Grace Point! March 2015

Volume 1 ~Issue 3 eMagazine of Philippi Prospect Ministries TM

March 2015

~Featuring~ Diane Earley and

her ministry to young women “If You let me do more than sit on a church pew, when I hit my 30’s, I’ll come back.”

Table of Contents 3~Notes from Rebecca 4~About Us 5~Restoration & Renewal 6-7~Parton’s Petals by Keitha Parton 8~Young Christian Mom by Rachel Dills 9~Sons & Maidens 10-13 Handmade in Israel 14-15~Women of Valor: Interview with Diane Earley 16~Spotlight on: Retha Groenewald , Author 17~Spotlight on: Melanie Baker-Nash, Homeschool Mom & Blogger 18-19~In the Potting Shed 20-21~Women in Scripture: Abigail 22-23~My Story...My Walk 24~The Philippi Prospect 25~Ruth’s Recommended Reads & Book Reviews 26~Poetry of Peace & Praise by Jaime Dills 27~Of Words & Wisdom 28~Patchwork Promises 29~The Prayer of Hannah 30~Grace Moments by Roxanne Rogiers 31~StillWorks Imagery eStore Back Cover~StillWorks Imagery 2

Hello to all readers!

First, I want to thank you for clicking on the link that brought you to this magazine.

New this issue:

Notes from

Rebecca

The magazine is expanding!!! There are a lot of new features this month!! New page titles to look for are: Sons & Maidens, In the Potting Shed, Women in Scripture, The Philippi Prospect, The Prayer of…, and Patchwork Promises.

I want to draw your attention to the page titled Young Christian Mom. This is a continuing story of a young woman who suffered abuse at the hands of her child’s father, and her journey out of that environment. Her story begins in the January issue, and will continue until she has told it the way the Lord leads her. It will tell how she lived with domestic violence because of drug abuse, and how God has used it to show Himself to her. She is also my daughter, and some of what she writes I am hearing for the first time, or in greater detail than I previously knew. I especially encourage all the young people to read her story as it unfolds month by month.

Also new this month, in the Spotlight On category, we have two international contributors: author Retha Groenewald, from South Africa; and homeschool mom and teacher, Melanie Baker-Nash,from Australia. Thank you, ladies, for a glimpse into your lives!

The purpose of this magazine is for help, hope and encouragement toward our fellow man. It is about promoting Godly endeavors and Godly results. It is not about judgment, or whether our beliefs are the same or not. The adversary is about division and subtraction; God is about multiplication and addition. We are our brother’s keeper!

Our prayer is that there will be a blessing for each reader among these pages. God bless each and every one! Shalom.

Sincerely, Rebecca Matthews Founder, administrator, and ordained minister at Philippi Prospect Ministries Editor in chief of Grace Point! eMagazine Photographer and curator at StillWorks Imagery

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A lot of people ask us questions like: How did you know what the Lord wanted you to do? Well, the short answer is: He told us. In June of 2010, about two months before we gave up our house and set out on the road, God gave me a dream telling us how we were to go about our ministry.

In my dream, I was standing in our living room and, from the ceiling came a swirling wind that enveloped me. It continued to moved in a circular motion around me, resembling the funnel of a small tornado. I was mesmerized by the movement of air around me, yet on the inside, it was peaceful and still. Then, out of the wind, I heard a voice speak: Your job is to tell those that already know.

In the last 4½ years, we have done exactly as were told. We have been sent to numerous people, all of which claim Christianity, but don’t live it. God has sent us to remind people of their commitment to Him. Some people pledge their lives to God at the time of salvation, or when God has brought them through some great trouble.

Just like the children of Israel in the Old Testament, when things were going good, they forgot their commitment to God, and He had to send a prophet to remind them that they were His people. Our mission, as it turns out, has not been that different.

Since God spoke to me out of the whirlwind, I thought it would be interesting to see what else a *whirlwind was used for. (*In Hebrew, the word is translated as tempest.)

Isaiah 66:15 tells us that God uses a whirlwind ‘to render His anger in fury.’ In Jeremiah 23:19 and 30:23, God uses a whirlwind to show His fury against the wicked. In Amos 1:14, God uses a whirlwind and fire to destroy palaces. In Nahum 1:3, it says that ‘the Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet.’

It would seem that most of the Scripture about whirlwinds is about when God is about to pronounce a judgment upon someone. That has been our experience in our journey thus far.

Everyone that has rejected what God had to offer very soon had many troubles enter their lives. If God ever speaks to anyone from a whirlwind, take heed. If the Scriptures are anything to go by, God means business.

We have many stories, praises, testimonies, life-lessons, and unique happenings to write about each month. We look forward to sharing them with you.

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photo courtesy of laabadon via openclipart

A Journey to

Newsletter Volume 1/Step 3

Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practise to deceive!

But, there is a light shining into our darkness that we can follow, if we surrender our lives to Yeshua/ Jesus.

When we follow our own path, we usually end up entangled in our own way of thinking.

Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

Sir Walter Scott, Marmion, Canto vi. Stanza 17.

Scottish author & novelist (1771 - 1832)

Anytime we go down the path of our own thinking, we are deceiving ourselves.

These actions just lead us further and further from God’s favor and blessings. If we follow God’s instruction, He will reward us according to His riches in glory. If we try to attain our desires ourselves, we will miss all the good things we wanted, that God would have given us if we had followed Him in the first place.

Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.

He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday.

Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.

Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.

Psalms 37:3-8

This is what we look like when we think we are free; we are really bound by the trappings of the enemy, caught up in his web of lies and deceit.

a publication of Ruth Ministries-The Virtuous Woman,TM a woman's restoration ministry/a segment of Philippi Prospect Ministries TM

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petals of wisdom, hope, inspiration, and truth by Keitha

Me, Let Go?

Parton

The phone rang and I waited in breathless anticipation for the words, “Mrs. Parton, your loan has been approved” or “the house you wanted is yours.” Always it seemed that the answer was the same, no matter who the call came from, either we didn’t have enough credit, the house we wanted was out of our price range, or we would need a cosigner.

We had searched for two years and nothing was happening. We had applied for several loans, saved our money for a down payment, and even considered going into an owner finance situation.

But, constantly something popped up at the last minute, and it would all fall to pieces.

During this trying time in our life, our children were small so they really didn’t mind being cramped into two tiny bedrooms at my grandmother’s house. We had sold our mobile home to my in-laws because we were tired of living in the confines of a mobile home park. All we wanted was a piece of dirt and a place to call our own. Was that too much to ask?

As time dragged on I could not - for the life of me - figure out what we were doing wrong. Were we being punished? Other people got to purchase homes, land, get loans without problems…were we cursed?

The proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back came in the form of yet another phone call from another potential owner finance situation. I had gotten my hopes up so high because this time it seemed that the home was finally going to be ours. I had dreamed for weeks about how I was going to decorate, plant flowers, and bake cookies to share with the neighbor’s children. It was going to be my dream come true…so you can imagine the heartbreak I felt when we got the call stating, “I’m so sorry, but we have had a better offer from another buyer and we have chosen to go with them.”

I was devastated!!! I called my mom on the phone and bawled like a baby. She listened quietly while I had an emotional melt down and railed on about how unfair life was. Once I had stopped, she said, “Have you ever thought that God has other plans?”

Well…No…I hadn’t. At that moment I was ashamed for not once, in the two years of searching, had I stopped to pray and ask God what He wanted me to do.

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photo courtesy of Kevin Dooley via Flickr / License

I had it all figured out! I knew that God had a plan for my life and the life of my family, but I had failed to seek Him out to find out what that plan was. I had to do things my way. I had to have control of my life and my destiny. I couldn’t possibly take the time to let go and let God. For the first time in a long time I hid in shame and felt a conviction so strong that I broke down in the corner of my grandmother’s kitchen, right in front of the microwave oven, and poured my heart out to a mighty, loving, and forgiving God. I wish I could tell you exactly what I said, but I just remember telling Him that I was sorry for being so arrogant and thinking that I could be the captain of my own fate. I do specifically remember telling Him with conviction that I would be content living in a ditch somewhere or in a shack if it was in His will and honestly I meant it. I walked away from that powerful prayer session feeling at peace for the first time in several years. I had given it to God and everything was going to be alright. I knew that to the depths of my soul because there is a peace like no other when you surrender to the will of God. Once that happens in a person’s life they know that any plan he or she could ever conceive for themselves is meager in comparison to the blessings He can give when you let Him. Several minutes later the phone rang…I didn’t dread it like before I simply said, “Hello.” On the other end of the line was my mom. She said that her and my dad had been talking for a while about moving out of the trailer that they were leasing from an older gentleman. He was not in good health and they were afraid if he passed away his children would want them to move. They didn’t want to be left at the last minute with no place to go. I was so excited I couldn’t believe my ears. They lived in another county so it would be a big move for us.

As I listened, my mom proceeded to tell me that several miles up the road from their current home was a property for sale that had two homes on it. She asked if we would be interested in purchasing it with them, because they couldn’t afford to buy it on their own…of course we said “yes” and we have now been living here for sixteen years. Now, tell me that wasn’t God!!!!

I have learned so many valuable lessons from that time and experience in my life. The most important being that I am way too stubborn and when I get caught up in my wants, my needs, and what I think I have to have, I am going to fall flat on my face.

I was reminded that I need to stop and talk to God about my life and what He wants, because He showed me that the blessings He has are far greater than anything I can do on my own.

John 15:5 “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

learn more about Keitha at Tuckasegee Country Living and Keitha Parton-Official Mary Kay Consultant

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Young Christian Mom

by Rachel Dills

It says in the Bible that God will never give you more than you can bear, but I don't think I could have been pushed much further without cracking. It was during this time that I really started questioning God and asking myself "Why would He put me and my child through this?" There were times where I would literally cry out to God, begging him for help. But, that help never came.

Every day I would endure physical, mental, and emotional abuse. But he had me believing I deserved it. I truly thought I was a horrible mother and that I was insignificant. My sole purpose in life was to make sure he was taken care of. I would work 8 to 10 hours a day, sometimes six days a week, come home and cook and take care of my one year old, clean the house, go to bed, and then wake up and do it all over again. Before going to bed however, I would get a lecture about how I didn't clean the house the right way, dinner was horrible, and overall I just didn't do enough. Keep in mind that he wasn't working. I was the sole provider for the family.

At the place I was working, I was a favorite of the managers. Since I showed initiative and good ethic, they decided to hire him to stock electronics. Fast forward a couple of months, and he gets caught stealing a few hundred dollars worth of product. I had no idea about this, but since I was living with him I was considered a liability. I was terminated and he was arrested. So here I was, yet again, jobless with bills and a child. A few days later he was released, but somehow everything was my fault. I needed to go out and find another job because now he was a convicted felon. I ended up getting two jobs, but that still wasn't good enough. The fights were getting worse and worse and he was getting more violent. The road ahead of me was looking very dark. I prayed and prayed but nothing was getting better and my prayers weren't getting answered. Why wasn't God there when I needed him the most?

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photo courtesy of Global Panorama via Flickr | License / cropped & added special effects

for and about today’s youth

from Timothy Ministries-The True Son & accompanying blog, The Maiden’s Portion

Body Image When my younger daughter was ten years old, she came home from school one evening and announced that she was not hungry. After pressing her for more details on why she was not hungry right after school, she told me that two of her 'friends' had called her 'fat'. She took the remark to heart and completely altered her eating habits, no matter how much I objected to it. The thing that made me the angriest was that she was not even 'overweight', much less fat! She was short--shorter than most of her peers--but NOT fat.

As school ended for the summer, and those friends drifted away, she returned to her 'normal' self. During the last few weeks of school, when the remark had been thrown out, it had affected not only her eating habits, but her psyche as well. The girl that was always bubbly and smiling had become withdrawn and silent. Thankfully, as the summer passed, she had a growth spurt, and had shot up four inches by the time school started again.

Those two 'friends' had not been so blessed, and now she was taller than the both of them. Her confidence and normal eating pattern had redeveloped over the summer, so I had my bubbly, smiling daughter back, and almost as tall as me to boot! I never got to meet those girls' parents. If I had, they would have heard an earful on how an undeserved scathing comment had affected my daughter, as well as what I went through trying to undo their damage.

We are made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27) and we should not let the insecurities of someone else determine how we think of, or see, ourselves. Our young people are bombarded with the world from every angle. The thing that needs to be developed in them more than anything else is their confidence in who they are, as well as their confidence in who they are in the Lord.

Galatians 3:26

For you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

photo courtesy of Alex Jones at instagram.com/alex_n_j

by Rebecca Matthews/read more at The Maiden's Portion

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See more from this artist at

Porans Watches

Poran is our family name and we found great joy to combine our family life with the passion of design.... Amir, husband and father, started the company with Shuli -his beloved wife, and then Opal the oldest son joined in.

We use silver, gold, gemstones (precious & semi-precious) and a lot of inspiration to create our jewelry. All our products are designed by us and made ​by us.

Our studio and our house located in Klil- a small ecovillage in the Western Galilee, northern Israel. All our jewelry contain part of our soul and our lifestyle. We take great pride in our unique and vast watches collection. photos used by permission

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See more from this artist at

Potter Painter

Meital Hen Weiss is my name.

I live in the countryside on the hills of Jerusalem, in Israel. I love my life simple , and happy close to the nature, inspired by it and from the desert landscape of Judea. I make my living from my pottery and from face painting in special event and festivals. I love to paint on people and on my ceramics pots. And specially‌ I love my life.

Jerusalem, Israel

photos used by permission

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See more from this artist at

Judaica By Sarah

My name is Sarah Tamir and I am a gold and silversmith living in the most beautiful city in the world, Jerusalem Israel I graduated Jerusalem's special and well known Studio of Art and Gold, Silver and Precious Stones Crafting in 1975. My handmade works of art continue a long-standing family tradition. I was born in Iran, into a committed Jewish and Zionist family, one that lived and loved art.

photos used by permission

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see more from this artist at

Around the Island Photography

FINE ART, NATURE AND TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY from around ISRAEL and from around my island – my kitchen island that is – I bring you the majesty that is Israel.

Not the conflicted Israel you see on the news, but the real Israel – the Israel that contains a proud heritage, a beauty that makes your heart beat faster and a spirit that makes you stop and stare in wonder. It means a lot to me to bring you some of this beauty I see every day. To help you incorporate it into your own home, and life, I’m available to discuss custom sizes, printing and framing options. Tel Aviv, Israel

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My interviews with women of God. Diane Earley loves the beach. When she and her husband go on vacation, along with fishing and other beach activities, she loves to walk the shore line, praying and meditating on God’s word. It gives her a sense of peace, with the sound of the waves rolling in, and the warm sand beneath her feet.The scenery and the tranquility sets the tone for her to commune with God in a quiet, intimate environment. In essence, the beach is her prayer closet.

But, since she lives in the mountains, those beach visits are confined to a few days a year. So, Diane brings a little beach back home with her every time she goes. Seashells, a little sand, pictures and large helping of rejuvenation from those walks along the beach.

But, Diane has another love. It’s a love for people, but her heart is especially directed toward young women. In the last several years, God has opened the doors for her to minister to women in various homeless shelter, as well as several jails, and she has seen fruit from her labors.

Her heart is for the hurting~to help undo the damage done to them from others, and from themselves. The Lord has now moved her and her husband into an orphanage as house parents, where she ministers to young girls from all kinds of backgrounds, with all kinds of issues. Here is a little of her story, in her words, that explains how she got here.

PPM: How did your burden for women, and in particular young women, begin?

Did it stem from experiences from your own childhood?

Diane: Yes. It came from not being understood. I know the Lord had my heart from a young age, but from not being fed through the church body, I chose to go to the world. I see now that it was a path that God let me take. And I spent many years there, but I can see where God had His hand on me all the way through it.

By man’s standards, I should have been dead, or in jail.

The people that I hurt should not have been in my life, but God used it to teach me forgiveness by having them forgive me. Through the whole thing, God was teaching me perseverance. It was a lesson in persevering to the end goal.

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It was at a young age that I made a “deal” with God. I had always heard of people making deals with the devil, but I made mine with God. If you let me do more than sit on a church pew, when I hit my 30’s, I’ll come back. God kept me to my word, and brought me back. But, He allowed me to go and do what I thought was fun, yet I always knew that He was there. That’s why I kept pouring in the drugs and the alcohol, to create a separation between Him and me, and through all that, trying to fill the void that was His place in my heart.

I see the same thing in the women in the jails, the homeless shelters, and the girls in the children’s home. Whether it is unhealthy relationships, food, cutting, drugs, or alcohol, they all are trying to fill that void. I look back now, and know that I missed a lot of blessings, and I hurt a lot of people but, I hurt Him most of all.

PPM: How old were you when God had you honor your end of the deal?

Diane: I was 33. And I hear a lot of people say that when they begin their new walk with Christ, that everything from the old was gone. It wasn’t that way with me; it was step, by step, by step. And that process helps me recognize the different traits in the girls at the home. Because I didn’t get what was needed in my little home church as a young woman, I am sensitive to those young women that seem to “have it” but don’t. They still need guidance. And my past definitely helps me to bear what the kids at the children’s home dish out.

I’ve always said that God has a great sense of humor, with me wanting kids. In never having children of my own, and then Him blessing us so much with *Angelice~with me being in my early 50’s~and being house parents in the children’s home, I something that could not happen naturally.

Even when my mother got Alzheimer’s, I never questioned God as to why. As hard as it was to see her like that, He gave me a child in her. He knew that I could not have handled a sudden separation from her; He knows that those kinds of things has to come in little chunks for me.

I see an element of myself in the kids; I know what they thinking, feeling, and doing. I want to spare them from any of the pain that I walked through, and to encourage them to think about the choices that they make, and what the outcome of that will be. And that helps me to understand that it’s tiny, baby steps that they have to make. *Angelice is a bubbly 20 month old that the Earley’s have had from birth, and are in the process of adopting.

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Retha Groenewald Author

God Knows Best “Dear Lord, did I hear wrong? Did I misunderstand when you called me? I thought you called me to be a Bible teacher...but here I am...without a job, without....well, all doors are closed...even to be a Bible teacher...what now...what’s left...”

That is what I was thinking in June 2012. I was desperate. I was confused... so confused. What had kept me together up to that day, was knowing God had called me as a Bible teacher...now that was gone too...

Looking back I realize that if I wasn’t in such a desperate place, I would never have heard God and would never have taken the first step into the fullness He had for me.

When I heard the word “blog” I had no idea what it was. I knew that God was urging me to start a blog. It took me two weeks of online research to figure out what it was and how to launch my first blog. A month later I launched my second one. I was still under the impression I was biding time, waiting for answers, waiting to find out what I was supposed to do with my future.

In November 2012 I came across NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). I’ll never forget that morning. I was sitting in front of my computer wondering why I would participate in writing a novel of 50,000 words when I’m not a writer. I prayed and asked God to guide me. If I was suppose to write a novel, He would show me. I saw the title, The Four Faces, I saw the ending, and my journey as an author began.

The floodgate was open.

I wish I could say it was all glamour and wonderful, but it has been a bumpy ride. Last year was probably the worst year. As a Christian I knew what to do in difficult situations, but when I had to close my blogs, it was as if I was back in 2012...it was too much. I didn’t give up. I didn’t lose hope. I just stopped. Then God protected me against myself. For twelve days I woke up each morning with a word, such as broken, tantrum, tranquility, and a relevant Bible verse. He ministered to me. He restored my dreams. He refreshed my hopes. I wrote Dear Diary Devotional to encourage others.

Keep on dreaming, hoping and believing in God and His plans for you, because He knows best.

Would I change anything? No. This is my journey. This is my walk.

God called me as a Bible teacher, but in a different way as what I initially thought.

He opened the online world with books, websites, and freelance writing for the Christian market. In January 2015, I launched Writing That Breathes Life, my author website, and Bible Study Quest.

To God all the glory.

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background photo courtesy of Ginny via Flickr | License

Melanie Baker-Nash Homeschool Mom & Blogger To home-school or not to home-school – that may be your question! Educating our children is a major part of our parenting lives – all loving parents want the best upbringing for their children.

Depending upon where one lives, education options can be limited or numerous - for some the decision is daunting, given it is so important. I know I’ve heard comments like, “Six hours a day, 5 days a week, is a long time to leave your child with someone else!”

A growing popular choice here in Australia is home-schooling, where parents educate their child/ren. Home-schooling is being conducted by people from different religious beliefs or people with none; some with a dedicated a room of their house; and even some who use no curriculum being open to the lessons each new day brings - the variety amongst families is huge. Even though traditionally education occurred in homes, to modern people today it can seem a bizarre choice when public or private education in ‘schools’ is available. There can be an unfounded idea of homeschooling families being ‘cultish’ or ‘weird’ and/or ‘bizarre’ happily spending so much time together. I’ve found people who’ve never home-schooled can assume a lot, without speaking to me – like I’m a Christian fanatic wanting to wrap my children up like mummies…keeping them blind, deaf and away from the world! They’re often surprised to learn I’m not anti-school and my children have done both traditional and home-schooling.

Ultimately I want to be faithful to The Lord in raising my children (Proverbs 22:6) and I believe God has given me a choice in how I fulfil this. I believe what matters most is that mine and my children’s hearts are first and foremost for Him! Furthermore, although the sole responsibility for my children’s upbringing falls upon me, I am permitted to use the body of Christ as my community of support in this effort…I am NOT the only person who will positively impact my children as I do not have every gift or skill. I must acknowledge some argue the ONLY way for being faithful to Proverbs 22:6 is by Christian home-education; others feel private Christian schools are also acceptable; yet others believe public-education is quite fine.

I will NOT tell you what choice to make – it’s not my role! I will say I believe there are pros and cons to any choice and that as Christians we need to PRAY and ask The Lord to guide us in this important decision for our children. Also I have found I don’t need to lock my family into the decision I make, because it may only be for a season and that our needs or circumstances may change.

If you’re asking, what’s the best choice for educating your child/ren? PRAY, investigate your options, then pray some more, asking for wisdom for accurate discernment…even have others pray for you in this decision and go with what gives you peace above pressure from others. Whatever choice you make, keep focusing on developing your child/ren’s character because I believe The Lord desires a heart dedicated to Him ABOVE academic results…remember your parenting SHOULD glorify God! artwork by Melanie Baker-Nash/see her blogs at Life of an Ordinary Aussie Woman

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In the Potting Shed by

Rebecca Matthews

What seed has God planted in you, that He wants you to nurture in a protected environment, until it is ready to be planted outside?

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photos courtesy of umbrellahead56 via Flickr | License / U.S. Department of Agriculture via Flickr

Scripture is full of analogies of seed, gardens, vineyards, and other agricultural metaphors. Has God given you a seed? An idea? A dream? A vision? A desire of your heart? In the very first stages of growth, when the seed erupts from the ground, it’ is difficult to see what the mature plant will be. This is when it must be protected the most. Frost, heavy rain, or too much sun can wipe out its existence before it has a chance to get established. So, while the root system and the next set of leaves develop, protect the seed you’ve been given with faith and patience, until you see the next stage of growth.

You might find that some of the seed are meant to be short-term goals; they mature in just a few weeks, giving you fruit in the same year you planted it. Other seed might be long-term, taking years to mature and bear fruit. In Scripture, the righteous are described as trees, particularly oaks~ for strength and stamina, and palms~ for uprightness and honesty.

Regardless of what kind of seed you are nurturing, give it the best care possible, because God will use it to carry out a work that He has been preparing you for all along.

You will learn faith and obedience through a squash seed, and you will learn patience and perseverance through an acorn.

And you will learn that you are worthy of your calling, by keeping your face looking to the One who first planted the seed in you.

photos courtesy of Cheryl via Flickr | License / darius_saulenas via Flickr | License / Stig Nygaard via Flickr | License

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Women in Scripture and What We Can Learn From Them

by Rebecca Matthews

Abigail: The Peacemaker

1 Samuel 25 The first thing we see about Abigail is the striking difference between her and her husband, Nabal. (v.33) Even the meanings of their names represent their characters. Abigail: her Father’s joy, Nabal: fool.

How would a virtuous woman conduct herself when married to an irreverent and disrespectful man such as Nabal?

A man who was so utterly selfish and hateful that he responded to those in need without any compassion. (v.3, 14) How many years had she lived with this man who was so blatantly evil to those around him? How many times had she ‘made amends’ for his behavior, taking on the righteous responsibilities herself? How many times had she put herself in jeopardy, seeing that she lived in a time when women were the possessions of their husbands, and risked divorce, or death, if she was found going against his authority?

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Abigail vor David. Süddeutsch, 18. Jh. Öl auf Leinwnad | courtesy of Images from Neumeister Kunstauktionen | public domain

Even though she had no real authority as the wife, the servant came to tell Abigail about her husband’s actions toward David’s men. He knew she would do something to correct the situation. He recognized Nabal as a ‘son of Belial’ —that is, a man who follows another god. (v.14-17) Abigail used the ‘good understanding’ attributed to her (v.3) to put together a bountiful amount of food for David and his men. Unlike her husband, she recognized David as God’s favored, not the man sitting on the throne--Saul. (v.10) She spoke to David prophetically, not only about the current situation, but about the future concerning him and Israel. (v.28-30) She also spoke prophetically concerning her husband, (v.31) knowing that the Lord would punish him in His own time. She asked David to remember her when that had taken place. At this point we can see that David and Abigail were actually of the same character: they were both fighting for the Lord while under the subjection of a higher earthly authority. Neither were afraid to take the risks necessary to do the right thing in the name of the Lord.

David recognized this in her, and blessed her for coming to him. (v.32-35) Upon returning home, she found Nabal too drunk to speak to, having a feast ‘like the feast of a king.’ When she tells him the next morning how close he and the household came to dying by David’s hand, his heart ‘died within him, and became as a stone.’ Ten days later, the Lord ‘smote’ him ‘that he died.’ (v.36-38) What kind of thoughts went through his head in the ten days that he lived? Did he have any regrets? Did he yearn to go back so he could treat people differently?

At that moment, Abigail was no longer trapped in an ungodly marriage to an ungodly man. As a reward for her support and righteous thinking, David married her, (v.39-42) and she saw him become king of Judah, then Israel, as she had prophesied.

So, based on these characters, are you an Abigail? Are you the delight of your heavenly Father? Do you do what’s right as determined by God, even if it flies in the face of tradition, or the current authority? Are you in a place where the Holy Spirit can give you prophecies, and reveal to you things not acknowledged by others? Or are you a Nabal?

Do you deal foolishly and harshly with others, not recognizing God’s chosen?

People who are Abigails will reap blessings, have evil removed, and be rewarded with something that they could never attain on their own. People who are Nabals will wake up to find out how narrowly they escaped with their life, fear will cause their heart to stop beating, and God will remove them from the situation, either spiritually or literally.

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Is Jesus In Your Boat?

As parents, when our children are very small, we keep a constant, watchful eye on them. As they grow, so does our confidence that they can play, or be otherwise engaged, for longer periods of time without our checking on them. We don't watch our kindergartners as we would our newborns, nor our teens as our kindergartners. We learn (most of us, anyway) that we can trust our children to 'behave' when we're not present, and they learn to trust us to be there when they need us. As the years accumulate, our children mature into young adults that are not 'clingy' or 'needy' as toddlers or infants would be. They learn to have a healthy respect for the dependence and independence they have in their lives.

When my children were babies, my older daughter developed her independence early on. Then my younger daughter came along a short time later; she cried constantly. She was four years old before she slept through the night, whereas the older had began sleeping through the night at three weeks.

She would allow no one to hold her but me; not even her father could hold her more than a few minutes before she would start to cry for me. I'll never know what the problem was but, thankfully, by the time she was eighteen months old, she had 'grown out of it.' But in her early weeks and months, there was definitely a level of insecurity that, to me, miraculously worked itself out.

That whole scenario makes me look at the story of Jesus calming the storm a little closer. Most mothers, and people in general, would agree that there is nothing more beautiful, or peaceful, than a sleeping baby. I can't help but have the same feeling toward Jesus asleep in the boat, crossing the rough waters during the storm. For Jesus, the tossing water acted as a rocking cradle, while the wind howled a lullaby. Here is the man that had performed miracle after miracle, had throngs of people approach Him for teaching and healing, and besides all that, He spent a lot of nights alone in prayer with His Father. His body was tired-He needed the rest.

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photo courtesy of kakisky via http://mrg.bz/Tjm9is

But all the disciples could do was worry about the oncoming storm. How many times had they sailed those same waters before? And how long had they been following Jesus when this happened? Surely long enough to know that He would protect them from all harm. But these children didn't want to play unsupervised. Here they were, in their adolescent discipleship, acting like toddlers. The storm would have passed-that's what storms do. The winds that were helping Jesus to sleep would have continued to carry the dark clouds away where they would do no one any harm. He admonished them-where was their faith?-and calmed the storm that would have passed on its own anyway.

Are there times when we 'wake' Jesus to whine and complain about our present condition when, by the very nature of the problem, it will pass? Do we have enough faith in Jesus to know that He will be there for us when we need Him? The lesson Jesus taught them (and should teach us) was that He is ever present, always protecting, even when it looks like He doesn't know what's going on.

So, the question to answer is: Is Jesus in your boat? see more of my blogs at My Story...My Walk photo courtesy of Kathy via Flickr | License

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The Jesus Factory I found a great little book in the library not long ago. "What Every American Should Know About Women's History-200 Events That Shaped Our Destiny" by Christine Lunardini, Ph.D. As I was reading an excerpt from the introduction on the back cover, one sentence caught my eye. "The factory system and American industrialization depended on the labor of women."

I remember history classes from grade school that told us about the female labor force in the factories in the early part this century, particularly during the World Wars. Because the men were at war, the women took over the obvious need; some of them in the very factories that made the weapons of war their males counterparts were using in battle.

Once women realized they could do the same job as the men, with the added pressure with being at war, they wanted to maintain that 'freedom'. With that came the 'us against them' social war that fostered the beginning of the 'women's movement'. Society was accepting of the women stepping into the men's role, until the men returned. The appreciation was short-lived in the male dominated workplaces that women now felt they had a right to be.

When the aforementioned phrase jumped out at me, I immediately thought of Mary in the garden, meeting the resurrected Christ, and being instructed to 'Go tell my brethren...' With this, Jesus puts women into the evangelical position, right along with their male counterparts. When He gives the disciples the "Great Commission" to teach all nations His gospel, this is comparable to the men in our time going to war on foreign soil. Jesus sent the women of His day into the 'workplace', filling the vacancy back on the home front.

So, Jesus, in His infinite wisdom, in essence first used the concept of 'the industrial revolution' to introduce women into His 'workplace'. Today, there are still those that still frown on women in the secular workplace, as well as in the clergy. But, with the calling of Jesus Himself as our witness, we can boldly say, "I work in the Jesus Factory, and I am worthy of this calling."

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photo courtesy of octaviolopez via http://mrg.bz/W9zSxH

by Rebecca Matthews/read more at The

&

Book Reviews

With such whimsical chapter titles as Why’d You Give Me This Rickety Ole Frame in the First Place? and Hey, Wanna See My Grout?, I knew this book would be a good read. The book comes from the aspect of: we’re all human.

We’re going to make mistakes. God is not surprised. The key is to get back up from where we’ve been knocked down, dust ourselves off, and continue on our God-appointed journey.

To help with the serious aspect of getting rid of our elements from the past that want to bog us down, the chapter titles read: Why We ‘re This Way and Overcoming an Unchangeable Past.

With snippets of wit and wisdom, this author takes on a quest to help us rid ourselves of our dust by using God’s broom to clean it up. Concepts to think about are: Our Dusty Approach; Weak Doesn’t Equal Worthless; Failures, But No Dead Ends; Obedience, Not Perfection; and Staying on the Path, just to name a few.

“Unveiled and forgiven, we can start a whole new chapter in our lives. We can walk transformed and full of faith, reaching out to those still afraid to trust. We can help those who feel hopeless to ind hope in a God we know well. We can carry out our purpose with the Spirit of God clearing the way. We’re all cracked, but we’re never beyond His healing.”

I really liked this book!

❤❤❤❤

a publication of Ruth Ministries-The Virtuous Woman,TM a woman's restoration ministry/a segment of Philippi Prospect Ministries TM

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Perfection Perfection has its limits But, Lord, You do not.

You are beyond perfect Lord, You save me.

I have disobeyed Your instruction Yet You comfort me still.

Your words to me are priceless I love them more than gold.

I will continue to obey Your word As I continue to grow old.

I may ask why dear Lord, But never because I question You. Lord, I may not understand But I will never doubt You. I taste my salty tears As they pass over my lips to the pew. ___ 26

by Jaime Dills

Give your troubles to God. He will be up all night anyway.

-Unknown/Anonymous

He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.

Psalm 121:3

photo courtesy of Mike Lewinski via Flickr | License

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Under the cover of God from Psalm 91 3~4

5~7

For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.

You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

9~11

12~13

Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge—

On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.

no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

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You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

a prayer of desperation 29 27

by Roxanne Rogiers THE LORD WILL PROVIDE from Genesis 22:6-14 Abraham had finally received the child the Lord promised him and his wife. Isaac was born to the man and to Sarah, when they were nearly one hundred years old. GRACE happens when God does the miraculous despite seemingly impossible situations.

The Lord would reveal another aspect of His nature to faithful Abraham. He asked the man to kill the child of promise! Has the Lord ever made a promise to you? What would you do if the Lord asked you to forsake, give up, or kill the dream that He gave you? That promotion you labored for.

That marriage you cried over. That ministry you prayed for. That long awaited child you had hoped for. The Lord owes us nothing. We only have what God gives us, by His GRACE (unmerited favor), for a season.

Abraham trusted the Lord beyond normal human reason. So, he went atop the mountain to do as the Lord commanded. But, did he really believe that God would require him to kill his only son? He told his servants, upon leaving them, that he AND Isaac would return to them. Some theologians have stated that Abraham believed that the Lord would raise Isaac from the dead, since He had awakened Sarah’s womb to give live, when she was past her years of childbearing. But, the Bible does not reveal what was going through Abraham’s mind when he took his son up the mountain in obedience to the Lord’s will.

Abraham built the altar. Isaac trusted his father and obediently lay atop it. Abraham raised the knife to slay his child. An angel intervened and told him not to hurt his child. There was a ram in the thicket. God had provided another sacrifice. Abraham did not have to sacrifice his only son, after all. This scenario is analogous to: a diagnosis of cancer that is miraculously reversed and determined to be a mere infection. Or an embryo, in which no heartbeat was detected, that is birthed as a perfectly healthy baby. GRACE happens when the Lord relents from allowing us to go through horrific situations by providing an unexpected and favorable outcome to our dilemma.

God allows these tests to purify the motives of our hearts. Our first and primary allegiance must be to our Lord. There are times when, despite our prayers and pleadings to the Lord, we must surrender that which we cherish most, on the altar of our hearts. There are times when the divorce papers are finalized; when our loved one succumbs to a fatal disease or accident; or when we lose our home after we have lost our job. We are not to despair after suffering such losses. There is a song that says, “I would rather have Jesus than silver or gold. I would rather have Jesus than riches untold. I would rather have Jesus than houses or lands. I would rather be led by His nail scarred hand.” Even when the Lord allows us to suffer loss, He will give us the GRACE to endure that loss. God’s GRACE is sufficient after we have suffered debilitating losses, for His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

Obedience to God does not always result in a "get out of jail free" card! GRACE happens in those moments when we are able to sincerely say by the GRACE of God, "though He slay me, yet will I trust Him!" 30

Roxanne Rogiers is a self-published Christian author, writer, and blogger.

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