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:11 NLT) “And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light.” (Revelation 21:23 NLT) I hope these words from His Holy Book will encourage you and bring springs of refreshing water to your dry soul. TO GOD BE THE GLORY
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