Voice of Truth: 2nd Edition, March/April 2021 by Voice of Truth

2nd edition march/april 2021

Our Mission

A unified, global women’s ministry empowering one another to follow Christ and to love in abundance; and cultivating women warriors in their purpose by His promise and power.

Join us!

Join our monthly meetings on the first Monday of each month at 7 pm ET on Facebook Live!

Daily Devotionals

Enjoy our daily devotionals shared by Kimberly on our Facebook page!

Follow Along!

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Speaking

Invite our Global Office Team to speak at your next women’s event or conference! Some of our areas of speaking include Empowerment with Kimberly Hobbs, Teaching with Julie Jenkins, Encouragement with Carrie Christopher, and Living On-Mission for the Great Commission with Lauren Dean. As a team unified in His love, we will intentionally pray about the opportunity to speak at your next event.

Listen to our podcast!

Experience God’s extravagant love and your exquisite purpose through a weekly trio of podcasts that focus on teaching, inspiration, and encouragement. Our prayer is that as your intimacy with God grows, your love for one another will flourish, enabling you to live out a courageous, purpose-driven life, fueled by the Word, led by the Spirit, and propelled forward into your Godgiven destiny through fearless faith! Join us as we gather around this trio of podcasts. From His heart to yours, we are Women World Leaders! www.womenworldleaders.com/learn-with-us/podcasts/

A CALL TO WRITERS You may be chosen to share your story in this year's book by Women World Leaders titled:

VICTORIES

Claiming Freedom In Christ Everyone who has encountered Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior has a VICTORY story. Whatever your story is or wherever you may be writing from in this world - your story is meant to be told to touch someone else's life. Your story could inspire someone to walk in her God-given purpose, to conquer a seemingly insurmountable mountain, or to know Jesus. Your story has the power to change someone's eternity.

What have you overcome in your life? How did Jesus miraculously reach out and touch you or heal you? Have you victoriously conquered death's ferocious grip through the help of Jesus Christ? If you have prayerfully considered writing your amazing story, we want to help you share it with the world. You may be one of the many authors chosen to be included in this year's Women World Leader's collaboration "VICTORIES, Claiming Freedom in Christ." If your heart is beating in excitement, please pray about this opportunity, and then give Jesus your willing heart. Our team will joyfully walk you painlessly through the process of becoming an author for Christ.

"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I answered, 'Here am I. Send me.'" (Isaiah 6:8, NIV) If you are interested, please contact us at info@womenworldleaders.com - include your name, address, email, and phone number with country code; and make a notation that you are interested in writing in this year's book.

CONTEN

Writings from the Global Office - WWL Staff

Journey with Jesus, Nuggets from the Gospel of Mark - Rev. Lisa Morrison

Oaks of Righteousness - Rachel Dube, Prophetic Artist

Sea Him - Christa Jewett

A Purposed Creation - Kerri Bridges

Holy Hush - Deborah Watson

A Golden Revelation - Lillian Cucuzza

Peace by Piece - Stephanie Fincher

Miraculous Manna - Carrie Christopher

God’s Glory - Lynne Hudson, Artist - Featured Cover Art

Broken and Beloved - Aimee Taylor

Dim Glass Gospel Glimpses - Rachel Dube

Dear Sister - Dr. Jia Conway

College Courage - Sarah Jenkins

Tea Time with Tina - Tina Gallo, Actress

Daughter of God - Lynne Hudson, Artist

Messages From Our Hearts - WWL Staff

Dorothy, Power Points: God at work through Women Leaders Yesterday and Today - Leecy Barnett

Three Strands - Cindy Southworth

Musings on the Book of John - Connie Hecker

I am the Light - Lynne Hudson, Artist

A Warrior for God’s Truth and Justice - Sandy Yozipovic

Spread Your Wings - Jessica Morneault, Photographer

Wide Open Wonderment - Rachel Dube

A Beautiful Mess - Jessica Prukner

TS 68

Marveling Modesty - Carrie Christopher

Ever Interceding - Diane Echezebal

Faith and Family - Donna Whartenby

Coffee Chats - Tina Kadolph, Love Missions and Palate Coffee Brewery

Courage in Action - Drs. Jennie Cerullo and Marcia Ball, Kerus Global

Prayers for the Sons - Dr. Jia Conway

Bubbles of Joy - Lynne Hudson, Artist

WWL Connections - Melissa Dyer

Voice of Truth Stories

Voice of Truth Credits Kimberly Hobbs - Co-Founder Carrie Christopher - Co-Founder - Voice of Truth Magazine Julie Jenkins - Chief Editor Lauren Dean - Contributor and Staff Kayla Follin - Graphic Designer This ministry is flourishing by an army of Women World Leaders. Many thanks to: Lisa Morrison - Editor Kerri Bridges - Editor Cindy Southworth, Diane Cheveldayoff, Dr. Jia Conway, Lynne Hudson, Adriana Laine, Arlene Salas, Cakki Warren, Chris Mallek, Rachel Dube - Editor Claire Portmann, Dana Reeves, Diana Brown, Doris Clarke, Janet Stephanie Fincher - Admissions & Contributor Berrong, Jessica Mourneault, Kerri Bridges, Lois Daley, Martine Dana Reeves - Administration & Mailing Henry, Michele Hughes, Rachel Dube, Stephanie Fincher, Tina Jessica Mourneault - Photography Co-Management Gallo, Yvette Behmer Janet Berrong & Doris Clarke - Encouragement Team Arlene Salas - Giving Acknowledgements

Letter from the Founder SWEET WOMAN OF GOD, Today is a day to rejoice, you opened your eyes to a new day. What is it that God has in store for you today? As we approach our filled days with many different ideas and emotions that hit us upon waking up, I encourage you to look for peace. You will find true peace when you look up to the God of creation.

Peace We are living within a world where Peace is something everyone wants, yet few seem to find. What is peace? Peace can be defined as “tranquility, harmony, or security.” Depending on the situation, it could mean “prosperity” or “well-being.” Peace is causally related to the actions and attitudes of individuals; but it is ultimately a gift from God. Many of us will dash into our days, bolting like a racehorse just released out of the gates. Sweet Woman, my encouragement to you is to find another approach to your day and the days ahead. Instead, try walking into your day with purpose. Allow God to direct your course one step at a time. Open your eyes each day with gratitude. A grateful heart protects us from negative thinking. Thankfulness enables us to see abundance all around us. God’s love brings true inner peace. It fills our space, time, and eternity. God commands us to seek peace - we should “make every effort to do what leads to peace.” “So then, make it your top priority to live a life of peace, with harmony in your relationships, eagerly seeking to strengthen and encourage one another.” (Romans 14:19, TPT)

“So then, make it your top priority to live a life of peace with harmony in your relationships, eagerly seeking to strengthen and encourage one another.”

Romans 14:19, TPT

Be on guard for self-pity. When you are weary and not feeling well, this can be the greatest trap you face. Be on guard and keep a safe distance from this pit. We can protect ourselves by fixing our eyes on God. Many of us need a means to do this. Spend time with Him each day by reading His Holy Word. Read uplifting material that contains His scripture and allows you to focus on Him. When sitting quietly, allow peace to settle over you, it is in these incredibly quiet moments that you can listen for the still, small voice of God. “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10, NIV) Feel God’s loving presence. It is a rare treasure to find true inner peace. Scripture reminds us to keep our focus always on Him. “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because He trusts you.” (Isaiah 26:3, NLT) When our focus is on God and His Word, we can experience the true inner peace He intended for our comfort, the peace only He can give. As we press into the days ahead, it is our desire as a ministry to encourage you and help you focus on the peace that only God can provide. Around our world, women are experiencing many different obligations of life. We each have the choice to either trust God’s promises and allow His peace to have rule over us, or to rely on ourselves and reject the peace He offers.

This world will continue to have heartache, interpersonal conflicts, struggles and hardships that consistently wage war against us. Jesus Christ came to establish true, lasting peace, and God will give His peace to those who trust Him. May you find rest today as you focus on the peace that only God can provide. Dig deep inside the vast creation of your being to find the quiet love that only God can give you. God is waiting to blanket His comfort, security, and love over your body, enveloping you as you move throughout your day. May your day be filled with abundant peace, extravagant love, and unending joy from the Savior who waits patiently to provide it for you. {Adapted from Kimberly Hobbs book. FUEL FOR LIFE, Abundant Living Through Daily Coaching}

Exceedingly, Abundantly, Beyond,

Kimberly Hobbs Founder, Women World Leaders kimberly@womenworldleaders.com Ephesians 3:20

Gospel Grace Is your heart restless and grasping for something? Do you know what it might be? Do you ever wonder about your purpose and why you are alive at this time in history? Thoughts like these may have occupied your mind for years or maybe they have only recently surfaced. Either way, we’ve all experienced them at some point along life’s path. Is it possible that such stirrings were tenderly planted in your heart at the moment of your first breath? No matter your background or current station in life, you were created and intentionally designed for things now and those yet to be realized. The thirst for meaning and contentment within the world’s offerings is unquenchable and disappointing – it is never enough.¹ Money, status, romance, success – whatever it may be - cannot fill the void that is only found in a gift…a literal heaven-sent gift that is unearned, yet freely attainable. The gift is not based on rules, religion, or behavior, but on receiving.2 This gift is Jesus. Over 2,000 years ago, He left heaven’s perfection and chose to live in the brokenness of our imperfect world – a world stained by humankind’s choice to “live as I please” – the pathway to sin that introduced the anguish of both physical and spiritual death as a penalty.³ But God made a way of hope and Jesus is The Way!⁴ After 33 years of a sinless life on earth (yes, completely perfect), Jesus willingly offered Himself as payment for your sins and mine. The debt we could never pay was erased on a cross to give us an eternity we do not deserve. His extravagant grace - undeserved favor toward us, not to shame us, but to express His unconditional love with surety of an eternal future.⁵ There is life after death. Jesus, the only One with power to rise from a grave, offers us a new life now and beyond our own grave. Skeptics choose to dismiss or deny this truth…it is for the weak or naïve, they say. But deep down in the stillness, they perhaps wonder and quietly hope. The calling of God is not one of judgment, but of acceptance right where you are today. No need to “clean up” first. Simply believe in His gift and receive Him. It is free and it will transform

your life. New strength will be found, and you’ll wonder why you waited so long. Friend, Jesus is calling – will you answer Him? If so, speak to Him with this simple prayer: Dear Jesus, I know that I have lived an imperfect life and that I am a sinner. I believe that you are the Son of God and I thank you for dying on the cross for all of my sins. I receive your gift today and ask you to come into my life and my heart. Please help me to live a life that pleases you. Thank you for saving me so that I can live forever with you. Amen. If this is your prayer today, welcome to new life as a child of God! To help you on your journey, it will be important to connect with people in a local church who can answer questions you may have about your decision. Please contact us here at Voice of Truth at www.womenworldleaders.com/ contact for a list of churches in your area. Scriptural References (New International Version Bible): ¹Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14 2For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 ³For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 ⁴Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 ⁵For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Stephanie Fincher

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” Ephesians 3:20

Writings from the Global Office EMPOWERING LIVES WITH PURPOSE Best Plan Ever We each have plans and dreams for our lives. We think we know what is best and often think that if God just followed our plan, everything would be perfect. But God’s plans are much bigger and better than ours. By trusting that God is for us and not against us, we can see our future as He sees it. Jeremiah 29:11 explains that God has plans to prosper you and not harm you, to give you hope and a future. Sometimes we might want to hold on to things that God is calling us to let go of, even to leave behind. Why, you ask? If God is asking you to let go of something, you can be assured that He has a greater blessing waiting ahead.

“I can’t get a wink of sleep until you come and comfort me. Now I’m too burdened to even pray! My mind wandered, thinking of days gone by - the years long since passed.” Psalm 77:4-5, TPT Do you catch yourself reminiscing in these changing times of what used to be and how good it was? God’s glory bursts are evident! He has rescued us over and over and His blessings are all around us. Remember, He formed a highway through the seas and His miracles and powers have brought us this far and they will continue to carry us until He calls us home. We should never forget the faithful ways of God, dear ladies. NEVER! CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE...

WRITINGS FROM THE GLOBAL OFFICE

When we follow God through the rough waters, we will break chains of bondage. We will minister to a stubborn and rebellious generation. We will be the light in the darkness. We will minister in love and continue to speak truth because that is who we are in Jesus. promises of God as we do. Even though the path ahead may look fierce, and it may, in fact, get even worse, we have victory in Jesus wherever we are. When I was younger, I dreamed of what a perfect life would look like for me. I pictured my future and imagined that ideal life, but my life today is entirely different than I thought it would be. When you were a child, what did you think your life would look like when you grew up? Maybe God has led you toward that childhood sense of what your future would hold, or maybe He has led you away from it. Whichever way, we can trust God’s Word, and His Word promises a hope and a future that only He can ordain. Throughout the Bible, we see God’s people facing uphill climbs. Abraham’s faith journey, for example, had its highs and lows. He believed God’s promises from a young age, yet throughout his life he struggled to trust those promises as he encountered some difficult times. Maybe you can relate to Abraham when it comes to the growth and plans that you are struggling with. God assures us that we can trust Him and move forward in faith wherever we are! Remember, the glory of His power is strongest when the path is the most difficult. God split the sea wide open for His children at just the right time so they could pass through, and He will do it for you, too.

You can access God’s power by diving into His Word and reading until you cannot read anymore. Prepare yourself for the battle! God will help you discern good from evil so that you don’t fall into any trap, but instead, stand tall in Jesus Christ. Reading God’s Word brings truth to your life, and knowing it in your heart brings true freedom, giving you assurance and confidence as you walk forward by faith into the future.

“For if you embrace the truth, it will release true freedom into your lives.” John 8:32, TPT God has a plan for your life. The plan is about the journey, the process, and the relationship of faith that is built with every shaky step you take. God loves you! He loved you enough to give his only Son – and He has a far greater plan for your life than you could ever dream up. When you let go of this world and hold tightly to the One who vows to never let you go, the plan you are given will never be bad. With strength and humility, invite God to surprise you with a new direction in life. Resolve to align with His will, and you will receive the best plan ever!

Kimberly Hobbs Founder and Executive Director, Women World Leaders kimberly@womenworldleaders.com

Biblical Profiles MIRIAM: POSITIONED FOR A PURPOSE What can be more exciting for a sibling than a new baby coming into the home? I remember the days leading up to my 3rd child’s arrival. My oldest daughter, six at the time, was not exactly thrilled at the thought of a new baby taking more of the attention that she already had to split with her 4-year-old sister! As the day of her brother’s birth drew closer, however, she couldn’t deny the joy that began to well up in her. I have watched the love and tenderness grow between them for the last fifteen years, though some days have been a bit rough; and I see my older daughters both fiercely protecting and guiding their “little brother” – who now towers over both of them! As I read about Miriam, I can’t help but think of this sibling connection, because so much of who Miriam is revolves around her brothers Moses and Aaron. Miriam’s story begins in the 2nd chapter of Exodus. We see her come on the scene as big sister to a newborn Hebrew male baby at a time when all the male babies were to be killed by being thrown into the Nile River. I can picture Miriam hovering close to her newborn brother’s cradle as her parents discussed how to hide the boy, which they successfully did for three months. I can imagine her sweet face as she and her mother prepared the basket carefully as the baby got too big to conceal. They even waterproofed the basket so they could follow the letter of the law – placing the cherished baby boy into the Nile – while still giving him every chance at survival. The family likely knew exactly when Pharaoh’s daughter would be bathing at the river, and I can picture the grief-stricken mother placing the basket among the reeds and running away in torment, while Miriam, the ever-protective big sister, wouldn’t let her little brother out of her sight. When Pharaoh’s daughter found the baby, Miriam had a plan! She took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and approached the princess: “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” (Exodus 2:7, NIV) Miriam’s bravery and obedience in following God’s leading were astounding and blessed her family with the return of baby Moses to their household for a few precious years and an income from the royal family for the care of the infant; and blessed Israel with a leader who would be positioned and prepared to stand against Pharaoh. All that from a sister’s love. Eighty years after that fateful day at the river, Miriam sang, danced, and led the Israelites in celebration after they crossed the Red Sea on dry land, escaping the wrath of the Egyptian army - led by her little brother Moses. (Exodus 15) I imagine CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE...

WRITINGS FROM THE GLOBAL OFFICE

her elation had to do both with the thrill of the rescue of the people and her relief at the protection that God gave her still-adored brother, Moses. Later, we see a bit of sibling rivalry erupt when Miriam questions God’s anointing of Moses’ leadership. I imagine it got difficult to play 2nd, or even 3rd, fiddle to her two powerful brothers. Nevertheless, God took note of her rebellion against His will and, burning with anger, struck her with leprosy. It was Moses who came to Miriam’s rescue, calling on the Lord for mercy. (Numbers 12) The protected becomes the protector. We get one more view of Miriam from God’s own words as written in the book of Micah: “I brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam.” (Micah 6:4, NIV) Miriam was a leader! A leader sent by God – not only to guide Moses as a babe into the arms of Pharaoh’s daughter, but also to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land. Miriam was positioned for a purpose.

God always has a plan, and He always positions His people purposefully to fulfill that plan. When young Miriam felt the excitement of her little brother being born, helped her mother craft the basket that would save his life, and spoke bravely to the princess of the land, her goal was likely to be a good big sister. She didn’t know that she was an integral part in God’s plan to save the Israelites, God’s chosen people, from the bondage of slavery. You, like Miriam, are an integral part of God’s purposes! When you feel like you are playing 2nd fiddle, or being overlooked, know that God sees the leader that He made you to be, because you, like Miriam, are positioned for a purpose.

Julie Jenkins

Teaching and Curriculum Leader julie@womenworldleaders.com

Jesus at the Center of Our Lives WHEN GOD SHOWS YOU THE MEANING OF LOVE Love. God has a lot to say about it—and of course He does, God IS love. “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” 1 John 4:16 NIV Love is one of the most frequently used words in the Bible, yet oftentimes we like to pursue our own idea of love rather than God’s design. I’m reminded of nights before I had a relationship with Christ—nights of laying next to another person, yet never feeling lonelier in my entire life. Only in Jesus Christ was the fullness I’ve always desired found. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 NIV He’s shown me to depend on Him for provision and to trust His hand for protection. He taught me to seek His approval and affection. To love Him first and foremost. “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’” Matthew 22:37 NIV Is Jesus first in our hearts? Do we love God wholeheartedly, or only with the leftover pieces after we’ve given it away to someone or something else? Are we connected to the source of love who enables us to love others? God’s love is perfect—it never fails and it endures forever. And from this love, it sustains the love in all of our other relationships. I know the heartbreak of someone walking away, losing the love they had at first for me. So when I get preoccupied with the things of the Lord more than the Lord Himself, I hear Jesus telling me, “You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” Revelation 2:3-5 NIV I hear Jesus telling His Church, remember the love you had at first. Do you hear Him?

Lauren Dean

Business and Missions Director lauren@womenworldleaders.com 13

WRITINGS FROM THE GLOBAL OFFICE

Encountering God: Passion Prayers, Poems, & Promises MY HEART’S HUMBLE HERO The author of courage The mighty in strength The counsel of care Rests in the power of the Almighty My heart’s humble hero is Jesus And a perfect hero He was, He is, and He remains A humble hero willing to die for you and for me, carrying the weight of our every shame and sin My hero stands resurrected, embodying control over every one of my anxious toils and fears A hero illuminating the pathway to victory in His arms A hero who has gone before me, ahead of me, and after me when I stray He will awaken my day with a song, so valiant and true His feet stand ablaze before me, reckoning the wicked with justice Arrows of prospering in His Word land on my soul with fire Fire that purges sin within and fills me in places without My humbling hero provokes me with His kindness, His steadfast love, and ever flowing mercy Graces all encircling my life with praises to be brought forth in power before Him I am reconciled to Him, chosen with favor and free flowing love Resting in armor made for me to wear in abundance and victory Satisfying hope to fill me and cancel my debt, my wrongdoing It is He who stands as my hero, my haven, my hope, my healer.

Carrie Christopher Ministry Development Leader carrie@womenworldleaders.com

Journey with Jesus NUGGETS FROM THE GOSPEL OF MARK Prepare the Way: (Mark 1:1-8, NIV)

by Rev. Lisa Morrison

Whenever the president of the United States travels anywhere, preparations have to be made months in advance in order to receive him when he arrives. Secret Service agents land up to three months early preparing to clear airspace at the airport, requesting a motorcade route through the city, identifying nearby trauma hospitals, working with local police to identify any threats, and making sure all nearby streets will be cleared of all parked vehicles. It is a major event to have the president of the United States arrive in one’s city.

He is calling them to prepare their hearts. To prepare their minds. To turn from their sinful ways, for only then can they receive the One who comes in the name of the Lord. John lets his fellow Jewish kinsfolk know that they can receive their long-awaited promised Messiah only if their lives are changed.

Two thousand years ago a revolutionary event took place where preparations were made not only months in advance, but thousands of years in advance. Rather than Secret Service agents being sent out early to prepare the area, a messenger had been sent out to make a seismic announcement that would change history forever. The dawning of a new era had arrived. Preparations had to be made. The messenger was an eccentric prophet, the last of the prophets, and the first to speak after four hundred years of God’s silence to His people. He had been born to communicate one message and one message only. He spent his life in the wilderness preparing to make this God-ordained pronouncement. He was born to prepare his listeners, his fellow Jews, to hear and receive the message. In a radical move, he is at the Jordan River, intentionally outside of the Jewish Temple’s religious system, making a revolutionary statement that something cataclysmic is taking place. This eccentric prophet, John, known as the Baptizer, proclaims a message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins because the One they have been waiting for, their Messiah, has arrived. Thousands of people come to see what John is doing at the Jordan. He is calling people to prepare the way for the Lord.

The coming of the Lord Jesus, more than a president’s arrival, requires preparation. The Messiah’s arrival has a lasting impact for all eternity, whereas the president’s arrival may be exciting for the moment, but it does not have any eternal ramifications for our lives. We need to be prepared for our Lord’s coming to us in order to receive Him. Our lives have to be changed. How are you doing with making preparations for His arrival in your life? Have you prepared your heart and mind for His coming? Have you turned from your sinful ways? Have you turned away from adultery, pornography, lying, stealing, jealousy, and coveting your neighbor and her belongings and success? John lived in a time where people had abandoned their God, and we too, live in such a time today. John called people to turn from their abandonment of God and turn to Him. The message is the same today. John is calling down through the ages, “Turn from your abandonment of God and turn to Him so that you might be ready to receive the One that has been sent to you. Prepare your heart to receive the Lord, for He longs to come to you, but He can only come when you have turned away from your life of sin.” Lisa Morrison is an ordained minister who has served as pastor, and staff pastor in several positions in the local church, as well as in district ministerial and educational leadership positions. She also has been an Adjunct Instructor for a number of her denomination’s educational institutions of higher learning teaching in the Religion Department.

Oaks of Righteousness by prophetic artist, Rachel Dube

Isaiah 61:1-3 (NIV) The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

In Luke 4, Jesus said this scripture applied to Himself. He comes, to those who are humbled before God, as a healer to bind their hearts, broken over their sin; as a deliverer to free them from their enchainment to sin and its devastating effects; as a judge and defender to bring to justice and rescue from their enemies; and as a comforter to raise them up out of their mourning and the mess of it and make them beautiful and full of joy. He comes to be all this for His people, because ultimately He came to be a planter - to plant the seed of the gospel in the soil of their hearts, through their

healing, their deliverance and their comfort, and to cultivate and care for that seed under the sunshine of His love and the water of His Word. He came to bring them up until they are no longer hidden seeds, but towering, flourishing oaks of righteousness, “that they may be,” as Matthew Henry commentated, “ornaments to God’s vineyard and may be ‘fruitful in the fruits of righteousness, as the branches of God’s planting.’” (Is. 60:21 KJV) All this our Savior does so that He may be glorified as we display His splendor to the world and even to ourselves.

SEA HIM A PURE HEART by Christa Jewett, Marine Biologist Drifting along the ocean’s surface, I spotted a familiar shape on the seafloor below: a heart urchin skeleton. As I carefully reached down to grab it, God used it to remind me how His Creation offers wonderful illustrations of His tale of love for mankind. Heart urchins are a species of marine animal that can be found hiding in the sediment of shallow, coastal ocean waters. The lesser-known cousins of sea urchins, sea stars, and sand dollars, their name is inspired by their vaguely heart-shaped bodies. Once a heart urchin dies, their skeleton, also known as a test, is left behind and can be a treasured find for beachgoers and marine collectors. In an area where I frequently dive, it is not uncommon to find heart urchin tests nestled in between the rubble of the rocky seafloor.

This time, however, the heart urchin was still in the process of decay. Portions of the animal’s internal organs remained inside its skeleton as a dark, foul slurry that poured from it when I picked it up. For specimens like this, the decaying organic material must be removed to prevent them from producing a nasty smell. To clean it, I shook the skeleton, turning it up and down until the water flowing through it became clear. In doing so, the Holy Spirit used this process to reveal the stark similarities between the cleansing of the heart urchin and the refining process that God uses to purify our hearts. In the Scriptures, God emphasizes to us the importance of maintaining a pure heart. While it is necessary to maintain a right relationship with God (Matthew 5:8), a pure heart is also necessary to live righteously. This is why the Bible exhorts us to guard our hearts. In Proverbs 4:23 we are told: “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” Jesus Christ echoed this sentiment when speaking to the Pharisees. He told them, “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man…” (Matthew 15:1820a, NKJV). If our heart is corrupt, it becomes a source of internal decay, just like the heart urchin. This moral and spiritual decay will spread like cancer to all areas of our lives, revealing itself in our thoughts, our words, and our actions; destroying our relationships with others and, ultimately, disrupting our fellowship with God. It is a foul picture, but one that is vivid and accurate.

“And you shall

remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.” Deuteronomy 8:2

Since consequences of a corrupted heart are so dramatic, God will go to great lengths to remove the putrid and offensive sin that causes the corruption. His process? Trials and difficulties - two things that we often shun and avoid as much as possible. Just as radical surgery is often necessary to remove harmful tumors, God’s spiritual surgery is necessary to remove the cancer of sin from our hearts. In Deuteronomy 8:2, Moses reminded the Israelites that God orchestrated their forty-year trial in the desert to prepare their hearts to enter the Promised Land: “And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.” Similarly, God uses trials as a “shaking” to remove the rotten filth from our spiritual hearts, to purify them, so that we can have a right relationship with Him. Rather than viewing our difficulties as an indication of God’s displeasure or anger towards us, we should see them as a display of His love and His great desire to have an intimate relationship with us. He loves us so much that He cannot bear to have anything stand between Him and His children. As the Apostle Paul writes: “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39, NKJV). How great is God’s love for us!

A Purposed Creation MY REFUGE written by Kerri Bridges

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.” Psalm 46:1, GW There I was, broken by disappointment. Dreams seemingly shattered. Hope deferred. I woke up every morning simply because my husband and our six children needed me to. This was not the place we had expected to be. Due to circumstances outside of our control, we found ourselves moved back to our hometown, defeated, having to leave the place we had come to love. Not just back home, but living in a tiny RV parked outside my parents’ home. We were broke and broken. We slowly eased ourselves back into the routine of hometown life. Back at our small country church, my husband and I took our old place on the worship team, singing and playing alongside two of my sisters and my brother-in-law, who was the worship pastor. A place of comfort, no doubt, but with our spirits crushed by seeming failure, a business venture that had led us to move a thousand miles from home, but at that moment had us right back at square one. Every day seemed like an exercise in faith. What now? How do we restart our lives? Where is our next paycheck going to come from? Are our kids resilient enough to bounce back from this? Ranging in age from 11 to 17, the five we had still at home were all in a pivotal stage in life, the pre-teens and teens. So many uncertainties. But still we forge onward, don’t we? We face the mornings not knowing how we’ll make it to the end of the day, but somehow we do. Even if it’s flat on our faces with tearstained cheeks, we make it to see another sunset. Another sunrise. But it was in this place that I learned a secret. A secret written in His Word. A secret I had heard many times, but now had the opportunity to transcend from head knowledge to heart knowledge. “He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall 20

abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him will I trust.” (Psalm 91:1-2, AKJV) In desperate need of a refuge, I knew I could only find it in the presence of God. Initially, standing on stage every Sunday morning, my faith depleted, my hope in low reserve, I sang and played with the little I had. Every week, my one goal was to worship God with all that I had, no matter how meager the offering. How faithful He was with what little I had to give! I found myself with the resilience and strength to make it through another week. My faith and hope grew a little more each day. Our circumstances did not initially change, but my heart did! My perspective did! I did! And eventually our circumstances did, as well. We spent a year back home. In retrospect, it is a time I cherish. I developed a closer relationship with one of my sisters that I hadn’t had before. She is now one of my closest friends and a confidant. I got a year with my parents that, in hindsight, is priceless. I lost both of them within this last year. But the greatest gift that this experience gave me was understanding how to blindly trust God and worship Him not only because of, but in spite of my circumstances. That the secret place of His presence is my refuge, my fortress, my strength, my solace, my haven, my lifeline. I can say of the LORD, He is my God, and in Him will I trust. ABOUT KERRI I have been married to the love of my life for almost 25 years. We have six incredible children together. I have been a part of the many aspects of worship since childhood. As a pianist, singer, and songwriter, my heart is to draw others to the heart of God through worship, finding a place of refuge in His presence. Women World Leaders is honored to have Kerri lead worship for the monthly online Facebook live teaching, prayer and worship event.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. Psalm 46:1-6 (NIV)

Women World Leaders is pleased to present to you Holy Hush, written by Deborah J. Watson. Deborah is the Executive Director of Studio222films.com and curator of the Branson International Film Festival. A writer, producer and director in the film industry, Deborah uses her talent to reach hurting people with a message of hope. As many of her stories, Holy Hush is written as an allegorical narrative based on scripture and Deborah’s Christian Worldview. Rebekka, the main character that you are about to travel with, is on a journey of making a life decision of living with or without her husband Aaron. As she progresses through this difficult time, Rebekka notices the “little things” that are circling her life and leading her to a decision. In Part I of her story (which can be read in the January edition of Voice of Truth), Rebekka steals away into the wilderness to be alone and search the heart of God. It is in this moment she is reminded of Job 33:4 NKJ “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”

Holy Hush

PART II

written by Deborah Watson The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. “What IS my life without Aaron?” Rebekka wonders as she exhales into the morning breeze. Suddenly, the squawk of a bird forces her eyes open to find a majestic bald eagle flying straight toward her. Rebekka jumps out of its way and realizes her sudden move scares the eagle to land in another tree. The eagle sits still, hoping Rebekka can’t see him, even though they are staring intently at one another. “Hey! That may work for you, but not me buddy! I see you!” Rebekka chirps back at him. The eagle turns its head as if he has no idea what she’s talking about. Rebekka decides to sit low to the ground and keep a watchful eye on her new friend, just to see what he’s up to. The seconds turn to minutes before he leaps from his perch and swoops down on a snake not too far away. Rebekka gasps as she watches the eagle carry the rattlesnake far away from her. Maybe it was a cobra? Could have been an inland taipan. She bursts into laughter at her wild imagination going to the extreme, and glances around to make sure only the squirrels heard her. Rebekka stops her gaze at the depth of the valley below. “This is the pilgrimage you promised me for our fifthyear anniversary! But oh no, you went huntin’ with the boys instead!” Rebekka shouts with anger, as if Aaron can hear her. She shakes her head and rises as she walks back to her tent. “How could he possibly get mad at me for taking this trip?” she ponders. In an instant, she remembers all the little things that made him upset in the past. “I’ll be back before he even realizes I’m gone. Unless that pesky wife of Jimmy Lee opens her big mouth and says somethin’.” Rebekka smirks at the thought of sticking a sock in her ever-running mouth full of gossip and partial truths.

Rebekka slows her pace back to the tent when she sees the animal tracks that she noticed earlier in the morning. This time, there are multiple tracks – all walking a straight line toward her tent. She carefully adjusts her position for a clear view of the front of her temporary housing. Her shoulders slump as she realizes she left the door open as an invitation to a family of racoons. “NO!” she cries out, startling the creatures enough to run off into the woods. Discouraged, Rebekka takes inventory of her supplies. All the granola bars and peanut butter are gone. Thankfully though, her water cantina is undisturbed, and the critters had only begun their journey into her personal hygiene supply. Rebekka sighs, “Well, they left me enough supplies so I can get back to town.” She begins to gather everything together and dismantle her tent, accepting that nature destroyed her hopes for a great adventure. Rebekka mounts her rucksack on her back, and adjusts her shoulders for an even balance before starting the trek back to the village. She reaches into her pocket, removes her earbuds, and begins to place them both in her ears, taking one final look at her campsite to make sure everything is packed. Behind her, near the rock, her journal lays open, exposing her writing. The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. The pages flap in the wind as if calling out to her, but she cannot hear them. Her focus is on making it down the hill before night. Rebekka listens to her favorite podcaster reading words of encouragement from the Bible, “For the Lord will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in it, thanksgiving and the voice of melody.” Rebekka stops for a moment and looks around as if she has forgotten something. 23

“Is your life a melody or a symphony?” the podcaster asks, snapping Rebekka back to the journey before her. Rebekka chuckles. “My life? A symphony? More like scream-o.” Rebekka shakes her head as she continues down the mountain wondering how the podcaster could possibly relate to what she’s going through. How could anybody? To be continued…

JOB 33:4 NKJ

THE SPIRIT OF GOD HAS MADE ME, AND THE BREATH OF THE ALMIGHTY GIVES ME LIFE.

PSALM 63:1 NKJ

O GOD, YOU ARE MY GOD; EARNESTLY I SEEK YOU; MY SOUL THIRSTS FOR YOU; MY FLESH FAINTS FOR YOU, AS IN A DRY AND WEARY LAND WHERE THERE IS NO WATER.

WHAT CAN WE LEARN? We all go through periods when we feel caught in the wilderness. Sometimes, just when we feel like we are catching our bearings, like Rebekka did when she began to journal, we become distracted by things happening around us. First by the majestic eagle, then by the snake. Our gaze can be taken to the depth of the valley nearby, and our minds can become fixated on situations that are rooted in anger, bitterness and judgement. Life has those moments, where all we can perceive is the suffocating dryness of the wilderness of unforgiveness. Yet God continues to call out to us – offering us His word and His peace like a fresh drink of water. The question is, will we enter into His holy hush? He already knows our hearts, our thoughts, our everything, and still waits for us to make the decision. Will we earnestly seek him in that place of rest? Can we embrace his mercy and grace that is new every day and freely given to us? Or do we merely train ourselves to accept the noise around us that we call life?

WWL LOVE NOTES WWL came into my life at a time when I was trying to find my purpose and a way to pay forward the miraculous gift of healing the Lord had given me. I wanted to help others, but did not know if that was my true purpose or what it looked like. I believe God brought me to a leadership role in WWL to strengthen my faith and to give me the opportunity to share my healing and faith journey in order to encourage others who may be battling cancer or another serious illness. The women in WWL are extremely supportive, loving, and encouraging of one another, and I love being in community with them.

-CHRISTINE MALLEK

A GOLDEN REVELATION I silently prayed, “Lord, I would love to see one of these beautiful birds!” Two days later, as I sat in my backyard waiting to capture photos of a Painted Bunting, the clouds behind me continually covered and uncovered the sun, taunting me and my camera settings. I heard a very high-pitched sound of “chee-chee” and wondered where it was coming from. Looking in the direction of the sound, I couldn’t see anything at first. Suddenly, the clouds parted and the bright shining sun gloriously revealed the golden breasts of a flock of 25-30 Cedar Waxwings feeding on seed pods at the top of a Cypress tree behind my house! While shooting the photos, I thanked God and praised Him for such a magnificent sight and answered prayer! God provides everything for all His creation. Matthew 6:26 states, “Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” He not only allowed me to see one Cedar Waxwing, He provided an entire flock! What a good, good Father we serve! Thank you, Father, for your love and provision!

Lillian Cucuzza Photographer www.HisCreationsLLC.com www.HisCreationsLLC.pixels.com 25

PEACE BY PIECE REST IN DAILY STEPS

Perfect Sand by Stephanie Fincher In the quiet of the morning, a tucked away beach destination slowly awakens as the sun’s rays beckon vacationers to greet the new day. A well-worn man carrying a rake begins his daily routine to smooth disheveled sand from the prior day’s activity. He works carefully and methodically, removing pieces that do not “belong” there…small tree branches, pieces of dead sea grass, rocks, and broken shells. His effort makes him sweat, but he continues until the sand is just right with perfect, equidistant lines left from the rake’s sweep. The area now sits serenely undisturbed…. until it isn’t. In a matter of hours and maybe minutes, the once smooth and oddly satisfying surface will be disrupted by footprints of busy birds, eager tourists, or perhaps the later evening journey of a turtle making her way to bury delicate eggs.

its borders. Conversely, sand that is richly rustled reveals liveliness and movement….when you imagine it, you can almost hear the laughter of carefree children at play, seagulls quarreling to defend their territory, and the rhythmic melody of soothing ocean waves. Whether it be the excitement of play amidst the salty breezes or the distinctive cry of nature’s declaration, the area is alive and it is robust. In personal reflection, may we consider a delicate and sometimes obvious parallel, a question all too easy to dismiss? Who or what drives us to protect our own perfect sand to keep it free of disturbance or inconvenience? Perhaps it is a difficult family member, a neighbor with a need, or a “friend” we’d rather avoid. Could it be that we are shielding a habitual way of thinking not open for challenge, a humdrum task deferred until “sometime,” or a muchneeded conversation that sinks to the bottom of a pile of priorities?

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” James 3:17, NIV Whatever the source, each footprint will be made using the perfect sand as a means to get from one place to another. And why not? The sand is purposely there to be useful and it provides safe refuge for the tiniest of God’s creatures. It is life. Perfect sand. It is pleasing and attractive…an idyllic way for our own life to look. The idea of it is calm, inviting, and easy. We envision a picturesque setting within a perceived ideal and fall into imitating the man with the rake. We smooth our sand, protect its borders, and expend great effort to keep it undisturbed and “just-so”. We want it pristine and untouched – by others, by circumstances, perhaps even by God at times. It seems tranquil and good. But while perfect sand may be pleasing for a time, its static appearance can soon become boring and dissatisfying – routinely monotonous due to no change or activity, no essence or energy. It bears no mark of the life beyond 26

All of these things can encroach on and even threaten our smooth and carefully prepared plans. Or, the plans we need to make, but do not. So how do we begin to shift our thinking and welcome those footprints onto our sands of life? Have we considered that the very things we want untouched may be the things God will use to re-energize our faith and deepen (or repair) our relationship with Him and others? Only by His Truth can we really know how to change the way we change. And we do know. Our loving Father has told us in unclouded instruction. Receiving and transferring this clarity into action is the hard part. “To obey is better than sacrifice,” says 1 Samuel 15:22. James 3:17 further teaches that “the wisdom from above [to change] is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.”

All of those character traits as a call to action? Impossible! Unquestionably yes, without the indwelling strength of the Holy Spirit and the continual flow of Jesus’ prayers that intercede for us according to Romans 8:34. He has no weary pause or sigh of exasperation by our weaknesses and joyfully supplies His help for our hard moments. How fitting that the apostle Paul exclaimed in praise, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” (Romans 11:33). Our gracious Lord wisely allows “unsettled sands” to sift and soften uncertain hearts to be more like His and we gain new freedom as we release boundaries that promised peace yet remain unfulfilled! Paul refused to allow the deception of perfect sand in his life, and received power and joy filled with bountiful fruit and life. It was not given to him because he was “Paul”; rather, it was given to him because he surrendered his thoughts and actions to Christ…daily…consistently…over time. Anything of lasting value in our lives that is also eternal for the Kingdom requires time and a willingness to accept God’s invitation to make room for “messy sand” each day. May we settle for nothing less and be reminded of God’s call when we sense a few grains of sand being unexpectedly shifted today. Toss your rake aside and invite the energizing activity of God’s absolute best for you, even when it’s hard. He is with you dear one. And may your spirit and mine find joy and supernatural peace when our perfect sand is no longer perfect and stays that way! Scripture references taken from the New King James Bible

Miraculous Manna Stories of healings, miracles, salvations, deliverances, prophetic dreams and visions; all bringing glory to God. written by Carrie Christopher Take a walk through a suffocating garden of death and a glorious, life-filled garden of life. Bask in a heavenly testimony of a deliverance from temptation, lust, wealth and the war against guilt as our Father in heaven redeems, shapes, and molds His child into His glorious image. This woman was the epitome of the perfect stay-at-home mother; she outdid ‘Susie homemaker.’ She rested cozily in fulfilled dreams, nestled in a log cabin with her picture-perfect family. Her family were good old church-goers, servants at heart, laboring in their home and tirelessly in their church ministries. They were intricate parts of their American church community. She was faithful to teach the Bible in her home, to admonish good works, and tirelessly toil. This beauty had it all, literally everything she could ever want and desire. But it was never enough. There was a shortcoming buried and deeply embedded in her soul, one that she never had to come face to face with - her sin. She wrestled with guilt and imitated perfection, idolizing the perfect Christian family - heart and home. You see, her sin was lying unreconciled in her heart. This sister hadn’t seen the light because guilt lied to her as a professed Christian. She buried her pain under the idol of perfectionism, all ruled by guilt within. She tried to be good enough, wise enough, strong enough, successful enough; the righteous, successful Christian. But inwardly, she knew the truth - it was never enough. Sin wrapped her heart and she had no way to release it to receive the paramount of forgiveness that the gospel promises; instead, guilt promised to silence her. The slithering, sneaky snake entered into this woman’s heart and home through the access bridge of guilt-driven perfectionism. He lured and enticed this ‘good girl’ with venomous lies. He crept into a 20-year marriage and whispered that infidelity, pornography, and sexual lusts were better than God and better than a perfection-driven life. You see, her sin was always hidden lying dormant, covered up by her good works. When the lures and fangs of sexual impurity pounced, she was enticed by her own desire.

“Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (James 1:15 ESV) She believed in Christ, as a professed Christian, but didn’t understand the gravity and propensity of her own sin intertwining with the everlasting love of God despite what was on the inside. Lies pervaded and ripped apart this precious family. Guilt continued to ravage; divorce divided. Our bountiful beauty ran into hiding under fig clothes and ran in desperation, looking for comfort and love everlasting. This time, it was into another man’s arms. They looked and felt safe, the sexual impurities that she had walked through and experienced didn’t seem to have a hold on him. But what did was another beast of its kind, full of power and wealth. Lots of it in fact, sheer opulence. Opulence that very few of us in this world will ever witness face to face: the garments she wore were clothed in riches, basking in jewels of all kinds, a 7-carat engagement ring, multiple cars, meetings with presidents, striking galas, a circle of fame and riches, worldly splendor and delight; anything she ever wanted was hers! Housekeepers, private airplanes, you name it; it was a lifestyle for only the elite, rich, and famous. She was lavished in so much wealth that she began generously giving it away to her family and friends. Her striking blonde hair, pretty-in-pink lipstick, manicured nails, and perfectly beautified attire dazzled outwardly. She glimmered and sparkled, she was perfection wrapped up in a bow, but inwardly she groaned for a love she never knew how to receive, a grace-filled freedom from her sin, and an unceasing, fatherly love. Someone to love her despite her sin, shortcomings, and imperfections. She lived with a painfilled heart, voided by memories of the past marriage and loss of it all. Corruption from her sin was consuming her heart more than she ever imagined.

This woman did not delay! There she was delivered in the garden tomb of Jesus’ miraculous resurrection. She immediately repented; tears of repentance and showers of grace fell upon her life! God’s deliverance intersected what the flesh couldn’t. He exchanged her sin, her wealth, all for a taste of forgiveness, freedom, and mercy-filled love. Coming to life, where Jesus died and rose again, forfeiting His own life for HERS. This woman was now clothed with the fragrance of redeemed beauty intertwined with flowers of forgiveness, life shooting through her heart, pulsating with the breath of the Holy Spirit. He removed her clothes of worksbased righteousness and wealth from her, and instead lavished her with the greatest gift anyone could ever receive - a pure, wholly-devoted love. Jesus had promised her from this time forward that His grace would be enough for her life, birthing life in the most perfect GRACE GARDEN; that perfection here on earth wouldn’t be possible, but if she turned from her sin and trusted in HIM, then He would forgive and cleanse her from all unrighteousness. You see, it was never her good works that saved her, these were the ways she walked in the beginning of her faith in Christ; believing a lie that she had to be good enough. After having fallen into dark sin, shame wrapped her in fear, trapping her in a lifestyle that held her captive. Jesus was there from the very beginning with redemptive, triumphant plans for her life. He had a call on this woman’s life, and He would stop at nothing to retrieve her from legalism and self-righteous Christianity. He allowed her to stumble knee-deep in darkness to show her His impenetrable, unstoppable, forever-availing love available to HER. Guilt no longer needed to operate under her sin, for she could be freely forgiven by the confession and freedom that awaits at the cross of Jesus. Throughout her childhood and teen years, she lived under this false gospel harness of

That is when our God of Jacob intersected her life with freeing grace. The gospel of Jesus, His very presence was coming to aid her in a rescue beyond anything she had ever encountered. She was on a trip with her fiancé, now of 7 years, to Israel where the tomb of Jesus lay in a garden. Quietly, in a gracefilled garden of His love, He whispered these words: “Do you love me? Do you trust me? If you do, then walk away from this lifestyle and repent of it all. Confess your entire past right now. I want your heart back, but I want all of it.”

Christianity, God was so merciful that He allowed worldly-enticements to provoke the hidden sin already in her heart. God’s call on this woman was so grand and powerful that He would use her story as unceasing depictions of the gospel to lead many to Himself with GRACE; ultimately to mark the nations with His great glory. This woman today overflows with POWER and grace all because of this story, this way that God showed her the evidences, truths of His gospel love, and presence - truly teaching her that nothing outweighs the experience of God’s love, true joy, and freedom found in Him alone; not wealth, pleasure, or perfection. The Spirit of the Lord has brought freedom and communion over sin, cleansing her by the blood of the lamb, eternally secured.

“Do you love me? Do you trust me? If you do, then walk away from this lifestyle and repent of it all. Confess your entire past right now. I want your heart back, but I want all of it.” This sister is our very own Women World Leaders founder, Kimberly Hobbs. As many of you read this, you may have heard her story prior to reading this column. As many could agree, the very formation of this ministry has rested on the power of God in and through this GLORY-child. Kimberly’s life is overflowing with continual affections and pure devoted love to Jesus, lavishing this same love onto others. This magazine speaks here and now as you read the tears spilled on these pages, because of her willing obedience to respond to grace in and through Christ speaking to her. The Voice of Truth magazine has come to life through her turning from the sin and no longer hiding from HIS PRESENCE of grace and forgiveness, but rather coming in and under the authority, rule, and reign of Christ’s love in her. Kimberly is not only my friend and my sister, but a mother of faith to many of us. God has used her life, sin, and her pain for His glory. And our beautiful sister willingly turned to serve the Lord with her full heart. I am convinced the LORD used her stumble to save many near and far, to offer them the grace of God she has experienced. She continually gives us all courage to keep pressing into the Lord, giving Him our stories of brokenness to be used for His glory. She is an incredible writer, a founder of this ministry, a speaker, and so much more. She shines like a rare jewel of Christ, administering love and God-given encouragement-fuel to the body of believers. She is a woman of faith who continually presses us to believe and receive the big plans that God has for us all. What would it look and feel like to give up multitudes of riches, to lay down sexual impurity and be fully delivered by the hand of God, believing that HIS love is BETTER, far more fulfilling than any of sin or pleasure on this land and earth? Take it from her story, our beautiful founder, nothing is greater here on earth than experiencing Christ. When you taste and see that the Lord is good, you too will want to turn away from your sin and trust in HIM. You too have an ending that rests in the grace and love of Jesus Christ, the calling in and through your life. You too have been given a purpose that God designed for 30

only you. You too can have a redemption story to share and show the powerful love and working of Christ on your life. Exchange your bondage and sin for HIM and you will be bountifully dressed in a grace garden, just as the Lord brought KIMBERLY through. Your sin, no matter what it is and how much it is, cannot outweigh the grace of God. Instead of running and hiding in fig leaves, would you come out of your garden of sin and enter into a grace garden? As a ministry we are here to wrap our arms around those stuck in the bondage of sin. We believe in the power of DELIVERANCE. Now is the time, do not wait. Email us at info@womenworldleaders.com so we can call, email, and communicate with you, walking with you through your repentance to the ultimate grace and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

Excerpt on Repentance from Tears to Triumph “Genuine repentance pleads with the Lord to forgive and deliver from the burden of sin and the fear of judgment and hell. True repentance is not only changing behavior by stopping what is wrong, but it’s learning to do what’s right. The Bible commands it, our wickedness demands it, justice requires it, Christ preached it, and God expects it. ‘Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin.’ (Ezekiel 18: 30) Repentance involves a change of heart and purpose, which inevitably results in a change of behavior. Repentance is not voluntarily suffering for the punishment of sin, nor is it remorse. It’s also not selfcondemnation.”

life.’ (Luke 3: 8, TPT) Repentance calls for total surrender and total commitment to the will of God. It allows for a whole new relationship with God within an obedient lifestyle. It awakens joyous devotions to serving God with a clean heart that has been forgiven. A repentant heart is one that God can use. Repentance and faith go hand-in-hand. ‘And without faith living within us it would be impossible to please God. For we come to God in faith knowing that he is real and that he rewards the faith of those who passionately seek him.’ (Hebrews 11: 6) I believe you cannot have ‘saving repentance’ unless it’s accompanied by ‘saving faith’ in the Lord Jesus Christ. Your life can be changed, your sins can be forgiven, and you can live a new life. Repentance frees us to live a new life in Jesus Christ. Every day you can live with a joyful gladness in your heart. It means your chains can be broken, and your life can be free to serve God with purpose and pleasure, with nothing separating you and Him. What a desirable way to exist.” — Tears to Triumph, Releasing Pain to Receive God’s Restoration by Kimberly Ann Hobbs

“Repentance involves a change of one’s view – a recognition of sin involving personal guilt, defilement, and helplessness. There is also the emotional part of repentance that consists of a change of feeling, manifesting itself in sorrow for sin committed against a holy God. In addition, repentance involves a change of purpose, an inward turning away from sin, and an attitude to seek pardon and cleansing. Repentance is a response of the total person, which is why it can be described as total surrender. Being sorry for sin is not repentance. Judas felt remorse, but he didn’t repent. (Matthew 27:3, TPT) When Judas, the betrayer, saw that Jesus had been sentenced to death, remorse filled his heart. He returned thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and leaders saying, ‘I have sinned because I have betrayed an innocent man.’ Repentance isn’t just a resolve to do better. It’s not a change of mind; it’s a change of heart. It means turning from sin totally and going in the opposite direction. In the case of Christianity, one turns from sin to the Savior. It’s an inward response, not an external activity. ‘Then turn away from your sins, turn to God, and prove it by a changed 31

GOD’S GLORY As I was painting this I could imagine God saying, My Glory shines through no matter what situation, no matter what journey you are on - throughout your life, I am with you. The path may not be clear, but I have your every step; I’m always there. This path is gold, heaven’s touch. Feel my surrounding arms of protection - the golden rays of my fatherly love pouring into your heart. As you soak in this painting, let the glory of the Lord pour down and fill your being. Just as a rain shower clears the air, feel God’s love raining down to give clarity to the depth of His fatherly love. ”Life giving light streams from the presence of a king and his favor is showered upon those who please him.” Proverbs 16:15, TPT

BACKGROUND OF THE PAINTING Before I begin a prophetic painting, I always feel guided by God to play a certain worship song. Creating with God by my side, the worship music allows each note and nuance of the melody to become embedded into every brushstroke and colour that He chooses. I am taken to another level, a heavenly realm, to see God’s vision of what I am creating with Him. Through this combination, God’s presence is felt in a powerful multi-dimensional way. While creating this painting, I was led to play my daughter Tayla Rede’s song, ‘Coming Glory.’ God’s glory was evident as I weaved this creation with the most amazing artist, our Heavenly Father. I invite you to read musician Tayla Rede’s words below about the song that God used to create this painting, and then treat yourself as you listen to the music and escape into God’s vision. “‘Coming Glory’ was written from a deep place of hunger and longing for the glory of God to come and visit us once again. I believe there is a greater glory that is coming, a glory that will open up the heavens and allow us to see Jesus in ways that we’ve never seen Him before. God is moving on the earth and He is looking for the faithful ones that long to partner with Him to bring His kingdom to earth. My prayer has been, ‘Lord purify my heart so I may see you, sanctify my life for the sake of coming glory, use me!’ May you encounter the Lord and His beautiful glory that is coming as you listen to this song.” ‘Coming Glory’ was recently released by Tayla Rede & Vineyard Anaheim on their latest album ‘Returning’ which you can find on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube under Vineyard Anaheim.

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WE ARE BROKEN... written by Aimee Taylor Since Adam and Eve chose to disobey God way back in the Garden and eat the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil … we have sought to do things in our own way and on our own terms. We want to control our lives. We want ownership. We want to be our own god. We keep thinking that living outside of God’s love and boundary lines is what will bring us contentment and happiness. But it never does. The whole Old Testament illustrates this for us time and time again. Just scratch the surface of the book of Genesis and by chapter 4, the first murder has taken place, and by chapter 6, God is so grieved by humans that he obliterates all but a small remnant! We can read all their unending mistakes thinking that God’s people are fools and distance ourselves from what seems like their complete and utter lack of faithfulness… but the problem is that we are no different than they are. When we decided to cast off our Creator, we thought we were choosing liberty, but that is not what we got. Romans 1:21-23 says that when we chose not to honor God and His ways our minds become ‘darkened and confused’ and that leads us down some very dark paths of idolatry and sin. What we thought was a choice of freedom and autonomy really brought us bondage. Even many of us who claim to know Christ still fall prey to these same chains. Many are having sex outside of the confines of marriage, running our businesses as if God cannot see, and chasing after the next comfort or distraction thinking that our idols are going to give us the rest we are truly seeking. Sprinkle in a platitude and we’ve got the perfect formula to tell ourselves that everything we are doing is 34

BROKEN & BELOVED “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools” Romans 1:21-22 (NIV)

totally acceptable. So what can we do, can we ever be free of our sin habits? Can we ever live filled with joy? Or are we stuck living only to please ourselves and never to please the Lord? Our brokenness is crippling us. Not because being in need is wrong, being broken and in need is just our lot in life after the Fall. But we keep trying to fill in our deep well of need from the wrong sources. Jeremiah 2:13 says that we have given up God as our true source of living water and we have tried to dig our own cisterns in hopes that they will magically be filled with life-giving water from a source that isn’t God. Instead though, our cisterns are cracked and broken, and so they really hold nothing at all. HE IS THE SOURCE of all of life and yet we still refuse to believe Him, make the truth our foundation, and rest in Him. What we need instead is to be totally dependent on Him. Throwing ourselves at the feet of Jesus, recognizing that we can accomplish nothing without Him. It has to be a total surrender to His ways, His timing, and His leadership. Are you willing to do this to gain

Jesus? This total dependence puts us right where we should be, delving into and relying on God’s Word, and knowing to our core His immensely beautiful character. He is good… so GOOD. His goodness is so other and has nothing to do with how circumstances in our lives line up. It has everything to do with His unchanging and otherworldly glory and beauty. So how do I learn to live inside of this truth so that it becomes part of who I am? Look at Proverbs 3:5-8. In The Voice it says, “Place your trust in the Eternal; rely on Him completely; never depend upon your own ideas and inventions. Give Him the credit for everything you accomplish, and He will smooth out and straighten the road that lies ahead. And don’t think you can decide on your own what is right and what is wrong. Respect the Eternal; turn and run from evil. If you depend on Him, your body and mind will be free from the strain of a sinful life, will experience healing and health, and will be strengthened at their core.”

First, let’s start by turning and running away from evil, this is called repentance. We have to stop turning to other sources looking for life. We have to stop thinking that our way is better. We even have to stop thinking that life can be lived to glorify God in our own strength. Because it can’t. Confess out loud that you have tried life on your own and it has not worked, and that you have sinned against God. And ask the One True God, your Creator, to come and be your only Source of Life. Consider doing this with a trusted friend, who can encourage you. And secondly, ask God to implant in you the truth that His way is better (Prov 3:5-8), that He is good (Nahum 1:7), and that He is always for you and never against you (Romans 8:31-34). Pray these scriptures into your heart and mind, asking God to replace the truth for the lie you once believed. As these seeds are planted deep in your soul, ask the Holy Spirit to water them each time you spend time with Him in the Word and as you pray and listen to the Spirit. As doubts roll back up, confess those too, and learn to stand on the rock-solid truth of God’s declared Word. Our need for Jesus has to be at the forefront of our walk with Him. We must have a continual posture of turning our heart, mind, soul, and body back to Him each day asking for the grace and truth we so desperately need to be able to live. Total dependence on our beautiful, loving Creator is actually what we are made for - so return to Him as your only Source. And then guess what? You will actually experience real rest! It’s what your heart is longing for! Because you will finally be held in His arms, just as you were always meant to be. Aimee Taylor is a Spiritual Director, counselor, and pastor’s wife, who wants to know and love Jesus more everyday.

DIM GLASS GOSPEL GLIMPSES

SEEDS written by Rachel Dube When I was younger, after getting married, I missed my family dearly. I longed to be near them again and, as God also began to call my siblings into different places around the world, I felt the gnawing in my heart of the fear that we would never all live near one another again. I felt blessed, humbled and amazed at the things I saw as I witnessed God working in the hearts and lives of my family. He was growing a deep love, passion and action in all of my siblings for the beautiful gospel of Christ. He was giving them the joy of the burden of the great commission and sending them into the world to make disciples. My heart was overwhelmed at how God was using and building up my family to be powerfully effective for Him. But my selfish, short-sighted heart ached at the same time, in loss. I felt a hint of what many mothers must feel as the years carry their children into young adulthood - afraid that my family, all the limbs of my body connected to my heart and mind, would be scattered in all directions across the world, far from me; that all the people I love the most would become strangers; that we were parting too soon. Death had not yet taken us, but a small taste of the grief of death was creeping into my heart as each person found a life so far from my own. I cannot imagine how much more pain and tempting grief my own mother struggled with during that season of life. The children she grew inside her, saw come into the world and raised and poured her very life into, scattered like the people from the Tower of Babel. And there was nothing anyone could seem to do to stop it. It was as if we couldn’t stand in one place against the speed of the rotating earth - like the outer pull of a quickly spinning merry-go-round tugging each person out of the center one by one until they were scattered in all directions on the playground. But God, the God of all comfort, showed me that there is divine purpose in what feels like heartache. In His unwaning wisdom, He revealed to me that our family is the tree that is planted by streams of water, whose leaf does not wither, who yields bright, sweet, healthy fruit; the family who prospers in whatever they do. (Psalm 1:3) My father did not express grief at the movement of his children. I know he saw his children as arrows in his quiver for the battle of the Kingdom. (Psalm 127:3-5 NIV) Mom originally wanted only two children. Daddy wanted only three. But they trusted the Lord to give them the number He wanted. He gave them six. Psalm CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE...

127:3 says that “Children are a heritage from the Lord.” A heritage is something reserved for someone, an inheritance given to someone by reason only of birth. My five siblings and I were reserved for my parents. They inherited six children at birth. God always knew how many arrows He would reward them with and how effective they would be for His kingdom. Daddy said that his children were moving far and wide because they were seeds spread around the world. God is truly a covenant God. He planted a tree when my parents met (well, He planted the tree long before them actually). The roots of the tree grew deep in the rich soil of truth by the flowing streams of God’s law. The trunk grew thick and the branches spread. As a tree grows stronger and healthier, its branches spread further, the roots dig deeper, and more seeds are released. Not just the seeds of children, but of every fruit borne by the gospel. The seeds are not released to fall to the ground around the base of the tree and grow up around it, surrounding the tree in a tiny dense cluster in the middle of a wide open plain, stunting each others’ growth…No, the seeds are meant to be cast into the wind and carried as far as it will take them, to scatter by every method possible so that they are planted where no tree has yet taken root; where they can stand firmly anchored in Christ, spreading their own strong branches wide and sharing with those in need. Sharing the solace and comfort of their cool shade, the home and sustenance to many creatures in the safety of their branches, the steady faithfulness of their solid trunk, the grounded wisdom told in the contours and scars of their bark, the sweet sustenance of their refreshing fruit, their fighting strength and hope through the harsh winters, the testimony to a faithful God of their ever returning buds, the bright beauty and renewal of their blossoms, the vibrant health of their lush leaves, the joy of their dancing branches, the call to praise of their crown ever pointing and reaching toward the sky and the obedience and excitement of their seeds releasing from the tree into every direction spreading trees out across the world.

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” (Isaiah 52:7 NIV) “…And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life…” (Matthew 19:29 ESV) “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” (Isaiah 52:7 NIV) God, do not cease to do your work in us, making us competent ministers of the gospel of Christ. (2 Cor. 3:6 NIV) I know my grief stemmed from the feeling that my family somehow belonged to me, as if they were my hands and feet being taken from me. But Christ, we are your body. (2 Cor. 12:227) In fact, even I am not my own. “You are not your own. You were bought at a price…” (1 Cor. 6:20) “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:37 NIV) My grief was a distrust in my faithful God. It was a clinging to what was “mine.” It was a love of other people more than a love for my heavenly Father. Help us, Father, to “lose” or give up the things and people that are our “ life” in order that we may love, trust and follow you more. Help us to take up our cross and lay down our lives and the things that we feel we have a right to so that we will find abundant life in you and see more clearly the abundant life you have already provided. Thank you for being Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who provides.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV)

Dear Sister,

Just in case you needed a little reminder today, I am stopping by to tell you that you are loved, valued and appreciated. You are stronger than the struggle, wiser than the worry, more competent than the challenges you are facing, braver than the barriers, and more fierce than the fire. The promises of God are for you. The comfort and love of God is your portion. He is your protection, help in times of trouble, and source of renewed strength. In all things you are more than a conqueror through Him who has loved you. You serve an involved God that cares about you daily. Despite the trials and tribulations, every good and perfect gift comes from God. Know that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, not wanting nor lacking in anything. Love,

Dr. Jia

www.jiaconway.com www.atouchfromheavn.com

College Courage

HAPPIEST HEART written by Sarah Jenkins

A couple of years ago I got a text. It was a simple text, from a girl a little younger than me. The text featured her giving the background of her situation briefly, but then abruptly addressing her true subject, and it caught me off guard. “Sarah, I don’t know what makes my heart happy.” As I read those words, I stopped. How could you not know what makes your heart happy? How could you not know what sets your soul on fire? How could you simply not know what you love? And then I realized - you cannot know what makes your heart happy unless you know WHO makes your heart happy, who crafted your heart together in the first place. I never perceived it to be a complex question because I have always answered it with ease. But I have (pretty much) always had Jesus. My acquaintance with the word of God is characteristic of a best-friendship - I spend time with it every day and aim to listen to its teachings so I can apply them to my own life. I have a friend in the book who encourages me to live abundantly and fully in John 10:10 and to go reach all the people of the world in Matthew 28:19. My identity is in the one who tells me that I am fearfully and wonderfully made in Psalm 139:14, and that I was known even before I was in my mother’s womb in Jeremiah 1:5. I live by the word of the Lord because I know of the blessings brought by a life with Him. I know that I will face trials and obstacles, countless problems, and a whole lot of sadness- but I also know the abundant joy that cancels out anything those others will ever cause. So many don’t understand the whole Jesus thing, and all I can say to them is, “Why don’t you try it out?” Imagine this. You are sitting in a hospital room and just got the worst news of your life – you’ve learned that you have

cancer. It is extremely aggressive and could potentially take your life. BUT, there’s this one treatment. It is widely contested but proven effective to many, AND it’s free!!!! Wouldn’t you go for it? The answer is yes. Most everyone on the planet would undergo the treatment knowing that it would give them a chance at life without any cost or repercussions. The same goes for a life with Jesus. We are so worried about what will happen as a result that we are not thinking of the result that it will have in us. As a glass half full kinda gal, I like to think of what could go right rather than what could go wrong. You don’t have to believe in the beauty and splendor of Heaven, but who wouldn’t want to? You don’t have to believe in a supernatural companion in the Holy Spirit who will guide your decisions and walk with you through each day, but who wouldn’t want to? You don’t have to believe in a savior who forgives ALL sins and shortcomings, but who wouldn’t want to?!?

TEA TIME WITH TINA HE HEARD MY VOICE by Tina A. Gallo, co-written with Carrie Christopher The Lord plants dreams in our hearts at a very early age, fearfully the Bible describes Jesus as the Great shepherd and His followers as His sheep. Those that follow Jesus “hear and know” His voice over all the other competing, counterfeit voices that bombard us daily. Many tests have proven that when sheep are in a field and called by anyone other than the shepherd, they ignore and will not respond to the foreign voice. While grazing in the fields, their Shepherd’s voice resounds above all else and prepares them for action; as they stop instinctively and with fervency, they begin to run toward him knowing that their shepherd is going to tend to their needs. God desires His flock to recognize and respond to His voice the same way.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my

sheep know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. (John 10:14-15, NIV)

”

While many were counting down the minutes to the new year and kissing 2020 joyfully goodbye, I was suffering in a hospital bed attacked by a severe kidney infection for seven long, grueling days. Seven days of plaguing pain reared its ugly head in an array of fiery trials. Just days before, my brother Frank, whom I hadn’t seen in a few years, graciously flew in to spend Christmas with my son and me. My heart was yearning to bring in the new year together as a family, with hopes that Covid’s pandemic mayhem was going to be a year in the past. The excitement to spend family time together was now lost, feeling stolen. You see, this past year felt like a year of ransacking for me; the enemy literally attempted to steal everything - my business, my career, my car, relationships, and my life. Yet God had protected and cared for me through it all, even when the tornado swept through my Nashville, TN home. Entering into the year 2021, I was lying on a cold hospital bed in a dark, lonely room with cemented walls, an IV in my arm, and no visitors allowed. The only ball that was dropping was my hope; my heart was troubled, despair lingered, a flood of negative voices infiltrated my mind with the trauma that the past year had presented me, all compounded by my current affliction. The lie of defeat gnawed my soul, promising that things would never change no matter how hard I pressed on through. These deceiving voices were trying to convince me that the storms and mountains to climb would last forever, attempting to wear me down. The variety of medications running through my veins to help with the physical pain weakened me, clouded my emotions and thoughts, and aided to push me into further depressing feelings of hopelessness. I could feel myself slipping into a realm of despair and hopeless impossibilities as I fell in and out of sleep. Mustering up some God-given strength, I began crying out to God. As the warm sunshine peeked in through the hospital window, His holy light began to strike my heart. My Shepherd was calling me, awakening me to a new day with new mercies. Revelations of God encircled me, spoke to me, and called me from despair to hope. His Holy Spirit’s voice was building my faith back up as I was reminded that every crisis that was meant to harm me, God intended to use for good. What could easily be seen as impossible mountains to climb tornadoes, robbery, hospitals, Covid’s destruction of financial instability - were actually entry points for God to show off His miraculous hand of intervention.

“The only ball that was dropping

was my hope; my heart was troubled, despair lingered, a flood of negative voices infiltrated my mind with the trauma that the past year had presented me, all compounded by my current affliction. The lie of defeat gnawed my soul, promising that things would never change no matter how hard I pressed on through.

”

I knew this familiar voice and the words spoken to me were right from His book, the Bible. These words brought life to my soul as they spoke the truth of God’s promises into my spirit. God declares in His word: I will never leave you nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5 NIV) Peace had returned, His voice was restored deep in my mind, and His Word planted in my heart produced hope that He would redeem this situation, too. Finally home and recuperated from the hospital, I could barely wait to go to the barn to see my horse, Journey Boy. It had been 2 weeks since we spent any time together and I was missing him terribly. I bundled up on this cold, brisk, windy afternoon and headed to the farm. As I excitedly walked up to the pasture, I could see out in the distance the horses grazing and eating their hay. I called out to Journey and, without hesitation, he stopped eating, perked up his ears, looked over to me, and headed my direction. He recognized me, knew my call, and obeyed my voice. My heart was elated that this powerful, majestic 1200 lb. horse missed our time together as much as I did. He was so playful and genuinely happy to see me. Journey’s trust and faith in me allowed him to come when I called, no matter the length of time since we had seen each other last. He knew and believed I was his faithful leader and caretaker, because of our consistent quality time together. While grooming Journey, I sensed the Lord showing the duality between my hospital memories and His presence as our Good Shepherd. The Lord began to show me how much He desires to fellowship with His children, and how much He loves us and enjoys being with us. I thought about how sad it is if we only come to God in our time of need to make requests. How can we truly know Him, what He’s saying, or when He is speaking to us if we don’t have intimacy with Him in the same way we need in order to have any type of a personal healthy relationship? The first step to hearing God’s voice is knowing Him. The more we know God, the clearer we can hear Him. Reading our Bibles bears revelation about the character of God and what the scriptures teach us about trusting the Holy Spirit to bring clarity and discernment to the enlivening, written words that connect to and illuminate our spirits. When we honor God and humble ourselves in prayer, we are free to ask Him to reveal Himself to us as we prepare our hearts and minds to hear from Him.

“Then He opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures.” (Luke 24:45, NIV) Just like hearing the voice of our natural father, hearing the voice of God should be the most natural thing for us believers. The Shepherd’s voice is calling; He is calling out to those who are lost to follow His voice home. He is calling out to those who are distant, bellowing a hearty invitation of love to be close to you. He is calling out to those who have been waiting for His rescue, reassuring you He is coming. Just like He spoke to me in the midst of despair and paralysis, He desires to speak to you. And despite the days that I had missed seeing my horse Journey Boy, he came when I called. It’s the same when we grow to know God’s perfect love - we will gallop into His presence with pure abandonment.

Tina Gallo has been in the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She is an award-winning professional actress who commands attention and brings life and vitality into each of her roles. She is a method-trained actress who studied with the best – Lee Strasberg, Uta Hagen, Stella Adler, Sanford Meisner and Jack Waltzer. Tina has extensive TV, Film, Commercial and Theater credits. She is best known for her past role as DiDi on the soap opera “General Hospital.” After years of taking a step away from the industry to raise her children, the Lord stirred her heart by calling her to return to the spotlight. Tina’s relaunched career includes a zealous appreciation for the Lord to move in power in the acting world, and film industry and is expectant for how He will move. Tina’s passion has become a God-given purpose; she desires to orchestrate Christ-saturated media and beyond. In between the blessing of acting, Tina teaches acting classes in person and online and is the founder of ‘The Nashville Studio of Method Acting’ in Nashville, TN. You can register for online acting classes with Tina! Accepting all experience levels, including adults, teenagers and children. Register at: https://tinagallo30.wixsite.com/acting She also coaches on film sets and travels to other acting schools throughout the southeast region to speak and coach acting workshops, online or in person. Contact Tina if you’re interested in inviting her to lead your next workshop, combining acting and Christian passion and purpose.

DAUGHTER OF GOD Daughter of God. Your gifts. It wasn’t until I fully embraced who I am in God’s eyes that my true calling was realized. I am His precious daughter. I had been a professional artist all my life but never felt my calling in the arts until I had a revelation of how God sees me. My talent became my gift; finally, I was enabled to use the gifts that God has given me to help others. I never realized this until I gave my life to Christ and later was miraculously healed through prophetic art. How incredible that our loving Father chose us before time, planned our paths, and then specifically crafted gifts for each of us. (Psalm 139) When I was healed through a prophetic painting, it all made sense to me. This is what I was meant to do. Through God’s miracle, a revelation was birthed in my spirit. What are your talents? Are these your giftings?

This painting depicts how God sees us - His precious daughter with an abundance of rich, beautiful colors; permeating a delicate, soft perfume. There is a shower of God’s unconditional love raining down, captivating our imagination. In every detail there is a richness and weightiness in the strokes and color, representing the fullness of God’s love that He has for us. He crowns us with a garland of flowers. Each unique flower, a jewel, represents every season He is guiding us through, maturing our gifts and refining us. These flowers are a beautiful creation of intricate petals and each petal is a layer of our spiritual journey, evolving and growing, building and equipping. The butterfly is the representation of the birthing process of who we are in God, our beauty, our uniqueness growing into a freedom to extend our wings and fly.

Psalm 139: 13-16 (TPT) “You formed my innermost being, shaping my delicate inside and my intricate outside, and wove them all together in my mother’s womb. I thank you, God, for making me so mysteriously complex! Everything you do is marvelously breathtaking. It simply amazes me to think about it! How thoroughly you know me, Lord! You even formed every bone in my body when you created me in the secret place, carefully, skillfully shaping me from nothing to something. You saw who you created me to be before I became me Before I’d ever seen the light of day, the number of days you planned for me were already recorded in your book.”

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Messages from our hearts... JOY Kimberly Hobbs Founder and Executive Director, Women World Leaders kimberly@womenworldleaders.com How many of us can say we have true inner joy? Many people get joy confused with happiness. Joy is not like happiness, which is based on happenings or whether things are going well or not. Joy remains even during suffering. Joy from God’s Word is a gift. There are over 150 references to joy in God’s Word. The two main definitions of joy in God’s Word are: 1. Gladness in the Lord, such as happiness, contentment, and delight and, 2. Rejoice, which describes the outward expression of our internal joy. Both are connected. Rejoicing flows out of gladness in the Lord, and our gladness in the Lord increases the more we rejoice. How wonderful is this? We should all desire to have joy in our hearts. This is what God’s Word tells us. I used to sing a song to my children when they were small, using hand motions that went with it. The song emphasized the importance of the word Joy. I have the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Where? Down in my heart. Where? Down in my heart. I have the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart. Where? Down in my heart to stay. The song continues, emphasizing the importance of joy residing in the heart and staying there. Joy comes from God. More specifically, it comes from the Holy Spirit. (1 Thess 1:6, TPT) Joy is a fruit of the spirit. When we have faith and are obedient to God, the Bible tells us our joy will be complete. “If you keep my commands, you will live in my love, just as I have kept my father’s commands, for I continually live nourished and empowered by his love. My purpose for 48

telling you these things is so that the joy that I experience will fill your hearts with overflowing gladness!” (John 15:1011, TPT) Our closeness to God results in loving Him. The closer we draw to Him, the closer He draws to us. This love and faith in God fill us with joy, as the disciple Peter talks about. “You love Him passionately although you did not see Him, but through believing in Him, you are saturated with an ecstatic joy, indescribably sublime and immersed in glory.” (1 Peter 1:8, TPT) When we are experiencing sin in our life, it hinders us from experiencing the joy that God intends for us. Sin separates us from God, who is our source of joy. It is difficult to look through a dark cloud that blinds our vision. We need to examine what may be hindering us from experiencing the joy that blesses us. Ask God to reveal it to you. If you are feeling depressed and lacking true inner joy, something may be blocking that internal joy. God will do it; He will show you where the problem is if you ask Him. You may find that repentance over the exposed sin will bring you the freedom and joy that transcends the circumstances. The gladness in your heart comes from God alone. God cannot be present in a sinful situation. Confess your sins. God is faithful and just to forgive those sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. “But if we freely admit our sins when His light uncovers them, He will be faithful to forgive us every time. God is just to forgive us our sins because of Christ, and He will continue to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9, TPT) True joy can enter where God is present because where God is present, there is joy. Joy is the result of a life that is lived for God. Taken from the book: Tears to Triumph Releasing Pain to receive Gods Restoration by Kimberly Ann Hobbs

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” Ephesians 3: 20 (NKJV)

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” ISAIAH 55:8 (NIV)

Biblical Principles for Everyday Living WHAT TO DO WHEN...YOUR KIDS WON’T STOP FIGHTING. Julie Jenkins Teaching and Curriculum Leader julie@womenworldleaders.com

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6, NIV I’m a mom of three, and I bet every mom, like me, has asked the question – what should I do when my kids won’t stop fighting? This is so tricky because each situation and each child is different. It’s also tricky because a mom’s job is so complex – you need to protect your children, guide them, keep them safe, encourage them, love them – the list goes on and on. We may ask ourselves, which of these responsibilities should I bend to – discipline or love? Teaching responsibility or mercy?

The first thing we must remember is that God’s ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9), so we must, first and foremost, lean on God in prayer. God tells us that whoever asks, receives; and whoever seeks, will find. (Matthew 7:7) This promise, together with God’s sovereignty (His supreme power and authority) and His amazing love for you and your children, gives us a solid rock to stand on even when we feel like we are being beaten up by the waves of life. As we seek God’s wisdom, we should ask for eyes to see our circumstance from His view. The whole story of the Bible is that God made us to walk with Him eternally; but man sinned, tearing himself away from God; and the rest of the story woven throughout the Bible is God’s quest to bring each individual back into His presence. That is God’s chief concern for us. And if that is His primary concern as our heavenly Father, perhaps that should be our primary concern for us as earthly parents. Therefore, we each should ask - What can I do, as a mom, to show my feuding children God’s love for them and His desire to walk with them? 49

MESSAGES FROM OUR HEARTS

The specific answer to this question is going to be as unique as the day itself, but the overarching answer is to persevere in love. Don’t throw in the towel or allow the devil to make you believe that everything that you are doing is worthless. Some days we will be called to show mercy, other days we will be called to discipline, but when we set our minds and our spirits on the end goal, the answer will become clear as we remember that we are to do more than simply “stop the bleeding.” Just like God perseveres in parenting us despite the complexities of our circumstances and our own disobedience, so we are called to guide and lead our own children continually and creatively. This task is not easy and is not the quick fix that we often long for, but if we can use each argument as a stepping-stone that brings our children one step closer to a peaceful walk with God, then our time and energy spent will have been well worth it!

Despite the day, the circumstance, or the argument, one thing will remain consistent: we, as parents, are to persevere in love so that our children might see and experience the love of God Himself. Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:12-14, NIV Do you have a question that we can explore together? We are iron sharpening iron and I’d love to hear from you! You can reach me at julie@womenworldleaders.com. I don’t have all the answers, but God does! Let’s seek them together

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. COLOSSIANS 3:12, NIV

Heart of a Missionary: Called to Him, Not a Place Lauren Dean

Missionary, Author, & Speaker Founding Board Member & VicePresident at African Orphan Educational Foundation, Global Business & Missions Director at Women World Leaders

outdoor concert and we began talking about the non-profit. There was one woman in particular who took a special interest in our discussion, and she and I began a long conversation about my time in Africa. I could tell she was eager to know why I would go halfway across the world. And then out of nowhere… “Are you a Christian?” she asked.

It was a divine date.

“Yes, I’m a Christian,” I answered.

About a year after I returned home to Florida from the mission field in Kenya, God led me to join an online dating site for missionaries. I had resisted online dating—but I finally surrendered. I initially thought this might be how I would meet my future husband, but I quickly realized this was not what God had intended. He was using it to prepare me for a totally different purpose He had in mind.

Her next question, “What does Christianity mean to you?”

On the dating site, I was led to a group thread dedicated to missions to Israel and Jewish people. Before I came to know Christ, I was extremely close to the Jewish/Israeli culture for several years through a prior relationship. So I prayed diligently about what God’s purpose for this was. Less than a week and a half after joining the site, a video about evangelism to Israeli and Jewish people popped up on the thread and spoke to me so loudly. I watched it as I was getting ready to meet a board member from the nonprofit I’m involved in that serves children in Africa. She was moving to the west coast of Florida, so I was stopping by to say farewell. She was gathered with a few friends at a local

Immediately in my head I began to pray, my mind going wild. I prayed for the Holy Spirit to intercede—to allow me to see what was going on here; to give me the words He wanted me to say. And the Holy Spirit took over. It was a little bit of a blur, but I shared some of my testimony, including that I was raised Catholic but had fully come to know Jesus’ saving grace just a few years earlier. And I shared the gospel from a personal perspective - that my sin had separated me from God, but Jesus died for my sins on the cross and was resurrected. When I believed that and turned from my old life to a life led by God, I gained a relationship with God and was granted eternal life. There was a pause. “Are you a Christian?” I asked. “No, I’m Jewish,” she responded. 51

MESSAGES FROM OUR HEARTS

And in that moment, God answered my prayers. He revealed to me what was going on here. I shared with her my past connection to Judaism and my travels to Israel—and how Jesus Himself was Jewish. We continued to talk and parted ways at the end of the night. This was the “date” God had in mind all along. Sometimes it’s not about finding your husband, sometimes it’s about finding Jesus and telling others about Him. “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” 1 Peter 3:15 NIV When others want to know the reason why you go halfway across the world or why you give generously—a door is opened to share the Gospel. Jesus is our why. One thing I’ve learned in the missionary field is that people are more ready to hear the Gospel than we are inclined to share the Gospel. I think about my own experience before my relationship with Christ—how many Christians I must have crossed paths with in my own hometown who never shared the Gospel with me. It wasn’t until I made a trip half way across the world on a “mission” trip that a Kenyan man initiated a Gospel conversation with me that eventually led me to the Lord. The Samaritan woman, after having an encounter with Jesus, goes back to her town to share her testimony and invite others to meet Jesus (John 4). Sometimes it’s not about God sending you out to the nations, sometimes it’s about God sending you back to where you came from. We are always on mission—whether it be near or far. “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” Romans 10:14-15 NIV

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” 1 Peter 3:15 NIV

Mercy Hands Intimate Surrenders

Carrie Christopher Ministry Development Leader carrie@womenworldleaders.com

Suffering servant. My heart suffers alongside you. Suffering sister. Where is your heart today? Are you floundering in a sea of distress, bound in shackles of lies, wondering where our God is? Suffering saint, have you felt clothes of impossibilities, frets and depression in your darkest valley attempting to steal your affections. Are you bogged down by circumstances too heavy to bear and resistance that keeps knocking you down? Does the darkened drabs of your mind bind you in hopeless captivity and peril? Is this sea of sorrow falsely singing to you, determining God’s plans for you; attempting to define your life and be the voice of God? My heart grieves with you, for there have been varied seasons when I have felt this exact same way. But perhaps aside from identifying with me, your most constant source of identification can be with our Jesus. All the understanding of our suffering can be understood by God alone. He sees every single moment - previous and ahead. He sees these moments as temporary afflictions, aimed for greater glory and revelations of His love. But sometimes the suffering backs us up into a corner, intimidating us, drawing out the fear that has always been there. The epitome of our chastised suffering can be seen and fully known by our Savior - who experienced the full completion, weight of the entirety of the world’s sin and willingly chose to carry this heaviness to death. Death, to the power it would originally rend over us, transposing the seeming defeat into redeemed grace gifts. There have been so many years when I have yearned for others to see and taste the wars that I’ve been through. For someone to identify with my pain. But I’ve been disappointed and caught up in this snare of looking for this in idolatry, and overlooking the huge heart of Christ that yearns to identify with me and be the source of comfort for my pain. You see, our pain can be used to push us away from the presence of God or can be used as a way for God to pull us in! The reserved, set-aside place of deep intimacy arranged in our suffering is for me and Jesus alone. No one will ever understand the complete picture of each individual’s suffering, and God is not asking anyone to carry this weight,

but He will carry it Himself. Because you see, God is God, it is HIS PRESENCE that wants to carry these weighty pains for me and for you; to commune in our places of tears and the cemeteries of grievances that we find ourselves in. Our suffering is a calculated companionship. God has sorted through the numbers and ways of my afflictions, of your afflictions, and ushers in His companionship through these. Sister, He is a God who sees us in our pain, who wants to tenderly hold us close in comfort and care when we are grieving, sick, despondent, in sin, or agonizing over our suffering. He wants to enter into these deep wailing places of our hearts and speak to us there. We don’t have to suffer from loneliness when the God of all the earth communes with us in these places. We don’t have to let our bleeding hearts lead us onward into paths of unrecognized unforgiveness and bitterness. We don’t have to let our diseases carry us in shame, and be engulfed believing lies that we will always be subject to this mess. May the God of Jacob, who parted the Red Sea, part our tears with HOPE, giving us refreshments of His presence, His will, His powers, and His dominion in the very loose ends and shattered heart pieces in our life. You see, God desires to create mosaic masterpieces out of each of our broken pieces. He’s not finished with us yet, sister. We need to quit living and feeling like the wailing wonders of our minds will be what emerges from this place of deep darkness; and please note, I am preaching this to myself. We will see the light, we will sing again; we will see hope, healing, and restoration in the places of our ashes! This is not the end - God has the final word!

“God is our refuge and our strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” Psalm 46:2 NIV May His Mercy Hands meet you today in an intimacy greater than you’ve ever expected, dreamed, or asked, allowing His infinite love to break down any wall of pain and adversity. 53

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (ESV)

DOROTHY POWER POINTS: GOD AT WORK THROUGH WOMEN LEADERS YESTERDAY AND TODAY written by Leecy Barnett “But Mom, he must love me if he tried to commit suicide when I rejected his proposal.” The year was 1960 and this young woman was trying to change her parents’ minds about her prospective fiancé. At that time and place, Tianjin, China, no well-brought-up girl would ever consider marrying without her parents’ consent. And Dorothy was a dutiful Chinese daughter through and through. The main objection to the young man was that he did not share the Christian faith in which Dorothy’s parents had raised her. But Dorothy was determined to get her way and eventually her parents consented to the match. Shortly thereafter, Dorothy was arrested by the Communist government in an effort to force her to denounce her father who was one of the leaders of the Chinese Christian Church in their city. But Dorothy refused to cooperate and was summarily sent to a labor camp prison where she spent the next seven years. When her supposedly lovelorn fiancé heard Dorothy had been imprisoned, he promptly broke off the engagement as he now wanted nothing to do with a “counter-revolutionary”. At first, Dorothy has the only political prisoner at that labor camp, which meant she was the most dangerous prisoner in the eyes of her captors. Even though she was treated worse than the common criminals at the camp, she looked down on them as being morally inferior. Then the prison guards assigned her the task of writing out the confessions of her fellow prisoners. Hearing the sad stories of the prostitutes and thieves melted Dorothy’s heart. She realized that it was only by the grace of God that she had been brought up in a loving home and that in her heart she was just as sinful as all the other prisoners. God used this experience to break Dorothy and she began to trust in Jesus as her personal Savior and Lord.

In time, another political prisoner entered the camp and she and Dorothy became friends. Dorothy told her new friend of her failed engagement and her new determination to marry only a Christian man. Not long after this, Dorothy’s friend was released. At the end of seven years in labor camp, Dorothy was transferred to a prison in her hometown where they housed people based on their sentences. Since Dorothy had never been tried, much less convicted of any crime, the prison warden did not know where to house her. So he made her a night-parole prisoner, which meant she could go home to her family at night as long as she reported back to the prison factory each morning. One day on her way home, she ran into her friend from prison on the street. “If you are still looking for a Christian husband, I think I know the ‘one’ for you,” her friend said. The ‘one’ turned out to be Freddie Sun, a strong Christian man who after their marriage would also spend ten years in prison for his faith. Together Dorothy and Freddie would eventually come to the United States and start a ministry helping the burgeoning underground church in China. Dorothy’s story encourages us that when you trust God and determine to live your life His way, He honors your faith and will use you in ways that are above and beyond what you can ask or imagine. Dorothy’s amazing life story is contained in her books: Sun, D. (2006). Clay in the potter’s hands and Sun, D., & Taylor, P. S. (2015). He alone. Both books are available through Amazon.com

Three Strands ARE YOU LISTENING? written by Cindy Southworth Always be willing to listen and slow to speak. (James 1:19) The most frequently asked question of relationship coaches is: How can we become better communicators? There are three components to communication: talking, listening, and responding. We begin by articulately expressing ourselves through talking. Then we better our listening skills, which leads to better responding skills. John Maxwell, in his book Relationships 101, says, “Treat every person as if he or she were the most important person in the 56

world.” While having coffee with a friend recently, she said, “You are SO EASY to talk to!” Perhaps it is because I have learned the art of listening. People think you care when you listen to them. Listening radiates empathy to the speaker. What are the barriers to being a good listener? Dr. Maxwell shares why people do not feel like they are being heard. The listener: · Does not place enough value on what the other person has to say. Do you ever try to talk to someone when they are

preoccupied with their cell phone, electronic tablet, TV, or newspaper? Or perhaps they tell you how you feel instead of asking you how you feel? People feel invalidated when the person they are talking to does not give them their full attention. Listen with intention. Check your body language to make sure it reads, “I care.” Respond with feedback that lets them know you are listening with clarity. · Wants to impress others by showing how smart and intuitive they are. It is easy to quickly become aware that a person is not listening because they are thinking about what they are going to say next. The person is more interested in letting you know what he or she knows about the issue rather than listening to what you have to say. The introverted speaker may throw up her hands and shut down. The extrovert may become combative and insist she be heard. Actions speak louder than words. Stop thinking about what you want to say until the person has finished their sentence and put a period on it. Then begin to think about how you want to respond. · Is too excited by the conversation to let the other person finish talking. An effective way to combat this problem is to write a quick note to yourself about what you want to add to the conversation; a couple words are enough to jog your memory, so that when the speaker is finished, you can add value to the conversation with your input. Interrupting the speaker only makes her feel invalidated, and the exciting conversation you thought you were having can quickly come to a halt. Your focus, as you listen, should be on understanding the speaker and determining what they need during the conversation. You provide emotional safety by showing them how much you care and asking non threatening questions that will allow them to connect with you on a deeper emotional level. If you genuinely want to improve your communication skills, become a better listener. Your spouse will thank you for it. Cindy Jacob Southworth has an M.S. in Counseling Studies, is an AACC Certified Relationship Coach and John Maxwell certified coach. She and her husband David have been in full-time marriage ministry since 2005 and pioneered the Marriage 911 intensive and women’s BreakThrough retreats. They have also developed the UP Leadership program, that prepares couples for marriage ministry. Recently retired in central Florida, they devote their time now to writing and developing leaders for ministry and enjoying their nine grandchildren. You can learn more about them by watching their story at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qaXMBxUyE&t=11s.

MUSINGS ON THE BOOK OF JOHN written by Connie Hecker The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” John 1:29-31 (NIV) 58

CHANGE Matthew 3:5-6 (GW) adds details to what is going on with the baptizing. “Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole Jordan Valley went to him. As they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.” “Turn to God and change the way you think and act, because the kingdom of heaven is near.” (Matthew 3:2 GW) John did not find this detail necessary for what he was trying to show as John’s book is about the signs we are given in the life of Christ so that we can be certain and choose to believe that Jesus is the Messiah. I am grateful for the added context Matthew gives. Why were people flocking to the Jordan? John the Baptizer was giving people a hope for freedom from their sins. He was sharing a message of change that starts with a change of mind and is followed by a change of behavior. When you turn to God, when you put your trust in Him, you will know this is so and you will seek to change your thinking and line it up with truth. This will affect how you act. The confirmation and declaration of this in one’s life is the act of baptism. That is the accountability factor that is talked about so much today. That this hope was calling so many into the river to declare their faith and hopeful expectation, choosing to turn away from their sin, is the reason the authorities came and took the journey to the river. John thinks it’s important to know they were there. Now that we, the reader of John’s writings, have this piece of information in our minds eye, John gets specific. The next day is when Jesus walks into the river and John the Baptist fulfills his purpose, calling out for all to hear - and we the reader know that even the religious leaders are now represented in the crowd, that here is THE ONE, THE ONE WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD! Baptizing has a root word that refers to the pickling process. Pickling brings about a permanent change, and this word is a good representation of the permanent change in a person when they receive by faith in Jesus Christ His death and resurrection that took away our sin. The “dip” is our public statement today of that fact in our lives. In the Old Testament sin was covered temporarily by a sacrificial lamb. It was never permanently taken away. Now Jesus, He is The One that makes removal of sin possible for us all.

The hard work is done - salvation is won. I can live in redemption here and now. Do I forget that Jesus has taken away my sin? Do I struggle to rid myself of sin, and after repeated failure, give up? But this walk is a new one. The hard work is done - salvation is won. I can live in redemption here and now. Lord, recreate my thought life in me today so that I think with Your thoughts and my actions reflect You and not my self-centered and low ways. Your ways are higher than mine, Your thoughts are higher thoughts. For You existed before all. Romans 4:17b GW says, “Abraham believed when he stood in the presence of the God who gives life to dead people and calls into existence things that don’t exist.” John the Baptist knew where he stood when he was in the presence of Jesus. Do I? Remind me again, Lord, and let it change how I think and act.

I AM THE LIGHT This painting was developed over time with many layers. These layers took the painting and me on a journey of enlightenment. I was teaching my creativity course and had this painting up on the large screen, I shared how, when I was 4 years old, I didn’t speak and I would lose myself in my art, this was my special place with Jesus. One of the women came up to me after in tears and said her 4 year old daughter was the same, she wouldn’t speak but loved her art. I gave her the actual painting the next week and told her to hang it in her daughter’s bedroom. The little girl was so excited. The next day the daughter went to kindergarten and started speaking. The teachers could not believe what was happening. She now continues to speak and her art is beautiful - she paints with Jesus. This was such a miracle and so beautifully planned by God for this painting to be on the screen and for this mother to be in my course. Praise our heavenly kind Father. 60

As you look into the eyes of Jesus, focus on His light - deep pools of His love. Take this light with you and emerge out of the darkness. His light carries the beauty of His garden of His heart. Smell the sweet aroma as you believe for new beginnings, and let an abundance of hope arise. The tulips represent an emergence of new life. The Holy Spirit is there for guidance and comfort, giving you courage to face this new season. “Lord, you are my secret hiding place, protecting me from these troubles, surrounding me with songs of gladness! Your joyous shouts of rescue release my breakthrough.” Psalm 32:7 (TPT)

www.lynnehudson.com

A Warrior for God’s Truth and Justice IT’S TIME TO STAND IN THE GAP written by Sandy Yozipovic With all the distractions in the world today it’s easy to begin to wonder how things could possibly get any worse. Most of us go about our day working, doing chores, running errands, and checking things off our to-do list. Some of you may even be trying your hand at home schooling, depending on your unique circumstances during this global pandemic. I learned a long time ago that as far as life goes, “It’s never as good as it seems and it’s never as bad as it seems.” We can get so caught up in the worldviews and distractions that we may not realize there are so many others who have it far worse than any of us could even imagine. Ten years ago, I was invited to participate in a conference call with some of my closest friends in business and in ministry. Together, we came up with the idea to “combine” all our giving to help others who were hurting and in need. Out of that one call, the Women World Changers Ministry was birthed - a movement that states that together we can help make a difference and impact the world, one life at a time. As we embarked on this project, we were blindsided with the “shock and awe” of reality as we discovered how much of a stronghold Satan has on our youth in this country and in this world. We studied how he was working to dismantle the family unit with divorce and infiltrate our churches and our youth via television, movies, the internet, and social media. Even more shocking was learning the CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE...

extent to which the business of child sex trafficking had invaded the United States. Our children were hot commodities. Child sex trafficking is the largest and most lucrative Industry in the world, generating over $1.5 billion annually. Over 800,000 children go missing every year in the USA alone. Where do they go? Why does the media not cover this? The sex and human trafficking trade is more lucrative than drugs or weapons trafficking. As Women World Changers, we were overwhelmed with emotion when we learned of the ages of the boys and girls…yes, even boys. Boys are actually worth more money. We researched and found two child sex trafficking rescue ministries that we could support, and the war was on to protect God’s children. We quickly grew to over 300 members in six months! God was lifting the veil for us to see where His children needed help! We were being called to Stand in the Gap. “Perhaps you were made for such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14, NLT) God in all His glory had cleared a path to help us create awareness. We were called to Stand Up, Speak Up & Save Lives! Hungry to learn, on our first WWC call we featured Rebecca, a former child trafficking victim at the age of 14. She shared her story of being groomed by her boyfriend who she

thought was 16 but was really 19. He kidnapped her, drugged her daily, starved her, and sold her to be raped by men - as many as twelve times a day! She was threatened with her own death if she tried to escape and threatened with the death of her family if she talked. After four years of being a sex slave, she was rescued by an undercover police officer and returned to her parents. By a miracle of God, Rebecca came to know Christ through her ordeal. His grace and love helped her turn her life around. We raised thousands of dollars that day to help fund her radio show to raise awareness for child sex trafficking – which became the most highly rated show two years in a row. The rest is history. Stay tuned… The enemy wants to keep us distracted in our lives and keep us ignorant of his evil schemes. The enemy is wanting us to shut up, but God is saying Stand Up, Speak Up and Save more Lives!! If you want to join us, there is still work to be done! Please go to www. Womenworldchangers.org for more information or to join our movement. Once you have signed up, you will receive information for our next ZOOM call, as well as updates on our current and future projects with our partners. May God continue to bless this movement and continue to find those who are willing to STAND UP, SPEAK UP AND SAVE MORE LIVES.

WWL LOVE NOTES wwl has meant the world to me - just knowing there are women who are so loving, nonjudgemental and encouraging! Being a part of such a beautiful, God-centered group of women has given me the confidence to share the most intimate parts of my soul, even the darkest parts that aren’t so pretty. WWL has helped me to break out of my shell and begin to share who God is and what He has done for me so that I may be able to be God’s vessel.

-Kantis Lyon

A PHOTO COLUMN FROM

Jessica SPREAD YOUR WINGS

This delicate creation - with vibrant, gentle wings - was once contained in a protective cocoon. It was growing, forming, and finally breaking free to reveal its beauty. Similar to this, we are a work in progress, constantly evolving. Maybe initially we don’t see that type of beauty in ourselves. We may tend to reflect on failures or bad choices made in the past. We can be very hard on ourselves and dwell on the times when we have fallen short. The good news is that if you seek out God’s Word daily and make intentional, positive choices, you will be formed into the beautiful masterpiece our Father intended you to be.

Jessica Morneault Wife and mother using photography to bring awareness to ministries and highlighting women living with purpose.

Wide Open Wonderment

written by Rachel Dube

MOTHERHOOD TRENCHES I’m hopeless and helpless And almost drowning In toddler screams And crumby floors In unfolded laundry and dirty dishes In rolling eyes and slamming doors. My head is barely above the water I keep swallowing the crashing waves Of unkind words and stealing toys Of tears and schoolwork And just way too much noise. The waves seem to never stop crashing I gasp for air and struggle not to sink In questions I can’t answer In arguments, in requests, In the baby spitting her food and throwing her drink. I squeeze my eyes closed to shut in the tears I hold my head in my fingers to push back the thoughts Of imagining what more I could have done with these years. How bad could it be if I gave up? Or gave away my position? And found a place to send these kids Especially the one with the anger condition? What will become of me in this storm, that seems intent to destroy? I have no smiles, no patience No tenderness or joy. I am tattered and torn up and washed up on shore Oh, how I feel my failings Yet, why God, do you keep entrusting me with more? Mothers truly battle in the trenches Our entrusted task is certainly war But our battle is not against the flesh and blood of our children But against the enemy trying to get his foot in the door. The enemy is one who waits and lurks Who targets our families as he wanders the earth Seeking to steal from us all God has given To destroy all the Father desires to build And kill all God has or desires to birth. 64

When Peter left the safety of the boat And trusted in Jesus to do the impossible He did not have to fear or sink He could have walked confidently as Jesus did And we can too, knowing the Father can do more Than we could ever ask or think.

My ability to praise God and even enjoy The days of messy, mixed-up, selfish and loud Are dependent not on the ease or success of them But on the goodness and loving kindness Of God By whom each day and each child is allowed.

And Jesus gives us, mothers, the same wave-walking invitation Not to burden or harm or drown us But by investing in each soul He gives us To join Him, in His strength, in the world’s transformation

You are not defined by your children’s sins Or by your ability to train Not by your patience or their compliance But by the One who called you and loves you by name.

So, what causes me to flail and cry out in angst? Helplessly sinking like someone weighed down? It is when my eyes leave my Savior And I begin to look around It is when I look to what I have accomplished Or the areas I have failed To the fruit of my labor, some hint of success To lovely children Or to a reform of the mess I feel the cold deep start to grip me When I search my circumstances For what more I can do Or when I ask myself, “How can I fix it?” or “What’s wrong with you?” But when my eyes are fixed on Christ And my feet are set on the Rock that won’t change It is only then that my feet stop slipping With the shifting sands that melt into the waves. The truth is that if I am not sinking Even in the midst of the moments of travail Then I am certainly being held up By the arms of the One who does not sleep Whose strength and power will never fail.

Few feel called to this invitation to sacrifice Fewer still stay invested with devotion and love If you wade in the trenches of motherhood daily Then you, brave warrior, Have a mighty Victor Who sees you And fights for you from above. Right in the midst of the raging battle He presents you With a very surprising request To eat at the victory feast set before you Not to strive, or to endlessly fight, But by trusting Him, to come And to recline and rest. He asks you to quit your labor And put your burden down If you are sinking, then you are carrying a weight Only designed for Him to hold One that will only make you drown. Hold on tight, my weary soul To the living Word of a present God Who calls and keeps you to Himself, To carry you, sustain you and make you whole.

A Beautiful Mess written by Jessica Prukner

Homeschooling isn’t an adventure for the faint of heart. One thing I have learned over the past seven years of homeschooling my three children is that I get to be their greatest influence. For kids who attend school, kids will leave for seven to eight hours a day to be influenced and taught but other adults and peers. This was something I wasn’t ok with for my kids’ lives. I didn’t want to only get them for a few hours a day when they were going to be tired, doing homework, maybe practicing a sport or eating dinner. I wanted to spend the prime, best parts of their days with them. There has been such beauty that has come with having my kids with me all day, every day. Being homeschooled, they spend 80-90% of their time with each other and me. Their dad pops in throughout the day, grandparents are always close by and visiting, but the majority of their time is with me. I discovered early on in this adventure that my influence will play a major role, not just in the outcome of our current day, but in who they become as people. Someone once said, “If mamma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!” This is an improper slang saying, but it gets the point across well! Mom or Dad, you are the thermostat of your day. There are many days I come to the school room exhausted and moody and within minutes the whole room will take a turn for the worse, and suddenly everyone is bickering and fighting with each other. What a mess! But other days, I bring a positive, joyful attitude and we all have a wonderful day learning and laughing. I am not saying this is 100% accurate, but most of the time it works out to be effective. 66

Early on, when I was looking for a homeschool name, I came across the Bible verse, Psalm 127:3-4, “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.” I named our school “Soaring Arrows Academy” and plastered this verse all over the place so I could see it. I needed to constantly remind myself that God chose me to be my kids’ greatest influence. This verse went so far as to call me a ‘warrior’! I have taken this duty very seriously over the years. I am not just a teacher and a mom, I am a great influencer, a mighty warrior. I have the calling and ability to send these beautiful three arrows that God has entrusted me with into the world! You are the same! You are a mighty warrior! Jessica Prukner is a homeschooling mom for the past seven years. She does life with her fun-loving and adventurous three kids, Kayley, Zac and Zoey. She has built a successful business with her husband and best friend in life, Ian. Jessica enjoys speaking at parenting partnerships that strive to work together to create successful, thriving homes and businesses. She has had the blessed opportunity to co-host homeschooling bootcamps, marriage retreats and other seminars.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 6:5-7 (NIV)

Marveling Modesty

by Carrie Christopher

As we explore the concept of modesty, we can glean from two different definitions that will be used to shape this column with the love of Jesus. The first way to define modesty, according to the Merriam Webster dictionary, is “propriety in dress, speech, or conduct.” The Christian angle of this is how we can honor God in our outward appearance, conduct and speech so that it is worshipful towards Him. The second definition, according to the Merriam Webster dictionary, is defined as “the quality or state of being unassuming or moderate in the estimation of one’s abilities.” May this column usher us forward into the beaming truth of 1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV), which says, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” Prior to my salvation, there were so many years that my outward appearance was my identity. I was a slave and what was on the outside was my master. Call it what you may, I essentially worshipped myself. Selfglorifying, self-exalting worship streamed through outward perfection. I fought ferociously to perfect what was on the outside. I desired to continually plunge my weight down “low” enough, aiming at what the worldly fashion magazines deemed as “beautiful.” The latest styles and fashions clung to my eyes, luring me to dress to impress. I painted my pain away with bold make up on my face, and covered up all of my insecurities with clothing to hide the screaming desire inside of me to be loved, accepted and secure. I believed a lie of man-pleasing and selfish ambition in order to look and feel the “best.” This worldly identity controlled my emotions. My temporary happiness came from whether or not I felt beautiful in what I was wearing, had a good hair day, or a perfect makeup application. This was all rooted in my lack of knowing Christ and who I am in His love. I was striving for perfection on the outside because, on the inside, my heart and soul were starving for His love and grace to free me from the guilty garrisons and shackles of my heart. When I met Jesus, He began to overturn the temporary identity of inward beauty. His vast, transformative love began to heal my soul in ways that outward beauty never could. But this took time, and lots of it. 68

You see, I had a mind trained in vanity, trained in appealing fashion. So, through the sanctification process, He has slowly overturned these tables of idolatry in and through my mind and heart with conviction upon conviction curating repentance deep inside my heart. To this day, I still wrestle with these luring lies and have to continually bring them before the Lord. Enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit, my own selfish gain, identity, and ambition die with my flesh. I aim to no longer dress to please others or myself. Living a life fully committed to loving Jesus Christ first and foremost means that He defines who I am, even on the days when my hair is wild and I have mascara melting away on my face from well-needed tears, or in the seasons when stress comes to steal, kill and destroy, and my weight piles on. We are beautiful and precious in the sight of God, not needing our outward appearance to obtain His love. You see, Christ is calling us to wear what is being basked upon us from Heaven: garments of praise, His Holy Spirit’s power, gut-wrenching compassion, bright kindness, and truth telling. We are clothed in heavenly attire. This adornment will mark each of our lives and those around us with permanent, everlasting influence. I do not need to be perfect on the outside for God to love me, and neither do you. We don’t need to have it all together so that others approve of us, because His death on the cross promised us what we could never obtain through our own perfection: grace upon grace lavished and now being worn as garments of praise upon us, His children. You see, the “selfie generation” is warring against our flesh in this very hour, coming against the true identity of the Church. The lie of this generation is the self-exalting promotion of one’s outward appearance, of one’s perceived identity. Are we like the world, following the same photo trends, posts and appeals? We may be using our self image as a mask to

hide behind, to self promote in order to make ourselves feel better internally, rather than resting in the ultimate truth of who God says we are. What if each of us in the Church were willing to wear our weakness as a platform for the power of God to be made perfect in us as Paul so clearly did? Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV), “But (the Lord) said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” May we strive to not perfect what is on the outside, but instead run the eternal race, attempting to reveal the inward reflections and beauty of Christ Jesus in us, aiming to live lives of pure devotion to Christ, fixing our eyes on Him as the author and finisher of our faith. May we rest, trusting that our weakness can be used for His glory, to shine brightly to a nation in desperate need of Him. We do not need outward perfection or beauty, for it will all fade away. “You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.” (1 Peter 3:4 NLT) And so this is my prayer for you and me, reader, that our identity will become solely rooted in His perfection for us, in His lavished love upon us, and through His grace for us. May we no longer cling to what will rot away on the outside, but rather the imperishable treasures of Heaven. May our hearts and hands be given to our Savior and may we walk in freedom enabled by His blood and His power, wholly loved and redeemed.

You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. 1 Peter 3 : 4

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No matter what struggle you may be going through or what tears you may shed, Christ’s love is far reaching for all of us. It’s an endless love, beyond your understanding, and He wants to fill you with it until you are overflowing with the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-20 TPT) The women of Tears to Triumph realize their tears were not shed for an empty reason; through them, they have become stronger and now desire to use their stories for a beautiful purpose, which is to glorify God. They wish to bring hope and healing to others through sharing the triumphs and victories that God has given them beyond their despair. Our prayer is that through these stories you will find hope,healing, forgiveness, strength, love, and promise. Order your copy now to be encouraged and propelled into your God-given purpose.

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EVER INTERCEDING written by Diana Brown, www.faithfitlife.net

BECAUSE WE PRAYED One of my favorite passages in Scripture is on the armor of God found in Ephesians. I enjoy reading it in various translations to glean from each of them. Let’s study it for a few minutes in two different versions of the Scriptures. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (Ephesians 6:1011, NIV) CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE...

I use the Message Bible to meditate and pray over Scripture from time to time. The first time I read Ephesians 6 in The Message translation it hit me strongly in many ways. Let’s read it: Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out. (Ephesians 6: 13-18 MSG) When you read that passage, what stood out to you? The Message Bible titles this section of Scripture a “Fight to the Finish.” Ladies, are we not in a fight to finish what the Lord has for us? We need to put our armor on daily to deal with all that our enemy, the devil, sends at us. We need to use wisely the spiritual weapons the Lord has given us so that when the battle is over and we are shouting praise to God for all He has done, “exceedingly and abundantly above all that we” asked or thought, we will still be on our feet. (Ephesians 3:21 NKJV) Look again at the beginning of that Scripture passage in the Message: “Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet.” Think about the words “truth,” “righteousness,” and “peace”. These are not empty words. As it says in the NIV translation of Ephesians 6:10-11, they are our God-given weapons. We need to utilize them in our walk through all of life, for our whole life. God’s Word is essential, living and powerful in our life.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Ephesians 6:10-11 (NIV) In the last section of this passage in Ephesians, Paul speaks about prayer as a vital weapon in this ongoing battle in our spiritual life. “In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.” Paul encourages us to keep our eyes open to what is going on around us. We must be ever interceding, or supporting each other in prayer, in order to encourage and lift each other up “so that no one falls behind or drops out.” (MSG) Imagine going to a sporting event to support a child of yours. As they are playing, you are on the sidelines cheering them on, “Go Tommy, GO!’ or “Come on, Susie, you got this! Go!” You are cheering on and encouraging your child so that they don’t fall behind or want to drop out. In the same manner, we ladies, as sisters in Christ, need to be cheering on and encouraging each other from the sidelines. My dear, precious sisters, we need to be ever interceding for each other so that we each can fight to the finish!

Heavenly Father,

Thank you that you do not leave us to fight alone but you give us the tools to encourage and cheer each other on. Father, bring to our mind those who we need to encourage. Thank you for those that pray daily for us so we don’t fall behind or drop out. Remind us to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions.” Cause us to be alert and always praying for each other. In the matchless name of Jesus,

Amen. 72

FAITH AND FAMILY HE PICKED ME by Donna Whartenby One frigid, dreary night in March, he made me overlook the long, cold winter. As I sat on his sofa, Keith got down on his knee. Somewhat surprised because it took almost nine years for this day to take place, he asked for my hand in marriage. He “picked me” to be his wife! Inside I rejoiced! I knew God led me down this prolonged path to be “picked” and loved by Keith. Six hectic months later, on that beautiful but hot September day, God was there to hear us say those sacred vows. The beautiful stained-glass colors overhead radiated God’s light and blessing. After standing on jittery legs professing our love, Keith exclaimed, running down the church steps, dodging handfuls of sunflower seeds, that he was the “luckiest man on earth”! Then, with a sparkle in his eye, he continued, saying it was “the happiest day of his life”! He picked me to love him the rest of our lives. He picked me to stand by his side for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. God stood next to us to bless us on that glorious day! Almost 40 years later, God still stands by as Keith reminds me daily of his unwavering love. Holding hands as

we walk together implies he doesn’t want me to go far. His quick goodbye kiss reveals he will try to hurry back. Helping me with mundane tasks such as laundry and vacuuming is a surefire reason to love him. Rising quietly in the early morning without waking me is a sign of his unrelenting love for me. He makes it a point to kiss me “goodnight” every night as a constant reminder of his loving dedication. God directs us to love each other more every day. I am confident God nudges Keith into hugging me on those not so happy-golucky days. God picked me to marry Keith ‘til death do us part’. Some days, Keith comes menacingly close to that final vow! God picked me when He whispered in my ear to love and trust Him. Ephesians 1:4 explains we are His chosen; loved even before we believed in Him and in Christ’s salvation. God picked me to love and trust Keith with all my being. God picked us to share grandparent responsibilities with overwhelming joy, gratified with every young hug. God picked us to be caretakers of our ailing parents. He was by our side when we said our tearful final farewells.

1 Thessalonians 1:4 (NIV) declares: “For we know, brothers and sisters, loved by God, that he has chosen you.” Sisters, you are loved because Abba Father “picked” you, too. As His chosen, Jehovah Jireh, our Provider, is always there, even when we are unaware of His presence. Isaiah 43:10 (NASB) asserts: “You are my witnesses, declares the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He.’” God boldly claims, “I chose you to know and believe me.” When you have doubts about who you are, or question if you will be “picked” for the next whatever, be confident in knowing God loves you. He picked you as His child and He will guide you. Ask God to turn your worry into praise in Him, as well as give you confidence in knowing He is beside you in every situation. If you have not already done so, develop a relationship with your Heavenly Father. Pray to ask for forgiveness of sin and ask what His will is for your life. You will discover He “picked” you, too!

God is brewing a partnership! What would it look like if Women World Leaders partnered with a local coffee shop in Sanford, Florida to empower lives with purpose? For starters, it would look like a bag of freshly roasted, washed Costa Rican beans and natural Ethiopian beans blended to perfection sitting on your kitchen counter. With notes of honey, vanilla, milk chocolate, and cocoa, you can’t go wrong. We rejoice in God merging our missions together, partnering to serve Him; from empowering women and rescuing many from the plights of human trafficking. You can join our hearts and hands by purchasing a bag of coffee. All the proceeds will be shared between Women World Leaders & Love Missions. Palate Coffee Brewery is blessed to have won taste quality awards; always roasted in His love, to perfection.

ORDER NOW

...and support both missions with your purchase! https://sanfordcoffee.com/WWL

Palate Coffee Brewery opened its doors five years ago when Carl & Tina Kadolph, along with their daughter and son-inlaw, Katrina and Charles Lemmon, decided to open a coffee shop with a vision bigger than just coffee. A coffee shop focused on one of their greatest passions: fighting human trafficking. As a human trafficking survivor, co-owner Tina Kadolph understands the needs survivors face and is uniquely qualified to meet those needs through mentoring, education, job training, and personal care bags. She is able to come alongside survivors and walk with them on their journey from pain to living their God-given purpose. Understanding that education is key, she brings awareness to the reality of human trafficking through Love Missions, the nonprofit organization that the Kadolphs started to fight human trafficking. By empowering survivors and educating the community, their goal is to eradicate this crime against humanity. How are these large endeavors funded? Coffee. The Kadolph/Lemmon family have gone to great lengths to make sure the coffee they serve is nothing short of the best. Their coffee shop has won awards for best coffee, voted on by the public, beating out large chains. Co-owner Charles Lemmon took roasting classes to perfect his skill, and now they have opened up their own private roastery right around the corner from their coffee shop. This is to ensure that every bag of beans and every cup of coffee is freshly roasted to perfection.

Women World Leaders is a unified global women’s ministry that empowers others to follow Christ and to love in abundance as we cultivate women warriors in purpose by the promises and power of God. Our ministry aims to anchor hearts in God as we strive to be united in service empowering, edifying and supporting one another in faith and love while developing passionate leaders with purpose. As part of our call to service, we support and come alongside the work of churches and ministries aimed at equipping women to find their identity in Christ alone. We, at WWL, are truly honored to partner with Love Missions and Palate Coffee Brewery as they stand in the gap for oppressed women. Jesus is the only way to freedom and only through Him can we receive complete healing and grace! Through our partnership, we believe we will see God’s hand of justice and mighty love as He provides freedom for those who are stuck in the vicious cycles of human trafficking - and we are excited for you to join us in this cause. Kimberly Hobbs Founder & Executive Director kimberly@womenworldleaders.com

Now, when you buy a bag of Palate Blend, you will be supporting the visionary work of Women World Leaders and helping Love Missions combat human trafficking, both locally and around the world. Enjoying a cup of coffee from the comfort of your kitchen table can now have a global reach. Tina Kadolph, Founder and President, Love Missions Global Co Owner, Palate Coffee Brewery tina@lovemissions.net

Love Missions and Women World Leaders

COFFEE CHATS: TRUE LOVE with Tina Kadolph from Love Missions & Palate Coffee Brewery

HELLO BEAUTIFUL FRIENDS, I have my Palate coffee in hand, do you? I am so excited to hang out with you girls and chat. February is the month of love, so I thought we could talk about LOVE, true love. Let us start with my story and how I found love. Coming from a life of abuse, I had no idea what love looked like. From my perspective, love looked like hurt, pain, lies, loneliness, desperation and so much more. I had no idea who God was or that there even was a God. I had just come out of an abusive relationship that almost ended my life. After the police arrested my abuser, I was in a hopeless state. I felt I had nowhere to turn and that I was only good for one thing: being abused. That was my life; that is what I thought my identity was. I was tired, I was defeated, and I had given up. I had been through so much that I decided life was no longer worth living. I was planning my suicide when a friend invited me to a party. Maybe it would change my mind. Either that, or it would be the last thing I did before leaving this horrible life. I went to the party, but I still felt so alone. The atmosphere was not helping at all and I wondered why I had even gone. The more I sat there, the more alone I felt. I sat by myself

and watched everyone around me seemingly having so much fun. Why couldn’t I have fun? Why couldn’t I be normal? Why was I meant to live this horrible life? I wanted desperately to be someone else, to disappear. As I sat in my loneliness, a guy I had seen around walked up to me. He asked me how I was doing, to which I replied, “Not very good,” but thinking, here we go again. He asked if I wanted to talk, but I said no. He looked at me with kind eyes and said if I ever needed help to give him a call. That was before texting, of course. I thought that there was no way in this life I would ever call him. There was not one man on this earth that I trusted. I knew he would not be any different. But as I went home that night, I looked at all the pills I had prepared before the party. I held them in my hands, and again considered taking them. In that moment I felt there was no hope, no reason to live.

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3, ESV)

Suddenly, I heard a voice in my head say, Call that guy. What? Are you crazy? I don’t want any more men in my life. I don’t want any more hurt and pain. I’m done! Then the voice again said, Call that guy. So weird. What I didn’t know then was that this voice was God. I didn’t understand then, but I picked up the phone and called. Carl answered and was a little surprised that I called. He never expected me to call after how I had responded to him. We talked, and then he asked if I wanted to get coffee. (How ironic since we now have a family-owned coffee shop. God has such a fun sense of humor.) I left the pills on the table and never turned back. I didn’t even understand why I was going, I just went. The next day, he sent me one red rose and a card that said, “Don’t ever let anyone determine your value. You are beautiful and valuable and have so much worth.” No one had ever said anything even close to that to me before. I wondered, Is this real? Could I dare to believe there was hope? I was so scared, but I moved forward and hoped this could be a chance at love. I walked in complete fear that it would turn into abuse at any moment. But it never did.

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10, ESV) God sure did walk me through my fear. He held my hand and was by my side every step of the way. What a beautiful display of His love for me. On January 27th we celebrated 37 years of marriage. It has not always been an easy journey, but with God, anything is possible. Even the seemingly impossible is possible. There is no doubt in my mind that God brought this amazing man into my life. Through his love, he led me to Jesus. Carl opened my heart to a God I never knew or wanted to know. Carl, with his love and kindness, showed me a God whose love is not like any man, even this wonderful man. God’s love is unconditional, unfathomable, indescribable.

He loves you. He loves me. He loves the world so much he sacrificed his only Son. Who can love like that? The Bible tells us of this kind of love in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” Now I have shared my story of finding love, and I think Carl and I have something very special, but even that isn’t the kind of true love I am talking about here. I am so thankful God used Carl to bring me to Him. But Carl”s and my love for each other does not come close to God’s love for each of us. God’s love is beyond human love; it is beyond anything we can understand. There is nothing more powerful than the love of God. His love heals the brokenhearted, His love transforms and restores lives, His love can tear us from the grip of the enemy, His love sets the captives free, His love set THIS captive free. Oh, how He loves us! Jesus is our hope. Jesus is our healer. And when we allow Him to walk this journey with us, we can overcome anything. I have learned that it is not what happens to me or you that defines us, it is how we respond that defines us. It is the decisions we make. When we decide to surrender to Jesus and let Him use our stories to bring Him glory, not only are our lives transformed, but so are the lives of others. Girls, let me tell you - Satan worked hard to destroy me, but God had a beautiful plan for my life that the enemy could not stop. That same God has a beautiful plan for you. I am not special; the same God that loves me, loves you. No matter what you have experienced or are going through, God has a plan for your life. So don’t give up, don’t give in. Let your one, true love heal the inner parts of your heart. You will never see the lives God has planned to change through your story unless you surrender to His love. His love is waiting to fill your heart, cleanse your soul, and purify your mind. Are you ready to love your true love? He already loves you. He is just waiting for you to accept that love.

“We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19 ESV) Thank you, ladies, for our time together. I am so looking forward to what God has for us next time. 77

Courage in Action From Certainty to Faith You might think it a dramatic move for each of us to spend so much money and so many years earning college degrees, settling into universities where we enjoyed lecturing and the independence to pursue our academic interests to leave it all behind. And we would agree. It was a huge move. We were two single women (still are, so if you know a couple of awesome men...), doctors in our fields of study, financially independent, loving where we lived and worked, enjoying meaningful friendships; we changed everything for “something else.” It was a huge decision, but it wasn’t a massive leap of faith. In fact, it was one inch at a time—inching away from certainty toward faith in God’s passionate love for humanity. We share a commonality of being children raised in Christian families permeated by ministry and missions. We had excellent role models, unique opportunities, and personal experiences with God. I, Jennie, treasure every childhood moment spent with my traveling evangelist parents. Under their vast tent, miracles happened. One night, as I sat on the piano bench with my mom, my faith-filled father dropped to his knees, speaking of faith and trust. He slowly picked up a frail young girl out of her chair. I heard the bones cracking as her legs straightened. Soon, she was able to stand. JESUS had performed a miracle – actually two! That night one little girl walked out with new legs. The other walked out with a calling to bring healing and hope to a hurting world. As a young adult, I left a teaching position to work in Hong Kong as the education coordinator for a World Relief Vietnamese refugee camp. I spent time working in Calcutta, India, volunteering at the Home for Dying Children run by Mother Teresa. I returned home and earned a Ph.D. in Cross-Cultural Education and accepted a position at Azusa Pacific University. While teaching, I volunteered with CRU’s International School Project in Russia. We conducted conferences and spent hours with saints banished to Siberia for refusing to deny their faith. I learned the value of prayer while smuggling Bibles into Russia and China for people willing to trade anything to pursue Jesus. My work as the education coordinator for a worldwide ministry effort to address the HIV/AIDS pandemic became the stepping stone to founding Kerus. I was witness to and part of God’s work my whole life, shaped and nurtured by humble heroes of our faith along the way who inched me into my commitment to missions.

For me, Marcia, I think the missionary seed-planting in my heart was when I was a toothless kindergartener styling my “pixie” haircut. I distinctly remember sitting crosslegged on my gray mat during morning assembly, first singing “Jesus Loves the Little Children of the World,” and then listening to Barbara Cotton, a missionary working with disabled children in the country of Haiti. My heart broke for those children and I was in awe of this lady’s love and commitment. My Aunt Sara and Uncle Dave were missionaries in Hong Kong and Malaysia. World Missions Week was an annual event at our church and school, shaping my worldview with Jesus’ love for the world. I never expected to be a missionary. I intended to be a college professor, ministering by preparing public health and education students for cross-cultural practice. I volunteered my time and created college courses taught on the hills of Honduras’s coffee plantations and Haiti’s streets. But I had my “lightbulb” moment the day I stood in Botswana reading a sign that said, “Youth Project, Coffins for Sale.” My education, public health training and missionary-filled heart were colliding into a life purpose to share the Gospel and to leverage all of my academic knowledge to help the church engage to stop the pandemic of HIV/AIDS. Some might say that we left “the world” to do “full-time Christian ministry,” but we don’t see it that way. We believe that everyone’s profession or place of work is ministry. It’s a platform to demonstrate God’s love and tell the story of His incredible love and passion for the world. It’s our opportunity to stand for justice of the oppressed and a chance to partner with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to heal, restore and bring life and joy to those around us. Our homes, education and life experiences prepared us for what we do. Yours has prepared you too! It starts with a baby step, leaving certainty behind and stepping toward faith; a destination defined by the Apostle Paul as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen.” (Hebrews 11:1, KJV)

Dr. Jennie Cerullo and Dr. Marcia Ball Co-Founders & Executive Directors of Kerus Global To learn more or to donate to Kerus, visit: www.kerusglobal.org

1 CARING FOR AND PROTECTING VULNERABLE ORPHANS 2 PROMOTING HIV/AIDS & SEX TRAFFICKING PREVENTION 3 DEVELOPING COURAGEOUS LEADERS DONATE

ONLINE / TEXT / CHECK Find details of how to donate at kerusglobal.org

“It takes courage...”

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE KERUS STORY AT: WWW.KERUSGLOBAL.ORG 79

Prayers for the

Sons of The King Pray with us as we intercede for our fathers, our husbands, our sons, and our brothers! When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” Acts 8:18-19 God, show your sons who they are in you. You have made each and every one of them unique in their own right. You have molded them by your mighty hands to be special, different, distinct, and incomparable to another. Remind them that their gifts are not for sale and are not negotiable. Teach them to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to guide them, strengthen them and develop them in their walk and callings. God, you have not called the sons of this generation to feel inadequate, incomplete, or incompetent. Yet you have anointed and esteemed them to be husbands, fathers, businessmen, entrepreneurs, and kingdom disciples. Use them, Father, in their respective roles to breed change in their homes and communities. God, sharpen them that they may preach and teach your word without apology or division, and show them that they are more than enough through Christ Jesus. The gifts cannot be purchased, bargained for, or traded in as they are divinely given spiritual gifts for serving you and the body. Thank you for renewing their mindsets to the things of the kingdom and that you bring honor and glory in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Dr. Jia Conway www.jiaconway.com

www.atouchfromheavn.com

BUBBLES OF JOY Heaven’s colors reflect The Joy of the Lord. Let the light of God’s presence shine upon you, soaking into the inner depths of your being. The heavens are filled with these effervescent bubbles of joy, flowing freely, bouncing off each other. The pathway may seem uneven, at times even rocky, but it is covered in His golden glory, His beautiful mosaic of wonder. He always takes your hand, guiding you through the intricacies of His plan. Surround yourself with these bubbles of joy as you walk in His love and protection. Reflect His goodness, sing His praises, choose JOY, and SHINE. “You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!” Psalm 30:11-12 NLT

www.lynnehudson.com

Women World Leaders Connections MELISSA’S WOMEN WORLD LEADERS STORY I decided to say yes. I was in the middle of a very painful family situation, one that I feared was derailing me from everything I had hoped and worked towards for years when she extended the invitation. We had known each other for years, so I was open to the awkward because I knew I would get to spend some with her, which had become a rarity. She said, “It’s more than a Bible study,” but the details were still vague. So I put it on my calendar and committed the morning of the meeting to follow through. I was glad to have pulled into the community right behind her and parked behind her on the street in front of the house where the meeting was being held. Walking into someone’s house for the first time can carry an air of apprehension with it; there’s an expectation of intimacy that isn’t present when we meet on common ground. We entered the home together and received a warm and hearty welcome from several women standing in the foyer. The attendance was maxed. The atmosphere was joyful. The anticipation was palpable. Immediately, I was glad I had decided to say yes. I walked away with two clear messages from the Lord that morning. The first had come from the video message that was part of the book study they were following by Susie Larson, Your Beautiful Purpose. My copy was on order and I was already feeling annoyed to be behind, but God’s timing is always perfect. In the video, Susie shared these words, “What the world needs is healed disciples.” That’s all I needed to hear. This was one of many whispers to my spirit that affirmed that God was allowing the painful family situation that had barged into my life for a specific purpose; He would use it to bring about emotional healing I deeply needed from abuse I had experienced. The second message came through one of the women at the meeting. After watching the video together, we were randomly assigned to small groups for some discussion time. Although, nothing is ever random with God. I sat in a small circle with these women and we were all asked to share something related to what we were doing to live out our purpose. I didn’t go into detail but felt led to share that I was writing a book. The young woman sitting across the circle from me leaned forward and offered this encouragement with boldness: “I sense from the Lord that your book will be used to help a multitude of women.” A second confirmation that my presence at the meeting was no accident.

After such an affirming morning, I was excited to add this group to my regular schedule. I was disappointed when the meetings changed their time and location and I would be unable to continue going. But I stayed connected from afar via Facebook and slowly read through the book, Your Beautiful Purpose, on my own. As timing would have it, more than a year and a full manuscript later, I received a very interesting email from the organization that was birthed out of those early meetings like the one I had attended. They had a special announcement. They were inviting women to submit their stories for a collaborative anthology entitled Courageous Steps of Faith, With God All Things Are Possible. My book was about courage. I couldn’t ignore the timing. I reached out to the point of contact from the email announcement and scheduled a phone call. We talked. We prayed. We shared our hearts. And not long after it was confirmed, God had a plan for me to contribute to this anthology detailing the painful family situation I had just walked with Him by taking courageous steps of faith. It was important to share the emotional healing I had received so that it could help other women who are struggling with the same hurts and help them take their own courageous steps of faith, too. Do you have a Women World Leaders story? As you flip through the pages of this magazine, what might God be inviting you into? Perhaps it’s your own Women World Leaders story. Is there a series of yeses you might need to take to discover yours? I hope I’ve encouraged you to take a step of yes. You never know where it might lead. Blessings on your journey, sister.

Melissa Dyer Melissa C. Dyer is the author of Learning to Roar, Life Lessons on Faith, Courage, and Female Pride, and is a contributing author to Courageous Steps of Faith, With God All Things Are Possible, an anthology of Women World Leaders stories. Both books are available through Amazon and where books are sold. Melissa lives in South Florida with her husband, almost adult children, and beloved fur babies Jack and Jill.

Voice of Truth Stories Together we are world changers How are you sharing Voice of Truth? Write us. We want to share your "joy" of spreading the gospel of Christ throughout the world.

www.womenworldleaders.com

MEET MELISSA KESSLER

MEET LILLIAN CUCUZZA

This is Melissa Kessler; she’s a Woman World Leader.

This is Lillian Cucuzza - a Woman World Leader and a photographer and writer in “Voice of Truth” magazine.

Through her outreach, Melissa lovingly prepares beautiful baskets filled with kindness and the love of Jesus, and delivers them to strip clubs. Through this gift, the girls who receive Melissa’s baskets are honored as the daughters of God that they are. Nestled within each basket is a copy of Voice of Truth magazine - through which the girls are given glimpses of hope, encouragement, and the never-ending love of Jesus Christ. Melissa’s passion to share the love and message of Jesus Christ is a beautiful story that we know, in God’s hands, will lead to even more beautiful stories. We are merely the messengers. Please join us as we pray over these baskets distributed by ‘Epic Beauty’ in Palm Beach County, Florida; and as we praise God for bringing this joint venture together through Melissa Kessler as a way to reach the hearts of women for Jesus.

Lillian reached out to her friend, who is the owner of Oasis Pregnancy Care Center in Florida, with a hand-delivered copy of Voice of Truth. Not only is Lillian’s friend now sharing Voice of Truth with the entire staff at Oasis, she is also sharing it with the women clients. The Bible calls us to be bold, and Oasis is heeding that call as they share the gospel message of Jesus Christ. Thank you Lillian Cucuzza and April Beck, the new Executive Director of Oasis Pregnancy Center. It is beautiful to see hearts joining together for a purpose - to propel the gospel message to women in our world who need love and support. We are grateful to the Oasis Pregnancy Care Centers in Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel and Tampa, Florida, and the soon-to-be opening center in Dade City.

MEET JESSICA MORNEAULT As a volunteer photographer, author, leader and writer for Voice of Truth, Jessica shared the magazine with her boss at her place of employment.

MEET CANDICE DANIEL Candice is a Woman World Leader with a passion to connect others in the name of Jesus. Candice met the owner of Palate Coffee Brewing, in Sanford, Florida when she walked into the coffee shop in January 2020. Through Candice’s vision of a future connection, she shared Women World Leader’s mission with Tina Kadolph. Tina, founder of Love Missions and a survivor of human trafficking, together with her family fights against human trafficking by bringing awareness and helping those rescued from such slavery. Candice’s vision was to connect two ministries with purpose and, after cultivating a relationship with Tina Kadolph and having a relationship with Women World Leaders, her vision became a reality. God has developed and strengthened this relationship.

Jessica’s boss was so proud of her and her “hidden talent” (which he was not aware of), that he was prompted to share about her and her talents on LinkedIn and on their companywide email at Prime Group Insurance Co. He also promoted Jessica’s involvement in Women World Leaders and shared the link along with information about Voice of Truth with hundreds of people. By Jessica sharing one magazine with her boss, we are now sharing in the joy of hundreds learning about the ministry and the magazine. Hats off to Jessica’s boss for acknowledging her and for sharing the good news of who we are with the world. We appreciate you, Prime Group Insurance Co.

Tina Kadolph is now a writer in Voice of Truth magazine with her own column, “Coffee Chats.” She has also partnered with Women World Leaders to offer “coffee for a cause.” Proceeds from this special coffee will be used to fight human trafficking and offset the printing costs of Voice of Truth, enabling it to be distributed for free, as God would have it. Please buy more coffee! You can read Tina’s story in the January 2021 edition of Voice of Truth. Candice, obediently following what God had impressed on her heart, was key in making this divine connection. She continues to serve God by being a voice of truth herself, connecting lives passionately with purpose, and serving Jesus with joy,

“He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’”

You can pick up your free copy of Voice of Truth Magazine at Palate Coffee Brewing, in Sanford, Florida.

Mark 16:15, NIV

VOICE OF TRUTH STORIES CONT.

MEET DR. JIA CONWAY While serving in her calling to empower others, Dr. Jia Conway was teaching a Bible lesson one evening on Facebook Live. Her speaking consisted of coaching and empowering women to follow Jesus. Jia’s mission, “Changed From the Inside Out,” is one of her many ministries.

Fast forward many months ahead, God confirmed and solidified Kimberly and Jia’s new bond of friendship and mutual love of Jesus in this new sisterhood union. Currently, this magazine and ministry both benefit from the true inner beauty of our sweet sister, Jia Conway.

That same evening, she was heard by the founder of Women World Leaders, Kimberly Hobbs.

Dr. Jia writes for Voice of Truth magazine. Within Women World Leaders, Dr. Jia also serves on the Leadership Team, she speaks at Leadership trainings, teaching and empowering our leaders in love to draw closer to Jesus Christ each day. She is a true Woman World Leader.

Earlier that day, Kimberly had prayed specifically to meet someone who would fill a need that the ministry had. In God’s perfect provision, the paths of Jia and Kimberly converged. It was no coincidence that when Kimberly went on social media that hot Florida summer evening, Jia’s face was the first one that popped up. Jia was doing her regular Thursday night Facebook Live session from her cool, Pennsylvania homeland. Kimberly was getting ready to post her writing in Women World Leaders, but when she saw Jia, she paused long enough to listen. Kimberly knew that this moment was a divine appointment arranged by God. Jia WAS the person Kimberly prayed for earlier that day. As Jia’s encouragement poured out to others within the solid, faith-filled message about Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, Kimberly’s pausing and praying was long enough to hear God’s voice speaking, “reach out to Jia.” Kimberly quickly obeyed God and left a comment for Jia, which encouraged Jia deeply about the powerful message she shared that night. As the two women connected, God developed something further. Dr. Jia and Kimberly had been authors together in the past, having shared in a mutual book collaboration - but personally neither one knew the other nor had they spoken prior to this night.

Dr. Jia is a leader of leaders, saying “yes” to the Lord at all costs. She joyfully serves, not only in Women World Leaders, but also at Set The Captives Free Outreach Center in PA, is a contributing editor to His Favor Ministries, and is a certified community health minister. Jia Conway does all her serving while also pursuing her medical career as Doctor of Advanced Practice in Oncology. She is a wife, mom, and pastor in training. Thank you, Dr. Jia and Kimberly, for serving where you are called and listening to God in the midst. Together you are changing the world. Together you are making a difference. Jia and Kimberly’s story of uniting can be your story as well. Pray and then... “Go out into all the world”... Mark 16:15

Send us your story at info@womenworldleaders.com

Praying for you, Daughter of Zion Lifting you up, sister, before the Lord of Hosts. Asking the Lord to bless you in all of your ways. To humble your heart, to receive the everflowing, love and mercy of Jesus. Praying His sacrificial care towards you would stir you on to do good works. That His tenderness towards you would allow your full reverent commitment to Him. Asking for repentance tears, to increase your trust in Him, receiving every ounce of soul-satisfying grace that He has to pour upon you. Praying living waters would well up in you richly, providing all of your needs with His abounding presence. Asking our Father God to carry you, to the fountain of life. Praying you will run this race with His merciful heart, carrying His truth. May His Word fill you in abundance. In the powerful name of Jesus we pray, amen.

Our Pure Devotion As a ministry we hereby dedicate this magazine unto the Lord almighty. He is our rock, our provider, our Savior, and the love of our life. This magazine thanks the Lord for providing all of the women, the finances, and the strength to complete a task such as this. All glory, dominion, and power praise His holy name. We bow down in complete reverence and love to our King of kings.

A heartfelt thank you – To our sister & friend, Kayla Follin. She has spent numerous hours laboring in love for our Savior to graphically design this magazine! Her heart of passion, creativity and love exude in everything she does! Thank you Kayla for the beauty you’ve made come alive through these pages! Much love to you!

Globally infusing and unifying the nations through writing and the arts with the love of Jesus, proclaiming the Word of God, and heralding testimonies of His goodness.

The Lord announces the word, and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng. PSALM 68:11 (NIV)

The Voice of Truth publication exists to glorify God by proclaiming encouraging and relevant Biblical truth to women from all walks of life within today’s culture. By connecting inspirational writings, creative arts, sound Biblical teachings and thought-provoking articles, we seek to mobilize women across the globe to answer God’s specific call to use the gifts and skills He has entrusted to every believer. We aim to support and serve those desiring to be an influence of godly leadership within their given domain, whether in the home, the community, or the workplace. Our desire is that every woman would experience the joy of discovering God’s unique role for her in fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).

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Voice of Truth: 2nd Edition, March/April 2021

Articles inside

Voice of Truth Stories

Women World Leaders Connections

Bubbles of Joy

Prayers for the Sons of The King

Courage in Action

Coffee Chats: True Love

Faith and Family

Ever Interceding

Marveling Modesty

A Beautiful Mess

Wide Open Wonderment

A Photo Column from Jessica

A Warrior for God’s Truth and Justice

I am the Light

Musings on the Book of John

Three Strands

Dorothy

Message from our Hearts...

Daughter of God

Tea Time with Tina

College Courage

Dear Sister,

Dim Glass Gospel Glimpses

Broken and Beloved

God's Glory

Miraculous Manna

Peace by Piece: Rest in Daily Steps

A Golden Revelation

Holy Hush

A Purposed Creation

Sea Him

Oaks of Righteousness

Journey with Jesus

Writings from the Global Office

Gospel Grace

Letter from the Founder