Faith On Every Corner - February 2021

February 2021

Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me. Psalm 42:7 NKJV

Visit Our Website at www.FaithOnEveryCorner.com for previous issues of our magazine.

COVER PHOTO

This tree sets in Tollymoor forest, Newcastle Co. Down and if it wasn’t for his wonderful light stroking the branch we would not have noticed its natural beauty.

B Y PA U L LO U G H L I N

The power of God’s light.

I’m Paul Loughlin from Newtownards Co. Down Northern Ireland. Landscape Photography is my hobby, I love photographing our natural beauty.

We are blessed with so much wonderful beauty.

If we all just take a moment to look and take in the beauty created around us, the world could be a much better place. You can follow me on Instagram paulloughlinphotography or Facebook Irish landscapes by Paul Loughlin.

Cover Photo: Gleno is a magnificent 30 foot waterfall nestling in the glens of Antrim. When I took this picture I love the way a family was having a day out enjoying the natural beauty of our world. I often wonder do they ever think about who created such beauty for our enjoyment.

I think this is when God was trying to catch my attention.

Taken in a graveyard in Co. Mayo, my wife Karen was doing research on her family history. I was just wandering around when the light came through the trees and illuminated this beautiful headstone and message.

This is known locally as the Rihanna tree; she made a pop video at this location. The farmer put a stop to it as she was scantily clad. The area is known as God corner. The farmer has the side of his barn painted with a Bible quote.

The Giant’s Causeway lies at the foot of the basalt cliffs along the sea coast on the edge of the Antrim plateau in Northern Ireland. It is made up of some 40,000 massive black basalt columns sticking out of the sea. The dramatic sight has inspired legends of giants striding over the sea to Scotland. A truly amazing place.

INSIDE COVER

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Can you believe we are one month into the new year at the time of this publication? I was helping my grandfather when I was a teenager and said, “I wish it was Saturday.” My usually very quiet grandfather looked at me and said, “Don’t ever wish your life away, Karen. One day you will wish you had more days left in your life.” It is true, isn’t it? We get excited about our birthday, a vacation, something that makes us focus on the future instead of today.

As writers, we are either looking at our past or writing about the future. Don’t get stuck in either one, be sure you are in the present.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” -Matthew 6:34

Karen

and C

raig R

uhl

Now Read In Over 77 Countries.

Praise be to God.

We are so happy when we look at our statistics and see that thousands are reading our magazine. It goes up and down monthly like all magazines but we keep our eyes on what the Lord God is doing to expand our territory. We pray for those who read the magazine in every country and ask that you join us in prayer. We are being read in countries where the word of God is not allowed. We take that seriously and ask God to protect all of our readers.

We have one favor to ask of anyone reading this now. Please take the time to share the magazine link with your family and friends. You never know how they may be touched by the articles and the word of God. If you would like to talk to a Team Member, please drop an email to team@faithoneverycorner.com.

Blessings, Karen

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Remember Your Parachute!

by Karen Ruhl

Craig and I used to love to go to the small airports and watch the skydivers. It is particularly interesting to watch the tandem jumpers. When they land, they have to rely on each other for a safe landing. Most of the time, we witnessed flawless landings, once every so often a little bumpy one. But as we watched, we realized those coming in for a landing had to have a lot of faith in what they were doing.

That is how I feel about life. My parachute, so to speak, is the word of God. It seems like no matter what situation I am in, if I trust fully in Him, I never experience more than a slightly bumpy landing.

Don’t get me wrong, remember, I am a sinner and I have been in life-threatening positions. I would never have been able to get through them without God. I remember the night that I fell to my knees crying for God’s help in a very bad situation. I was fearful; I didn’t think God would listen to someone who had put herself in a situation like I was in. I wasn’t doubting God’s love for me, I just didn’t feel worthy. I guess you could say that I felt my parachute had too many holes to give me a safe landing.

I can recall this night so vividly because I gave my life to Christ again while kneeling and weeping for His help.

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Earlier that day, I had called my girlfriend, Carla, and asked if she would come over and pray with me. I was in a prayer group with Carla and felt very confident that she was the one that I was supposed to call.

That day, Carla was my parachute. She had all of the verses marked on a piece of paper for me to read later that night. She had her Bible packed neatly in her bag along with her study material, pens, and a journal. Packed safely, just like a parachute is packed before someone goes for a jump.

That night, I started to memorize verses like never before. I realized my memory verses were like the cords of a parachute, they were there to help me when I needed to use them—when danger, sorrow, anger, love, peace, was dominating my mind.

When the evil one tried to bring me crashing to the ground, he couldn’t because my parachute bag was packed tight with what I needed for just a time like that.

I encourage you to think of the Bible as your lifeline. Proverbs 4:1-2 NKJV says:

Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding; For I give you good doctrine: Do not forsake my law.

Find a friend like Carla that you can call on when you need someone beside you. Remember, God is always there. Blessings - Karen

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FACEBOOK

We are so happy to feature Paul Loughlin for our cover photo

Paul Loughlin is from Newtownards Co. Down Northern Ireland

IN THIS ISSUE

F O L LO W U S

Remember Your Parachute ... by Karen Ruhl ... page 3 My Mom’s Journey To Heaven ... by Cindy Oriol ... page 5 Friends In Every Neighborhood ... by Melissa Henderson ... page 7 Journey With The Lord ... by Andrea Marino ... page 9 Stress Eating ... by Dr. Kathleen Oden ... page 11 Because One Woman Cared ... by Pamela McCormick ... page 13 Iron Friendships ... by Nicole Byrum ... page 15 Friends and Words Like Leaves ... John Alexander ... page 17 and 18 Do Not Worry ... by Gina Sewell ... page 19 In The Word ... by Karen Ruhl ... page 20 A Prayer For February ... by Tynea Lewis ... page 21 A Faithful Servant ... by Tynea Lewis ... page 22 The Family You Make ... by Scott Dunn ... page 23 The Support System Gift ... by Lynn Downham ... page 25 Dear Carl ... by Anna Friend ... page 27 My Prayer Family ... by Craig Ruhl ... page 29 Four Fold Impact Of The Word of God ... by Joseph Akinrinola ... page 31 Reflecting On Our Road Trips ... by Karen Ruhl ... Pages 33-36 Our Christian Family ... by Yvonne Morgan ... page 37 Friends And Family ... by Maureen Kambarami ... page 39 Caring For Our Grandparents Heart ... by Khay Arcos ... page 42 Songs Worth Singing: Hymn Writing 102... by Jerry Davidson ... page 43 His Divine Purpose ... Aradhana Thakor ... page 45

Bookshelf - Book Reviews Page 41

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My Mom’s Journey To Heaven

by Cindy Oriol

Cindy’s latest book, Having Joy in the Midst of the Storm, which she and the Lord wrote together, will not only encourage and inspire you, but it will also show you how to face and deal with these storms while Jesus carries you through the raging waves.

Cindy’s book is her living testimonial of the journey she is taking with the Lord. It will not only encourage and inspire you, but it will show you that during these trying times, we have hope and His name is Jesus, the one who suffered, bled, and died for us all.

On Friday night, June 30, 2006, my husband John and I received a phone call telling us my mom was admitted to the hospital. We live two hours away, so all while on the drive there, I prayed that the Lord would let her live. When we arrived, we were told it was hard for mom to eat or drink because of the aggressive chemotherapy for esophageal cancer. Mom spoke up and said, ”I want to go home with Jesus.” We told her we understood, and that we loved her.

The chaplain gave her the last sacraments, and the doctor told us about a brand-new hospice facility that had just opened. That night we stopped all IVs. I couldn’t stand to leave her, so I rode in the ambulance while the rest of the family followed. Holding her precious frail hand in mine, I whispered, “I love you.”

People that we hadn’t seen in ages came to visit her. Every day, she listened to her Blessed Mary and Barbra Streisand tapes. One night we attended a meeting to evaluate our mother’s condition.

They told us she was a level four and death was next. We began crying and thanked them for being so kind.

The next night, mom wanted to see us. As we approached her, we all gathered at her bedside while holding hands. She whispered between her heavy, labored breathing that she loved and would miss us. As the tears trickled down our

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faces, she told us she was so happy to see her children supporting one another. We thanked her for being a great mom and grandma, and we told her we loved her.

We took turns staying all night with her, laughing and reminiscing about our childhood. She shared stories about our dad who had passed away years ago. She looked forward to receiving her communion, daily. Two of my brothers surprised her by bringing a priest who was very dear to her. I heard a saying that before your loved one dies they hold on long enough to say goodbye to certain family members or friends. I believe he was that person.

One day, after her granddaughter had just left from visiting her, she called and told me to go outside and look at the clouds; they looked like Jesus, hanging on the cross. There in the formation of the clouds was Jesus, with His arms opened wide. I could see His feet nailed to the cross. I have never beheld such a beautiful sight.

Mom never complained about the pain, but we would ask the nurse to give her something. We saw how much pain she was in. We drew closer each day. The night before Jesus took her home, she told my brother she was so happy to be with us.

On July 21, John and I arrived, and just glancing at her frail body, I knew that she was going to Jesus, soon. Her body had begun to shut down

and her skin was mottled everywhere. Her breathing was shallow and weak. My brother called the rest of the family. We stayed by her bedside throughout the entire day. We couldn’t leave her for fear of being gone when she took her last breath. The chaplain told us to play some music with no words. She knew it wouldn’t be much longer.

Mom spoke her last words at 9:00 a.m. She whispered in her angelical voice, “Tell everyone that I will miss them and that I love them.” Through her tears, she told me to be strong for everyone. She knew my faith is strong. I said, “Are you afraid?”

She said, ”No, I am going to see, Jesus.” I told her, “It’s okay to go.” Those were the hardest words I have ever spoken. Sometimes our loved one needs to hear that.

At 4:15 the chaplain entered the room where we were all gathered around mom’s bedside. She told us to pray the rosary as we did daily. We made it through 2 sections and then we watched our beautiful mother take in her last breath. It was so painful, but yet peaceful because of the Lord. She wasn’t suffering anymore. She died with a smile on her face and a tear trickling down her cheek.

Before her passing, I told our kind nurses that I wanted to bathe her for the last time. My sisterin-law helped me. I held her precious head in my hands, washing where there once were her beautiful blonde curls that cascaded down her back. Crying tears of sadness and joy. I told her I loved her.

Genesis 1:23-25 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

It began to thunder and lightning outside of mom’s room. We said it was the angels welcoming her home. I said,” Satan, this is one time you lost, my mother is an angel in Heaven.” Her departure has left a hole in our hearts that only Jesus can heal. We will be all right because she is with the Lord.

I realized that even though mom was gone, I would forever carry her in my heart. Lord, thank you for bringing our mother home with you. No sickness or pain awaits us in Heaven.

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Friends in Every Neighborhood

By Melissa Henderson

Moving? Finding a new home in unfamiliar territory? Have you experienced a life-changing move?

Unplanned changes in life can provide new adventures and joys.

Alan and I have been blessed to have found wonderful places to live since moving from Virginia to South Carolina three years ago. When we learned our first grandchild would be born in South Carolina, we decided to sell our home in Virginia and move to be closer to son, daughter-in-love, and new grandchild.

One obstacle was not being familiar with any neighborhoods in the town where we selected to live. Our son, Mike, and daughter-in-love, Christine, helped with information about certain areas of the county. They shared about places they thought we would like. Their help was valuable.

Between looking online and listening to the suggestions of Mike and Christine, we planned a “searching” trip. Several days of driving from one area to the next and checking online information, Alan and I decided we should rent instead of buying a home.

We found a beautiful townhome on a street lined with beautiful palm trees. Paperwork was completed, and down payment given. We packed our belongings in Virginia and headed to the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Our first day at the new place, we were welcomed by neighbors. People from next door and across the street knocked on the front door and asked if we needed help. Some folks brought homemade bread. Other folks stopped by to introduce themselves and welcome us.

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What a joy to find new friends so quickly! We truly love the people in that neighborhood and still keep in touch with them. A group of ladies gathers for brunch and special occasions like birthdays.

Even though Alan and I don’t live in that neighborhood any longer, I am still a part of the “Draymohr Girls”. Their kindness and compassion will forever stay in our hearts and minds.

The day arrived when the lease for that townhome was not being renewed. The owner was selling, and we weren’t ready to purchase. So, the hunt began for another place to live.

Riding through the same section of town, we found several places to inquire about. Less than two miles from the previous townhome, we found another townhome. Brand new. After touring the place, filling out the paperwork and handling the down payment for rent, the new townhome was rented to us.

The Lord had provided another wonderful neighborhood for us. Neighbors from next door visited and welcomed us to the area. We explained how we had previously lived a few streets away. Laughter began. “You must really like this neighborhood.” We agreed.

A year later, in 2020, Alan and I finally made the decision. We had found our forever home in the same neighborhood, on a different street. This would be our third move since arriving in South Carolina. Before each move, we prayed and asked God to guide us to the home He had waiting for us. God always answered with wonderful homes and special neighbors.

In August 2020, we moved into what we like to call our “forever home.” As soon as we began unloading furniture and moving into the home, neighbors arrived and welcomed us. Offers to help with anything we needed truly were appreciated. As new friends began explaining about the area, we shared how we had lived in two homes close by. Once again, we heard, “You must really like this area.”

Again, we agreed.

This is a fantastic neighborhood. People of all ages. Kickball games on the weekends with parents, grandparents, and children. Bicycles, tricycles, skateboards, and sidewalk chalk can often be seen out front. The glorious sound of laughter and conversation are often heard outside.

Yes, we are blessed. We are thankful for friends in every neighborhood. We are thankful for God’s provisions. He always has a plan.

Blessings, Melissa Henderson

Click this link to purchase Melissa’s books. We are proud owners of both books.

Karen & Craig Ruhl

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

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Journey With The Lord

By Andrea Marino

The Christian life can be compared to hiking up a mountain. Over rocks and tree roots, protruding from the rugged ground of wooded land, we move upward into the higher ways of God. At times, the terrain will appear too difficult to navigate. That is when we must fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author, and Finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2) Nothing happens easily or goes smoothly in a life of faith. We may as well determine to see the glass as half full. God has done marvelous things and has given us great blessings. Such remembrance will guard our hearts and keep hope alive.

In Philippians 3:14, the Apostle Paul describes this journey with the Lord as a race. We “press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Serious athletes are not casual about training, rather are committed to going the distance, making every effort to finish. What I have learned through every phase of my journey, specifically the goals I have set for myself, is that God is more interested in my perseverance than in my arrival. He wants us to learn nuggets of His truth that, in the long run, help us find contentment despite the challenges before us. While hiking up a mountain is

not a walk in the park, there is beautiful scenery to take in along the way. There is also an apex on every mountain where lies a sunny overlook in which to enjoy the spectacular view of wide-open space. When I was a child, my dad and I often took walks through the woods next to our house.

Taking a seat on a tree log, patiently we waited for pheasants to strut by. Fondly, I recall my dad’s gentle whisper to be quiet so as not to scare the pheasants away. In the silence, surrounded by nature, my dad by my side, I found a very satisfying peace. “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31 KJV) Everyone needs time away from the cares and problems of this world. I view it as a necessary room to grow in the Lord, a little getaway within time and space to reflect upon Him and all that is most important. Jesus is the way out of this land of ruin we are in for now. Through Him is access to a spiritual land called Bethel, which in Scripture refers to the house of God. How great is His dwelling place. He is our all in all.

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The song Broken Together, by Casting Crowns, paints a picture of disillusionment in married life. Disillusionment can sneak into any human situation, difficult or not. Because of inherent sin, we are all broken people, often defaulting to “building kingdoms, chasing dreams, leaving love behind,” as the song describes.

God challenges us to learn to live—broken together.

After all, man has been created for and does desire relationship. No one can entirely distance himself physically or emotionally from others. From the ancient of days, the answer to our dilemma, all of them, is, “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38 NIV) Simple and yet not easy.

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.

I sometimes think of the most powerful people in our world standing before God. Chasing after money and power, callous as to whom they hurt, what will go through their minds, at long last finding themselves with no excuse, no way of escape from having abandoned God and His teachings? I believe the unveiling taking place of all the hidden things of darkness, according to Luke 12.2, is for a greater purpose. Are we, God’s people, loving even our enemies enough to be praying for them? The devil is on the prowl, seeking whom he may devour. (1Peter 5:8) We are not required to love what people do. Jesus didn’t. It’s why He came to save the world.

Though I sometimes have a lapse of memory in the hard times, and I attempt to handle them myself, God remains in control. It’s there in the quiet times where I realize this truth, as well to realize the compassionate love He has shown to me. His love is healing. And no one is exempt from the need of the love of Jesus, His grace and mercy. Obedience to God is how we mature.

How we advance up each and every mountain. “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3 NIV) Run the race, take up the challenge, believing in God’s miraculous ability with you and working in you. “ For with God nothing will be impossible.” (Luke 1:37 NKJV)

Click on the photo of the book to purchase from Amazon.

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Stress Eating

By Dr. Kathleen Oden

Stress-eating can be defined as emotional eating or eating to compensate for, or as an alternative to, dealing with emotions. Approximately 27% of adults admit turning to food to deal with stress, while 34% of these admit that it is a habit. It is so easy to blame external factors like food itself, the person who provided it, or one’s environment, etc. The real underlying issue with stress eating lies in a lack of awareness of our emotions, and how we deal with emotions.

Mostly, stress-eating is done during times when the body does not need food. We need to ask ourselves, “Are we eating to feel that rush of contentment, or because our body actually needs food?” Looking at our eating habits close up is not the most comfortable experience, but it’s the only way to make progress against the damaging habit of stress eating.

Mindful-eating is a term that has been coined by experts to help those who struggle with emotional stress-eating to remain present and aware the entire duration of a meal. It sounds like a simple task, right? But consciously savoring every bite of food is a hard concept, even for those who aren’t struggling to overcome emotional stress-eating.

Mindful-eating comprises 3 easy-to-follow steps– before, during, and after each meal.

So, let’s look at these mindful-eating steps.

1. Assess your hunger truthfully. Check your level of hunger BEFORE YOU EAT anything and also note what kinds of foods would most successfully help fuel your body for the current situation/tasks you’re facing.

2. Chew slowly DURING the meal and try to taste every little flavor.

3. Try to see the meal as fuel to help you achieve whatever tasks, work, or activities you’re planning to undertake AFTER you have eaten.

We need to identify the cause(s) and learn to minimize the risks of stress-eating, so they will not occur again. Then create alternative ways to make yourself content with whatever is going on in your life!

For example, reading the Bible, stocking your fridge with delicious healthy foods, pack your calendar with exciting things to do, and be disciplined about setting aside ME TIME for yourself to just relax. Me time is extremely important! I just found out recently, when I get more rest, I can do more work within a shorter time period.

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COVID-19 has caused some people to experience stress in many ways such as loneliness, home-schooling, and/or caring for children, working from home, loss of their job, financial problems, and even dealing with family members who are also stressed out.

I love tea and there are many ways to enjoy a cup of natural herbal tea to relieve stress. A hot cup of tea and worship music always helps me to relax and enjoy the presence of the Lord. He is our stress reliever! And He gives us the peace we need when we seek Him. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

(Isaiah 26:3 KJV)

Great tips and tricks by Dr. Kathleen B. Odean FOR ENERGY IN THE MORNING Hot lemon tea w/1 drop lemon essential oil (add honey and/or stevia to sweeten - optional) FOR THE AFTERNOON SLUMP Hot peppermint tea w/1 drop peppermint essential oil (add honey and/or stevia to sweeten - optional) BEFORE BED TO RELAX Hot chamomile tea w/1drop lavender essential oil (add honey and/or stevia to sweeten - optional) CINNAMON Cinnamon essential oil can help with diabetes, high blood pressure, and inflammation.

Add a sprinkle of cinnamon spice or a cinnamon stick to your tea, plus 1 drop of cinnamon essential oil.

Also, diffuse cinnamon essential oil throughout your home.

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

Cinnamon is mentioned in the Holy Bible 4 times.

NOTE FROM PUBLISHER: We are so thrilled to bring these articles and tips from Dr. Kathleen B. Oden. Dr. Oden has become a monthly contributing writer for Faith On Every Corner and we welcome her with open arms!

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Pam McCormick is an aspiring writer who recently retired from teaching in the public school and community college setting and still enjoys tutoring Algebra at the local library. Pam had a story, “The End,” published in Isothermal’s magazine, The Mentor, in December, 2014.

Pam was also published in December 2016 in collaboration with eight other authors to write a devotional book, Ancient Stones Timeless Encouragement. Pam is a member of the Encouragers’ Christian Writers’ Group that meets monthly. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and tent camping with her husband, watching old time westerns, doing crossword puzzles and spending time with her daughter in Kentucky and her son, his wife and granddaughters, Merryn and Charlotte in Fuquay-Varina. Every other Sunday, she visits a nursing home and teaches a Bible study, feeling very blessed by God for this divine opportunity to share her love for her Savior. Pam has recently chosen to work on being more health conscious by eating a better diet and exercising more. Although tough times have come along her journey with God, she finds solace in the Truth that God is always there, just a prayer away, ready to help her get back up on her feet and start afresh. You can contact her at pjmc411@gmail.com.

BECAUSE ONE WOMAN CARED

by Pamela McCormick I hurt. So, I went to several friends asking for encouragement. One said nothing. One said I had issues.

One said I had a heart issue. One person, named Beth, hugged me with her words. She understood.

She too had been wounded by others. She met my realness with a heart of compassion, not judgment. Not Scripture. Not prayer. Just met me where I was hurting and loved on me.

Beth reminded me of the Good Samaritan in the Bible who saw a need and didn’t try to fix it or to judge but chose to be compassionate to a wounded man’s need for help. I have visited her many times in the convenience store where she works. A lot of times, she cannot go to church on Sunday, but let me tell you, she is the church every day of the week there. I’m not saying she’s perfect, no one is, but she shows compassion and love to those who come into the store for beer, cigarettes, and lottery tickets.

When people walk into her place of work, young and old alike, she doesn’t judge them. She offers a hand up and loves others as Christ would love on them. Some people say they repeatedly return to the store because her kindness to them drew them back in. They felt like they could be received and talk to her about anything.

Once, while I was in the store, a teenager walked in, and Beth asked him, “Why aren’t you in school?”

He answered, “Got caught smoking and got suspended.” I loved what she said to him. She said, “You need to stop doing that, so you can finish school.” She might have been the only one that cared about that boy, and he knew it. I saw his face light up.

My friend, Beth, is the epitome of what a Christian is and should be, thinking of herself less and others more. There have been long workdays, sometimes eleven hours, but she still acts like Jesus to a hurting world. Beth has been judged by others, so she loves others that the world had judged and seen as being unacceptable to walk into the doors of the church.

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Today, I needed encouragement, and I told God I needed encouragement. I got on my hands and knees and cried out to God, “I just needed encouragement, not a prayer, not a list of Scriptures, not criticism, and she was the only one that cared enough to send me a hug.” I’ve read that you will know a Christian by their love. I have no doubt Beth knows Christ. I see Jesus in her every day.

We are in a war against the enemy. But this woman stopped what she was doing and cared enough about me to hug me with a sweet text.

She is my Beth friend, and I’m thankful for this woman of God who, although hurt by others, stands in that store every day to treat others with love and me too.

Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Luke 10:27 NIV)

Beth does that every day. And she doesn’t need the walls of a church to shine for Jesus. She shines for Jesus in that convenience store. She may be the only Jesus they ever see. I’m glad she’s there. And I’m so glad she’s my friend, and I’m so glad she’s my little sister too.

Who is my neighbor, Lord? Am I treating them with love? The truth is, I do have a heart issue, but Beth didn’t look at my heart issue. She saw a woman who was hurting and loved on her. She cared enough to love me and hug me where I was at. God is still working on me. I’m nowhere close to where I need to be, but Jesus loves me, and He saw my hurt and didn’t judge me. He sent Beth.

“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” (Hebrews 3:13)

I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore, very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more. But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry. From the waters lifted me, now safe am I. Love lifted me! Love lifted me! When nothing else could help, Love lifted me! (from Love Lifted Me by James Rowe–public domain) God used one woman who cared, and I am better because she loved on me. I was lifted above my despair. I asked the Lord to bless her because she so blessed me, and I’m believing God for it too.

Thank you, Beth, for loving on me and caring about me. Because you did, my faith has been restored in our good God.

CLICK ON BOOK TO TO PURCHASE FROM AMAZON.

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IRON FRIENDSHIPS

by Nicole Byrum

When you think of friendship, what words or images spring to mind? (Go ahead, take a second to think!) Perhaps you thought of words like love, kindness, or loyalty.

Or maybe the faces of your friends flooded your mind’s eye. Perhaps you heard years of heartfelt laughter and fellowship. For some, the thoughts, feelings, and memories associated with friendship may not have been as positive. To be sure, the road of friendship can be tricky to navigate, and no friendship is without its faults. But without a doubt, friendship is one of the greatest gifts given to us by God.

Scripture makes it clear that we are to encourage and sharpen one another. Colossians 3:16 (ESV) says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” However, I must give a word of warning: being sharpened doesn’t always feel good! But what growth doesn’t come with some growing pains?

The two go hand in hand and we cannot expect to have one without the other.

And while friendships should absolutely be characterized by love, support, and a crazy amount of priceless memories, there is another crucial characteristic of friendship that often gets overlooked. Proverbs 17:7 (NIV) says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” As Christians, the blessing of friendship, of being one another’s iron, is that it is a tool for sanctification.

As brothers in sisters in Christ, we are called to worship with one another, encourage one another, and hold one another accountable in living obediently to the Word. This is God’s beautiful design for His children: that we should be the tools to shape one another into the image of Christ.

I wrote about this idea in chapter 4 of my book, Remade: Living Free, and am happy to share a brief excerpt here:

I have to laugh at God’s timing. As I was sitting at our kitchen table writing this article, my 12-yearold daughter was trying her hand at making a peanut butter milkshake (per her 9-year-old brother’s request). Let’s just say after sampling her work I gave her some constructive feedback for improving her creation! Her response to my critique was, “Thanks mom, you’re making me better.” This amazing statement was then followed by a little song and dance, “You make me better when you tell me I’m wrong, La- Dee-Da-Dee I’m

“The idea of iron sharpening iron is that there is mutual advantage when you rub two iron edges together. During this process, the pieces become sharper and ultimately more effective for their daily uses. So it is with friendship; there is so much value when two people are able to challenge one another. To be challenged means being pushed to be your very best self and pushed to pursue a closer relationship with God...The friends in our lives should spur us on to greatness, and most importantly, to look more like Christ.”

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singing this song!” I couldn’t help but think, “Yes, girl, and a fantastic example of iron in action!”

And may it be so with us. May we pray for and seek out friendships that challenge and encourage us to be more like Christ. And may we, in turn, be good stewards of the friendships God has given us as we lovingly sharpen those in our lives.

I am a therapist and writer who is passionate about family, faith, and recovery. I am the author of Remade: Living Free, a book that explores topics related to substance abuse, recovery, and unhealthy relationships from a biblical perspective.

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. ~Proverbs 17:17

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John Alexander lives in Frisco, Texas with his beautiful wife and his Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

Friends

By John Alexander I cherish all my friends who pray, Who hear my words, care what I say.

They share a laugh or shed a tear.

When I’m in need a friend is near.

My Journey Into Writing In Rhyme

By John Alexander

My journey into writing in rhyme began rather abruptly in early 2017, sitting in a doctor’s office waiting room as my wife was going through a long series of troubling medical issues. As I sat there feeling sorry for her, feeling she’d been “dumped on”, and realizing I was unable to control the garbage falling in the form of medical issues, the image of a mouse in a dumpster came to me. I began writing a story of that little mouse, and I wrote it in rhyme. I’m not sure why, but that’s the way it came to me, and writing the story about a little mouse who had joy in spite of the steady stream of garbage that fell on her, helped both of us to cope and realize that joy does not come from circumstances, it comes from within. That little mouse in the dumpster began my journey into rhyme. I continued writing rhymes and in early 2020 I began writing poems as part of my quiet time most mornings. My wife encouraged me to share them with others, so I began sharing them on my website, http:// QuietTimeRhymes.com/blog as an encouragement to others. I’m grateful for the opportunity to share some of them with the Faith On Every Corner family.

Surrounded by so many prayers, How can I feel the weight of cares?

We share a bond; we know the Lord.

We bow in prayer in one accord.

We fellowship; we share our heart.

We give support when we’re apart.

They’re at my side to lift me up, To keep me going, fill my cup.

Though earthly friends may come and go, There’s one who’s always true I know.

He’s always there, my closest friend, The Lord whose love will never end.

Blessings, John

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Words Like Leaves

By John Alexander

Words spread like leaves that fall down from the trees.

They flutter about, and they go where they please.

Some leaves show their beauty with colors so bright, While others all withered, no longer share light.

Our world’s filled with words of all colors and hues, I’ll never hear all of them, how do I choose?

Many words all around me, I have to discern, Which words build me up, help me grow, help me learn.

Some words come my way that I hold close and keep.

Some others are hurtful, I toss in a heap.

Letting go of what’s cruel will help me be free, No resentment or bitterness clinging to me.

Wise words can speak truth when they’re spoken in love.

They whisper so softly, descend like a dove.

I will cherish the words that I love like old friends.

The ones warm and cozy, not swayed by new trends.

What I hear, what I read, is important to me.

Words I share form the image that others can see.

Some people stay distant, no need to be near, Just a causal “howdy” is all they will hear.

Others come nearer, we’ll share a porch swing, And talk about weather, or flowers, or spring.

A few will grow close, and we sit by the fire, Sharing dreams of the future and our heart’s desire.

But how do my words reach beyond those I know, To share what I’ve learned and help others to grow?

I can share all my thoughts if I write from my soul.

My words can bring comfort, help others be whole.

My words can be read even though we’re apart, Like leaves from a tree that are shared from my heart.

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Do Not Worry

By Gina Sewell

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

Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6:25-27 NIV) Too often I find myself worrying about things that are basically out of my control. When I’ve done all that I can do and the rest needs to be left to God, I seem to take everything upon myself and worry myself sick about it. God tells us to cast our cares on him. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that we have to worry. Matthew 6:34 tells us, “Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (NIV)

I know that God wants to do things for me, things I had been prayerfully requesting for quite some time. What I didn’t know was that I was standing in my own way. When I finally realized that I decided to do things a bit differently. I did my part, working hard toward the goal I had set, but then I stepped back and let God do the rest.

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7 NIV) We must keep our focus on Jesus at all times. Paul writes in Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (ESV)

Faith is the road that leads me to the places that I need to go. The Lord spoke to me a couple of weeks ago. He said, “have faith in what I’m doing for you.” I knew that it came from within my spirit, and it immediately caused me to further evaluate my circumstances.

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In The Word

by Karen Ruhl

There are times when I hunger for the word of God. I just want to know more about what He wants us to know. These past six months or so, Craig and I committed to start reading the Bible to each other again nightly. We also started watching Bible Studies that would go along with the chapters we were reading.

We found Kay Arthur this way and even though we have finished reading Matthew, we will be in a video study with her for 55 sessions. It’s amazing what we are learning. We also read through Revelation and watched a video study with Kay simultaneously.

A church we went to in California had a Walk Through the Bible in a year. They did it as Sunday sermons, and it was amazing. We had “Anchor Groups,” that met in houses and would discuss the sermon. Craig and I hosted one at our house and decided to break bread—have dinner together. It was such a great blessing to meet with our church family weekly; the group couldn’t wait to get together and learn more.

I find the more we are in the Word, the more I want to know. God left us His Word so that we can live a righteous life. Now, before I go any further, know that I am a sinner. All of us will sin in some way, almost every day. The difference is in accepting Christ Jesus as your Savior and repenting your sins to God asking for His forgiveness. God wants to be in a relationship with you. He doesn’t expect you to be perfect, no one is.

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. ~Deuteronomy 6:6–9 ESV

Start small, pray and ask God what He wants you to study. Talk to friends, go to a Bible study at church, and call your Pastor to find out what he or she recommends for you.

I will be praying that those of you reading this will stop what you are doing and pray to God. He is always with us and He is listening.

Love and blessings, Karen

Photos by Karen Ruhl

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Dear Heavenly Father, We pray for everyone who is hurting from a broken relationship in their lives. We have relationships with many people, but not all of them are healthy. Some people have hurt us, and there are people we’ve hurt. We are all flawed. We both cause and experience pain, and it weighs heavily on our hearts.

God, you are a God of relationships. Not only did you create us to have a relationship with you, but you also created us to be in relationship with others. Unfortunately, we mess up time and time again. Help us lay down our pride and own up to the mistakes we’ve made with the people around us.

Help us create a sense of unity with the people in our homes, churches, neighborhoods, and country. Please help us to live a life that glorifies you in everything we do.

A Prayer for February

by Tynea Lewis

We are excited to annouce that Tynea will be writing a Prayer Column each month.

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).

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Lord, you are a God of restoration. You take what has been broken, and you mend it. You renew what has been destroyed. We come to you and ask that you make a way for broken relationships to be mended. Restore what has been destroyed.

Turn our eyes from our own selfish ambition and put them on you. We ask that you help us love the people around us with a love that is a true reflection of Jesus. Help us to be a light in this world of darkness and to think of others above ourselves.

Lord, we ask that you help us cultivate healthy relationships.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

A Faithful Servant

by Tynea Lewis

I never saw her face-to-face.

I never heard the sound of her voice.

And yet, she touched my heart.

It has been a year since she passed away, and she is deeply missed. Alora M. Knight lived to be 99 years old, and she did not waste her time on earth. What a blessing it was to get to know her.

I work for a poetry website, and a couple of years ago we ran a poetry contest that she entered, so I corresponded with her. We had been publishing her poetry on the website for a few years prior, and I loved her heart, so I reached out to encourage her and thank her for sharing her poetry with us.

She created over 1,500 crossword puzzles during her lifetime. She also wrote about 400 poems, putting them into collections for her family, but she always dreamed about publishing them for the world to read. I had the honor of publishing almost three dozen of her poems through Family Friend Poems (https://www.familyfriendpoems. com/user/alora-m-knight/poems/).

Her words have resonated with people around the world. They have touched the lives of people she would never know.

What a powerful gift. What a faithful servant.

She continued to write and share her work until the very end. She knew she was to serve God on this earth until He called her home, and she did.

She lived across the country, and I desperately We continued to email back and forth a few times wished I could have traveled to her house to sit each month. We talked about life, family, and with her at her kitchen table. I would have loved faith. We shared prayer requests with each other to hear her entire story. I would have loved to and gave updates about our day-to-day lives. capture that story in writing to share with the world.

She was a kind and gentle soul.

Alora was an inspiration to me. She taught me She sent me letters and poems in the mail and what it means to live wholeheartedly for Christ. shared about some of the miracles she experiShe taught me what it means to use my gifts for enced in her life.

God’s glory. She taught me about love, care, gratitude, and so much more.

I miss her greatly, but what a glorious day it will be when I get to give her a hug in heaven.

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The Family You Make

by Scott Dunn

I do not believe I am alone in this sentiment when I say, “Your family is what you make of it.” What I mean by that statement comes directly from my upbringing. The reason I call someone by a title like “aunt” or “uncle” is complicated. I grew up lucky enough to have four sets of grandparents. Some I sort of knew and others I knew very well.

I have a large family by blood, so not uncommon where I am from.

Yet, the grandparents I knew the most. The ones whose home I lived in for several years as a child, the ones I call my Nan and my Pop, were not my grandparents at all.

When I think of a “man” I think of my dad or Poppy. They are my heroes, and so that special bit of awe will always linger in my heart. I went to work with them, they were both doers and worked long hours to support their families. With all of that said, they were not my grandparents in any lineage or legal sense. They were technically my great-aunt and great-uncle, but they raised my mother.

So, they are my grandparents and always will be.

Neither is here now, and I miss them something fierce whenever I discuss them. Aside from my parents, they are the most impactful people I have had in my life. Even now, after marrying Bethany, I feel like I have gained a new grandmother. Her Nana has always been fond of me and told me I was handsome and all those things a guy likes to hear, of course. So, I have adopted her in that place in my heart, even if she does not know that.

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I have never seen the family as only those of a bloodline and I feel that a large part of that comes from the complications of being a child from a split marriage who was taken in by a man and raised as his son with no thought that I was anything but his actual progeny. I am repeating those same things now. I am married; I have two children that are not biologically mine, but I get told so often how much they look like me and I get a Cheshire cat sized grin on my face every time I hear that! Family is very much what you make of it for me.

Even more so, as I have grown in my walk with Christ, the definition of the family seems to expand beyond measure. It forces one to evaluate the idea that you only have so much love to give.

Can you imagine a world where God said, “Well, I’m all out of love, what am I going to do with these souls here?” I am quite sure I want to be on the good end of that equation!

Not only that, but there is an inherent danger in this thinking of a family that is only of a bloodline. It leads to cultural tribalism and caste systems that the world struggles with still. The tribes of Israel are a great example of how these 12 tribes, considered the chosen, and all even in God’s heart, fought one another. You can find an example of that in Judges 20:1-46.

This segregation of ‘who is family’ is present in churches as well. Granted, we gravitate towards people with similar interests; that is just how we are made. God created us for relationships, starting with a deep love relationship with Him and expanding from there. There is nothing inherently wrong with gravitating towards certain people with similar interests. We like these sub-groups because they pique our interests.

The problem comes in when our hearts shift away from the simple act of relishing the sameness of others, to looking down on others who are not like us. That is a slippery and dangerous slope for Christians to walk along. Newcomers may see these behaviors as slights or cliques and feel like they simply will never fit in. God brings every single person through a church door for a specific reason. We belong to His family and He has led them there to find Him so He may adopt them into His family. It is so easy to forget how good we have it when we are in His presence for so long. Sometimes we forget what that is like, being on the outside looking in, seeing others joyful and triumphant.

Our greatest mistakes never come while we are attentive, devoted, and hungry for more. It is when we become comfortable and complacent in our relationship. That is when we fail and cause harm beyond just ourselves.

Your heart is bigger than you think because God can equip you with the care and compassion you need. Jesus himself said it in Matthew 12:48-50 (ESV), “But he replied to the man who told him, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.’”

Now, the disciples probably did not fully comprehend what those words meant at the time, but Jesus is foretelling God’s stance on humanity. God’s telling them, “My family is those who want a relationship with me. Those who do my will and live their life for me are my beloved.”

And He showed that by giving up His actual Son.

Every single believer is your family. Every single person searching has the potential to be your family. Have patience with them, shower them with love no matter how you feel towards them, and let them see what it means to be a child of God. They have no experience and you already have the greatest gift, one that you’ve been commanded to share.

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.

Click on logo to visit

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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 S U P P O RT S Y S T E M G I F T

By Lynn Downham I am grateful that I am not alone right now. The Lord God said in the second chapter of the Bible, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” I have tried to think of a time in my life when I was without friends or family and have been unable to do so. When I left my family to “go out on my own,” I still had friends and the camaraderie of the people I worked with at the hospital. When I felt alone after divorce because I had not made Godly decisions, I still had my friends. I am blessed with a loving family who had its dysfunctions as most families do, but I have never felt the “aloneness” said of the Apostle Paul as he wrote his many letters in a cold Roman prison. I have not felt the “aloneness” of my mother when my father left her for another woman and all her children were already grown and gone, you get that whole “long-suffering” bit (patience). Right now my husband and I have just listed my mother’s house for sale and we know that He has someone lined up for this house so we are watching Him work this out and sell this property.

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The most alone I can ever remember feeling was in the hot and dusty work shed that evening in DeFuniak Springs because Michael, my sweet, hard-working husband, was offshore in the oil field again. At that time, I was not walking with the Lord. I. Did. Not. Know. Him. Now, if you’ve read my story, “Where My Thankful Started,” you know that this problem was remedied that day.

Peggy Oliver, a friend, had a hand in that. Jackie Scott, another friend, had a hand in placing me at Everlasting Word Baptist Church where I was subsequently baptized in the Lord.

All along this journey, mine and yours have been people—friends, family, and strangers that the Lord puts in our paths. “Gifts” they are, and never more so than now. While the world continues its decline, the most important things become glaringly precious to us. Knowing the Lord, His Word, our family, friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ are all gifts from above.

A pic of me and a student. (Top) John Wray, large charcoal done of my great grandmother. (Bottom)

Also, all along the “art journey” there has been family, supporting and cheering on the harebrained idea of quitting nursing to be a professional artist. And friends, who actually remember more of some art stories than I do and who have helped at festivals, visited me at shows, sat for portraits, took workshops from me, spread word-of-mouth advertising, purchased art, and critiqued art. Remember, nothing we do is in a vacuum! I include all the clients, instructors, and patrons that the Lord has sent who encouraged me, supported me, loved me, and given me hope.

People are made for people.

If you are reading this, by chance, and you have no people, get yourself to a church. The body of Christ is full of people who will welcome you, love you, teach you, and keep you going in the right direction. Is the body of Christ perfect? No, it is made up of people and people are not perfect, but that is not a reason to turn your back on Christ’s church, for the best thing about Christ’s church is CHRIST. Get to know Him so you will never hear the words, “I never knew you.” Family and friends will be some of your best comfort along the way! “‘Jesus answered him, ‘If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.’” (John 14:23 ESV)

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DEAR CARL

By Anna Friend

Hello, Dear Carl fans Happy New Year to you and yours. I am thankful for your support of Carl’s mom. She has made a fresh start in the new year. In her mid-80s, she thrives for quality of life and establishing a legacy of family love.

Carl’s mom has lived in North Carolina for most of her life. She is a southern transplant and has 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 moved into a senior living cottage a few years ago. Every week, she sits at her dining table and writes her son a handwritten letter, though he calls her almost every Sunday.

New this year—Carl’s mom is now living in her son’s home. She made an abrupt decision to move to Arizona upon the death of a close friend, and at the request of her daughter-in-law. Although Carl and his mother now have time for in-depth conversations, which she relishes, she has decided to continue to write letters to Carl each week. She is documenting her life and life lessons in them. She folds the letters neatly, places them in envelopes, seals, and dates them. She then stores them in a large wooden box that she inherited from her friend, Shirley. She wants to leave Carl his small family’s history and tie them with the assurance that her Lord and Savior was with her, her husband, their families, and Carl, even when they did not know Him.

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Dear Carl, By now you have read several of my letters. This one is appropriate for this month of celebrating love. We most likely are not celebrating romantic love in heaven, but we are experiencing “perfect love.”

February 2021 This morning I had a gratifying visit with Donna. She was wiping up some spilled cream from the coffee bar.

The light film was nearly imperceptible, but she could not sit and sip her coffee until she took care of the distraction. I remarked, “Donna, I see you and I are much alike.” She turned to me, “Do you really think so?” Her face turned pinkish, and her voice seemed sheepish. She continued, “I want to be like you.” I was not expecting her response at all.

Son, I remember meeting Donna for the first time near the college. When my eyes met hers, her eyes dropped as I approached the wrought iron bistro table that held my son’s future. She esteemed my shoes, then rested her eyes on my neckpiece. Your voice was gentle as you introduced us. My first impression was not affected by the scrutiny of my appearance, but your mannerisms in her presence. You were always a gentleman and exceedingly polite and honorable to me. The difference was the muted volume and lack of enthusiasm. You seemed nervous. Perhaps you wanted me to approve. Donna was a stunning young woman. She still is beautiful with her sharply carved face, refined eyes, and plump lips—no doubt expensive. I remember her keen manners, willingness to hug, and somewhat feigned confidence. I was quite pleased with her zeal for the future, and the love she conveyed to her family. She looked at you as if star struck. I did approve. You would be cherished.

It had rained earlier in the day when you were married. Donna seemed quite pleased that I wore her less than matronly “mother of the groom” suggestion. She proclaimed her joy in seeing me in my high heels. I recall not speaking much to Donna as she led me into the bridal chambers of the church. I was concentrating on the slippery walkways. Before I left the chambers to go to the sanctuary, I apparently imparted to Donna, “I wish you and Carl a love that doesn’t fail each other–a strong love like his father’s and mine was.” For many years, Donna held those words as a “charge” and a means to earn my approval. This saddens my heart.

As we sat at the breakfast table, coffee in our hand-spun pottery mugs, I peered into Donna’s eyes. I asked her to explain, “I want to be like you.” She relinquished her emotional response. Her words fell onto my lap. Picking up each word, I prayed for the Lord to give me wisdom. It was lunchtime when our conversation found its rest.

At peace with each other, we smiled. I accompanied her to the coffee bar and showed her where she missed a spot. She hit me with the dish towel and then I fixed her a sandwich.

Love well, my Carl. Love with an intensity that tells Donna she is enough—more than enough. Celebrate what brought you together decades ago, not just love but purposes, plans, and passion. Celebrate the successes.

Take time to speak gratitude for the family you raised, the grandchildren you are spoiling, and these golden years afforded you by God. He gave you Donna as a helpmate. She does her calling. Always affirm her contributions to your life. Touch her face, kiss her lips, and for goodness sakes buy her jewelry on Valentine’s Day. No shoes, no clothes, or anything considered necessary. She still stews over the apron you gifted her on your first married Valentine’s Day. Love, Mom

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M Y P R AY E R FA M I LY

By Craig Ruhl Growing up, after being too old for daycare, we attended church services with our parents, what we called “big church.” As we entered our teenage years, we also were members of the youth ministry program at the church. Certainly, there was prayer during church services and group meetings, but we did not have fully defined personal prayer lives. Oh, I might add that the bulk of my prayers outside of the church were before, during, and after school exams.

I was honored and blessed to be interviewed this week on the Talking With God podcast hosted by our good friend Scott Dunn. During the interview, Scott asked me about my prayer life and specifically if there was an area in which I struggled with prayer.

Full disclosure—Scott gave me a heads-up on what questions I would be asked, so I could prepare in advance. The one aspect of prayer I believe to be most difficult for me is asking for prayer for myself. I’ll talk more about that in a moment.

My memory of my youth is that we were taught to pray for others and not specifically for ourselves.

Family prayer time for my sisters and me consisted of bedtime prayer, the “now I lay me down to sleep…” type of prayer. We prayed out loud with Mom or Dad as they tucked us into bed. Now that I think about it, my family didn’t pray much, just at bedtime and at holiday meals. My parents were Christian, raised in families where faith was an important part of their lives. My paternal great-grandfather was a Baptist minister and a collegiate teacher of religious studies.

Perhaps they came from a more stoic generation where open prayer was not common.

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After coming home from active military service, I limited my church participation to occasionally going to Sunday services with my mom and dad, especially at Christmas and Easter. Over the years, there were also several church weddings and a few memorial services. I have never actually attended a funeral service.

For much of my life, I did not belong to a church, and I wasn’t much of a Bible reader or prayerful person at all.

Fast forward to when I met my wife, Karen. I was fifty-one years old when Karen, her son, Chris, and I became a family. Shortly afterward, we began going to church regularly. We were now members of a unique family—the church. Besides regular Sunday services, we became active in small study groups. Chris was active in youth fellowship programs. This period was the first that I had been exposed to corporate prayer.

The concept of people, many strangers, holding hands and praying together was foreign to me and quite unsettling at first.

“Again, I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:19-20 NKJV)

Our “family” was growing rapidly as Karen and I continued to meet and get to know more and more Christians who were what we refer to as prayer warriors. Karen became an active leader in women’s study and prayer groups. I got involved in men’s ministry programs at church. At that time, our church had a congregation of approximately 1,0400 people.

Suddenly our family and friends expanded, and we were a part of something much bigger than any one of us had imagined or foreseen.

Karen was a member of prayer groups much earlier than I. She led groups and has formed many fresh groups over the years, many of which still meet regularly and faithfully. Karen is definitely what I would call a prayer warrior. She is also my faithful prayer partner who is always ready to stop what she is doing and join in petitioning the Lord in prayer.

The men’s ministry I was a part of for several years had over 150 guys—aged from teens to 90-yearolds. It was awesomely powerful when 75 to 100 men stood, held hands, and entered into prayer as one. I was nervous the first time I experienced group prayer. One man started in prayer by lifting the group up and invoking the presence of the Holy Spirit to be with each of us. One by one, around the room, each man would pray for a specific person, event, cause or need. I could physically and emotionally feel the Spirit in the room during this time.

In my turn, I could pray for the group, but not for my own needs. This is what I mentioned earlier; I had not been taught to pray for myself. It felt strange and wrong.

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses.

For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27 NKJV) Wow, what a breakthrough! I was a part of a growing number of people who would faithfully pray for each other, not just in times of great need, but also on a regular ongoing basis. From that point on, I could open up and tell others of my needs and concerns.

I came to understand that the church is not a brick and mortar building we visit for worship services. The church is made up of people, like you and me, who are united by our Christian faith. Our family goes well beyond our personal genealogical trees. It extends back to the time Christ walked the earth and began assembling His believers and followers; it extends into eternity.

In the time Karen, Chris, and I have been a family, we have lived across the country. We are still members of church prayer families from each location we have lived in. In 2017, we launched Faith On Every Corner magazine. It has now read in over 77 countries. Our contributors come from all over the world. What an amazing blessing to now have prayer warriors in our family encompassing the globe.

Countless times we have called upon our extended prayer family to lift us up in prayer for specific needs and concerns. We have been the recipients of numerous miracles that can only be attributed to the One weekend not long after joining the men’s mingrace of God answering those prayers. Above all else, istry group, during a men’s summit meeting (called we ask that God’s will be done. Along our faith walk, that because real men don’t retreat), one man, whom we have learned to ask for what we need and want.

I came to know as a true prayer warrior, took me It is our blessing to pray for those who ask. If you, aside. He asked me if he could pray for me and then a friend, or a loved one needs prayer, please let us what, specifically, did I need prayer for. I confessed know. You can reach us at Team@faithoneverycorner. my reluctance to ask for prayer. He touched my com. shoulder and gently said, “Let’s pray about that then.”

With his hand still on my shoulder, he prayed, asking that I be freed of any reservations about personal prayer, that I accept that the Holy Spirit would act on my behalf and that I would understand the importance and power of prayer. Afterward, we sat down at a table and he opened his Bible to this verse:

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Understanding The Four-Fold Benefits Of God’s Word

By Joseph Akinrinola 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.

It is not funny when some Christians, even leaders, claimed to be New Testament believers. I assume they are being naïve, not knowing there was no Matthew to Revelation as at the time of the Apostles. Thus, 2 Timothy 3:16 was referring to the Old Testament. Note the words “all scripture” in the singular and “is.” The books from Genesis to Malachi are codified into one as God’s breath.

Doctrine Doctrines are the principles, ideology, and ethics of a group of people. These principles may be that of a social, religious, or political group. These doctrines guide the pattern of life of the group. It is these ethics that determine what action or attitudes are wrong or right.

To the Christians, the word of God is our pattern of This implies we have all the plans of God for our exis- life. That is what makes us different. It follows, theretence embedded in the Scriptures. As you know, you fore, that the world’s opinion does not count so long only get the benefit of a will if you know the content as we are in line with the word of God. Once you are a and detail. That means if you do not take time to seek child of God, what pleases God is your primary conthe interpretation, you may miss a lot of your benefits. cern. Jesus said he came to do his father’s biddings.

This should be our doctrine. (John 6:38) Whether we That leads us to explore the four-fold benefits of the preach, teach, work, or play pleasing God should be word of God. our ultimate goal, then our achievement becomes secondary.

God is His word. The word of God contains all that we need for life and ministry. However, believers, these In your ministry, business, family, recreation, the social, days seek to find an alternative to the word to no and political world, the word of God should have the avail. The world with the best knowledge still discov- final say. ers a vacuum without the word of God. Doctrines have divided us as Christians more than Our limited understanding of the four-fold ministry of uniting us. I assume God will sometimes laugh or the word of God accounts for the way we handle the frown at our childish argument and conflict on docword. In this post, I will share the four-fold impact of trinal issues that have no eternal value. It is time we God’s word. jointly rebuke sin, fight injustice, and racism instead of defending denominational doctrines. The way out of “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is this is to apply the words of the Apostle Paul in Roprofitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for mans 14, especially verse 19. instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV)

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Reprove To reproof is to show your displeasure to an action or behavior. Part of the four-fold ministry of God’s word is to reproof us for any wrongdoing.

Though none of us like this aspect of God’s word, yet we must accept it if we want the best from God. His words confirm reprove as our mark of being children of God. Hebrews 12:8, Proverbs 3:12.

God’s reproof comes in several ways. Some come when reading his word, others through a sermon, a friend, or those ahead of us in life or ministry.

Whichever way, God’s word is to whip us back in line. This prevents us from drifting further into error. The word of God remains infallible, whereas our nation’s constitution is perverted.

Corrections To correct is to change the error. A believer faces many challenges that often lead to error. The mistake can be in our walk with God or men. Often we feel bad when we err, but we do not even know what next to do. That is when the word of God comes to our aid. Recent happening in America’s political happenings, shows all democracies are far from being perfect. Until Christ comes, the word of God remains the source to correct man’s error.

In both books, Paul gave instructions on the pattern of living for the leaders and the led. He addressed all age groups. With that, each believer will know how to comport himself or herself both in the church and society. The word of God should lead us to precept by precept until Christ is formed in us. The four-fold impact of God’s word will accomplish one goal, which is to perfect us. “that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:17 NKJV) Beloved, the Bible has the answer to all questions about our total being. God gave this one asset to Joshua for him to succeed. Joshua 1:8. That advice holds sway today for Christians, both old and young. We run into a crisis when replacing the word of God with man’s ideology. As we can see, that has failed us.

What is worrisome now is leaving almost no legacy of the word of God to the next generation. We focus more on building structures than building lives. Today we celebrate charisma over character.

However, you and I can change the narratives by demonstrating our resolve to live the word of God before our young people.

Instructions Instructions are set out rules of operation. God gave the Ten Commandments to the Jews as an emerging nation, just coming out of Egypt, to guide them. As they went further, the book of Leviticus gave further instructions on worship, relationship, leadership, and business. The books of Timothy and Titus are regarded as Pastoral Epistles or instructions. The two epistles are typical instructions for living as both a Christian and a minister.

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Joshua Tree, California

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Reflecting On Our Road Trips

by Karen Ruhl

I was talking to Craig the other night about our upcoming trip to the coast and how I do miss the California coast. We were only 30 minutes to the water’s edge.

It made me think about all of the places Craig and I have visited both together and before we met. Other than Mexico, we have not done any international travel. However, we have both been to other countries in the past, Craig through the Navy, and I went to many through my job in broadcasting as well. We have been so blessed to see so much of the world and hope you are enjoying the photos we share from our Road Trips across the county.

This month, the photos are from several places including California, Ohio, Utah, Arizona, and W. VA. We have plans to travel a bit this year - God willing and we stay healthy. As we do, we will continue to share the photos and stories with you.

You can be very safe taking a long ride with your camera or cell phone in hand. Snap away, keep your masks close in case you need them. Take hand sanitizer and enjoy your road trip.

Thurmond, West Virginia Falls

San Diego, California

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Jenny’s Canyon - Snow Canyon, Utah Mt. Mitchell, NC (Blue Ridge Mountains) Amish wagon, Ohio

Zion from above

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Bozeman, Arizona. There must have been a sale, the mules are lined up!

You can see more of Karen’s Photos at www.karen-ruhl.pixels.com Abandoned Farm House in Ohio

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Our Christian Family

by Yvonne Morgan

Have you joined in the latest craze to uncover the secrets of your family history? We all wonder if someone famous shares the same DNA as ours.

Does my ancestry show how I might be related to a queen or king? Could I be of the same bloodline as a literary giant from long ago? I think we all search for significance in the mundane of our daily lives by looking to our past. But I am left wondering; Where do I find my meaning?

Human Family—These thoughts began again recently as I watch my parents’ generation start to depart this life. I helplessly watch as age takes a toll on their frail frames. Those once larger-than-life family members are now confined to nursing homes or hospital beds. They guided my life with their wisdom, but now the mantle is passing to my generation. Who will oversee my steps into the future? Will I impact the lives of the next generation?

I grieve the loss of my ancestors. Many of those same folks shared their faith with me from early on in my life. My parents taught me to pray. They also encouraged me to attend church. While other relatives showed me the path to a life in God. Am I prepared to do the same for the younger members of my family? What steps can I take to share my faith among my family?

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Where do I find significance? I know the heart of my grown children; they belong to Christ. But my responsibility does not end there. So, I pray for them daily. I pray for the Lord to strengthen them and uphold them in their faith. I share Bible wisdom with them when they feel the weight of the world on their shoulders. And when things go wrong for them, we talk about God’s purposes for our lives and how to keep our eyes on Jesus. Their faith must be their own, but I can lead them as my parents did me.

My grandchildren also need spiritual guidance. I ask them to say grace at mealtimes and help them when they struggle with the words. Bible stories become great bedtime stories and sharing simple bedtime prayers sets the example for them to follow. And, when the bully strikes or poor decisions happen, I can council them with Godly wisdom just like my parents did for me.

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians 6:10 NIV) Spiritual Family—But, even as the generations before me fade, I am never alone. I have my Spiritual ancestry to encourage me. I recall all the religious giants of the Bible and how they guide my life through their words recorded in Scripture. I praise God for the Bible because it provides me with everything I need to know. Through it, He will guide my steps all of my life. My heart lightens as I realize that Christ will never leave me or forsake me. He shows me how I find my significance in Him.

Besides author, my names include wife, mom, and grandmother. My children include two grown daughters and one son who lives with Jesus. I enjoy my role as Bebe to three beautiful granddaughters.

My passions include missions work and sharing the amazing stories of how we can find Christ in the ordinary. Through my mission work, I started a charity, which cares for orphans in Nepal and Myanmar.

When not on the mission field, I write full time. I hope my stories can help you see God in ordinary events in life and inspire you to reach out as the hands and feet of Christ to others.

Child of God—I no longer need to worry about the significance of my life. I am a child of Christ, the King. Christ paved the way and set the example for me to follow. And, like those before me, I share His ways with those who come after me. Christ calls me to walk the path He has laid out for me. Nothing more, nothing less; He wants my obedience. When we follow God’s way, then He will make everything work out. The path may not be easy, and life will not be perfect. But we are assured in Romans 8:28 that Christ will work out everything for our good.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NIV)

Click on book cover to purchase.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for accepting me into the family of God. Thank you for the family who shared their faith with me. Strengthen me to share my faith with the next generation. Thank you for providing me a future and a purpose better than my human ancestry. Help me always remember that I am a child of the one true King. In Jesus’ Name.

Amen.

God Bless You, Yvonne M Morgan https://yvonne-morgan.com/ Blog at Turningmountainsintomolehills.org Twitter: @ymmauthor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YMMauthor/

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Friends and Family

By Maureen Kambarami

A decade ago, I moved to a new parish with my family. I did not know a single soul but trusted God to make new friends. On our very first Sunday in that church, we arrived early and chose seats right at the back where we could observe everyone without being the center of attention.

However, as the seats gradually filled in, we started getting a few stares in our direction. Some stares lingered longer than the expected polite gaze, as if trying to communicate something, but I just could not figure out what was happening. I then concluded that this was the most unwelcoming parish I had ever encountered.

Shortly before the service began, the unexpected drama started; a three-generational family waltzed in. Even though there were still a few vacant spaces available, they came straight to the bench where we sat, and the elderly woman gruffly asked us to move over. I complied, thinking they would divide themselves and let the others sit at another bench, but I was mistaken because they had no intention of splitting up. They shoved and pushed until my family and I were squashed into a corner, practically sitting on top of each other. My ego would not let me move to another bench, but the way I was treated made me realize that I did not belong, and I felt like a foreigner in the house of the Lord.

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After the service, I hurriedly grabbed my bag and dashed for the door, vowing to never set foot in that church again. But before I could escape, I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder. Steeling myself, I turned around, ready for a verbal war only for my eyes to encounter the most endearing of smiles.

An older lady introduced herself and apologized for the incident she had witnessed earlier. She further informed me that no one occupied that bench because the family had silently marked it as their own and to avoid conflict, people chose to just let them be. She explained this was a small parish where long-standing members often occupied the same bench every Sunday and did not take kindly to strangers displacing them. We chatted a little more and by the end of the conversation, my defenses had melted and I decided to give the parish a second chance and not let one incident spoil my stay. Besides, if Jesus himself had been made to feel unwelcome repeatedly, who was I to expect royal treatment?

During the weeks and months that followed, the lady whom I had met after the service, became my second mother and spiritual advisor. Under her guidance and protection, I blossomed and made great friends in the church, friends who later became my second family. It is these friends that have been my stronghold in these current trying times. Everyone needs good friends on life’s journey, to share the good and bad times. Friends educate, advise, caution, and encourage us. Most of the time, friends are a springboard on which

you can test the effectiveness of solutions in a non-judgemental environment before revealing them to the real world. Therefore, good friends are a real investment in one’s life. Jesus had Peter, James, and John in his inner circle and Naomi had Ruth as her best friend. All these friendships developed into something beautiful and stronger—family.

If there is one thing that the current pandemic has taught me, it is the importance of family. Family refers not only to blood relations but in most cases encompasses our close friends as well. Our world is currently marked by frequent lockdown operations in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Because of the resultant debilitating impact on traveling, many of us who have families that live far away realize that our friends have replaced our families in a way. This is because our friends live in the vicinity and can check up on us without flaunting the stipulated regulations. Even though our actual families have maintained contact with us virtually, in times of emergencies, it has been friends who have come to our aid.

An undeniable life lesson that I have embraced from the pandemic is the uncertainty of life. Life is indeed too short to bear grudges, especially against family members, for one never knows how much time we have been allocated on earth. I recently lost two family members and I still lament on what we left unsaid, for I thought we still had unlimited time together. It is this regret that has gnawed at my conscience mercilessly until now. I have since vowed to never “let the sun go down on my anger,” (Ephesians 4:26, ESV) for I do not know what tomorrow holds and I am trying my utmost best to live the gospel of love.

Let us spread the message of love and reach out to others, especially to strangers, non-natives, and the marginalized groups in our society. During these uncertain times, many people are suffering silently as we all battle to keep our heads above the water. A message of love will go a long way in instilling hope. It is through hope that our world will become whole again–hope that things will change for the better, hope that we will pull through these trying times unscathed, and hope that one day we will return to a normal existence.

Until that happens, let us treasure our friends and family because, without them, we are lost in this journey called life.

Maureen Cresencia Kambarami is a Social Worker with extensive experience in family counseling and therapy. A woman after God’s word and principles, she is passionate about writing Christian articles and believes in telling authentic stories to inspire and uplift others.

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Faith On Every Corner Bookshelf

Our bookshelf is growing each month.

We have exciting news coming for January - be sure to stay tuned!

Click On Book Cover to review the books on Amazon.com

Everything You Need Is In The Seed A Story of Faith and Miracles

By Carolyn Colon Reviewed by Craig and Karen Ruhl Everything You Need Is In The Seed by Carolyn Colon is a heartfelt and inspiring testimony to the strength of the human spirit as endowed by our Creator. The author shares how her unending faith in God enabled her to overcome severe physical and emotional trials. Throughout her book, Carolyn shows us we can experience miracles in our lives through a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ via His Word and prayer. This short but powerful message will change lives and save souls.

The team at Faith On Every Corner has read this book. We highly recommend it.

Turning Mountains Into Molehills

by Yvonne M. Morgan Reviewed by Craig and Karen Ruhl In her book, Turning Mountains In Molehills, Yvonne Morgan tells us her personal testimony and takes us on a guided tour of her journey in the mission field. More than a memoir, it provides a touching look what helping the world’s needy children looks like. She writes in a comfortable conversational manner, drawing the reader to join her through the author’s personal tragedy, her listening to God’s calling, and faithfully following His will.

This book will be a blessing to anyone considering a calling to help others through ministry.

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Khay L. Arcos is 23 years old, from Albay, Philippines.

She graduated from Bicol University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Information Technology degree. She is a writer by day and a reader by night. Her work focuses on motivating and inspiring the youth, mobilizing and encouraging them, especially those who feel disheartened in life. She will continue to share her words as she goes on pursuing her career.

Caring for Our Grandparents’ Heart

By Khay Arcos

I grew up living with my grandparents, and many of my friends grew up the same. I was raised in a neighborhood where the parents would go to work, leaving the children in the care of their grandparents. It was beautiful to live with them because they are more caring and less strict than my parents.

However, they are old, so I do most of the chores for them. They often insist on helping, but I don’t want to let them work, afraid they might get themselves hurt.

A close friend of mine also lives with her grandparents. Like mine, because of her grandparents’ age, they aren’t capable of doing many of the household chores. One time I stayed overnight at their house because of school work. I found out that it is her grandparents who do the morning cooking. It was easy to judge her in my mind, we were already both awake, but I wondered how she could let her grandparents do the cooking? I pitied the oldies, and I resented my friend for making them work when she is still young, with lots of energy to work for them.

After our classes that day, I couldn’t resist asking her why she makes her grannies do those things. Her reply humbled me and gave me a new perspective.

She said, “If I don’t let them do it, they will think they’re useless, and if I do it all, they would think they would be okay to leave me.” She told me she never wanted her grandparents to think she would be better off without them or make them feel useless.

I was ashamed of myself for seeing just the surface.

She also told me that, every night, she prepared the utensils, the rice, and the eggs so that in the morning everything would be ready. And she would always rise the same time as them in the morning to watch them closely. She wasn’t just staring at them, but making sure they didn’t hurt themselves.

It reminded me of God’s fourth commandment. It says, “Honor thy father and your mother.”

The way she treats her grandparents reminded me that honoring our parents, our elders means respecting their decisions. She showed me that as children, we must help our elders overcome stress and depression too. Elders, especially the older ones, tend to make a lot of drama, and because of their age, it is common that they may feel useless.

After that incident, I let my grandmom and dad wash the dishes. They look so happy washing the dishes together. I always thought letting them eat without making them work would make them feel blessed.

But as I watched them, God revealed to me He created hands because there is pleasure in working too.

Nobody wanted to be treated as a heavy suitcase to carry.

I am encouraging everyone to take care of their parents, both physically and mentally. Sometimes letting them help you, helps them too.

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Songs Worth Singing: Hymn Writing 102

By Jerry A. Davidson

It is now the year 2021. It was over 380 years ago that the first English book was printed in North America, and that book was called The Bay Psalms Book (published 1640). Without going into the vast history behind this work, it was a massive effort by the Puritans to translate every single Psalm into metered verse to be easily sung by congregations.

They cared very deeply about preserving the words and meanings of Scripture as they went. To ensure the Psalms would be simple enough to learn by any congregation, they created 13 individual tunes and categorized all 150 Psalms by the tune with which their metered translation would pair. The 9th edition of the Bay Psalm Book (published in 1698) has each tune printed with one of the Psalms.

As this doubtfully interests many, there is a component here that modern Christian worship music often misses: the preservation of pure Biblical doctrine in song. For example, the popular worship song “What A Beautiful Name” holds a line that goes as follows: You didn’t want heaven without us, so Jesus you brought heaven down. This is flat wrong. God sent His Son, His incarnation, down to us, which may be the spirit behind this line, but the doctrine of Scripture teaches that we had no way to become worthy of heaven, and because of our sin and God’s holiness, God couldn’t lower His standards just because He “didn’t want heaven without us.” If that were the case, the implication is then that God wants us in heaven so badly that He’ll do anything to get us there, even compromising His own nature! That is untrue. God is just, but God is also love. Therefore, He sent Christ to take on our punishment so that we may become righteous and thereby enter heaven and God’s presence, having been fully justified by grace through Christ’s death and resurrection. The standard for heaven never changed, though. Grace entered the equation.

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We can now understand why the Puritans put so much effort into translating the Psalms into English meter to be sung. You can’t go wrong with singing direct Scripture. When writing songs for the worship of God by anyone, we must ensure that we are writing songs worth singing–songs that don’t mislead, give vague or intangible definitions of God, or romanticize Jesus and his work.

There are generally three types of corporate worship songs: teaching songs, emotive songs, and experiential songs. Each of these can overlap, but they tend to separate themselves. Teaching songs fall more in the realm of hymns, songs that focus more on the nature of God and His work throughout redemptive history. These are lacking in today’s contemporary worship style songwriting, but there has been an uptick in churches writing these kinds of songs (see Sovereign Grace Music and Immanuel Worship).

Emotive songs are the middleman of worship music, overlapping with usually only one of the other categories. Regardless of which category they blend with, the melody is usually one that elicits a very strong emotional reaction from the congregates who are singing it.

Finally, experiential songs tend to deal with our position and experience of Christ’s and the Holy Spirit’s work in us. This is certainly the most treacherous territory of music writing since 1) we don’t bear any glory for salvation and 2) our experiences and emotions are still caught up in the sinful flesh we are bound to in this life, so it can lead us to feel something doctrinally wrong. Nonetheless, all three categories bear equal significance in the corporate worship platform.

Jerry A. Davidson lives in Alexander, AR with his wife, Amy. He is a hymn writer, vocal coach at Davidson Vocal Coaching, author, as well as worship leader at CrossPoint Church in Bryant, AR. His desire is to write stories and songs that bring glory to God through a deep understanding of His Word and design for the world.

As we learn to write new and better songs for personal and corporate worship, we need Scriptural truth guiding our emotions and the words of our music as well as poetic knowledge and understanding. If you are considering writing worship songs, whether casually or for your church, here are some basic rhyming schemes to consider (A and B indicate a new line with the last word in that line rhyming with the line of the same letter; X indicates a new line that does not have a matching line to rhyme with it): • • • • • • • • • • • •

AAAA AABB AABBA ABAB ABABB AAB ABBA ABAAB XAXA AXXA AAXA AXAA

O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he has done marvelous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, has gotten him the victory. ~Psalm 98:1 KJV 2000

Get input on the doctrine of your songs. The Scriptural accuracy of your words is most important. The ease and enjoyment of your song to be corporately sung is secondary but still vital. I highly recommend the book Sing! by Keith and Kristyn Getty for an overview of the gift that singing is and our responsibility to ensure the purity of what we sing and worship with. If you are called to write songs for the worship of God, ensure that they are songs worth singing.

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His Divine Purpose

By Aradhana Thakor

Wouldn’t life be just boring if you didn’t have anyone to share it with? To go through life’s highs and lows all alone would be quite a challenge. But God, in His infinite wisdom, had planned well in advance who you would be surrounded by—your family and friends on this earth. What a compassionate God we serve! Your friends and family are carefully chosen

by Him who has intricately designed you, including your strengths and weaknesses. Even a dysfunctional family serves His divine purpose on earth, and so does a backstabbing friend. Yes, that’s correct. Even that family member who always belittles you or the one that constantly nags you are all masterfully placed in your life by the infinite wisdom of God.

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I remember a time when a close relative of mine, who was difficult to get along with, verbally hurt me and I was deeply offended. It took quite a long time for me to forget the event, but the Lord kept telling me to forgive that person. I rebelled in my heart as it felt so unfair and difficult to forgive. But after much turmoil, the Lord helped me see things differently. Slowly He let my anger simmer down. I prayed sincerely for that person’s well-being and as a result; I was able to forgive. The peace that followed since then is tremendous. The Lord has taught me His valuable lessons through my family and friends. He keeps using them to produce the fruits of the Holy Spirit in my heart. I have learned to be patient with people who do not see eye to eye with me. And the toughest of all, He taught me to forgive and pray for those that hurt me.

The Lord can weave a beautiful tapestry out of all the challenges you face, for He is a skillful craftsman.

He has skillfully placed all your family and friends in your life, for they each serve a divine purpose. Let us be grateful for them and lift them up in prayer so we may receive all the blessings God is willing to lovingly bestow upon us.

Aradhana Thakor is from India and lives with her husband in Calgary, Canada.

“Burning Passion for Lost Souls” is her debut non-fiction book. This book takes you on a thrilling and emotional journey of one man’s burning passion for lost souls behind bars.

This beautiful journey is seen through the eyes of a daughter which she narrates in the form of poetry that uplifts and warms your soul. As you go on this journey, you will also experience the unfailing and everlasting love of Christ which is revealed in the life-changing testimonies of prisoners. May you be blessed as you journey on.

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” ~Deuteronomy 31:6

She recently published a new book, “Sixteen Letters.” Sixteen Letters written intentionally for a weary traveler in Christ who is journeying towards the summit through its steep craggy slopes, lofty peaks, winding pathways, and deep valleys. Each letter contains heavenly, “manna,” which will nourish and rejuvenate your soul. At the end of each letter there is a beautiful poem written just for you. Upon completion of these sixteen letters, you will find yourself with a surprisingly beautiful assignment meant just for you.

You can connect with her on Facebook @ Aradhana2020 or email at aradhanathakor@gmail.com

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SUBMISSION POLICY

Magazine Submission Policy and Guidelines • Faith On Every Corner magazine is digitally published on a monthly basis by Faith On Every Corner, LLC • All submissions are subject to editorial review prior to acceptance and publication • Content: Focused on articles, stories, poems, and testimonies centered on acts of faith and service • Audience: Christian, family oriented • Rights: Contributing writers retain the rights to their work, granting Faith On Every Corner, LLC the right to publish, re-publish, share, archive, and for promotional use.

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• Faith On Every Corner reserves the right to change or modify these submission guidelines at any time without prior notice.

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Faith On Every Corner Publisher & Editor in Chief: Karen Ruhl Senior Editor / General Manager: Craig Ruhl Photography: Karen Ruhl (unless otherwise credited) Staff Writers: Craig Ruhl Karen Ruhl

Submit Articles For Consideration to: Team@faithoneverycorner.com Phone: 828-305-8571 www.FaithOnEveryCorner.com

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Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) taken from the New King James Version ® (NKJV ®). Copyright © 1982

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