Summer 2010 Volume 1
Jewels Magazine The Key to Having Strength
Revealed! Audrey Bogle Patti Cisneros Ana Salas-Larkin (what you always wanted to know)
Jewels Magazine
Inside this issue: Reflections from the Heart
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Meet Pastor Ana Salas-Larkin
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Meet Audrey Bogle
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Meet Patty Cisneros
5
What Jewels is All About
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Prayer Shawl Ministry
6
Golden Rings
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Diamonds in the Rough
7
Searching for Pearls
7
Ladies Fitness Program
8
Links
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Jewel of the Month
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From Pastor Doranda
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Because of you
10 Summer 2010 Volume 1
Jewels Magazine
REFLECTIONS FROM THE HEART by Ana Salas-Larkin
Seek God First. 1st Kings 17:16, “And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which He spake by Elijah”. At some point in life, every body faces some kind of frustration, desperation, or loss of faith. Naturally we look around to find a way out of our problem whatever it might be. Often we feel that whatever resources appear available to us in our moment of crisis represent the limits of our future and at worse the end of our life. These were the thoughts in the mind of the widow of Zarepath. She had so little food she thought that she might be preparing for herself and her son the last meal before their death. Some important reflections to consider here are: 1. We must pay attention first, to the word of God, during any crisis in our life. 2. We must be sensitive and willing to be touched and give what we have to him. 3. We must act and follow God’s command to resolve the situation in his way. 4. We must have to pay first with sacrifices in order to win any victory. 5. This widow did all these steps before she received her recompense. Some times we don’t find the way to victory because we lose our selves in our own pity or self preoccupation. We don’t give priority to his Word and we don’t allow ourselves to be touched by his love and compassion. We don’t act and follow his commands; and we aren’t willing to sacrifice and give all that we have. Keep in mind that God can use any resource as an answer to whatever problem we might be facing and we must be aware and open to recognize God’s path even in the depth of despair. Be willing to give all you are and have to him and He will be your answer. Read this example and see how God works in miraculous ways.
The Old Coin: A recently graduated professional woke up in the morning and put his hand in his pocket to find only $10.00 left. It was all he had- no job, no family and he was too arrogant to ask for charity or shelter. He went out, very
Jewels Magazine depressed, and told himself, “Go by your last meal and wait to die”. He bought his meal and when he was eating it, an old man and two children came up to him and asked for some food. They told him that they didn’t have anything to eat for a week; they were very thin and their faces were pail and reflected their dire state. Though, the professional didn’t have anything else with which to help them, he had compassion and offered them his last meal. The old man and the children prayed before the meal and asked God’s blessings and prosperity upon the professional and then they gave him a very old and dirty coin. He took the coin and said to them, “You need that prayer more than I”. There he was- without a job, without money or food. He decided to go and lay down under a bridge to wait for his death. He was almost at the point of falling asleep when he saw an old newspaper on the ground. He picked it up and suddenly he saw an advertisement offering to buy old coins. He found his way to the shop indicated and handed the coin to the merchant. Suddenly the merchant reacted in disbelief when he saw the old coin was a very rare one and worth $3,000.000……The depressed man couldn’t believe what was happening. After the merchant had arranged payment the man ran excitedly into the street in search of the old man and the children but he could not find them. Nobody seemed to know them. The owner of a bar said, :I don’t know them, but somebody left a note for you”. The young man opened the note and it read: “You gave us all you have and we have recompensed you in the same way”. Signed:
God The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.
Meet Pastor Ana Salas-Larkin I am Pastor Ana Salas-Larkin, a native of Costa Rica. I am married to Paul Larkin, and I have four children: Mario, Gwendolyn, Lian and Emerick. They are a gift and blessing from the Lord in my life. I have lived in this country for many years, working and serving in many different professional settings and walks of life, but my passion has always been for teaching. God used this passion to brought me to God’s Family Bible Church, to start a community program, teaching Spanish and English. This is a church that is open and flexible to use the talents of anybody interested in ministries to enlarge the kingdom of God in our community and the world. The Mission Statement of the church touched my heart. It reads: “To establish a standard of EXCELLENCE and EMPOWER every individual to meet their God given POTENTIAL and PURPOSE in the Kingdom”. Praise the Lord. Today, I am an active member of this blessed church and I am proud to now be the Spanish pastor. I am working as part of a team with Senior Pastor, Abolaji Akinbo, Pastor Doranda, Pastor Donovan and Pastor Paul for the glory of the Kingdom of God.
Jewels Magazine Meet Audrey Bogle Audrey Bogle was born in Kingston, Jamaica and Grew up with both parents. Being the oldest of the girls, I undertake the challenging role as a second mother, caring for the younger siblings at a tender age in life. Growing up, my life was tremendously influenced, by my mother, a godly woman of the Pentecostal faith. At the age of 13, I surrender my life to Christ and was immersed in water baptism. There I attended church regularly, feasting on the word of God. One of the greatest moments in my early years was the day I received a first place award in the annual District Sunday School Bible Competition. In 1987 six years after completing high school I exchanged marriage vows to Donovan Bogle. We migrated to Canada and were blessed with two children QuAnne and Javaire. Nine years after the death of our first child, God continues to bless us with three more children Gabriel, Bethany and Jordan. I have successfully completed studies in the Early Childhood Education Program at Humber College, Canada and also Patient Care Nursing Program and Phlebotomy. I have worked in various private home care settings with people of different traumatic cases and now currently pursuing a career as a registered nurse. Presently, at God’s Family Bible Church, as a mother and Pastor’s wife, I volunteer in Children’s ministry where I impart the word to the children. In the women’s ministry I share in celebrating and uplifting others, to create a difference in people’s lives. I have a loving family and stable home life. My life exemplifies what I believe. This year, the year of deliveries, I will by the grace of God move into the destiny that God has orchestrated for my life.
Meet Patty Cisneros I am Patty Cisneros: daughter, wife, mother, home-school teacher, registered nurse and friend. San Antonio, Texas is my hometown where I married Pastor Paul fourteen years ago., but Florida has been our home for the past eight years and counting! God has truly blessed us with three wonderful boys: Matthew (13), Jonathan (3), and Joshua (5 months). Wow! My life is exciting but crazy with caring for Baby Joshua, home-schooling Matthew and working fulltime as a registered nurse. The Lord has recently added being a Pastor’s wife to the equation and I have taken on that role with open arms too! The one thing people don’t know about me is that I hope to one day take a hot air balloon ride. Until then, the adventure in my life sometimes needs a break, so you will usually find me at Starbucks with some friends or on a fun fieldtrip with the boys! My life is full of blessings, miracles, healing, patience, peace, mercy and grace. The great thing is that God isn’t finished with me yet! Amen!
Jewels Magazine Jewels Ministries We have chosen to name our ladies group ‘Jewels Ministries’, because like jewels, we come in many different colors, shapes and sizes. We are precious and priceless. We are meant to be treasured forever. Jewels Ministries is designed to uplift you, change you, challenge you and celebrate you. We accomplish this through our many programs and activities.
Prayer Shawl Ministry Prayer shawls combine the care and love of knitting and crocheting with the celebration of Christ's ministry to bring comfort and solace to those in need. It can also be used in celebration. Many blessings are knitted or crocheted into every shawl with loving hands. Each shawl begins with a prayer for the recipient. Prayers are said throughout the creation of the shawl and a final prayer is said when the shawl is completed. When the shawl is worn, the recipient may actually feel as though they are being embraced by the Lord. We are proud to be a new ministry in GFBC. We've already given away four shawls. We have a wonderful group of ladies doing beautiful work who are always ready to welcome anyone wishing to join us, even if you are not currently a knitter or crocheter.
If you are interested in joining us please contact Pastor Doranda Akinbo at 386-586-4019,or Nadina Williams at 386-237-7391.
Jewels Magazine Golden Rings “For indeed as soon as I heard the voice of your greeting sound in my ears, the babe in my womb leaped” Luke 1:44 Golden Rings is a telephone word partner program. Each participant will have one Golden Ring partner. The conversation is short yet powerful. For example, Sally and Lucy are GRP. They call each other at least once a week to encourage each other with scriptures, prayer, words of wisdom, etc. Just as gold symbolizes the most durable form of metal, this program will create good, strong healthy relationships and accountability.
Diamond in the Rough “Older women be reverent in behavior….teachers of good things. That they may admonish the young women to love their husbands, love their children, to be discreet, chaste, home makers, good, obedient to their husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed" Titus 2:3-5 Diamond in the Rough is a mentorship program designed to help discover, define and develop one's character and potential. Those who are mature help others to shine. At times, participants will have one on one mentoring; and classes are also offered. Just as a diamond goes through a process to reveal it's true beauty, we must learn to become all God has planned for us.
Searching for Pearls “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking for beautiful pearls, who when he has found one pearl of great price went and sold all he had and bought it” Matt 13:45-46 Searching for Pearls is a group that meets in person each month to talk about a specific book, topic, or portion of the Bible.
Members meet for discussion of the currently assigned book or topic. The meeting place varies; we may meet in homes or at a local restaurant. Just as pearls are hidden in the depths of the ocean, this program will challenge you to search for truths, and do all you can to surface them in your life.
Jewels Magazine Ladies Fitness Club Saturday, 7am Our ladies fitness club is a great way to exercise while enjoying the company of others. We currently meet every Saturday, 7:00 am, on the Lehigh Trail near the new fire station on Belle Terre and Royal Palms. Click on Jewels Magazine for updates because sometimes the workout course may change. We are currently working on our first 5K walk/jog event. Soon we will introduce our healthy eating program with yummy recipes you may indulge in.
Links “I have shown you in every way by laboring like this, that you must support the weak” Acts 20:35 Links is a small support group program. It’s a class that will meet once a week for 6-8 consecutive weeks. Women who are struggling with issues such as low self esteem, abuse, addictions, etc., will have a place where they feel safe to open up. Just as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, we will use the anointed Word of God and a curriculum specifically designed to strengthen the weak and set the captive free.
Jewel of the Month Women are God’s most beautiful creation. We must see ourselves through His eyes. We must mature by His grace and we must esteem each other with His love. Just as jewels represent an individual's birth month, we will select one person each month to personalize a fun filled event for them.
Jewels Magazine
From the Desk of Pastor Doranda As wives, mothers, daughters, friends, and ministers, we are pulled in so many different directions. We must constantly tap into the strength of God. After all, the bible says " The joy of the Lord is our strength" {Nehemiah 8:10}. I like to say it this way " Gods joy gives me strength and it is His joy, His pleasure, His delight to see me strong. My husband, Pastor Bo and I have two wonderful busy boys, Ore and Ayo ages 6 and 3. Their names mean Gift and Joy. Regularly, our boys like to entertain us by dancing and singing. Oh what joy and love just floods our hearts to see our boys having such fun!!. If we in our humanity can be touched so deeply by our children, how much more does Gods heart rejoice to see his children blessed, healed, and living a strong christian life. Philippians 4:13 says " I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. " This is very true, however keep in mind, you can only do things through Christ that He strengthens, enables, and gives you the grace to do. Being busy does not automatically mean that you are being productive. Productivity is the result of doing the right thing, at the right time, the right way.
A women once asked the question " How come I can't get my business to fly? I've tried everything but I keep loosing money. Why isn't God helping me?" Well, perhaps God never asked her to do it. Just because its a good idea does not mean it's a God idea. He is always there to help us. It is crucial that we know what we are suppose to do so that the strength of God can carry us through.
Knowing what to do is easier then you think. John 16:13 says " ...The Spirit of truth has come, He will guide you into all truth...He will show you things to come." God’s desire for us is to be able to recognize His voice. He is constantly leading us through our everyday lives. He wants to help us prioritize and organize our busy schedules. His delight is to see us strong. We can do all God wants us to do. We can be all God created us to be. The key is THROUGH CHRIST !!!!!!!
Jewels Magazine Because of You Because you have been there You understand what we are going through I want to thank you my Lord You love us and I know you gave your life for me. You were dying on that cross Paying for my sins Your Father turned around and left you Hanging there carrying my sins. He did not want to see His only son suffering for me He did not look and maybe he cried But with His Son’s death He took my sins and threw them oh so far. I am free I am free Because he died for me. Evelyn R. Mercado May 3, 2007