John Holmgren (21)

Have you heard about the trucker who has painted his cab and trailer with the names of all those who lost their lives in 9/11?

The trucker's name is John Holmgren from Shafer, Minn. He has been 'pulled over' numerous times just so the troopers can get their picture taken with the truck.

As you look at these pictures and remember 9/11, remember what Jesus did for you as well.

Annonymous (8)

Have you ever just wanted confirmation of something that would cause there to be no doubt left in your mind? Perhaps a sign that is so unmistakable that there would be no question, you would know the answer as clearly as if it were tattooed on your forehead.

Let me back up for a moment and fill you in. I have been a believer all my life. I have never doubted God's existence, his love, or his plan for my salvation. I accepted Christ at a young age and even though I strayed for a little while I came back to him, recommitted my life, was baptized and strive daily to live a life in accordance with his will. Now that you are caught up with me, allow me to explain my dilemma and God's amazing answer to my prayer.

When I was very young my mother took me to see a film about the Rapture. It scared me to death! I was convinced that I would wake up and find my family gone and be all alone. This terror stayed with me well into my teenage years. After that I didn't really like to speak of the Rapture or the end of our days. I knew I was saved but there was always this fear that if I had missed something I would be left behind.

Recently my husband became very interested in the book of Revelations and in Bible Prophesy. He really peaked my curiosity so I began to read the ^Left Behind^ series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. This stirred up all the old feelings of doubt that I had carried through much of my life. I began to pray for God to open my eyes if I had missed something or to show me how to have faith that I was truly saved and not let the devil put doubts in my mind that my salvation was not real. That maybe I was doing something that would cause me to miss the big party in the sky.

One morning I awakened before I really needed to (and I try to sleep as long as my children will let me) and began to pray. Once again I asked God to help me see clearly and shared my fear with him. When I finished praying I opened the Bible and it opened to Isaiah 56. As I read the passages I began to truly feel like God had given me an immediate answer to my prayers. To summarize, it basically said if you have bound yourself to the Lord and hold fast to him he will give you an everlasting name that will not be cut off. It goes on to say that those who serve him, worship him and love his name will be given joy in his house of prayer. Wow, I was amazed! I thanked God for his answer to my prayer and marveled at his majesty all day. Then the doubt crept back in. What if I had misunderstood, what if I was interpreting his message wrong?

Fast-forward 3 days. Our church was hosting a wonderful evening of worship & praise on Sunday night. Our family attended and I was blessed beyond measure. During the time we were given an opportunity for silent prayer. I went to my knees and asked God yet again to either open my eyes to any areas I have been blind in or to somehow assure me of my place in his kingdom. I begged for the faith I needed! At the close of prayer I rose to sing another song of praise. To my jubilation, God did it again! We began to sing ^Till I See You^ by Hillsong United. Check out the words of this beautiful song below and you will understand why I stood weeping at the amazing love that my Master poured out upon me. I believe he gave me my answer, healed my doubt and caught every tear!

Till I See You

The greatest love that anyone could ever know
That overcame the cross and grave to find my soul
And till I see You face to face and grace amazing takes me home
I'll trust in You

With all I am I'll live to see Your kingdom come
And in my heart I pray You'd let Your will be done
And till I see You face to face and grace amazing takes me home
I'll trust in You

I will live to love You
I will live to bring You praise
I will live a child in awe of You

You are a voice that called the universe to be
You are the whisper in my heart that speaks to me
And till I see You face to face and grace amazing takes me home
I'll trust in you

You alone are God of all
You alone are worthy Lord
And with all I am my soul will bless Your name

KIDS Inc (7)

By Kevin Schott, KIDS Inc volunteer/board member

In 1998 my good friend Jerry Barnaby invited me to come to KIDS Inc for a Tuesday Boys Night just to see what it was all about. God had other ideas.....I was hooked! I started out playing basketball with some of the guys week after week, then something happened that I never expected. Some of the guys actually started talking to me about their problems and situations at home. This opened up an awesome opportunity to present Biblical principals and why Jesus came to this earth.

In today’s business world you account for every dollar spent and try to do everything that you can to squeeze every penny out of that dollar. This is obviously done to maximize the profit margin and if done right can contribute to a successful “business plan.” As a member of the board of directors at KIDS Inc, we have a different business plan. Are we continuing to lead kids to Christ? Is Jesus being lifted up in every program that we have throughout the week? Are we being good stewards of every penny that comes into God’s ministry? He has entrusted us with His children. He has a plan for His children. We must continue to teach, preach, guide, pray with, and listen to his children. This is God’s “business plan” for KIDS Inc!

The following is a copy of a letter from a young man named Nick that I received from the staff of KIDS Inc a few years ago.

“Before God came into my life this is what it was like: My parents got divorced when I was nine and I didn’t have a father figure in the house so I didn’t respect authority. My mom got a boyfriend that was a main thing that messed me up. He yelled at my mom and he came home drunk. That made me not have respect for women because I thought that was what being a man was about. My friends- they were Goth and didn’t believe in God. I tried to be cool and not believe in God. This lead to me quitting school because I didn’t see the point in going. When I skipped school, we would run around and vandalize stuff and do drugs. I ended up in juvenile for a month and on house arrest. I was diagnosed with depression and felt that I had no reason to live. My lowest and scariest point was when I thought I was going to fail my drug screen and get sent to Boy’s School for 6 months. Nothing made me feel valuable then, but I tried to make myself feel valuable by getting girls. I now feel ashamed for how I was using them to make myself feel better.
After I got off house arrest, I started going to KIDS Inc. every chance I had and I don’t know why. I just felt the need to be there. Even though I had gone to KIDS Inc. before and gotten kicked out, when I went back this time I kept thinking about God and how He had to be real. I knew if I didn’t change my life, I would be like my dad and be lazy and smoke pot all day and have no reason for life except getting high and getting money to get high. I had to change if I wanted to get closer to God... so I changed. But I still knew I wasn’t exactly where I needed to be.
Then one day, Shalin, my friend that works at KIDS Inc., called and told me that In Pursuit had an opening in an Alpha trip. I was reluctant to go because I didn’t want to leave my mom alone dealing with my troubled brother. Everybody at KIDS Inc. kept bugging me about going because it was an amazing opportunity. I finally gave in and said yes. I am glad I went on the Alpha trip because everybody was kind to me and I felt free to be a Christian. My counselor, Chad, was cool and I looked up to him. The day that we were leaving In Pursuit, I asked Shalin if there was any way I could come back. She begged Rich to let me come back and he found a scholarship to put me in a 3 week TST. I love TST! Being in TST meant I had responsibility which made me feel relieved to be doing something important. Working didn’t just have to be for money, it could be for God. TST helped me to respect other peoples’ feelings and helped my relationship with God. My relationship with Jesus started during TST. I felt loved by Jesus and by the people around me. I finally felt valuable and loved, and felt like I had a reason for living. My favorite part was learning more about Christ and making Christian friends. I could share a lot of my feelings with my new friends because they believed in God. My counselor, Bill, was great because he understood me. At the end of 3 weeks, I didn’t want to leave.
Now I am in a better understanding of God and Jesus. I pray for my family, my friends, and for my relationship with God. I seek Him by reading the Bible daily and praying. In the future, I want to work at In Pursuit so I can help people to see that God is real by showing them the same Christ-like love that I received. I feel that God also wants me to work for Him in my neighborhood by showing them that I was the same way and that if Jesus can save me, He can save them too.”

I could’ve written an entire article on how God has blessed my life since He brought me to KIDS Inc ten years ago, but nothing says it better that this testimony. If you would like to volunteer or support KIDS Inc in any way please call or email Paul Velazquez at (317) 917-0451. This is what it’s all about. THIS IS MY MOTIVATION!

Rick Warren (6)

In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said: People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.

One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.

I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal.

God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.

The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort.

God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.

We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife getting cancer.

I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.

Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.

No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.

And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.

You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.

If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, ^which is my problem, my issues, my pain.^

But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal my wife or make it easy for her.

It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.

You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life. Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.

It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.

So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.

Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.

Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.

Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better ...

God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD

Anonymous (6)

Every time I am asked to pray, I think of the old deacon who always prayed, Lord, prop us up on our leanin' side.

After hearing him pray that prayer many times, someone asked him why he prayed that prayer so fervently.
He answered, 'Well sir, you see, it's like this...I got an old barn out back.
It's been there a long time, it's withstood a lot of weather, it's gone through a lot of storms, and it's stood for many years.

It's still standing. But one day I noticed it was leaning to one side a bit.
So I went and got some pine poles and propped it up on its leaning side so it wouldn't fall.

Then I got to thinking about that and how much I was like that old barn. I've been around a long time.
I've withstood a lot of life's storms. I've withstood a lot of bad weather in life, I've withstood a lot of hard times,
and I'm still standing too. But I find myself leaning to one side from time to time, so I like to ask the
Lord to prop us up on our leaning side, cause I figure a lot of us get to leaning, at times.

Sometime we get to leaning toward anger, leaning toward bitterness, leaning toward hatred, leaning
toward cussing, leaning toward a lot of things that we shouldn't. So we need to pray, 'Lord, prop us up on
our leaning side, so we will stand straight and tall again, to glorify the Lord.

If you stare at this barn for a second you will see who will help us stand straight and tall again.

Shayne Hammond (5)

Approximately 10 years ago, on a freezing July night, the cold, hard, truth hit me like a freight train.

NO ONE WAS COMING TO MY RESCUE.

On our bedroom floor, my wife was giving birth to our son, he’d come so quickly that we had just called the hospital to tell them we were on our way. But we never made it out of the house.

The complication was he was breech, and when he had come out to his shoulders, the contractions stopped and he stopped coming. My wife and I stayed calm, but for all my trying I just could not get his head out.

While this was happening my sister had called an ambulance, but we were stuck in this position for about 15 minutes before they arrived and were able to fully deliver him.

What I didn’t realise was that the umbilical cord was obstructed and our baby was suffering asphyxiation. When he was finally born our boy was blue, and his heart rate was 40 beats per minute when it should have been 140 beats per minute.

As the paramedics worked on our son, pumping oxygen into his lungs, with a hand pump, I went outside to talk to God.

I'd been studying faith at a local church for a while, and had achieved some small successes. One of the scriptures that has always impressed on me the most was Mark 11:24 “Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be though removed and be though cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he says shall come to pass. He shall have whatsoever he says.”

This scripture told me I had to take responsibility in the situation, and not wait for something to happen, but make something happen.

I felt strength flow through me as I reminded God what this scripture said. I told God that I was not going to ask for anything but that I was going to take control of the situation.

I had a strong belief that parents are supposed to protect their children, not just naturally but spiritually as well.

I also could not accept the idea that a child would be born just to die ten minutes later.

After my conversation with God I felt fearless and determined. When I went back into the house the main paramedic pulled me aside and asked me if he could have a word with me. With a grim look on his face and a professional tone in his voice he told me, “I don’t think the little blokes gonna make it.”

This was a defining moment, I refused to become afraid and accept his opinion!

Looking directly into his eyes I replied “No he is going to be fine.” I know I must have had a look that said I meant business, because the paramedic backed off immediately with a quick reply “Yer Okay”.

It’s amazing how quickly people will change their mind and come into agreement with you when you are clear and absolute about something.

Upon entering the hospital I repeated with conviction “No he’s going to make it, He’s gonna be just fine,” to any one that spoke to me.

As I stood back and watched Doctors and Nurses buzzing around my son in a hive of activity, things became surreal.

A smiling woman in a white coat approached, “You know when they called in, I thought they’d be bringing in a dead baby, but it’s a miracle, they’ve done a great job, he’s looking good.”

Of course our baby did survive.

But the next day he was placed in intensive care. At a meeting with the head of intensive care, the Doctor explained to us that our baby was “fitting” and this was most likely because he would have suffered brain damage and organ damage due to the lack of oxygen he received during birth. At this point, once again I reassured the Doctor, “No, don’t worry, he’s going to be just fine.” Because of what we had just been through, I thought there’s no way I’m going to start backing off now.

About this time we were interviewed by the hospital psychologist, to see how we were handling the fact our baby would be severely handicapped. After the meeting my wife sneaked a peek at the psychologist’s clipboard and notes. Amoung other things, my wife noticed the statement “This couple is not prepared for failure.” It was not written as a positive statement, but I found it incredibly empowering.

The ward is divided into ten sections. Section one for the sickest babies and our son was in this section. Some babies are in section one for months and some never get well. However, within two days our son was in section three and in three days he was in section nine. Within another three days we were taking him home in absolutely perfect condition.

Since that time I have pushed myself to learn as much as possible about this incredible power that saved my son’s life.

What I have learnt I have applied to many different areas of my life, I have used this power to transform my near bankrupt, failing business into a thriving prosperous company that has allowed me an income that has totally changed my lifestyle.

I have seen this power make cancer and arthritis completely disappear from people’s bodies.

I have seen it transform children with learning difficulties and sleeping problems into peaceful intelligent, happy kids.

I have seen it do many incredible, wonderful things in relationships, and every area of life. I believe this power controls the world, and I believe it exists for the benefit of mankind.

I truly believe it’s the answer to every obstacle we face.

“And you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” John 8:32

To find out more about Shayne Hammond please visit www.shaynehammond.com

Get Excited! It's Time to Overcome

Anonymous (4)

The Resume of Jesus Christ

Address: Ephesians 1:20
Phone: Romans 10:13
Website: The Bible. Keywords: Christ, Lord, Savior and Jesus
_____________________________________________________

Objective
My name is Jesus -The Christ. Many call me Lord! I've sent you my resume because I'm seeking the top management position in your heart. Please consider my accomplishments as set forth in my resume.
____________________________________________________________
Qualifications
· I founded the earth and established the heavens, (See Proverbs 3:19)
· I formed man from the dust of the ground, (See Genesis 2:7)
· I breathed into man the breath of life, (See Genesis 2:7)
· I redeemed man from the curse of the law, (See Galatians 3:13)
· The blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant comes upon your life through me, (See Galatians 3:14)

Occupational Background
· I've only had one employer, (See Luke 2:49)
· I've never been tardy, absent, disobedient, slothful or disrespectful.
· My employer has nothing but rave reviews for me, (See Matthew 3:15 -17)

Skills Work Experiences
· Some of my skills and work experiences include: empowering the poor to be poor no more, healing the brokenhearted, setting the captives free, healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind and setting at liberty them that are bruised, (See Luke 4:18)
· I am a Wonderful Counselor, (See Isaiah 9:6). People who listen to me shall dwell safely and shall not fear evil, (See Proverbs 1:33)
· Most importantly, I have the authority, ability and power to cleanse you of your sins, (See I John 1:7-9)

Educational Background
· I encompass the entire breadth and length of knowledge, wisdom and understanding, (See Proverbs 2:6)
· In me are hid all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, (See Colossians 2:3)
· My Word is so powerful; it has been described as being a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path, (See Psalms 119:105)
· I can even tell you all of the secrets of your heart, (See Psalms 44:21)

Major Accomplishments
· I was an active participant in the greatest Summit Meeting of all times, (See Genesis 1:26 )
· I laid down my life so that you may live, (See II Corinthians 5:15)
· I defeated the archenemy of God and mankind and made a show of them openly, (See Colossians 2:15)
· I've miraculously fed the poor, healed the sick and raised the dead!
· There are many more major accomplishments, too many to mention here. You can read them on my website, which is located at: www dot - the BIBLE. You don't need an Internet connection or computer to access my website.

References
Believers and followers worldwide will testify to my divine healing, salvation, deliverance, miracles, restoration and supernatural guidance

In Summation
Now that you've read my resume, I'm confident that I'm the only candidate uniquely qualified to fill this vital position in your heart. In summation, I will properly direct your paths, (See Proverbs 3:5-6), and lead you into everlasting life, (See John 6:47 ). When can I start? Time is of the essence, (See Hebrews 3:15 ).

This is an awesome witnessing tool. Send this resume to everyone you know, you never know who may have an opening!

Have you sent this resume to anyone? What was the outcome? How did your friend respond? Please post your comments below for others to read.

Alexandra (4)

It never seems to fail when all you have left is God. Everytime I seem like I'm loosing my faith ; all I need is just a few words from a friend or for me to get into the bible. He is God All MIghty and he will always be with you no matter what. I know I was put here on earth for a purpose, but somtimes I get to the point where I think I was just an accident. Then I think about it more and more HE would not want me to feel this way, because he put me on this earth for a reason. He has somthing very special in my life he is wanting to do I can feel it, I may not know what it is yet but he will let me know when he knows that I am ready for it. I'vc been through so much for the past 5 years, and I am surprised with myself that I have made it this far especailly for what I have been through. I know that God will always be with me no matter What And I am Thankful for that.

I pray for everyone that your dreams may come true, I pray for your lifes be as happy as mine is going to be when I get better. A-MEN

Karen Gaskin (4)

Lord I want to thank you for all that you have done for me. There are so many things that you have done that I can’t begin to share them all. There have been times when I didn’t know what to do but learned to trust and depend on you. My faith in you has grown to a place where I’ve never known it to be. I now know that without you I am nothing and that everything that happens in my life you already know the outcome. So therefore why should I try to figure things out? It would do nothing but stress me out and cause me to worry. You said in your word seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto me. Why was it that I took so long to really understand your word and know that I must not only read it but also apply and believe it? When I began to do this, this is when things started to happen for me.

Everything that the enemy tried to put in my way, I Trusted God to deliver me from it and to lead me through. Faith is a powerful word. Faith is the beginning of things. If I have little faith or none at all, I have now handicapped God. Putting a limitation on my faith is the same as putting a limitation on God. He can’t move on my behalf if I don’t believe that he can. Without Faith it is impossible to please God. Is it not my duty as a Christian to please my Father, God? Is it not true that I was created to Worship Him? Is it not true that God loved me so much that He gave His only Son to die for my sins? Is it not true that I am a true heir of Christ Jesus and my Father is rich? Is it not true that God has given me the power to overcome? Is it not true that whatsoever I bind on earth will be bound in heaven? Is it not true that I have authority over the enemy? Is it not true that God has already put inside of me everything that I need to be successful in life? Yes, it is true. Then why do I or we not believe. It’s because of our mindset. This is where a mindset change has to come into play. Romans 12:2 MSG reads: Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. Wow, that says a lot. When your mind changes, things begin to change. Now I’ve stepped into the realm of Faith that begins to operate for me in every aspect of my life. Now Faith!!!!!! Not I think faith, but NOW faith.

I will wait on the Lord and He will come through. Sometimes waiting is the hardest thing for us as believers to do. You have to develop patience if you want your faith to work for you. Romans 12:12 AMP reads: Rejoice and exult in hope; be steadfast and patient in suffering and tribulation; be constant in prayer.

Who’s’ report do You believe? I believe the report of the Lord. There is nothing impossible for him to do. I believe that He will take any situation that I am going through and turn it around for my benefit. I feel that I’ve reached a major turning point in my life. I feel the spirit of God in me more than ever before. It is almost like because of what has happened to me it quickened something in my spirit. I am anxious. The Holy Spirit in me has been awakened. My Faith level has reached an unknown and unexplored realm that few have the opportunity to experience. It is a great feeling when you know that you are on the right track and what you hear is directly from the Lord.

Everything that the Spirit of the Lord had told me is being confirmed. I COUNT IT ALL JOY WHEN IGO THROUGH. THE TEARS I SHED ARE NOT TEARS OF SORROW BUT TEARS OF JOY. THIS MEANS THAT SOMETHING IS ON THE OTHER SIDE!!!!!! I say Hallelujah!!!!!!! God is still God and I Praise Him even the more. The baby in my belly has begun to leap. Labor pains are being felt. I am beginning to have contractions to birth the baby that has been placed inside of me. This is the point in my life that the enemy has been trying to keep me from. The joke is on him because little did he know that the harder that he pushed the more I trusted God. There is no turning back. I have reached a place in faith where I can’t turn back. I now know who I am. I now know what God have given me the power to do. I now know the power of my tongue. I now know that I can speak things into existence. Therefore I choose to speak goodness over my life.

I DECREE AND DECLARE THAT MY DAYS OF LACK ARE NO MORE. I DECREE AND DECLARE THAT THE LEVEL OF FAITH THAT HAS BEEN BIRTHED INSIDE OF ME SHALL WORK FOR ME FULLY IN EVERY AREA OF MY PERSONAL LIFE BUT THERE SHALL BE SUCH AN OVERFLOW THAT IT WILL CORPORATELY BE ABLE TO MOVE FOR OTHERS ON THEIR BEHALF. My life and my story will be a true example of what it means to have faith for this is my purpose. This is my testimony and it is still in the process of completion. But I know that when it is all over it will help many that are going through the same thing. Because of my FAITH God brought me through. I LEARNED HOW TO STAND!!

At one point in my life I was doing pretty well. I had 3 cars, owned my own home, 2 vacation homes, 2 great paying jobs myself, kids were well taken care of, my daughter was on a full ride scholarship away at college, things seemed to be going pretty well. Then things started to take a turn. My daughter informed me that she was pregnant and she was going to lose her scholarship. To make things worse, she was in an abusive relationship. I had to sit by and witness my child get beaten repeatedly with not much that I could do. She had to make up her own mind that she had enough. I did what I knew to do and that was pray. My father’s health all of a sudden began to decline. If that wasn’t bad enough I lost both my jobs, 1 vacation home, 1 car, bills began to pile up and I eventually had to file bankruptcy. Never would I’ve thought that I would be in this place. Trying to hold on I thought that if I could just keep my car and home I would be okay. Although things were not going well I made sure that I didn’t let it affect me going to church and worshipping God. I was worshipping God not for what he had done but just because He was God.

One Sunday evening after praising God there was a knock on my door. When I opened the door it was the repo company to take my car away. No, this was not happening. I was so hurt. The enemy said what are going to do now? Now your car is gone. I cried but I didn’t let it detour me. I kept praising and worshipping God. I walked to church not letting it stop me and not really letting anyone know what I was going through. There was only one person who knew some of my situation. I kept on praising God. It rained, I walked. Sometimes I would be very tired after standing and singing in 3 services but I walked. I knew that God would take care of me. He had to move on my behalf. I just needed to wait. This was when I learned patience. It was 1 day before the finance company was going to auction my car off. The spirit of the Lord told me to go to the mail box. When I opened the mail it was a letter from the bankruptcy court demanding that the car company return my car to me at NO EXPENSE TO ME. Not only did they have to return my car but $3,000 was taken off the loan, all past due was forgiven, my interest rate was dropped 10%, 6 months was taken off the life of the loan and it was serviced when I picked it up. Hallelujah!!! Then my daughter informed me that she was no longer in her abusive relationship. He finally got caught and the courts were prosecuting him and I didn’t have to. Then I received a call for a job that I didn’t apply or interview for. God brought the job to me. It was in a field that I had NO EXPERIENCE IN. It had to be God. I know the God I serve.

Things seemed like they were starting to look up. But it wasn’t over. I got a letter from my mortgage company that my home was in default status and pre-foreclosure proceedings had begun. Here I was again dealing with a possible loss of my home of 14 years. I did what I knew to do. I kept praising God without fainting. My father’s health continued to decline. He required around the clock care. This was hard to see because my father was always a very independent and strong man. Then I got a call from my mother stating that my father’s health insurance was not going to pay for his care any longer and he would have to be discharged. For the 2 time in my entire life I heard my mother cry. The only other time I heard her cry was when my newborn daughter died. Yes, I’ve dealt with that as well, but the peace of God brought me through. Hearing my mother cry was a hurt that was hard for me to handle. If the hurt of our loved ones is hard for us as human beings to deal with what do you think God’s feels when He sees us go through hurt and pain? I just began to cry and fall on my knees. Lord I need you. I don’t know what to do.

During times like these you must know that your relationship with God is genuine. This why Jesus Christ died and rose again, He left us a comforter known as the Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit within me began to lead and instruct me on what to do. I was told to go to my computer and I was lead to a website that handled long term nursing care for people involved in the very situation that my parents were going through. I called and spoke to them and was immediately helped. Little did I know that I would have to go to their office which was located in southern California. At this time I had no means to get there. But God provided. My family was blessed with a week vacation at a diamond resort that was located near their office. This was at little cost to us. God is good. Through the Grace of God I was able to get my father approved for long term medi-cal which was known to be impossible for someone in his condition. Not only that the Lord made a way for him to be able to stay in the hospital until everything was approved. I had put everything in the hands of the Lord and He worked it out. Through this situation I didn’t stop pressing, praying and praising.

Then the enemy spoke to me and said I still have your home. I didn’t care or worry about it. God had been so good to me that my faith had entered a new realm. I continued to trust God. I prayed and asked God what would HE have me to do. Should I fight to hold on to my home or should I let it go. He said, Trust Me. So this is what I did. By this time I’ve learned that if you listen to what God has for you to do, you won’t go wrong. I said I won’t move until you say move. The Holy Spirit began to speak to me and tell me that God had something else for me. That’s when I began to let go. I informed my family that it was time for us to move on. They asked, “Where are we going?” I said, “I don’t know all I know is that I need to start packing.” I went and found moving boxes and began to pack my house. My husband looked at me like I was crazy. He kept asking me, “where are we going?” “Our credit is messed up, we just filed bankruptcy and this house is all we have.” I said, “No it is not, I have Jesus and he said get ready to move.” I began to look on the internet for homes. I didn’t know which way He was leading me if it was for home ownership or for rental. I was just packing. I knew that I didn’t want to move far from where I was currently located. I looked and looked and nothing seemed to be available in our price range. I just kept trusting and packing. All the while I kept praising and not letting it affect my lifestyle of worship. Nobody knew what I was going through. I remained faithful. Then one evening after praise and worship rehearsal I was looking for a home again on the internet. The computer suddenly froze. I had to power the computer down and restart it. When I got back on the internet and typed in my usual search a new website came up. It showed me homes in my area that I had not seen before. One home stood out. I wrote down the address and I and my kids drove by to see it. The first thing I noticed was that it was in the neighborhood I always wanted to live in. The home was beautiful at least what I could see at night. My youngest son said, “Well mom, you said that we were moving to a bigger and better house with 2 stories I think this is it.” “I’ll take it.” My oldest son said, “This is really nice but I need to know where will I be able to play my basketball?” “It’s on a hill.” I told him we’ll figure that out. Then we went home. After we returned home I got ready for bed and prayed and asked the Lord If that house was for me to make it an easy transition and to confirm His word. Let me know that it is you because I don’t want to move outside of your will. Then I went to sleep.

At 6am the next morning my eyes opened. The Lord woke me up. I said okay Lord what do you have to tell me. He said go and look at the address and tell me what you see. I got up and pulled up the listing again. I had not really noticed the address before but this time it stuck out like a sore thumb. The address was 19 ZION Ave. WOW!!!! 19 deals with the perfection of divine order that is in relation to judgment. Zion was the name that God gave His people. Then I realized that the home sat on the side of the mountain looking over the land. God’s spiritual Kingdom Psalms 125: 1-2NIV reads:

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore.

WOW!!!! Okay Lord I hear you. The house had been on the market for 3 weeks. I said if this is for me it will still be available. I decided to call and leave a message for the realtor because it was 6 in the am. So I called the number. I real person answered. I was shocked. I apologized for calling so early. I told him I was just going to just leave a message. He was very understanding. I asked if the house was still available and he said, “Yes, would you like to see it today at 1pm?” Excited I said yes!!! After I got off the phone I realized that my husband was at work and I didn’t know what time he was going to get home. I called him and asked what time did he expect to get home, he told me 1pm. Wow look at God. I was so excited. I got in my car and went to look at the home in the daylight before meeting with the realtor. When I pulled up I began to laugh. There was an in ground basketball court in the backyard. I guess that answered my oldest son’s question. The home was perfect.

It was time to meet with the realtor. We all got in the car and drove over. My family could not believe what they were seeing. I could because I know the God I serve and trust. When we arrived the door was open and the realtor was inside. We walked up to the door and said hello. The realtor met us at the door. I was in shock. The realtor was the same person that was just introduced to me the day before at my job. You know that job I didn’t apply for or interview for. Yeah, that one. I said, “I know you.” He said, “I know you too. How are you Karen?” How funny was this? He showed us the home and asked if we liked it. I told him yes but I have to be honest we are moving from our home and we have just been discharged from bankruptcy. He said, “Don’t worry about that, I just want to know if you want it.” Yes of course. To make a long story short, we were approved for the house within 1 week. The home I was trying to hold on to was a 1 level 3 bedrooms and 2 baths 1,400sq ft. The home God had for me was tri-level 4 bedroom 3 bath with an office, formal living room, formal dining room, family room, 2300sq ft. and sitting on ¼ acre land for less than what I was paying for on the other home. I know what my God can do. My faith didn’t stop there. I had to believe God for the finances to move.

I continued in faith and kept packing. I didn’t have the money for my deposit, 1 month’s rent or moving expenses but I knew that God would come through. I know that the God I serve is not an incomplete God. He does not operate in confusion and incompleteness. Just because of the fact that He already started it means that it is already done. I kept packing. I signed the rental agreement and kept packing. I found and purchased things I needed for my new home because the Lord told me not to bring old and battered things into my new blessing. He would supply me with what I needed if I trusted Him. So I did. I just kept packing. The Lord began to bless me with furniture and things for my home for ridiculous prices. For example how do you get a beautiful executive desk for your new in home office (which God told you that you needed) for $25.00. Only by the grace of God.

Well things were moving right along. It was almost time to move into our new home. I had three days before I was to move. I scheduled things to be turned on at the new house and things to be turned off at the old home but I still didn’t have the money to move or the deposit. My husband looked at me in disbelief. I told him I was trusting God. I didn’t know how He was going to do it, but I knew that He would. It may not come when we expect it to but God’s timing is perfect. I told him I was going to lie down because I was tired and I’d to go to church that night. So I went to lie down. Before I did so, I said, “God it is in your hands and I will trust you.” Not 2 minutes later my husband came in the bedroom and told me that he was picking up $4000 the next day for us to move. An individual had just blessed us with the money as a gift not a loan. God moved on our behalf. Wow, my faith is rising!!! We moved into our new blessing without a glitch. God is so good. I give Him all the Glory. I’ll keep praising and worshipping Him.

Finally, for a moment in my life it seemed things were pretty calm. Then I got word that my father’s health was failing. I watched Him go through pain and suffering not being able to do anything. I had to be strong. I just kept worshipping for this had become my lifestyle. This was my release. We were down to 2 cars and 1 of them was having problems. My car was the only car really running. Because of this my husband took my car to go to work. Then I received a call that my father had passed away. I was alone, no way to get there, no one to talk to. I just wrapped myself in my heavenly Father’s arms. Lord I need You. I need your peace. I need your comfort. In an instant he was there. After my husband came home I went to see about my mother. She is a strong woman of God and her faith and trust in God is just as strong as mine. We stood in agreement that we would get through this with God’s peace. How many know that this made the enemy mad? After driving to Oakland to help out, my brakes went out on my car without warning. I was able to get is safely to my mother’s home. I rebuked the enemy and said I will not be defeated. Now both of our cars were down. I couldn’t drive my car anywhere. I went ahead with my mother in her car and took care of arrangements for my father. I told my brother what had happened on the way over. By the end of the day my brakes were fixed and my car was waiting for me in the driveway. Not only that the next day my husband’s car was fixed as well. All this was done at NO EXTRA expense to me. God Blessed us all through this situation and His PEACE was with us. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!!!! My faith and trust in Him will never falter.

I continued to worship and praise God. Not for what He had done but just for who He is. My worship and praise had entered another dimension. I had truly developed a lifestyle of worship. Every day was dedicated to honor Him. Not looking at the things that are around me but looking unto Him asking what I can do to honor you today. Things were not always great. I had some hard days. But I kept trusting Him. There were times that I had to trust in Him for my needs. The sickness and death of my father caused me to not work for 1 month. I had just moved and couldn’t get behind. Lord I trust you. My kids were growing so fast they were outgrowing all their clothes. Lord I trust you. My hours at my job had been cut down and it was only part time to begin with. Lord I trust you!!! I kept pressing, praying and praising. There was no turning back.

We had put our home on the market and had offers on top of offers. It was up to the mortgage company to accept the offers. They sat on the offers, played games, made us jump through all kinds of hoops. All of the offers were at market value although we were trying to do a short sale. I thought that everything would be okay. Then I found out this week that the mortgage company foreclosed on my home of 14 years without any recourse. How many know that this is the time that the enemy chooses to jump in and place the spirit of doubt, depression and anger on many? I chose to opt out!!! I count it ALL JOY!!! I began to praise God. I began to shout. My praise and worship moved to another level in Him. I did just the opposite of what the enemy wanted me to do. Do you know that your praise in the time of test and trials confuses the enemy? Do you know that your praise is your weapon? Do you know that God is still God despite of all you’re going through? Do you know that He is a Faithful God? I do. This is why I choose to PRESS, PRAY, PRAISE AND SHOUT NOW!!! This testimony is to be continued. But I know that at the end, I will be victorious!!!. I WILL BE AND DO WHAT HE HAS CALLED ME TO DO. I TRUST HIM!!!!

Why do I write when I don’t even consider myself a writer? Why do I share my personal life with others when I am usually a very private person? I do it because God told me to. I need to share my revelation of faith with others because of my experiences, test and trials. Through this I will be able to show people how to STAND.

What is faith? We all know the scripture Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. What are you hoping for? What are you looking for? Is it aligned with the word of God? Is it aligned with the will of God for your life? Do you say what you believe? Do you believe what you say? If the answer to these questions is yes then your faith will work for you. What are doing to act in faith? Are acting as if it is so? Or are you acting like you don’t know? You have to learn not to look at your circumstance but to look unto God. Learn not to look with your physical eyes but with your spiritual eyes. What does your heart say? Proverbs 3: 1-6 NIV reads:

My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you peace and prosperity.

Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
   bind them around your neck,
   write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name
   in the sight of God and man.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight

With a pure heart and unwavering faith you are unstoppable. The enemy knows this. Why do you think he injects fear and doubt into your life? If he can distract you with the circumstances in life and get your mind off of what you were created to do which is worship God then he has you. Don’t’ give place to the enemy. Stand strong, don’t waver. Don’t turn back. Keep the faith in God to know that all is well. God gave this to me and it sits on my desk at home for me to see and read every day. It states:

I DECREE AND I DECLARE THAT GOD CAN AND IS ABLE TO DO ALL THAT I CAN ASK OR THINK. I MUST SPEAK IN FAITH ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF GOD AND BELIEVE THAT HE WILL. LITTLE FAITH, LITTLE POWER, MUCH FAITH, MUCH POWER. I DECLARE THAT PROSPERITY IS THE REWARD OF THE RIGHTEOUS. EVERYTHING THAT I PUT MY HANDS TO WILL PROSPER AND NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST ME SHALL PROSPER. I AM DECLARED THE RIGHTEOUS OF GOD AND I SHALL NOT LACK.

To confirm his word he gave me Psalms 112NIV

Praise the LORD.

Blessed are those who fear the LORD,
who find great delight in his commands.

Their children will be mighty in the land;
   the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in their houses,
   and their righteousness endures forever.
Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
   for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.
Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,
   who conduct their affairs with justice.

Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
   they will be remembered forever.
They will have no fear of bad news;
   their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
   in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,
   their righteousness endures forever;
   their horn will be lifted high in honor.

The wicked will see and be vexed,
they will gnash their teeth and waste away;
the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

Rest in God’s word regarding faith read Hebrews the 11 chapter.

Believe that it is so. You Can Stand.

God Bless You.

Kitchen (4)

So, sometimes I feel like a brick in the wall. It seems no one really cares at all about me. Family, friends....... anyone. I feel so alone...... It hurts. I get made fun of all the time at my school. And for what? A cheap laugh? With all this pressing me down, it can be hard to stay optimistic. I can't even think what I would do without god though. He's always there. I ask him for the strength, he gives me it. I ask for protection. He gives it. I ask for forgiveness for the sinful things I do. He gives me it. He's always there, and always caring.

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