Mar/Apr 2011 by Tess Rutherford

Mar/Apr 2011 | http://empoweredmagonline.com

CEO/Publisher Tess Rutherford

Editor Tina Mason - http://www.masonandmasonservices.com/

Photographer Ben Geyer - http://www.flickr.com/photos/geyerba/

Graphic Artist Assistant Imari Rutherford

Columnist rutherford1880@yahoo.com Book Reviews, page 21

Regina Rutherford

Writers bfullah77@gmail.com

http://forevergratefulone.tumblr.com

You are What you Eat!, page 9

melissamckissack@gmail.com Relating as a Spiritual Discipline, page 13

Melissa McKissack

Bruc Fullah camjus04@gmail.com

melkeciaw@yahoo.com

Laughter for the Soul: You Did It!, page 10

Needful Worship, page 7

Jacobi Perry 3

Melkecia Welch Mar/Apr 2011 | http://empoweredmagonline.com

VOL. 1, NO 1 | JAN/FEB 2011 VOL1, NO 2 | MAR/APR 2011

Contents Content COVER STORY 11 Mature your Way to Godly Success!

Discover what it really means and what it really takes to obtain spiritual success. Interview By: Tess Rutherford

FEATURES 9 You are what you Eat!

How to embrace the Word of God so much that it literally becomes a part of who you are. By: Bruce Fullah

13 Relating as a Spiritual Discipline Discover how your relationship with others ties in with your spiritual development. By: Melissa McKissack 7

Needful Worship Inspiring poem to worship at the feet of Jesus By: Melkecia Welch

GOD: Restore, Confirm, Strengthen, & Establish Me Encouraging words to hold onto God in the midst of chaos, uncertainty, and hopelessness By: Anonymous

BEAUTY 19 Make me Over on the Outside Too!

A makeover for a single mom who has little time for herself Courtesy of Angel’s Variety Store and Nancy Gayles (Mary Kay Consultant)

IN EVERY ISSUE: 6 10 8 21 5 4

Tess: Letter from CEO/Publisher Laughter for the Soul: You Did It! (Jacobi Perry) Scrumptious Recipe Book Reviews (Regina Rutherford) Readers’ Voice Mar/Apr 2011 | http://empoweredmagonline.com

Readersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; VOICE

We Love To Hear From You!

Just read the articles in the magazine. Quite excellent! First, let me say that I am happy for the success that God has granted you, Tess. Second, I am proud to say that I am related to you and your fabulous editor, Tina. Keep up the much needed ministry and continue to be a Blessing! Don Pannell, Milwaukee WI

Online Submissions This is the type of magazine that I enjoy reading! The stories truly touched my heart. This is a great blessing for me and my family. Thank God for Tess and all of those who made the publishing possible! May God richly bless you. Dianne Fowler, Peoria IL I enjoyed your online magazine, especially the article from Melissa McKissack - To Deal or To Bear... in Love. Thank you for providing such thought-provoking articles. Vicki Worrell, Mapleton IL Just wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed reading the magazine. It is so beautiful to see you flourish in your set place. You know the Word and it will work if you work it and you are working it. So proud of you ..... Aretha Hollis, Peoria IL

Submit your comments at empoweredmagonline.com/readers.htm OR Email your comments and your full name, city and state to feedback@empoweredmagonline.com Mar/Apr 2011 | http://empoweredmagonline.com

Letter from CEO/Publisher Tess Rutherford I believe there is a strong connection between dreams and creativity. Many people are blessed to receive some of the most innovative ideas through their dreams. The desires you have in your dreams are creativity at its best. Children are known to have the most innovative ideas. They are always dreaming (some probably more than others). But what I love about children is they dream and think the impossible. Sadly though, their creativity will slowly diminish as they reach adult years. We can blame that on the vicissitudes of life. People and circumstances have a unique way of giving us a reality check. This causes people to believe that dreaming should be left to children and fairy tales. This new revelation influences them to stop dreaming altogether about things that seem impossible. They wonder what the purpose is of investing time and energy into a false web of hope. I will tell you why, keep reading... Many times the Lord gives us a glimpse of our future by utilizing the thought life or our dreams. He gives us those burning passions, dreams, and desires deep within our souls. Those who are blessed to see their plan to fruition are the ones who cease to stop dreaming. They continue to feed their creative thoughts with affirmative statements to keep the dream alive. With prayer, patience and determination, the dream will soon surface above the rubble and debris. But this is only for those who believe it and want it bad enough. Satan desperately wants to destroy your dream seed. Therefore, anything he can say or do to get you side-tracked or out of focus, he will do it. It is up to you to keep your dream alive. God is not going to keep it on ice for you. What have you been hoping for? What is

it that you wish you could do but you lack the skills, resources, and/or aptitude to accomplish? Whatever this out of the box idea is, continue to meditate on it. Diligently seek the Lord as you embark on your journey towards the dream and always make yourself available at every rest stop. If you continue along the course, you will soon make it to your â&#x20AC;&#x153;dreamedâ&#x20AC;? destination. You must know that this is not the end goal, rather it is the beginning. God is the dream giver and He has the unique capability of thinking outside of the earth. God will lay yet another dream upon your heart, and will continue to do so until He calls you to your eternal home. We have a habit of overestimating the worse and underestimating the Best. We must always bear in mind that God knows us better than we know ourselves. He can see the great potential in all of us. But, it is a matter of us trusting that He will carry us through the waves of uncertainty. Keep pursuing your impossible goal because God is always looking for opportunities to show the world, through our lives, that He is the God where ALL things are possible.

Tess

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Jesus I love you… and like the woman that sat at your feet I know that I have found the best seat. Thirsting on the words that flow from your lips, Loving, listening, learning, your way in each sip. Looking up to you I find joy, peace, and rest dismissing pressures, negative thoughts, and the less. Appreciative of all that you’ve done for me. Delivered, healed, filled and now I see. I see you oh Lord, sitting on high. My wretchedness revealed the closer I draw nigh. I’m a wretch undone, needing much repair. Clean my heart and renew my spirit from despair. So that I may serve you with gladness, and receive your gift of beauty for ashes. This one thing I need from you. Like Mary, that good part I choose to do. Worship and receive the word at your feet, which shall not be taken away from me.

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and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, dwells in me, and I in him.” This may sound a little bizarre the first time you read it; I know it did for me! But if you apply the “you are what you eat” concept here, it makes perfect sense. Our Lord is plainly telling us that when we partake of him, or consume him as a regular part of our spiritual diet, a mutual indwelling takes place. In other words we begin to take on his characteristics as a result of this intimate dining experience. After all, we are introducing sustenance into our body and bloodstream and ex“Your spiritual growth, posing ourselves to its benefit or detriment! Jesus understood the intimacy development and health are of dining and offered himself as our direct reflections of your spiritual best source of nutrition. We’re not talking big muscles and strong bones diet, or lack thereof.” here; we’re talking life, and life more abundantly! (John 10:10, I Tim 4:8)

Most of us have heard the phrase “you are what you eat”; right? Our initial thoughts probably have to do with visions of gobbling up our favorite meals, then regretting the additional thighs, butt, or belly that it adds to us. So then, we understand that there is nutritional value in food, and when we consume food it becomes a part of who we are - literally! We see these physical results in how our clothes fit, in our figure or physique, and in our energy levels. Knowing the potential outcome of our dietary choices can, or at least should drive what we choose to put into our bodies. It

should help us choose what to put into our bodies. If this is true physically, could there be a spiritual application as well? God is so intelligent and forward thinking that he has implanted parallel truths all around us in order to give opportunities for him to speak to humanity. When Jesus taught in parables, he used natural things to explain spiritual lessons. So what am I getting at? Your spiritual growth, development and health are direct reflections of your spiritual diet, or lack thereof. In John 6:54-56, Jesus said “Whoever eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, has eternal life;

How do we spiritually dine - eat our Lord’s flesh, and drink his blood? Bible study! We all know that reading the Bible should be a simple task, but many of us struggle with it. Many times we read our bibles, but we are not becoming what we have eaten. We have to remember that dining is intimate. We introduce the food we eat into our very bloodstream. It literally becomes a part of who we are. In order for food to enter our bloodstream, we have to break it down. In simpler terms, we chew it! We need to chew His Word, or break His Word down. (2 Tim 2:15 KJV) This is vital to our spiritual growth! (Continue on page 14)

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This past December my husband sprained his ankle playing basketball. I was convinced my husband needed to go to the emergency room. Prior to departing, I saw that my youngest son made an absolute mess in the kitchen; I called his name and sat my purse and keys on the couch. My son was doing his usual morning ritual of watching Sports Center on television. I said to him, “Go and put that bacon back in the refrigerator, and put the syrup in the pantry.” He said, “Ok.” without taking his eyes off of the television. As I walked into my bedroom, the doorbell rang; it was my son’s friends stopping by to walk to the bus stop together. I let them in and proceeded to check on my husband. The kids left for school. Finally, I can get my husband to the emergency room. But, there was one problem… I couldn’t find my purse! By this time, my husband is sitting in the living room, frustrated because he is in pain. I am running through the house looking for my purse, but I knew I sat it on the couch. Was I going crazy? I really needed my purse because our insurance card was in there. I started to panic. My husband just watched me patiently -- For he knows that I am notorious for misplacing things. So I told him, “I know I sat my purse on the couch.” I truly believed my son’s friends took it! Now my husband really thinks I am going nuts. But to help calm my nerves he said “I don’t think they took it, but if you really think so, go to the school and get it.”

it on the couch. When I arrived at the school, I went immediately to my son’s class and found out from his teacher that he was not there yet. Therefore, I returned to the front of the school and waited for the kids to get off the bus. While waiting, I decided that I wasn’t going to ask the kids about my purse. I figured I would check their backpacks and ask questions later. Lo and behold my son walked up to me and said, “Hey Mommy.” He looked very confused, because he was wondering why I was standing there. I asked him if he had seen my purse when I was home earlier. He answered yes. Then and I asked him if I placed my purse on the couch. Again he replied, “Yes.” So I said, “Well it’s not there; so where is it?” My son began to think long and hard and finally said, “Oh yeah…I put your purse in the refrigerator, like you asked.” I said, “Justin I told you to put the bacon in the refrigerator!” Hmmm, I thought, or did I say ‘purse’ instead of ‘bacon’? Right after speaking to my son, his friends came by and gave me a big hug. Though I felt relieved, I was also quite convicted because of me falsely accusing the boys (even though they didn’t know it); but, my husband knew, and more importantly, God knew. Think of the last time that you falsely accused another person. Revelation 12:10 (NIV) identifies Satan as “the accuser of the brethren.” He falsely accuses other people and God in our thoughts. Let us be mindful of this scripture the next time

I drove to the school wondering why these we present an accusation against someone. kids would want to take my purse; I am sure I sat 10 Mar/Apr 2011 | http://empoweredmagonline.com

oday Pastor Jim Powell is leading Richwoods Christian Church (RCC) of Peoria IL. The church has multiple campuses averaging one thousand plus members weekly. Each week, the RCC staff receives testimonies of lives being changed and transformed to the glory of God. Jim says he can now truly identify with the Pilgrim Song in Psalms 126:1-2, “… we were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, The LORD has done great things for them.” But to think these successes happened overnight would be a false assumption. It took Jim over twenty years to get to where he is right now.

Mature your Way to Godly Success! Interview By: Tess Rutherford 11

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As a young lad growing similar to Saul on the road to state. They are ready to move up, Jim never imagined what Damascus (Acts 9:1-4 KJV) and at the drop of a dime. HowevGod had in store for his fu- the Lord showed Jim a vision er, ambitious people are more ture. He was raised in a tradi- of him preaching the gospel. susceptible to get ahead of God. Shortly after Jim’s con- Jim gave the example of Abrational church. Throughout his high school and college career version, a godly man was led of ham and Sarah. They got ahead his primary focus was party- the Lord to pay for him to go to of God and had Ishmael. We are ing and girls. While attend- Bible College. Jim took the man still reaping the repercussions of ing college, his grades failed up on his offer, finished school, their actions 3000 years later. To miserably. Ultimately, he was and began to pastor a small coun- this day, the descendents of Ishplaced on academic probation. try church of thirty five people. mael and Israel are located in the He just didn’t possess the dili- He worked part time but com- Middle East, battling it out, and gence and willpower to succeed muted 45 minutes to get there. still unable to get along. When at the time. Since his heart The church almost doubled un- we get ahead of God, we may get was far from studying, it led der Jim’s leadership and unbe- what we want but it comes with him to dropping out of school. knownst to him God had some- short term results. Jim quotes There Jim was… working thing else in store. It was easy the Jesuit paleontologist and in a night club at twenty years for Jim to get a little anxious to philosopher, Pierre Teilhard de of age not knowing that things do something else, but God con- Chardin in saying, “Above all, would soon turn upward. He tinued to remind him of what it trust in the slow work of God.” In 1997, Jim was given the was watching television one says in Luke 16:10, “He who is day and saw Julius Erving pro- faithful in the little things will be opportunity to lead RCC which moting a book titled, Power for faithful over much, and he who had a total of 65 members at the Living. Jim ordered the book is unfaithful in the little things time. Over the course of six and immediately and when it finally will be unfaithful over much.” a half years, RCC nearly quadrupled. Jim credits his parent’s arrived in the mail, he began to divorce for helping him prepare read it and got the basics of the for this project. He said his pargospel message. After reading ent’s divorce gave him a burden the book, he received Jesus as for families. The Lord imparted his Lord and personal Savior. compassion and passion inside Though he walked through the of Jim during this crushing time. process of salvation, he wasn’t He quotes Hebrews 13:21 which ready to fully submit his heart reads, “[God will] equip you to God. The thought of having with everything good for doing someone (God) control his life his will, and may he work in us was unheard of. Jim admits what is pleasing to him, through that his self absorption was the Jesus Christ, to whom be gloprimary reason for his hesitary for ever and ever. Amen.” tion. He assumed he possessed When asked what his the smarts to determine his own definition of success is, Jim path. Nevertheless, God mansays it is doing what God wants aged to arrest Jim in his tracks us to do whether it is big or once more. Jim found himself in a deep state of broken- Jim says there must be an “in- small, fast or slow; being in the ness one night and he was able tention between faithfulness and middle of God’s will is the true to muster up the little strength waiting on the Lord.” He went definition of success. For those that he did have to cry out to the on to say that “it is only when we who are serious about maturLord for help. He repented once don’t want to move, God seems ing their way to godly success, again, but this time it was from to move swifter.” Most ambi- Jim says the task is simple. All his heart. He had an experience tious people remain in a ready that is (Continue on page 18) 12 Mar/Apr 2011 | http://empoweredmagonline.com

As a follower of Jesus, I periodically pause and question whether I am growing spiritually or not. I often wonder if my character is really being transformed. This is, after all, the goal of the Christian lifefor our lives to be transformed from the inside-out to reflect Jesus. Now I know I’m covered in His grace, but I still desire to live a holy life. This sanctification process, or spiritual transformation, is a life-long journey where God continually partners with us to mold us and refine us so that we look more and more like Jesus, from the inside-out. This leads me to the question, “How do you measure a person’s spiritual life?” In the past, I would have responded by highlighting the importance of a personal quiet time, a small group Bible study, serving in a ministry, and reaching out to the lost. However, I would have to respond quite differently today, after personally experiencing the power of community and hearing a transformational sermon by my pastor on the impact of relating to

others in light of spiritual maturity. I’d respond with much less emphasis on habits and actions and a much deeper emphasis on the condition of a person’s heart in relation to God and people. In my pastor’s message, he talked about how God measures spiritual maturity in the context of relationships. He explained how we can’t accurately measure how we’re growing in our walk with the Lord if we only measure our spiritual maturity based on personal disciplines, for we will always think we are holier than we really are when we are not challenged by others. Let’s be honest, most of us can be quite loving, selfless people when we don’t have to deal with anyone except ourselves! When we think only of these quiet acts of devotion, we’re missing a HUGE component of the spiritual lifethat which involves other people. Though you might not have ever thought of relating to others or sharing life with others as a spiritual discipline, I must say that I see the Bible speaking strongly of the importance and even necessity of living in com-

munity. The Bible is filled with “one another” commands, such as “love one another,” “encourage one another,” “pray for one another,” “forgive each other”, and “confess your sins to each other.” These passages exhort us, as followers of Jesus, to love one another deeply, to serve one another selflessly, and to fellowship with others so that we will bless the Body of Christ as a whole. Christians were made for community. From the very beginning, God knew that it was not good for man to be alone, so He made Eve. God created us with a longing for companionship, and we are missing something incredibly valuable when we dismiss pursuing intimate relationships with other people. Not only are we missing out on the personal blessing of deep friendships or fulfilling God’s commands to be there for one another, we are also missing out on the opportunity to be refined by the Master Potter who longs to mold us through our relationships into a closer representation of Jesus. What a tragedy to lose the sacred opportunities for growth.

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I wonder what hinders us from pursuing authentic Christian community? We know God commands us to be in relationships, we know we’ll be personally blessed, and we now know that they are

for you to grow with this year in authentic community. Are there people in your life already that He might be calling you to spend more time with intentionally? Are there people you’ve wanted to approach for mentoring, accountability, or just deeper friendships, but have never had the courage to ask? Seize the day! Pray for wisdom and then boldly take the step toward the people God is leading you to approach.

“Remember, God’s desire is to see His children transformed into the image of His Son and His plan for transformation involves community.” also a great refining tool that the Lord uses to mold us into holier people. So what is holding many Christians back? Well, I hinted at some of the possibilities- our inner sin struggles, such as pride or our insecurities or fears. I believe God wants us to overcome whatever fears are hindering our pursuit of Christian community and dive into other people’s lives! How can we love one another deeply if we don’t have any friends we regularly meet with and share life with? I challenge you to search honestly ask yourself 3 could serve as the litmus the current spiritual state

your heart and questions that test to measure of your heart:

Am I growing in my love for the Lord?

Am I growing in my love for people?

3. Am I intentionally engaged in authentic Christian community where I regularly share life with other Christ-followers and allow them to speak truth into my life? If you answered “no” to the last question, I encourage you to search your heart even deeper and ask the Lord to help you find the courage to step out and to pursue the type of relationships that He desires to bless you with, challenge you with, and to use ultimately to help transform you into a closer image of Jesus Himself. I wonder who the Lord might be preparing

As valuable as the spiritual disciplines of prayer and Bible study are for spiritual growth, I urge you to broaden your definition and not neglect the discipline of relating closely with others. While you will encounter trials as the Lord refines you through your relationships, you will also experience deep joy and fulfillment as you learn to share intimately life with others. Remember, God’s desire is to see His children transformed into the image of His Son and His plan for transformation involves community. Will you take the risk to be real with others this year? The benefits far outweigh the cost. We break His Word down by rightly dividing His Word through mediating, paraphrasing and putting the words in terms that we can understand. By putting it into our own words and meditating, we are able to freely integrate it into our thought process, live it out, and experience the benefits of its nutrition.

(Continued from page 9)

The biblical way of saying this is to “renew your mind” as Paul discusses in Romans 12:2. We don’t get this renewed mind simply by reading in great quantities only. Healthy eating isn’t about quantity; it’s about quality and proper digestion. Likewise, bible study is not about how many chapters you read per day; it’s about how well you’ve digested what you’ve actually read; even if it’s just one verse! There is much to be said about bible study that just can’t be covered in the scope of this article, but if you can remember that dining is intimate - and that just as we take time to chew our physical food thoroughly we need to chew our spiritual food thoroughly. Before you know it you’ll grow up to be big and strong just like your Father!

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Picture yourself as a child. You are in an unfamiliar place and there is a big scary creature chasing after you. You feel terrified, confused, and distraught. Who would you turn to? When I think about my childhood, I remember times like these. The only thing I could do was run to either my father, mother, or nearest adult for protection. As I became an adult I realized it is unhealthy to constantly seek shelter in the arms of others. However, there is a much different scenario with God.

ing our hands up with a livid demeanor we tell God, “I am done!” This kind of bitterness develops from a root of many subconscious emotions and past experiences. No one person can tell you exactly why

real and is never pleasant! My dear friend, you must hold on! Take the bitter and combine it with the sweet. Do not let your heart be hardened or your mind be troubled. There is a way out of despair. Instead

“I personally believe that the pain we experience on earth is God allowing us to feel a small amount of his pain.”

As humans, we all face hardships, or feelings of fear from being in some pretty scary situations. For many, these hardships trigger intense you hurt so badly. I personally of looking at your unfortunate feelings of loneliness and aban- believe that the pain we expe- circumstances and sinking into donment. Feelings of torment rience on earth is God allow- an ocean of pity…find your persist and eventually we can ing us to feel a small amount of strength! Not only has God become quite bitter. Some of his pain. When this happens, placed his spirit inside of the us feel so damaged that we can we feel a deep sensitivity to believers, he also has given us not bare the thought of Chris- God’s spirit and a separation the tools to succeed. In order tianity or the idea of there be- from the things of this world. to cling to our spiritual guide, ing a Savior that never leaves As individuals, we fight we must love our Savior with our side. We wander around a genuine heart. So often, our aimlessly just waiting for our daily to survive and hold on love is brought about through time on earth to expire. Throw- to our passion. Pain is very 17 Mar/Apr 2011 | http://empoweredmagonline.com

1Peter 5:10 (ESV) reminds us: And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. Yes! This scripture is true. When you are alone and in despair, close your eyes and say “Jesus, I love you.” Continue saying this until you believe he is listening. You might say, “There are so many people in this world there is no way God would listen to me!” My response to that is a list of simple questions: -Are you breathing? -Are you able to accept the fact that the extent of God’s power,intellect, and ability could never be processed by the mortal mind? -Do you need God in your life? -Do you have faith? If you answered ‘yes’ to these questions, then surrender to Christ and realize that the Lord is with you. He protects us and meets our needs in exchange for our hearts. When you find yourself finding fault in yourself along with everything around you… STOP IT! 1.

2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Cling to God, need him, exhibit desperation towards him, and most of all love him. Fight through your trials with a goal of ultimate victory.

(Continued from page 12) required of us is to give our whole Humble yourself daily. (James 4:10) heart over to the Lord and alContinue to not only believe in Christ but believe in yourself. low for God to transform our inDon’t wait for God’s spirit to convict you, repent as often as ner world as well as our outer world. As we submit our hearts you can. (Lamentations 3:40) to God, we are made more flexCome to him you weary souls and he will give you rest. ible to the voice of God’s spirit, (Matthew 11:29) more yielding to His divine plan, Lift up your hands to him like a child in need of love. (Mat- and best of all we are conformed thew 8:13) more into the image of Jesus Christ (to improve our character).

In the midst of this, believe that there are holy angels encamped around you who see and know of your faith. Laugh with God, Cry with God, Live with God, so that you may cross over into eternal life with God! One last thing, when the enemy causes you to doubt, analyze, and question your faith, take the time to look around you. Do you really want to revert back to a lost condition? I hope not!

Along with Jim’s pastoral tasks, he also mentors and coaches other pastors in the area of church growth. You can reach Jim at http://jimpowellonline.tumblr.com/ or

Allow the Lord to guide you by his spirit to peaceful pastures.

http://richwoods.org.

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Sharonda Brown, single parent of four does not always have time for herself. We plan to show you how you can look fabulous without breaking the bank.

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Product Reviews Product

Rating

Review

A+

My Soul Cries Out by Sherri L. Lewis is a compassionate look at the issue of Christians struggling with homosexuality and the redemptive power of God to bring deliverance.

A+

One Prayer Away by Kendra Norman-Bellamy. Seven years ago, Mitchell Andrews made the biggest mistake of his life. Turning to alcohol to temporarily drown out his own grief and guilt, he alienated his wife and she left him in fear of her life after Mitchell started becoming abusive. This wake up call began a search which led to sobriety and a new life in Jesus Christ. But years later as he attempts to win back the love of his life and prove he is a new man, his past begins to creep into the present and he wonders if in his weakest moment God can give him the strength to endure. The List by Robert Whitlow - Renny Jacobson, a young Southern lawyer, thought the Confederacy was merely history. But 140 years after the Civil War, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drawn into the evil schemes of a secret society. Now Renny and the woman he loves are in serious danger. He realizes that the past is still alive--but so is the God of deliverance!

A+

*Reviews are from Barnes and Noble website - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

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Handle your Emotions God’s Way! is available at Berean’s bookstore, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and many other internet sites!

Empowered Magazine is published bi-monthly: Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May/Jun, Jul/Aug, Sep/Oct, Nov/Dec online and in print. Tess Rutherford, President/ CEO. Online subscriptions: Free. Printed subscriptions: $5. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. It is the mission of Empowered to provide a quality publication to enlighten, educate, and empower our readers to reach beyond themselves and soar by riding on the strength of God’s power. For submissions and orders contact us:

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