God Works Magazine September 2010

GOD WORKS SEPT 2010

MAGAZINE

KARI JOBE True Worshiper

Accepting Those Things We Cannot Change

Helping Christians with Negative Emotions Christian Stewardship

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Pg. 18

Kari Jobe

in this issue 8 - Accepting Those Things We Cannot Change 10 - Four Things Every Husband Needs To Know

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About His Wife

Get involved

12 - Maintaining Clear Boundaries 14 - Helping Christians with Negative Emotions 15 - The Eyes Have It 22 - Christian Stewardship 31 Le’Andria Johnson

28 Women In Ministry

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R EFLECTIONS A MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDER Enter Into Worship.

I love all types of music but there is something about worship music that just moves me.

If I am going through something or just need to spend some time with God, worship music takes me to a place that no other type of music can. Many mornings after I wake up, I’ll put on one of my favorite worship songs and just begin to enter into His presence. No words are needed as the song I listen to speaks every word for me.

“No words are needed as the song I listen to speaks every word for me.”

Worship music has a calming effect. When listening to it, there is this intense desire to just praise God. In worshiping, we connect with Our Father.

Our hearts speak to Him and His to us.

Kari Jobe (pg. 18) is familiar with this type of connection as she is the worship pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas. She has been sharing her heart through her songs with hurting people for years. Her songs create an intimate atmosphere that allows those who are broken to be lifted out of painful places.

God desires intimacy with his children and wants to connect with us. Worship music is perfect for anytime praise even if you do not know exactly what you want to say.

Allow the music to take you to that place with God where you can rest, be loved, and get healed. Worship.

Ayana Elon

Neil Justin

Unami Magwenzi

Anna Gutermuth

Olivia Stith

Susan Darling

Chris Willis

Shirley Mahood

Dionna Sanchez

Carol M. Karimi

Robby McKee

Dr. Sharon Schuetz

Debra Lohrere

Paulette H. Johnson

Peter Harrison

Leah Nichols

Andy Stanley

Naomi Ball

Charles F. Stanley

Contributing Writers

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Lauren Nelson

Photographer Credits

Adrian Boliston

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NEWS & HEADLINES

Derek Degrate, Releases Debut Album Derek, brother of JODECI’s Devante’ and Dalvin releases debut album, “The Other Brother”. Like his brothers, he has been involved in music since he was a child.

“The Other Brother” is a stylish mix of smooth grooves and hip beats all with lyrics that are dedicated to God. "It's real cool to be feelin’ a beat like you hear on your favorite R&B or pop radio sta;on and at the same ;me express your love for GOD for waking you up in the morning!" says Derek.

You can listen to samples and purchase the CD at derekdegrate.com.

7 year old Gospel Singing Sensation Rhema Marvanne is not your average 7 year old. She is a young gospel sensa;on. Her video of her version of ‘O Holy Night at her Carrollton, TX home has received more than one million views on the popular website, Youtube.

Unlike most children her age, Rhema has her own website.

She also connects with her fans via social networks, Facebook, TwiEer, and Myspace.

Her inspira;on comes from her mother who died in 2008 from Ovarian Cancer. Rhema’s mother used to write her own music and sing to her.

To find out more about her, visit www.rhemamarvanne.com

New Gospel Choir Dr. Crystal Sellers is organizing a gospel choir in BluHon, OH. She has joined the BluHon University faculty as an assistant professor of music. The choir is open to the community and university faculty, staff, and students.

Dr. Sellers has a long history in singing gospel music. She began singing at a church in Columbus which was founded by her grandfather. She believes the choir can create a nice community network.

The choir debut is scheduled for Nov. 13 at a Celebra;on of Gospel Concert in Yoder Recital Hall.

You can find Dr. Sellers on facebook: facebook.com/cyssoprano

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Accepting Those Things We Cannot Change PHOTO CREDIT: Adrian Boliston

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It was a time my faith was rocked to the core, but, thankfully, not abandoned. Sleepless nights and anxious days were the name of the game for several months. I was in major denial or, when I chose to recognize the situation, then I figured if I just researched enough, said the right things, did the right things, my daughter would be healed. I was praying, but I was praying for her healing. What I didn't realize then is that she is whole, a beloved child of God. I was too busy seeing her as much of the world would probably see her.

Then one night as I lay in bed, awake at 3am, continuing my prayer for my daughter's healing, I seemed to hear a voice say, "Accept my healing for you." Healing for me, I remember thinking, "I don't need to be healed. I am not sick."

But my recognition of my need to change began a change from which the whole family has benefited, and I would not now be on the path of helping hurting people through my talks and workshops if I had not learned from this situation. I am so grateful that God stayed with me as I struggled to accept what I considered the unacceptable. Yes, of course, I would wish my daughter could have an easier life, but God does bring

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good out of all situations to those who trust. Today because of how we all learned to think differently, my daughter is herself in a much better place as well.

I am so grateful that God stayed with me as I struggled to accept what I considered the unacceptable.

Many Bible passages brought me much needed strength as we all struggled to cope with the unusual, and often very erratic, behavior of our daughter. Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding, Proverbs 3:5, was one. My understanding had been that anyone who really tried hard enough could "get their act together." Another faulty way of thinking was that there was something "wrong" with her. And, of course, being her mother, I was dealing with another disturbing thought.

What kind of mother will people think I am that my daughter has this illness?

God guided me to change those thoughts. I began to understand that sometimes illness can prevent people from changing in ways that they themselves would like to change. It wasn't just our family who wished she could be different; she would have liked to have a more "normal" life, though today she says honestly that she has many really good days; she has stopped trying to be what the world would want her to be, that is successful in the way the world measures success. The other two unhealthy thoughts I had to change were even harder to accept at first.

Living too much in the world, I struggled to finally come to the conclusion that indeed there is nothing wrong with my daughter. Yes, she has a mental illness diagnosis, and yes, she

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early 20 years ago now our family was hit with the devastating news that one of our then teenage daughters had a serious mental illness. I could not believe that God had allowed this to happen to her or to us. After all, we were a good family; at least we tried to be. Trouble and bad luck are things that happen to people who don't take precautions against them, or so I thought. (Guess you can tell I have been a real control freak in my life.)

cannot work, but she is, as I said earlier, still a child of God with her own strengths and weaknesses, just like every other person. And, lastly, I was unhappy to realize that I at times could be more concerned about what people thought about me than how to be a support to my daughter.

John 2:9 became and remains one of my most reassuring verses. Jesus is asked about a blind man, "Who sinned, he or his parents?" Jesus answers, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned. But this happened so that the work of God could be seen in his life." How true that is. My daughter's life is indeed a testimony of the power of God to work in an individual. Her own strength to deal with her life and her enormous capacity to offer caring and compassion to all people, often giving money to people begging, despite the very limited income she has, are just two of the ways we see God at work in her. And, whenever we tend to forget how God cares for each one of us, we remember the numerous times God has "been there" for our daughter when she was in a difficult position, and no family member was available to help her. Some stranger always somehow arrived to save the day.

Accepting those things we cannot change, as the Serenity Prayer tells us, does bring a sense of peace. I know that now. How sad I feel that it took me as long as it did to understand I am not in control. God knows what He is doing, and my job is not to judge, but to support and offer to others what my daughter is so good at offering care and compassion. Indeed she has blessed our family.

Shirley Mahood is an author and workshop leader on topics of self-esteem and managing stress from a spiritual point of view.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Lauren Nelson

Four Things Every Husband Needs to Know About His Wife

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ave you ever wondered why God made women so different? A woman will hide her feelings, mulling them over until she thinks herself into despair. She worries about her problems; she worries about her family; she worries about her church, her neighbors, and her career. Left unchecked, her fear turns into depression. She masks her pain, deceiving herself and everyone else, until she explodes at the slightest provocation.

Does this sound like someone you know? Perhaps it is your wife. Remarkably, as her husband, you make a greater difference in her life than anyone else. By learning about a few basic needs exclusive to a woman's nature, you can help her grow into the beautiful creature God designed her to be. After all, she is the one you married and wanted to stay with forever.

A woman releases her pent up emotions through talking about her thoughts. This is how she finds solutions. She needs someone in her life she can trust. This is someone who will listen when she is willing to share.

She needs a man with whom she is safe, who allows her to expose her soul, and share her innermost self. If you will not listen to her without criticism, judgment, or rejection,

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she will stop and find someone else to share this part of her life. Consequently, your marriage will suffer the loss of intimacy and trust. A husband with a sympathetic ear is rare, but you can learn the art of listening.

Why do men not understand women? Who knows? God wired men and women using different schematics. Our human nature believes everyone deals with the world the same way we do. Men think women manage information and behave a certain way because they would behave the same way in their place. We can compare men and women to bananas and strawberries. Both are fruit, but each has its own form, flavor, and texture. By themselves, they taste fabulous, but combine them together and you get a fantastic fruit salad with each part keeps its own characteristics.

Marriage is like fruit salad. A man and a woman: each with unique shapes, textures, and flavors, are complete by themselves. Nevertheless, when you combine them together, you get a brand new creation. Though, both of you keep your own identity.

When his wife cries, her husband embraces her and wants to solve her problems. Once she gets a few intelligible words out through her sniffles, he holds his head back; sometimes he is even stupid enough to laugh. Then he

It dumbfounds him when she stops talking, looks at him and says, "Never mind! I'll figure it out myself," as she walks away slamming the door. Now she is angry and frustrated as well as depressed.

He has no clue why she did not throw her arms around him, give him a passionate kiss, and thank him for all his wisdom. Men want to give women a solution after hearing a few details.

Never mind that they heard only a few of the facts. They do not want to hear it all. They have the answer whether their wives want it or not. Overall, their answer is probably correct, if not appreciated.

The resulting argument adds pressure to an already strained relationship.

Women do not want the answers given to them. It defeats the purpose. Men get aggravated when women reject their quick fixes, but women must process their own way to find the answer.

God designed your partner to keep her emotions in, releasing them as she speaks. Through talking, she verbalizes her thoughts. Her emotions begin to unravel and confusion dissipates. This allows her to identify the answer staring her in the face. You probably offered the same solution. Nevertheless, because of her confused emotions she was not ready for it.

So many marriage problems could be resolved if we understood God made both genders different with different needs. Our desires, our thinking processes, and our needs are all different.

Understanding them can help us make positive strides in relating to one another.

There are four characteristics every woman needs from her husband for

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her sense of security and completeness. By understanding them he can make a tremendous difference in his marriage, transform his home, changing the atmosphere from disappointment, confusion, and indifference to one of peace and oneness of spirit and purpose.

her.

A man has the tendency to hide his real needs from his wife, wanting her to admire him and think of him as a success. For your wife to honor you, she must see your humility. You will receive and keep her love more quickly by sharing your failures with her than you will by sharing only your successThe first attribute or virtue your wife needs from you is the sound guidance es. You must not only describe your needs, but you of a spiritual leader. As should relate a strong spiritual leader, In putting God first in our to her exactly you can provide many of relationship with our spouse, what she can her needs. Spiritual our marriage becomes more do to help you leadership reveals a God-centered. meet them. man's spiritual health You encounter and shows the direction many needs in your life only your he is going. spouse can satisfy. She can help protect you against other women with A wife aches for guidance when her husband fails to be the spiritual leader. wrong motives. We live in a world permeated with sensuality and passion.

God did not intend for her to be the spiritual leader of the family. If you fail She can give you the joy of a physical here, you expose her to worry she was love without guilt. not meant to experience. Her life is out of control. The resulting fear and help- Her need for security and steadfastness will make you want to make lessness forces her to make decisions sound decisions instead of hasty ones. she should not make. Then she must It grieves a man when his wife suffers accept the consequences and sometimes the blame from you if she makes because of his poor decisions. Understanding how his choices affect his enthe wrong choice. tire family makes him take more time and examine the consequences before As her spiritual leader, she needs to trust your desire for a relationship with acting rashly.

God is sincere. You prove this when you read his word, pray, pay tithes and Your wife instills godly character in your children and discerns their needs. faithfully attend church. She needs to She is probably with them more than see you build your strong convictions you are, and as a mother, she often has on Scripture, and consistently follow insight in their lives you may not. She your convictions. serves as a buffer during conflict and is The next thing your wife needs is reas- usually an arbitrator. surance that she is meeting needs in your life no other woman can. This is a She will become discouraged if she feels you are more concerned with the fundamental need common to all women. She needs you to convince her needs of employers, employees, colshe is special to you. God made her for leagues, friends, and church members, a "helpmate." The needs she is meeting than you are with her needs. in your life must be relevant to you.

The more valuable they are, the more Continued on page 47... you should compliment and appreciate

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says, "Oh, is that all. It’s so is simple.

This is what you need to do."

PHOTO CREDIT: Peter Harrison

about da;ng someone weak in the faith (or not at all in the faith) and says to herself, I am an excep;on - I will be able to resist sin.

My sisters, the Bible speaks very clearly to this condi;on: "Do not be unequally yoked," (II Corinthians 6:14 NKJV) which in plain English means Do Not Be Unequally Yoked!

The moment we think that we can resist sin by our own willpower or holiness, we fall into a trap laid quite ingeniously for us by the enemy. Gala;ans 6:1 warns, "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted." (NKJV, emphasis mine) We cannot afford to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think (Romans 12:3) such pride stands in the way of God's help.

Over and over the Bible states that God You know the story.

And so the story goes. First she lets him resists the proud and gives grace to the Girl meets guy. Guy woos girl....says stuff kiss her, then she finds herself making out humble (Proverbs 3:34). We cannot afford to think that we will not fall when placed like, "You're just so beau;ful," and "I can't on the couch, and the next thing she knows, she's dealing with a whole load of into the same situa;on - Jesus warns in believe how wonderful you are," and MaEhew 7:1-2 that the very thing we "Other guys were fools not to see how shame, if not an unplanned pregnancy. judge in another will be judged in our own much you ____," and so on.

No, I'm not cynical. Yet I do see an increas- life. ing number of women pass through our Guy is not exactly the ideal of godliness, and he may even have some habits and labor & delivery unit without a wedding A sober, humble view of ourselves is the behavioral tendencies that would make band, and many claim to be professing first way to resist sin in this area. Even if I even the weakest believer cringe, but girl Chris;ans. So how do they end up there, have guarded my heart for years and redoes not care. when the Scripture is so explicitly clear on fused to date anyone who might drag me the maEer? down spiritually, if I believe for one seShe knows in her heart that guy is not recond that I can make an excep;on just ally all that bad, and more than that, bePaul gives us a direct admoni;on regard- once and that I will not fall away, I place cause she's strong in faith, they will work ing the life of faith in I Corinthians 10:12 - myself directly into that trap. Over and as a couple with her taking the spiritual "Therefore let him who thinks he stands over I have seen different friends make that fateful decision despite warnings lead. take heed lest he fall." (NKJV) This Scripfrom all the believers around them, and ture reflects the classic warning in Proverbs: "Pride goes before destruc;on, and over and over again they fall - every single She knows beEer than to end up in bed ;me. with him - that commandment is as clear a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs as day in her mind. There's no way she'd 16:18 NKJV). The first reason why a woman, or anyone for that maEer, falls into a God has placed His body around us for our break that rule. paEern of sin, has to do with her selfprotec;on and to spur us on in the faith. percep;on. She ignores the warnings Allow the believers around you to speak Yeah right.

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Secondly, we must resist the tempta;on to believe that the world has anything to offer us that would excel the glory of following Christ. Many women who make the choice to date someone outside the faith mistakenly believe that God is withholding from them - that they are missing something wonderful that their heart longs to experience. Surely God would not withhold a rela;onship from them, especially if it makes them happy!

James 4:1-10 addresses the issue of following aVer worldly desires: Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don't have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn't yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it. You wouldn't think of just asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know you'd be asking for what you have no right to. You're spoiled children, each wan;ng your own way. You're chea;ng on God. If all you want is your own way, flir;ng with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And do you suppose God doesn't care? The proverb has it that "he's a fiercely jealous lover." And what he gives in love is far beEer than anything else you'll find. It's common knowledge that "God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble." So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no ;me. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit boEom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious.

Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way you'll get on your feet. (James 4:1-10 The Message) When we "flirt with the world" we risk that in;mate friendship with God that brings righteousness and life. We have heard that God can sa;sfy our longings: "For He sa;sfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness" (Psalm 107:9 NKJV). Desiring to seek that sa;sfac;on through the ways of the world only brings hurt and destruc;on!

Remember Abraham, who waited over 25 years for the fulfillment of the promise - when he tried to make it happen on his own, he created a whole mess that carries on in the Middle

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East even into the present day. God s;ll fulfilled His promise to Abraham, however, and will fulfill every promise to us today (I Corinthians 1:20). If we hold onto those promises He has made, and resist the passions of the world, we will experience the joy of peaceful obedience to the One who sa;sfies the soul.

When we "flirt with the world" we risk that in mate friendship with God that brings righteousness and life.

Sisters, I know that many of you long for the love of a man.

God knows that deep desire of your heart, and even put that there Himself. He knows the very person that is created to match you perfectly. In His own ;me, God will bring you together.

God desires that you and I will come to Him and seek Him to fulfill the desires of our hearts! He joyfully longs to bless those who ask Him: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good giVs to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (MaEhew 7:7-11 NKJV) While you wait for His answer, though, you must make boundaries clear in your life. Seek that humility that God draws close to, and throw away every desire for the world. Only then can you make decisions with a pure conscience.

May we all honor God in everything we do!

Leah Nichols writes in her spare me....whenever it's available.

She is newly married and living in Eastern Washington State, working as a labor/delivery nurse, and playing the violin on the side. She also enjoys cooking, walking, and playing Wii games with her husband.

DATING

into your life. On our own, we may easily slip up, but with the admoni;ons of those around us (as long as we actually listen) we may steady our feet on the path of righteousness.

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Helping Christians with Negative Emotions How does a Christian deal with negative emotions? How does a Christian deal with depression and depressive thoughts that will not go away, with out having to become dependent on drugs? Faith in God should make you always joyful, right?

God is near to the broken hearted (Psalms 34:18). He wants you to be close, and to rely on Him, but He doesn't want you to be helpless. He provided help a long time ago. The Bible says that in the beginning when God created the world He created many plants that were good for food and good for healing. He gave Moses a recipe for a holy anointing oil (Exodus 30), and James commands that we call the elders and anoint with oil (James 5).

Our bodies, our health, are absolutely connected to and affected by our emotions and our mental thought processes and so is our spiritual health. The three are connected and affected by the other. Spiritual healing is part of physical healing and is obviously part of emotional healing. Spiritually healing, contrary to most aromatherapy books, can only come from God through Jesus Christ.

Spiritual healing will make us feel elated, on the other hand negative emotions can block our response to spiritually healing. However feeling elated, feeling cleansed, feeling close to God is not spiritually healing. God's forgiveness and love, Jesus' death and resurrection only can bring spiritually healing.

Our emotions and thought processes are chemical and electrical processes and some times we need a chemical boost. Life can overwhelm us and make us feel like God is not near and does not care. At time like this that is perfectly acceptable to take advantage of the wonderful benefits of therapeutic essential oils from plants that God himself created. Many plants have chemical compounds that have powerful uplifting affect on our emotions. Essential oils can be calming, stimulating, promote feeling of self-love, promote courage, and relieve feelings of anxiety, to name just a few of the emotional benefits of various essential oils.

Essential oils are steam distilled from various plants. These plant oils are highly concentrated plant essences and are good for healing the body and healing the emotions,

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PHOTO CREDIT: Robby McKee but do not have the negative side affects that drugs have. Essential oils can have an immediate affect and can be safely be used for long periods of time. And with careful handling can be safely used on children, when they are feeling down, over anxious or having a two year old temper tantrum. There are a few safe-handling guidelines to follow, any book or web site on aromatherapy will tell what they are.

If you are on antidepressants it is extremely important that you do not suddenly stop taking them. You need to talk to your doctor about gradually coming off them. For more information see http://www.drugawareness.org/ When you feel like life is overwhelming or you are feeling a little down say a prayer, sing a hymn and reach for a bottle of essential oil, it is a wonderful combination for overcoming negative emotions.

Naomi Ball is a cer ďŹ ed aromatherapist and is the creator of www.aromatherapyforchris ans.com

Interested in writing for God Works Magazine?

Send your writing samples to us. writers@godworksmagazine.com

You can imagine how I am preEy protec;ve of my eyes. To this day whenever the wind whips up I tend to look down. If I get something in my eye I tend to blink a lot and oVen. If my children injure their eyes I can be a liEle too concerned about las;ng damage. Because I've hurt mine twice.

The Eyes Have It

Luckily for me, God has looked out for me.

And it's not gone unappreciated.

But it causes me to pause and think somePHOTO CREDIT: Chris Willis ;mes and remember to thank Him for my eyesight. Just as I do with my kidneys because I deal with kidney stones.

In elementary school one day I was wai;ng to go home on my bus. I had to change buses at that ;me because I went to a private school. So the buses would pick us up, then go to the public middle school and we'd switch. I was wai;ng out on the playground for my last bus to come home when the wind really picked up and I got dust in my eye. I remember it preEy well to this day my hair blowing and all.

All the way home, my eye just watered and watered and I could not get the dust out of my eye at least it felt that way. It con;nued on that way un;l my dad got home from work and I was taken to the emergency room. Come to find out the dust par;cle had worked its way up under my eyelid and done a good job scratching up my eye! They removed it but I had to wear a patch for a few days to heal it up. That was very painful.

Again during my first year of my marriage, I had another eye incident. I was curling my hair one morning and the curling iron got hung up in my hair and kind of flopped down. It's kind of hard to explain but I'm sure those of you who've dropped curling irons before understand how something like that can happen. I thought I bonked my eye and again my eye really started to water just like when you poke it before you blink your eyelash. I laid down on my couch for awhile and just let my eyes close and water, thinking the watering would calm down aVer a bit. It s;ll hurt preEy good aVer awhile so I went back into the bathroom and looked into the mirror. I remember the panic I felt when I saw a white mark across my eyeball.

I thought I'd damaged it forever! Somehow, I drove myself to

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When did you last thank God for your kidneys or your eyes?

How about your bladder, your spine, your heart, breasts, teeth, liver, arm, or even your toes? You know we oVen don't realize how much we are apprecia;ve of each piece that makes up who we are un;l that part is injured or jeopardized.

Let's take a minute to thank God today for what He's given us.

And let's try to remember to do it more oVen instead of wai;ng un;l we hurt ourselves, encounter illness, or see someone who reminds us that we have what they don't. And let's use what He's given us for His glory. Every last part.

Dionna Sanchez is Founder of EmphasisOnMoms.com and freelance writes. www.beautyinthestorm.blogspot.com. Contact her at madetomom@yahoo.com

Your Ad Could Be Here Contact Us Today For Rates and Custom Packages sales@godworksmagazine.com

HEALTH

the emergency room. (I don't recommend it but I had no one to call at that ;me). They told me I'd burnt my eye with the curling iron, which I guess is not that uncommon of an injury. Again, I had to wear an eye patch.

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^ari]obe GOD WORKS MAGAZINE

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Growing up in a Chris;an home, Kari is no stranger to ministry as her father was a traveling minister. She also remembers, as a child, her mother playing worship music throughout the house.

For years, Kari has openly shared what God has placed inside her. Throughout high school and college she led worship in different places. She now serves as a worship pastor at Gateway Church, her home church, in Southlake, Texas. Her studies at Oral Roberts University, Christ For The Na;ons, and Dallas Bap;st University gave her the tools she needed to be more than a worship leader but a pastor as well.

Kari has been featured on Gateway Worship projects, Living For You and Wake Up the World. In February 2009, she released her self-;tled album through Gateway Create Publishing and Integrity Music. It was produced by Ed Cash and contains a collec;on of worship pop/folk songs. The songs were wriEen by Kari Jobe with co-writes with worship leaders/ songwriters Chris Tomlin, Paul Baloche, Mia Fieldes, Ed Cash and Klaus Kuehn.

Kari’s desire is to write songs that will minister to hur;ng people. She says, “I am moved by people’s lives and stories, and I am amazed by who God is and who He says that we are. Music becomes a way to minister to people in ;mes of trouble, to lead them to the feet of Jesus who can bring peace, life, hope and healing.” GWM

Q&A

loved that place. I knew I had a giV to sing and when I would sing in worship at Church I loved it. I knew I wanted to be apart of doing that for the rest of my life.

GWM What is it like to have such a pla-orm as a worship pastor at your church?

KARI I grew up in my local church. It¹s been really precious to watch how God took a small town girl, just loving the house of God, and loving to lead worship and began to open doors. I have always just walked through the doors God opens.

My church family recognized what God was doing even before I did, so they love what I do and encourage me to con;nue.

GWM Who are some of the ar.sts in the Chris.an music industry you currently listen to?

KARI Brooke Fraser, Francesca BaZstelli, Kim WalkerSmith! I support my fellow lady friends! (SMILES) GWM When wri.ng songs, where is one of the places you find inspira.on?

KARI Mountains. I love to get away to the mountains and get alone to write. I feel a sense of awareness of God¹s massive crea;on in place like that. Much more inspira;onal than Dallas Texas! (SMILES) GWM Knowing that you can connect with people all over the world through your music, what ways do your prepare before wri.ng?

KARI I pray a LOT. I have a tendency to get into wri;ng seasons...which I¹m in currently...meaning that everything inspires me to write. I keep my journal close by for all the song and lyric ideas that I get. I am wri;ng for a new worship cd right now and am finding that I get a lot of the ideas while leading worship or closely aVer! It¹s exci;ng.

GWM

What city are you currently in?

GWM

KARI

Dallas

GWM

Where did you grow up?

KARI Worshippers! (SMILES) I really don¹t have a specific one...I find that there¹s a vast audience group that respond to enjoying my music!

KARI

Dallas/Forth Worth Area

GWM Who are some of the singers/musicians you listened to as a young child?

KARI Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, Dennis Jernigan, Michelle PaEerson, Kevin Prosch GWM Who/what influenced you to journey into the music industry?

KARI I was very influenced by worship leaders. I experienced the presence of God through worship music and just

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Who is your target audience?

GWM Do you think your music speaks to people who do not have a rela.onship with God? KARI I believe so. When you find lyrics that are really, really honest and that help people to say things to God that they don¹t always say...I think it helps the unbeliever. I get tes;monies of these kinds of things happening...so that¹s really good to hear. You always want your music to reach the unbelievers or the unchurched..it¹s a prayer...and it always will be a desire and pursuit for me.

COVER STORY

K

ari Jobe knew at the age of 10 that she would be a worship leader. She began singing in church when she was 3 and has been walking in her calling and sharing her giV ever since.

Worshiper

GWM Which one of the songs you wrote/recorded is your favorite? Why? KARI You Are For Me. Because of the season I went through to write it, and all that I have seen God do for people through it. I have received thousands of tes;monies of people saying that You are for me has really, really helped them. I¹m very thankful.

GWM

What projects are you currently working on?

KARI

A new worship cd.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your steps.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 )

A Word From Kari: Worship is an avenue for us to connect with God. We are created by God to worship. He is worthy of our everything...if there’s a season that someone is going through where it might be affec;ng their desire to worship...just get alone in your place of prayer, turn on worship music and get honest before God. Journal what God is speaking to you.

Worship isn’t always something we FEEL like doing, but in our sacrificing of our flesh, and liVing up praise and thanks to God...I strongly believe it will begin to change your situa;on.

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For upcoming tour dates and booking info, visit KariJobe.com.

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PHOTO CREDIT: SH4RP_I

CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP

A

ll that we have and all that we are has come from God. He has blessed us with money and possessions, and he has given each of us specific talents and abili;es. We have been called to be good stewards - to use our money, our ;me and our abili;es as best we can to benefit God’s kingdom.

Giving ;thes and offerings demonstrates our obedience to God, and the recogni;on that all we have has come from him.

Giving our ;me in the Lord’s work, whether in ministry, helping those in need or gree;ng people at the Church door, shows our determina;on to follow the Lord’s teachings.

Why is it then, if we are happy to faithfully give our ;me and money, that so many Chris;ans seem to have an issue when it comes to discussing wealth crea;on. There seem to be two dis;nct lines of thought – the one promoted by many of the big name TV evangelists who promote the “prosperity” and “name it and claim it” teachings and the other viewpoint of many of the conserva;ve Church officials who push the opinion that seeking wealth is ungodly.

Unfortunately both of these viewpoints seem to run contrary to the word, and to Jesus’ teachings about stewardship.

The “prosperity” teachers promote the idea that whatever you give to God, he will return to you many ;mes over. Although this is close to the teaching of stewardship, which says that you should seek to mul;ply whatever God gives you, so that you can give him more back in return. It has been distorted, in as much as the actual mo;va;on behind giving promoted by the prosperity teachers is self based (if I give more, God will give me more) instead of focusing on Christ. There is a huge difference between giving to get more, and working to increase your means so that you can give more to further the works of the kingdom.

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Some now try to imply that if you are not prosperous, then your walk with the Lord must be lacking in some area, and others at the other end of the spectrum are always making condemning statements about the evils of being rich.

We need to really look at what the word says, and the examples that Jesus gave. I firmly believe that the enemy wants to deter us from aiming to invest and make our wealth grow, as he does not want us to be successful. He doesn’t want us making lots of money that we can use for the Lord’s work. He doesn’t want us to be able to fund mission outreaches or to feed the poor or to fund Chris;an satellite TV channels.

Some Chris;ans seem to have the misconcep;on that being wealthy is evil and being poor is holy. There is nothing holy about being poor. God doesn’t want his children to be in poverty. A rich person has far more power at their disposal to be able to help where financial assistance is needed than a poor person. At the same ;me though we need to make sure that our mo;va;on for crea;ng wealth is to “get so we can give” as opposed to the prosperity teachers no;on that we should “give so we can get”. As long as we do not idolize money, and retain the truth that all we have has come from God anyway, then there is no need to feel any guilt about how much money we make. There are many examples in the Bible that show God’s desire to bless his faithful followers with wealth: (Gen 39:2) “And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyp;an.”

(Deu 29:9) “Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do”.

(2 Chr 26:5) “And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper”.

God loves to bless his children, especially if we in return are happy to bless others. Therefore there is absolutely nothing wrong with seZng goals to be good stewards and create wealth to give back to our creator. In fact, as stewards of the resources God has given us, it is actually our responsibility to aim at increasing what we have. We should be seeking to be successful for God. To genuinely set goals for inves;ng both our money and ;me into the kingdom of God. The best way to increase your monetary wealth is not to go asking the boss for a pay rise, but rather to start a regular investment program. More important s;ll, is to learn how to invest wisely and not be wasteful with our resources.

Before you can start inves;ng you need to make some money available. One of the most effec;ve methods it to use the 10/10/80 Plan. 10% of your income to God, 10% for inves;ng and live off the remaining 80% of your income. This may take a liEle ;me to adjust to, but when you consider the long terms results that you will achieve once you start inves;ng, you will find that it is extremely worthwhile.

You will have all heard the expression that “The second million is always easier than the first”. This is absolutely true – the reason being is that it is compounding interest that has the greatest power to create wealth, and the more you have invested that compounding can work on – the quicker your wealth will grow.

In mathema;cal terms 72 divided by Compound Interest Rate of Return = Years for Money to Double in Value.

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Therefore if you have an investment growing at 10% compound interest, it will double in value in 7.2 years (quadruple in 14.4 years and be worth eight ;mes as much in 21.6 years). If it is growing at 12% it will double in 6 years.

John D Rockefeller who was once one of America’s richest men said that “Compound Interest is the Eighth Wonder of the World”.

Einstein once said, “The most powerful concept or principle in the world that I am aware of is that of compound interest”.

When deciding on the best areas to invest in, it is worth taking into considera;on the fact that over 90% of the world’s millionaires have made their money through property.

In Australia over the past 50 years property has averaged 10% p.a. compound growth. (Carefully selected proper;es have averaged even greater returns).

Not forgeZng that investment proper;es will also be genera;ng an income from rent.

Median priced property has averaged growing at a rate of 2 – 4% p.a. higher than infla;on, making it a very solid investment.

I believe the most effec;ve way to build riches is to accumulate a por_olio of investment proper;es (over the space of 7 to10 years) and then let the power of Compound Interest work to your benefit.

It is possible to borrow 100% of the purchase price of a property plus expenses by securing the deposit against your own home, so that you don’t have to come up with a cash deposit.

There are many different strategies for

property inves;ng, which suit different people depending on their current income or financial posi;on.

God will give you the wisdom to decide on the best strategies for your situa;on if you put in the ;me and effort to learn as much as you can and seek his direc;on. It is wise to also seek professional advice, as rules and regula;ons and tax effec;veness will vary between na;ons.

The main reason that property can be u;lized more effec;vely than shares as an investment, is due to the added benefit of being able to highly gear an investment property.

Gearing or leveraging is where you use a small por;on of your own money along with a large por;on of someone else’s money (in this case a loan from the bank) to secure an investment of a far greater value than you could have using only you own money. If you had $10,000 to invest and invested it directly into shares that were growing at 10%, then in 7.2 years they would be worth around $20,000. On the other hand if you had used that $10,000.00 as 5% deposit on a $200,000.00 property and had borrowed the remaining 95% plus establishment costs. If this also grew at 10% then in 7.2 years your investment would be worth $400,000.00. Meaning that by leveraging your investment you have gained an addi;onal $190,000.00.

Continued on page 48...

FINANCES

sought the LORD, God made him to prosper” and 1 Kings 3:13 “And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honor: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days”.

BOOK REVIEWS

The Principle of the Path

by Andy Stanley

The principle of the path by Andy Stanley is a fun book to read. Andy tells lots of good stories, many of them personal illustra;ons to make some very valid points. He admits that much of what he says is obvious and he is right, however some;mes in the busyness of life, we miss the obvious.

The principle of the path is simply that our des;na;on in life is determined by the path we choose. Our des;na;on in life, whether it is in rela;onships, in finances, in spirituality, will not be determined by our good inten;ons, by the advice we receive, or by our dreams. Ul;mately our des;na;on is determined by the path we choose, that is, by the choices we make.

We oVen disconnect an undesirable outcome with the choices we have made. For example if someone con;nually buys things on credit, then they will always be in debt. Yet some;mes these very people acted surprised to find themselves slipping deeper and deeper into debt. Andy discusses the rea-

How to Reach Your Full Poten;al for God: Never SeEle for Less Than His Best - By Charles F. Stanley Best selling author, Charles F. Stanley, has a knack for iden;fying areas of struggle for his readers. Through this par;cular book, he unleashes the power God intended for each of us, giving us permission to claim a beEer way of life for ourselves.

Stanley first iden;fies the traps that ensnare us, including low self-esteem, the fear of disappointment or failure, laziness, etc. It is important to recognize the chains that hold us back if we are to ever make changes that last forever.

Stanley goes on to reveal the steps God shared with him through a 3:00 a.m. encounter that changed his life. In order to reach their full poten;al, the reader must reconnect with his or her own giVs and God-given desires of the heart. He

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sons why we do this. We make decisions with our heart, based on happiness now. We then use our minds to jus;fy our heart decision. We also deceive ourselves when we think we are the excep;on and will avoid the consequences that other people have experienced.

Andy quotes from many Bible passages, especially the life of King Solomon the wisest man in the Old Testament yet his life did not end well. Andy seeks to teach us how to avoid the same pi_alls.

The principle of the path is a great read. It is full of prac;cal, down to earth, common sense, which actually, isn't so common!

- Susan Barnes likes to write inspira;onal ar;cles, book reviews, and devo;onal comments on Bible passages. More of her wri;ng can be found at: www.susanbarneswriter.com

proclaims that the best is yet to come, an idea that seems foreign to many in this day and age.

I recommend this book for anyone whose dreams were long ago replaced with the expecta;ons of others. If we are ever to accept God's challenges, we must get past ourselves enough to recognize that we are a part of His plan, rather than God being a small part of our own plan for our lives.

- Janet Morris Grimes is a writer from Nashville, TN. She is currently working on her first book, and plans to spend the rest of her life wri;ng about the things that maEer most. View her blog at www.janetmorrisgrimes.com.

In Christian Circles

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

By Unami Magwenzi

Nonprofit organiza;ons making a difference:

In Chris;an circles, I am surrounded by judgment, I stand in fear of reproach, I wish I could be myself, And laugh and cry and not care.

In Chris;an circles, I dare not be myself, I dare not make silly comments, I dare not make a mistake, I dare not be human, Oh how I wish...

That in Chris;an circles, Christ would be there among us, Like in the days of old, Like when he ate with the sinners, Like when he mingled with all sorts, In Chris;an circles, I wish I'd find a friend.

Uncondi;onal love all around, Be seen first as a person, Then maybe as a sinner, Be seen first as valuable, Then maybe as needing Christ, In Chris;an circles.

I will s;ll stay in Chris;an circles, And I will keep on hoping, That maybe aVer a while, That the message will sink in, That Christ died for mankind, That God first loved the world, then he gave.

By Unami Magwenzi, wife and mother living in the Northern Territory, Australia. Copyright 2010.

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•

Acacia Outreach - www.acaciaoutreach.org

•

B.E.I.M. - www.beginningexperience.org

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Harmonium, Inc. - www.harmoniumsd.org

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Great Falls Symphony - www.gfsymphony.org

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Elijah House Inc. - www.elijahhouse.org

•

Food Bank For NYC - www.foodbanknyc.org

•

Girltalkback - www.girltalkback.org

•

Pee Dee Coali.on - www.peedeecoali;on.org

•

The Preschool Project - www.thepreschoolproject.org

•

Lighthouse PATH - www.lighthouseoakland.org

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WOMEN IN MINISTRY Debbie Alsdorf is a cheerleader of hope! With humor and honesty, she holds out Biblical truth to women in a way that changes their daily lives. Debbie is a national speaker and author and has spent the past 8 years encouraging women to put aside old beliefs and embrace the truth of Christ's love, as the intimate loving God Scripture declares He is.

FOUNDER: Design 4 Living Ministries WEBSITE: www.design4living.org

Kasey Van Norman desires for every soul to taste the indescribable adventure of an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Through passionate and humorous personal life stories, Kasey uses her past "pitfalls" into sin to present the gospel, and display herself as a living example of God's miraculous healing and use of the most inadequate and undeserving.

FOUNDER: BEAUTIFUL ADVENTURE ministries WEBSITE: www.kaseyvannorman.com

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LE’ANDRIA JOHNSON

B

efore auditioning for Season 3 of Sunday Best, Orlando native, Le’Andria Johnson had the odds set against her. She had just lost her home and considered giving up, but her 3 children were her motivation to keep moving forward.

After being given a certain number of hours to be out of her home, Le’Andria had nowhere to go. Because she did not have storage available, she lost many of her belongings during her transition. A friend told her about the Sunday Best show and because she wanted better for her kids, she decided it was worth trying out.

began to sing “This Is The Day That The Lord Has Made”, we all quickly learned that the anointing of God was all over her. Through her audition, though seconds long, we heard her struggle as well as her testimony of faith.

Le’Andria made it and out of thousands of hopefuls who auditioned for the title, she was voted the winner and named BET’s Sunday Best.

Immediately after winning she debuted her original song “I Shall Leap Into My Destiny”. Since the end of the show, Le’Andria has been walking in her calling and blessing many along the way.

Through Le’Andria’s life and ministry, we see the love of God. We see that even if we have a little faith (Above: Le’Andria Johnson ; Below: Le’Andria Johnson, God can show Himself through us.

GWM

Kirk Franklin, and Elder Goldwire McClendon)

She showed up for her audition wearing socks and flip-flops (because that is what she found in a bag of her things). Her appearance, to the judges, did not scream “Sunday Best”. However, when she

“My experience with Le'Andria Johnson was really great! I had a chance to be up close with her and help her if she needed it and I really enjoyed the chance to meet her and her family at H.Q. Ministries in Altamonte Springs, Florida. She is a real down to earth person and loving and caring! I had an awesome time.”

De'Vonte and Le’Andria

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- De'Vonte Jordan

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Being Book Smart is Not Enough

BY NEIL JUSTIN Ac;ons speak louder than words.

This statement rings true for anyone. While it is good to have the right words within, the true authority or power behind the words is revealed in what an individual does. As a liEle boy growing up, I was quite the nerd (some may say I s;ll am, but we're not talking about that...). However, being a straight "A" student meant nothing if I didn't know how to correctly apply what I knew to handle life.

OVen ;mes we love to find out what the newest deep revela;on is. Many people enter debates as a means of flexing

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their muscles of exegesis and intellect. While there is an immeasurable amount of excellent sermons and messages that emanate from the pulpit, conference, or even the street corner, it would be quite embarrassing if the life of the individual bringing the message cannot back up the message itself.

Paul said it quite well when he wrote to Timothy to study to show, rather than study to preach. How wonderful it is to know that you can say something and not feel ashamed because your life reflects what you boldly declare! Your life is the loudest speaker, and your most powerful ministry. As people read the pages of your life, they should see and hear Jesus more than just what you say. Rather than prac;cing what we preach, we should prac;ce what we believe, and then preach what we prac;ce.

Lord, help us to live your word because knowing the Book is not enough.

Selah.

NEILJUSTIN.COM

Pray Without Ceasing - by Susan Darling

PHOTO CREDIT: Anna Gutermuth

There are a great many Chris;ans out there that think, just to pray at night just before you go to bed is all that God wants from us. But the truth of the maEer is, He wants our memories all day long. Just in the same manner you think of your lover all day long. He refers us as his brides. He is in love with us. Are we in love with Him? Some ;mes in our lives we feel God is a million miles away and doesn't really care about us anyway. But the truth of the maEer is, are we a million miles away from Him? Are we so full of ourselves that we don't even try to contemplate the wonder, and love of a God like ours, in a child like manner.

When we speak to Him do we just call Him, God. Do we make aEempts to call him my love, my one and only, my all! Most of us don't. We see God so distantly because of self love most of the ;me. We usually just looking at all the bad things and not trying to think of the glorious things, Our Sweet God has done for us. When you are down next ;me, try to praise Him with all the sweetest names, you can think of and thank Him of all the wonderful things He has done for you, and see if that shiVs your moods. Chances are you will feel a lot closer to God and you will feel much more loved by Him too.

Visit our website for Daily Bible Verses. www.GodWorksMagazine.com.

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GET INVOLVED GET INVOLVED GET INVOLVED GET INVOLVED GET INVOLVED Read the stories of volunteers and the ways they have helped others.

Be inspired. Get Involved. You Can Help.

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The program worked. But tens of thousands of Na;ve Americans like Tourney found themselves living in an unfamiliar city without much help.

By her early twen;es, looking to foster her own ;es with fellow Na;ve Americans, Tourney began to seek out the help of the American Indian Center of Chicago (AIC). She came for the pow wows and the community dinners, and used some of the services provided to the Na;ve American community such as the food pantry, household goods giveaways and the referral services to agencies and other useful programs.

Thirty years later, Tourney is back at the AIC – this ;me as a volunteer.

By Carol M. Karimi

I

t was 1953, the year of the hydrogen bomb, and thanks to the Indian Reloca;on Act, millions of Na;ve Americans were beginning yet another migra;on.

For most of them, their final des;na;on would be an unknown place with a foreign language. But this ;me the travelers weren’t headed to a far-off reserva;on – they were headed to America’s biggest ci;es.

Karen Tourney was one of them, and like other Na;ve American youth of the ;me, it would be decades before she would re-establish the communal ;es she lost during the era of failed federal reseElement policy.

Tourney was only five years old when she and her family – members of the Oneida na;on – were lured to Chicago for government job training, educa;on and housing assistance.

In return, however, the families were asked to pay a huge price: to make their residences in the ci;es permanent.

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“When your family helps you when you are in need, you want to help them out when they are in need, too,” she said.

The AIC was founded in 1953, the same year as the Act. Through programs like its Health and Wellness Center, which provides free use of exercise equipment, a Senior Program that addresses the needs of community elders, and a medicinal garden cul;va;ng tradi;onal herbs, the AIC takes a proac;ve stand against the physical and mental health challenges in today’s urban Indian communi;es. Other AIC programs include landscaped trails and a garden seZng open to community members and other residents of uptown Chicago.

According to Sally Wagoner, the organiza;on’s wellness director, a Na;ve center for Na;ve Americans is key the organiza;on’s approach.

“It’s so important for the Na;ve American community to have a place where they can go for help because the needs of Na;ve American people are unique,” she said.

At the AIC, Tourney helps coordinate the monthly flea market and the center’s bingo games. In addi;on, for the last five years she has also helped out with an elders meal program.

If you ask Karen about what she enjoys most about volunteering, her modest and generous nature comes through.

“It gives me a feeling of self worth, and I like being around people,” she said. “I was helped a lot by this community and I want to give to others the help that I have received.”

Like the AIC itself, Tourney infuses her volunteer work with the same proac;ve spirit. “I don’t wait for someone to tell me what to do,” she said. “If I see something that needs to be done, I do it.”

Tourney, says Wagoner, is “our celebrity volunteer.”

You can be a celebrity volunteer, too, when you devote yourself to a cause you care about. Find a new opportunity today at VolunteerMatch. GWM American Indian Center in Chicago The American Indian Center in Chicago promotes the fellowship among Indian people, creates bonds of understanding and communica;on between Indians and non-Indians, and advances the general welfare of American Indians in the Chicago metropolitan community through wellness, educa;on, and arts programs and services.

American Indian Center in Chicago 1630 W. Wilson Avenue Chicago, IL 60640 www.aic-chicago.org

GET INVOLVED

Karen Tourney

GET INVOLVED

teers both inside the organiza;on and to the public.

Pam Farr

She also helps the CEO achieve the organiza;on’s strategic priori;es, ensuring that volunteers are an integral part of the work that goes into achieving each goal. Together with staff, these volunteers support, train and educate millions of people every year.

Serving so many takes extraordinary planning – and even then it's impossible to predict what crises may be on the horizon. Farr saw this up close on September 11, 2001. At the ;me she was the board chair of her local Greenwich, Conn. chapter of the Red Cross.

I

n a world reinforced on all sides by messages about spontaneity, it's not easy to spot the champions of prepara;on. Grab life now before the moment passes by, we're reminded.

Seize the day.

Act now.

That's why when it comes to planning, Pam Farr is a hero. As na;onal chair of volunteers for the American Red Cross, America's premier volunteer organiza;on, Farr is both a key execu;ve leader and a spokesperson for emergency planning It's all part of a singular commitment to success for Farr. From her perspec;ve, whether the focus is on finance or disaster planning, taking ;me today to lay the founda;on for future growth is the only way to ensure success.

Farr started her career as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, and today manages a private equity holding company in addi;on to suppor;ng numerous charitable ac;vi;es.

Farr serves as volunteer partner to President and CEO Gail McGovern, an employee-volunteer execu;ve partnership unique to the American Red Cross. The Na;onal Chair of Volunteers is the organiza;on's advocate for Red Cross volun-

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Even with decades of experience responding to disasters, the Red Cross had never faced what happened that day as air travel and other cri;cal aspects of mobiliza;on were frozen.

In Greenwich, which is just an hour north of the World Trade Center, thousands of families had loved ones working in and around ground zero. As the morning unfolded, distraught rela;ves arrived at the chapter offices for assistance.

"We were in the middle of the disaster," recalled Farr.

Despite the shock, the chapter sprang into ac;on. Within minutes, relief staff arrived to help the families. Within days, the volunteer leadership was working with chapter staff to raise money for a mobile kitchen to feed emergency response teams. And over the next few weeks, Farr and others aEended memorial services for all those who were lost from Greenwich.

The Red Cross eventually formed an unprecedented response campaign that over the next five years grew to support tens of thousands of 9/11 vic;ms and their families.

Farr served as an advisor on the Red Cross's September 11 Recovery Program,

which supported long-term recovery efforts for families who had been affected by 9/11. In 2004 she became the organiza;on's na;onal chair of finance, advising the Washington, D.C.-based organiza;on's financial team on maEers that influence the condi;on and direc;on of the en;re Red Cross.

Like many volunteer leaders at na;onal organiza;ons, Farr, the mother of five, believes her experience at her local chapter was crucially important.

"I understand, having come out of the field, what it's like to be on the ground," she said. "I have the chapter perspec;ve, which is much different than being in Washington. SiZng in finance mee;ngs, I was oVen the only person with field experience."

Since her appointment to na;onal chair last September, Farr has had ;me to think about how best to support the organiza;on's growth through volunteer service. Last year was among the organiza;on's most challenging ever. The Red Cross responded to 71 na;onal disasters, including devasta;ng California wildfires, a record number of tornadoes, and some of the worst Midwestern flooding in memory – all during a recession.

A big part of being able to respond to so many events, says Farr, is making sure the skills and exper;se of Red Cross volunteers are paired with the parts of the organiza;on that can most benefit.

"People value the community service they are able to provide as American Red Cross volunteers," she said. "Ninetyseven percent of Red Cross volunteers plan to con;nue their service and 96 percent would recommend the Red Cross to a friend as a place to volunteer. S;ll, we strive con;nuously to do even beEer in crea;ng excitement among volunteers by providing meaningful opportuni;es to serve."

ON THE WEB: www.redcross.org

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While I'm Down...Just Stand On My Back!

BY OLIVIA D. STITH

I

don't know about you, but at ;mes the effects of doing the right thing, seem to turn you the wrong way. Have you no;ced that certain periods in your life, the more sacrificing, forgiving, and pa;ent you become, the harder life knocks at you? Well of course you do, if you living! It's a trick of the enemy to get you to feel that by taking maEers in your own hands things will work out for your good. Of course you know this is a lie.

You see one day I was laying on my bed going through one of those moments, "Lord am I on hold or what? Do you see what I'm going through? Do you see what I'm doing? LORD WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?!!!" I tell you one-thing folks, I had to stay on my knees and pray against the flesh that wanted to strike out. Strike out against those who were conspiring against me, the kids who wouldn't listen, the loneliness that my heart felt at ;mes, I mean all of it was on my shoulders. It was heavy and I had to fall on my knees. When I say I had to fall on my knees, believe me, I had to fall, crawl, scream and all that fun stuff. You know what I mean right?

Anyhow while I was on my knees doing one of those "Lord do you remember me?" speeches, oh yall know what I mean.

Then my phone rang. I answered it and it was a friend of mine who was going through some rough problems. Now let me tell you something, nothing worse than going through and having someone going through worse than you call. Half of you want to say, "Please I got my own issues," and the other half says, "My God, I thought I had it bad, but Lord someone always has it worse." Well I'm going to be honest, both cross my mind at ;mes, but I usually go with the later and listen. I set aside what I'm doing and try to be a friend to my fellow sisters and brothers. As I was listening and talking to my friend, we ended up upliVing one another.

Hmmmm...My mind started to ponder on what was happening. It was as though the Spirit was giving me one of those life lessons. I realized that while I am down on my knees, I get blessed by liVing the spirits of others up. It’s sort of like they standing on me to be liVed up. Standing to see a light in their blind situa;on. A situa;on where they need my help, whether, it is in a word or deed, it's a sacrificial act that gives them hope. Even if I can't see out of my own adversity, I know God is able to help us both. They may not be able to reach a certain point in their life, unless I liVed them up. But, in order for me to liV them up, I had to stay on my knees and allowed them to climb higher. You see my point? Imagine it for a moment. Now this is what got me. Even though I am on my knees, that person can see things that I may not be able GOD WORKS MAGAZINE

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to see myself. They can also help me by my helping them. If I'm down and may not be in a posi;on to elevate my spirit, why not help someone else.

Many ;mes sacrificing one’s self and comfort for another is the key to one's deliverance and peace.

I realized something; it takes strength to liV a person. It takes stability to stand grounded on your founda;on. You have to be responsible and trustworthy, not to move and cause that person to fall. If they fall, they get hurt and you too. Imagine God trus;ng you to be that beacon of light to someone in the midst of your adversity. He knows you down on your knees, crawling, looking for a way of escape. You know He is the escape, but it seems God is not in your reach. Well He wants to know if you going to grovel on the ground or wait on Him and s;ll help others.

You see the enemy wants us to focus on the fact that we are "down on our luck" as folks like saying. I don't believe in luck.

I believe that when we down its for a reason, whether its humbling, a ;me of rest, or a period that God wants us to sit s;ll and not move. Many ;mes moving in the spirit is not based on what you see happening in your life, but it could be what you are making happen in someone else's. Do you realize that's power right there? It's the power of faith. You may not see a way, but you trus;ng God. You know un;l your ;me comes, you can help another brother or sister bear a burden. Wasn't that one of the main things Jesus taught- our love for our fellow man? Of course it is.

So my friends, when you have those "down moments", make the best of them. Encourage others as they encourage you.

You may see what they can't and vice versa. This not a "me or you" walk. It's about us as one in the body of Christ. We are not alone in our sufferings, as it may seem. God has not forgoEen us or closed his ears to our cry. We are his children and we are des;ned for greatness, being joint heirs as Christ.

At the same ;me we must partake in sufferings, but we can count it as joy when we can say, "Hey I may not get there right now, but I can help you my friend." That makes you a winner regardless, because you have planted a seed in a person's heart. That's what it is all about.

If you don't believe me, trust what Jesus said, "If I be liVed up from this earth, I will draw all men unto me." So when you are down, liV up the name of Jesus, by your works with others. If this doesn't show the love of the resurrected Christ, I don't know what does. hEp://olives;thministries.webs.com

Without Fail!

BY PAULETTE HARPER JOHNSON “And David inquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue a=er this troop? Shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.” I Samuel 30:8

I

remember, like it was yesterday. Waking up realizing that life was not going to be the same. The life I once knew was in the past. Everything that I valued prior to my divorce was removed. The rela;onship that took twenty-three years to cul;vate had been dissolved in a maEer of months. How in the world could this be?

When I grew up and got married, I didn’t factor in the possibility of going through a divorce. I didn’t an;cipate the bumps, bruises and scars that were going to be part of this major transi;on that I now faced. No one told me how painful and devasta;ng it was going to be, nor was I prepared for the journey that my life was soon to be on.

As co-pastor of a growing ministry, we always prayed and believed the Lord for reconcilia;on and healing in the lives of those God entrusted to our care. At this crucial and delicate stage in our ministry and marriage, as the pastors, we were now the ones in need of reconcilia;on and healing.

In spite of trying to reconcile, the inevitable occurred, we were headed for divorce and now I was treading on unfamiliar territory. I didn’t know where to start, or how to begin living my life without the person I willingly gave my heart to.

Ques;on aVer ques;on started bombarding my mind. Where was I going to go? What was I going to do? Who would ever love me again? And how on earth was God going to put the fragmented piece of my life back together?

Dealing with depression, rejec;on and many ;mes contempla;ng suicide, life had turned into a meaningless existence. My desire to die oVen out weighed my desire to live. Was I going to give up on life and abort the purpose and plan God indeed had for me? Or was I going to find the strength to con;nue figh;ng? I decided to fight. I knew in order for me to move forward regardless of my current condi;ons, I needed to fight.

I was determined to take one day at a ;me and go in the direc;on God had for me. The courage to begin again was stronger. The passion to find out the reason and purpose why God had chosen me to experience this turmoil was in the forefront of my mind.

Spiritually broken and overwhelmed by the turn of events, I soon realized this place of brokenness was the exact place God wanted me to be. If my faith was going to help me get through this ordeal, I needed to rely, trust and depend on God like never before. Trus;ng GOD WORKS MAGAZINE

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that somehow, someway, God was going to cause what I had experienced to workout for my good and my life would be a blessing to others, the process of restora;on began.

As I began to walk this journey without a partner, one thing was sure… God was with me.

Accep;ng this path for my life and allowing God to guide my steps, I soon found a place to call home. How would my life be different?

How would my experiences maEer to anyone other than myself?

How could my message of hope and restora;on reach women of every ethnicity and voca;on? On Jan 1, 2007 God answered my ques;ons. I picked up a pen and begin to write and I have not looked back. God was going to use my life as a tes;mony to help, encourage and empower women.

My book “That Was Then, This Is Now, This Broken Vessel Restored” focuses on my trials, triumphs and restora;on. This book is not about bashing my ex nor is it full of gossip but it is about God. How God walked with me doing the storm; how His love brought me to a place of wholeness, and how I found hope, yet amidst the hardest ;mes in my life.

Women from all walks of life, who are confronted with insurmountable odds, challenges and extreme difficul;es could find hope and be empowered to face whatever they are going through. If one life could be changed and benefit from my story, then every tear I shed, every trial I endured, and every test I went through was worth it all.

As long as God con;nues to anoint me to write, I will con;nue wri;ng books that will transform the lives of anyone ready to submit to the PoEer’s wheel.

I’m a true witness that God uses our greatest test and turns them into tes;monies so that others may find the strength and desire to live.

On June 7, of 2010, I was remarried and serving once again in my righ_ul place in the house of God! Yes, once again walking along side the Man of God! It took years of wai;ng, tears and prayers but when God has called you to a par;cular office, there are some things that are certain: Recovery, Restora;on and Fulfillment of His promises!

No maEer what you are facing and what has been taken away, God keeps His word. Just as David faced insurmountable odds of recovery, God made him a promise without fail he would recover all! I encourage you to take God at His word and believe just as David, that you too shall recover all. www.pauleEeharper.com

Words DO Hurt "S;cks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."

That is probably the most common chant on any school playground. And it's a big lie. Words probably hurt more than any physical wound ever could. Because they live on in our hearts. We end up becoming what it is that was said about us. That is why words are so cri;cal to who we believe we are.

As a parent, my words can even be more cri;cal. What I choose to say to my children can make or break their spirit.

It can be especially tough when we are angry, frustrated, or showing a lack of pa;ence on an issue that we have dealt with repeatedly. We are human and we vent yes? We just need to be so careful in how, when, and where we do that ven;ng. Especially when it comes out in our words.

I don't ever want to be the source of a broken spirit in my child. And I'll be honest with you. My own heart breaks at the thoughts and memories I carry with me of the ;mes that I "lost it" and said something that I regreEed. Oh how I wish I could take those moments back and handle them with more grace, love, and mercy! But I can't. I can only vow to try harder now and next ;me, and the next ;me. I can choose to keep trying un;l I get it right.

I want my words to encourage, heal, and love. Some;mes I want my words to make a point, or move to ac;on. But I always want them to help my child move in a posi;ve direc;on.

I realize there will be ;mes when the most important and powerful words I can choose to use will be none at all! I will need to bite my tongue. That is tough. But I want to give my children the space they need to come to me when they need to, when they choose to. I want to let them know that I realize they don't always need my opinion on everything. (As hard as that may be for me to swallow!)

TWEETS FOR GOD thatrygood “God is Love”

Jourdynalexis “Disappointments are just God's way of saying: ‘I've got something beEer’. Be pa;ent, live life, have faith.”

worldprayr “God is the solu;on…”

TheSingleWoman “If u can trust God in the dark, He'll change your midnight into music.”

Cynthiacg95 “People really need to be with GOD at these ;mes.”

I think a mom has the most powerful role in the world. How we choose to use our words in heated moments, in frustrated, or teachable moments is a life-forming thing. Let's not forget that.

Follow Us On TwiEer: twiEer.com/godworksmag - Dionna Sanchez is Founder of EmphasisOnMoms.com and freelance writes.

She also blogs at hCp:// beautyinthestorm.blogspot.com

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Four Things Every Husband Needs to Know About His Wife (con.nued from page 10)

She wants to be an essen;al part of your world. If she is not, her world begins to discourage and close in on her.

Third, she needs you to cherish her and enjoy seZng aside ;me for personal conversa;on. There is a difference between loving her and cherishing her.

Most men love their wives whether they prove it or not. Few men cherish them.

You cherish her when you know her as a person, protect her, and compliment her to others.

Your wife must know she is an essen;al part of your world, and you love her beyond what she does for you. Show her that you love her for her sake and let her know you long to be with her.

She wants to ensure that the quali;es in her you fell in love with are s;ll relevant to you. You need to repeat expressions of your love to her oVen. Men experience much of their selfworth and respect from their profession and women get most of their value confirma;on from their husbands. Even women with successful careers receive much of their personal affirma;on at home.

You can show her how you appreciate her in small ways. You can go a long way to prove you adore her by giving her the same courtesy you give to other women. Take the few extra seconds required to open the car door for her. Open the door for her in public, pull out her chair and wait un;l she sits down before you sit down in a restaurant. You can help her with her coat, and liV heavy objects for her. You tell the world how valuable your wife is to you when you do these things in public. This message does not

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miss your wife's aEen;on. She will shine for weeks.

someone else to talk to, and your marriage will suffer.

We leV a restaurant several years ago, and my husband opened the car door for me. Our seventeen-year old son opened the rear car door for our fourteen-year old daughter. The woman in the booth seated next to where we had been siZng saw this through the window and hit her husband. My daughter and I laughed. I was smart enough; however, to realize how fortunate I was that my husband enjoyed "showing me off in public."

Mike and Tina are so busy during the day that they sit up talking late many nights. This is usually the only ;me they are alone. As a woman, Tina oVen has emo;ons boEled up. Through the years, her wise husband has been a sounding board. Many ;mes, he never says anything. He will usually just say, "Urn-hum, yeah. Right." He draws her out with well -worded ques;ons that help her work through harbored doubts and fears.

Your wife needs in;mate conversa;on.

This is possible only when you share oneness of spirit. She needs to communicate her experiences and thoughts about them, so she can express her confused feelings. She needs to know you are listening and not eager to go away and do something else.

One way to ensure in;mate conversa;on is to have a fixed ;me planned for it. Ul;mately, the most in;mate level of conversa;on occurs when your spouse can trust you with the secrets of her deepest emo;ons.

Many wives have genuine fears they never share with their husbands. There are several reasons for this. Some;mes a woman feels guilty for her feelings and just hopes that they will disappear. She may fear cri;cism and rejec;on from her husband. She oVen just wants to reduce his load. Some;me she knows he probably does not know what to do so there is no point in disturbing him.

You can help your wife overcome these fears by giving her the respect and courtesy of listening to her and encouraging her to talk. Whatever she has to say maEers to her. Be careful not to beliEle her or make what she has to say seem insignificant. If you do, she will find

A woman finds solu;ons on her own as she talks out her thoughts. She gets frustrated when things stay inside. It can be confounding and cause her to have feelings of insecurity and selfworth issues. By geZng them out, she can "see" them and put them into perspec;ve.

Your wife's fourth need is protec;on in areas where she feels inadequate. She needs insight, primarily from you. She wants boundaries expressing your concern for her. If you fail her now, she will feel neglected. She wants you to be aware of her spiritual, mental, emo;onal, and physical strengths and weaknesses. She also wants you to have the wisdom and courage to give loving but firm guidance, so she will not fail by going beyond her limits. She may occasionally ask you for something she does not want just to check you out. She wants you to be sensi;ve to her real needs and the dangers she faces.

If you give her everything she wants, without ques;on, she will be insecure.

You should understand your wife so well that you can be strong or you can be lenient when she needs it. She appreciates and respects loving firmness when you both believe it is appropriate.

The main func;on of the head is to de-

velop, train, and protect the rest of our body, so the whole person can accomplish God's plan. In this point you are to be the head of your wife (Ephesians 5:23). It is your responsibility, as your family's spiritual leader to set the standard in your home.

When you treat their mother with clear expressions of love, your children will follow her and admire you as a man of courage and integrity. By learning to meet your spouse's basic needs, she will respond with acts of kindness and expressions of respect for you that un;l now you only imagined.

- Dr. Sharon Schuetz is an ordained minister and has been in ministry with her husband for over twenty-five years. She has a PhD in clinical Chris an counseling. Visit her online at www.drsharonschuetz.com.

CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP (con.nued from page 23)

Keep in mind here that there are two types of Debt. Good Debt is where you have borrowed funds to secure a capitally apprecia;ng, income producing asset. Bad Debt is where you borrow to buy a capitally deprecia;ng, non-income producing item such as a car, boat or holiday.

A combina;on of using Good Debt to buy property and then allowing Compounding to do its work – seems to be a most effec;ve way of crea;ng wealth. But this is definitely not a “Get rich quick scheme”, on the contrary it is a “Get rich slowly” scheme which works most effec;vely over a 10 to 20 year period. It takes pa;ence and perseverance, but aVer having spoken to dozens of other property investors, many of whom have become mul; millionaires within the space of 10 to 15 years, I am certain that it is worthwhile.

I believe God wants to start shiVing the wealth of this world into the hands of Chris;ans, who can plant it back into his kingdom.

For more informa on on this topic please visit www.the-tencommandments.org. Debra Lohrere is the author of Chris an Prophecy and Investment books www.investmentpropertybooks.com/chris anbooks.html

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God Can Call You Out Poor. Lost. Hopeless. Abandoned.

God no;ces even the people who feel they can be called one of the above.

One day Jesus was passing through Jericho and there was a chief tax-collector by the name of Zacchaeus who wanted to see who He was. (Luke 19: 1-10 NIV) Zacchaeus was a wealthy man yet he was lacking in his physical appearance.

He was very short. Because of this, Zacchaeus was not able to see Jesus through the crowd of people who had gathered to see Him. To increase his chances of being able to see, Zacchaeus ran ahead and climbed a sycamore fig tree.

When Jesus had reached the area where Zacchaeus was, He looked up and called him out of the tree. Amongst many, He was singled out by Jesus. Can you imagine how He must have felt deep inside to be called out by someone so many people wanted to become acquainted with? Zacchaeus’ heart must have been racing when Jesus told him to come down from the tree immediately. Because it was such an honor to even be in His presence, he gladly obeyed and welcomed Jesus.

Jesus had told Zacchaeus that He must stay at his home.

Hearing that made the crowd angry and they began to grumble. Zacchaeus was hated by the group of people and they were confused as to why Jesus wanted to be the guest of a sinner.

Because of who He is, God does not look at the things people look at when He decides to come to us. He does not care if we are poor or rich, or whether we have done wrongs, or if we are hated by others. It does not maEer if people overlook us or if we are constantly passed over.

Out of nowhere and unexpectedly, Jesus called out to Zacchaeus and just like that He can call to you. Oh, what a feeling that will be. Can you imagine that?

- Ayana Elon www.AyanaElon.com

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