Post on 14-Mar-2016
description
transcript
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010 1
True Worshiper
KARI JOBE
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPT 2010
Helping Christians with
Negative Emotions
Accepting Those Things
We Cannot Change
Christian Stewardship
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010 3
in this issue
Pg. 18
Kari Jobe
8 - Accepting Those Things We Cannot Change
10 - Four Things Every Husband Needs To Know
About His Wife
12 - Maintaining Clear Boundaries
14 - Helping Christians with Negative Emotions
15 - The Eyes Have It
22 - Christian Stewardship
28 Women In Ministry
40 Get involved
31 Le’Andria Johnson
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010 4
R R R R EFLECTIONS A MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDER
Enter Into Worship.
I love all types of music but there is something about worship music that
just moves me.
If I am going through something or just need to spend some time with God,
worship music takes me to a place that no other type of music can. Many
mornings after I wake up, I’ll put on one of my favorite worship songs and
just begin to enter into His presence. No words are needed as the song I
listen to speaks every word for me.
Worship music has a calming effect. When listening to it, there is this in-
tense desire to just praise God. In worshiping, we connect with Our Father.
Our hearts speak to Him and His to us.
Kari Jobe (pg. 18) is familiar with this type of connection as she is the wor-
ship pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas. She has been sharing
her heart through her songs with hurting people for years. Her songs create
an intimate atmosphere that allows those who are broken to be lifted out of
painful places.
God desires intimacy with his children and wants to connect with us. Wor-
ship music is perfect for anytime praise even if you do not know exactly
what you want to say.
Allow the music to take you to that place with God where you can rest, be
loved, and get healed. Worship.
Ayana Elon
“No words are need-
ed as the song I listen
to speaks every word
for me.”
Contributing Writers
Shirley Mahood
Dr. Sharon Schuetz
Leah Nichols
Naomi Ball
Neil Justin
Olivia Stith
Dionna Sanchez
Debra Lohrere
Andy Stanley
Charles F. Stanley
Unami Magwenzi
Susan Darling
Carol M. Karimi
Paulette H. Johnson
Photographer Credits
Anna Gutermuth
Chris Willis
Robby McKee
Peter Harrison
Lauren Nelson
Adrian Boliston
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010 6
NEWS & HEADLINES
Derek Degrate, Releases Debut Album
Derek, brother of JODECI’s Devante’ and Dalvin releases debut album,
“The Other Brother”. Like his brothers, he has been involved in music
since he was a child.
“The Other Brother” is a stylish mix of smooth grooves and hip beats all
with lyrics that are dedicated to God. "It's real cool to be feelin’ a beat
like you hear on your favorite R&B or pop radio sta;on and at the same
;me express your love for GOD for waking you up in the morning!" says
Derek.
You can listen to samples and purchase the CD at derekdegrate.com.
7 year old Gospel Singing Sensation
Rhema Marvanne is not your average 7 year old. She is a
young gospel sensa;on. Her video of her version of ‘O Holy
Night at her Carrollton, TX home has received more than
one million views on the popular website, Youtube.
Unlike most children her age, Rhema has her own website.
She also connects with her fans via social networks, Face-
book, TwiEer, and Myspace.
Her inspira;on comes from her mother who died in 2008
from Ovarian Cancer. Rhema’s mother used to write her
own music and sing to her.
To find out more about her, visit www.rhemamarvanne.com
New Gospel Choir
Dr. Crystal Sellers is organizing a gospel choir in BluHon, OH. She
has joined the BluHon University faculty as an assistant professor
of music. The choir is open to the community and university facul-
ty, staff, and students.
Dr. Sellers has a long history in singing gospel music. She began
singing at a church in Columbus which was founded by her grandfa-
ther. She believes the choir can create a nice community network.
The choir debut is scheduled for Nov. 13 at a Celebra;on of Gospel
Concert in Yoder Recital Hall.
You can find Dr. Sellers on facebook: facebook.com/cyssoprano
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010 8
Accepting Those Things
We Cannot Change
PHOTO CREDIT: Adrian Boliston
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010 9
FAMILY
N early 20 years ago now our
family was hit with the dev-
astating news that one of
our then teenage daughters had a
serious mental illness. I could not
believe that God had allowed this to
happen to her or to us. After all, we
were a good family; at least we tried
to be. Trouble and bad luck are
things that happen to people who
don't take precautions against them,
or so I thought. (Guess you can tell I
have been a real control freak in my
life.)
It was a time my faith was rocked to
the core, but, thankfully, not aban-
doned. Sleepless nights and anxious
days were the name of the game for
several months. I was in major denial
or, when I chose to recognize the sit-
uation, then I figured if I just re-
searched enough, said the right
things, did the right things, my
daughter would be healed. I was
praying, but I was praying for her
healing. What I didn't realize then is
that she is whole, a beloved child of
God. I was too busy seeing her as
much of the world would probably
see her.
Then one night as I lay in bed, awake
at 3am, continuing my prayer for my
daughter's healing, I seemed to hear
a voice say, "Accept my healing for
you." Healing for me, I remember
thinking, "I don't need to be healed. I
am not sick."
But my recognition of my need to
change began a change from which
the whole family has benefited, and I
would not now be on the path of
helping hurting people through my
talks and workshops if I had not
learned from this situation. I am so
grateful that God stayed with me as I
struggled to accept what I considered
the unacceptable. Yes, of course, I
would wish my daughter could have
an easier life, but God does bring
good out of all situations to those
who trust. Today because of how we
all learned to think differently, my
daughter is herself in a much better
place as well.
Many Bible passages brought me
much needed strength as we all
struggled to cope with the unusual,
and often very erratic, behavior of
our daughter. Trust in the Lord and
lean not on your own understanding,
Proverbs 3:5, was one. My under-
standing had been that anyone who
really tried hard enough could "get
their act together." Another faulty
way of thinking was that there was
something "wrong" with her. And, of
course, being her mother, I was deal-
ing with another disturbing thought.
What kind of mother will people
think I am that my daughter has this
illness?
God guided me to change those
thoughts. I began to understand that
sometimes illness can prevent people
from changing in ways that they
themselves would like to change. It
wasn't just our family who wished
she could be different; she would
have liked to have a more "normal"
life, though today she says honestly
that she has many really good days;
she has stopped trying to be what the
world would want her to be, that is
successful in the way the world
measures success. The other two un-
healthy thoughts I had to change
were even harder to accept at first.
Living too much in the world, I strug-
gled to finally come to the conclusion
that indeed there is nothing wrong
with my daughter. Yes, she has a
mental illness diagnosis, and yes, she
cannot work, but she is, as I said ear-
lier, still a child of God with her own
strengths and weaknesses, just like
every other person. And, lastly, I was
unhappy to realize that I at times
could be more concerned about what
people thought about me than how to
be a support to my daughter.
John 2:9 became and remains one of
my most reassuring verses. Jesus is
asked about a blind man, "Who
sinned, he or his parents?" Jesus an-
swers, "Neither this man nor his par-
ents sinned. But this happened so
that the work of God could be seen in
his life." How true that is. My daugh-
ter's life is indeed a testimony of the
power of God to work in an individu-
al. Her own strength to deal with her
life and her enormous capacity to
offer caring and compassion to all
people, often giving money to people
begging, despite the very limited in-
come she has, are just two of the
ways we see God at work in her. And,
whenever we tend to forget how God
cares for each one of us, we remem-
ber the numerous times God has
"been there" for our daughter when
she was in a difficult position, and no
family member was available to help
her. Some stranger always somehow
arrived to save the day.
Accepting those things we cannot
change, as the Serenity Prayer tells
us, does bring a sense of peace. I
know that now. How sad I feel that it
took me as long as it did to under-
stand I am not in control. God knows
what He is doing, and my job is not
to judge, but to support and offer to
others what my daughter is so good
at offering care and compassion. In-
deed she has blessed our family.
Shirley Mahood is an author and work-
shop leader on topics of self-esteem and
managing stress from a spiritual point of
view.
I am so grateful that God stayed
with me as I struggled to accept
what I considered the
unacceptable.
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010
H ave you ever wondered why God made wom-
en so different? A woman will hide her feel-
ings, mulling them over until she thinks her-
self into despair. She worries about her
problems; she worries about her family; she worries about
her church, her neighbors, and her career. Left un-
checked, her fear turns into depression. She masks her
pain, deceiving herself and everyone else, until she ex-
plodes at the slightest provocation.
Does this sound like someone you know? Perhaps it is
your wife. Remarkably, as her husband, you make a great-
er difference in her life than anyone else. By learning
about a few basic needs exclusive to a woman's nature,
you can help her grow into the beautiful creature God de-
signed her to be. After all, she is the one you married and
wanted to stay with forever.
A woman releases her pent up emotions through talking
about her thoughts. This is how she finds solutions. She
needs someone in her life she can trust. This is someone
who will listen when she is willing to share.
She needs a man with whom she is safe, who allows her to
expose her soul, and share her innermost self. If you will
not listen to her without criticism, judgment, or rejection,
she will stop and find someone else to share this part of
her life. Consequently, your marriage will suffer the loss
of intimacy and trust. A husband with a sympathetic ear
is rare, but you can learn the art of listening.
Why do men not understand women? Who knows? God
wired men and women using different schematics. Our
human nature believes everyone deals with the world the
same way we do. Men think women manage information
and behave a certain way because they would behave the
same way in their place. We can compare men and wom-
en to bananas and strawberries. Both are fruit, but each
has its own form, flavor, and texture. By themselves, they
taste fabulous, but combine them together and you get a
fantastic fruit salad with each part keeps its own charac-
teristics.
Marriage is like fruit salad. A man and a woman: each
with unique shapes, textures, and flavors, are complete by
themselves. Nevertheless, when you combine them to-
gether, you get a brand new creation. Though, both of you
keep your own identity.
When his wife cries, her husband embraces her and wants
to solve her problems. Once she gets a few intelligible
words out through her sniffles, he holds his head back;
sometimes he is even stupid enough to laugh. Then he
PHOTO CREDIT: Lauren Nelson
Four Things Every Husband Needs to Know About His Wife
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010
says, "Oh, is that all. It’s so is simple.
This is what you need to do."
It dumbfounds him when she stops
talking, looks at him and says, "Never
mind! I'll figure it out myself," as she
walks away slamming the door. Now
she is angry and frustrated as well as
depressed.
He has no clue why she did not throw
her arms around him, give him a pas-
sionate kiss, and thank him for all his
wisdom. Men want to give women a
solution after hearing a few details.
Never mind that they heard only a few
of the facts. They do not want to hear it
all. They have the answer whether their
wives want it or not. Overall, their an-
swer is probably correct, if not appreci-
ated.
The resulting argument adds pressure
to an already strained relationship.
Women do not want the answers given
to them. It defeats the purpose. Men
get aggravated when women reject
their quick fixes, but women must pro-
cess their own way to find the answer.
God designed your partner to keep her
emotions in, releasing them as she
speaks. Through talking, she verbalizes
her thoughts. Her emotions begin to
unravel and confusion dissipates. This
allows her to identify the answer star-
ing her in the face. You probably of-
fered the same solution. Nevertheless,
because of her confused emotions she
was not ready for it.
So many marriage problems could be
resolved if we understood God made
both genders different with different
needs. Our desires, our thinking pro-
cesses, and our needs are all different.
Understanding them can help us make
positive strides in relating to one an-
other.
There are four characteristics every
woman needs from her husband for
her sense of security and complete-
ness. By understanding them he can
make a tremendous difference in his
marriage, transform his home, chang-
ing the atmosphere from disappoint-
ment, confusion, and indifference to
one of peace and oneness of spirit and
purpose.
The first attribute or virtue your wife
needs from you is the sound guidance
of a spiritual leader. As
a strong spiritual leader,
you can provide many of
her needs. Spiritual
leadership reveals a
man's spiritual health
and shows the direction
he is going.
A wife aches for guidance when her
husband fails to be the spiritual leader.
God did not intend for her to be the
spiritual leader of the family. If you fail
here, you expose her to worry she was
not meant to experience. Her life is out
of control. The resulting fear and help-
lessness forces her to make decisions
she should not make. Then she must
accept the consequences and some-
times the blame from you if she makes
the wrong choice.
As her spiritual leader, she needs to
trust your desire for a relationship with
God is sincere. You prove this when
you read his word, pray, pay tithes and
faithfully attend church. She needs to
see you build your strong convictions
on Scripture, and consistently follow
your convictions.
The next thing your wife needs is reas-
surance that she is meeting needs in
your life no other woman can. This is a
fundamental need common to all
women. She needs you to convince her
she is special to you. God made her for
a "helpmate." The needs she is meeting
in your life must be relevant to you.
The more valuable they are, the more
you should compliment and appreciate
her.
A man has the tendency to hide his real
needs from his wife, wanting her to
admire him and think of him as a suc-
cess. For your wife to honor you, she
must see your humility. You will re-
ceive and keep her love more quickly
by sharing your failures with her than
you will by sharing only your success-
es. You must not only describe your
needs, but you
should relate
to her exactly
what she can
do to help you
meet them.
You encounter
many needs in your life only your
spouse can satisfy. She can help pro-
tect you against other women with
wrong motives. We live in a world per-
meated with sensuality and passion.
She can give you the joy of a physical
love without guilt.
Her need for security and steadfast-
ness will make you want to make
sound decisions instead of hasty ones.
It grieves a man when his wife suffers
because of his poor decisions. Under-
standing how his choices affect his en-
tire family makes him take more time
and examine the consequences before
acting rashly.
Your wife instills godly character in
your children and discerns their needs.
She is probably with them more than
you are, and as a mother, she often has
insight in their lives you may not. She
serves as a buffer during conflict and is
usually an arbitrator.
She will become discouraged if she
feels you are more concerned with the
needs of employers, employees, col-
leagues, friends, and church members,
than you are with her needs.
Continued on page 47...
In putting God first in our
relationship with our spouse,
our marriage becomes more
God-centered.
FAMILY
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010
DATING
You know the story.
Girl meets guy. Guy woos girl....says stuff
like, "You're just so beau;ful," and "I can't
believe how wonderful you are," and
"Other guys were fools not to see how
much you ____," and so on.
Guy is not exactly the ideal of godliness,
and he may even have some habits and
behavioral tendencies that would make
even the weakest believer cringe, but girl
does not care.
She knows in her heart that guy is not re-
ally all that bad, and more than that, be-
cause she's strong in faith, they will work
as a couple with her taking the spiritual
lead.
She knows beEer than to end up in bed
with him - that commandment is as clear
as day in her mind. There's no way she'd
break that rule.
Yeah right.
And so the story goes. First she lets him
kiss her, then she finds herself making out
on the couch, and the next thing she
knows, she's dealing with a whole load of
shame, if not an unplanned pregnancy.
No, I'm not cynical. Yet I do see an increas-
ing number of women pass through our
labor & delivery unit without a wedding
band, and many claim to be professing
Chris;ans. So how do they end up there,
when the Scripture is so explicitly clear on
the maEer?
Paul gives us a direct admoni;on regard-
ing the life of faith in I Corinthians 10:12 -
"Therefore let him who thinks he stands
take heed lest he fall." (NKJV) This Scrip-
ture reflects the classic warning in Prov-
erbs: "Pride goes before destruc;on, and
a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs
16:18 NKJV). The first reason why a wom-
an, or anyone for that maEer, falls into a
paEern of sin, has to do with her self-
percep;on. She ignores the warnings
about da;ng someone weak in the faith
(or not at all in the faith) and says to her-
self, I am an excep;on - I will be able to
resist sin.
My sisters, the Bible speaks very clearly to
this condi;on: "Do not be unequally
yoked," (II Corinthians 6:14 NKJV) which in
plain English means Do Not Be Unequally
Yoked!
The moment we think that we can resist
sin by our own willpower or holiness, we
fall into a trap laid quite ingeniously for us
by the enemy. Gala;ans 6:1 warns,
"Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any
trespass, you who are spiritual restore
such a one in a spirit of gentleness, consid-
ering yourself lest you also be tempt-
ed." (NKJV, emphasis mine) We cannot
afford to think more highly of ourselves
than we ought to think (Romans 12:3) -
such pride stands in the way of God's help.
Over and over the Bible states that God
resists the proud and gives grace to the
humble (Proverbs 3:34). We cannot afford
to think that we will not fall when placed
into the same situa;on - Jesus warns in
MaEhew 7:1-2 that the very thing we
judge in another will be judged in our own
life.
A sober, humble view of ourselves is the
first way to resist sin in this area. Even if I
have guarded my heart for years and re-
fused to date anyone who might drag me
down spiritually, if I believe for one se-
cond that I can make an excep;on just
once and that I will not fall away, I place
myself directly into that trap. Over and
over I have seen different friends make
that fateful decision despite warnings
from all the believers around them, and
over and over again they fall - every single
;me.
God has placed His body around us for our
protec;on and to spur us on in the faith.
Allow the believers around you to speak
Maintaining Clear Boundaries
PHOTO CREDIT: Peter Harrison
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010
DATING into your life. On our own, we may easily slip up, but with the
admoni;ons of those around us (as long as we actually listen)
we may steady our feet on the path of righteousness.
Secondly, we must resist the tempta;on to believe that the
world has anything to offer us that would excel the glory of
following Christ. Many women who make the choice to date
someone outside the faith mistakenly believe that God is with-
holding from them - that they are missing something wonder-
ful that their heart longs to experience. Surely God would not
withhold a rela;onship from them, especially if it makes them
happy!
James 4:1-10 addresses the issue of following aVer worldly
desires:
Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels
come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They
come about because you want your own way, and fight for it
deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don't have and
are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn't yours and will
risk violence to get your hands on it. You wouldn't think of just
asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know
you'd be asking for what you have no right to. You're spoiled
children, each wan;ng your own way. You're chea;ng on God.
If all you want is your own way, flir;ng with the world every
chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And
do you suppose God doesn't care? The proverb has it that
"he's a fiercely jealous lover." And what he gives in love is far
beEer than anything else you'll find. It's common knowledge
that "God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to
the willing humble." So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud
no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God
and he'll be there in no ;me. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your
inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit boEom, and cry your eyes
out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious.
Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way
you'll get on your feet. (James 4:1-10 The Message)
When we "flirt with the world" we risk that in;mate friendship
with God that brings righteousness and life. We have heard
that God can sa;sfy our longings: "For He sa;sfies the longing
soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness" (Psalm 107:9
NKJV). Desiring to seek that sa;sfac;on through the ways of
the world only brings hurt and destruc;on!
Remember Abraham, who waited over 25 years for the fulfill-
ment of the promise - when he tried to make it happen on his
own, he created a whole mess that carries on in the Middle
East even into the present day. God s;ll fulfilled His promise to
Abraham, however, and will fulfill every promise to us today (I
Corinthians 1:20). If we hold onto those promises He has
made, and resist the passions of the world, we will experience
the joy of peaceful obedience to the One who sa;sfies the
soul.
Sisters, I know that many of you long for the love of a man.
God knows that deep desire of your heart, and even put that
there Himself. He knows the very person that is created to
match you perfectly. In His own ;me, God will bring you to-
gether.
God desires that you and I will come to Him and seek Him to
fulfill the desires of our hearts! He joyfully longs to bless those
who ask Him: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you
will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone
who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who
knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you
who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he
asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being
evil, know how to give good giVs to your children, how much
more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to
those who ask Him!" (MaEhew 7:7-11 NKJV)
While you wait for His answer, though, you must make bound-
aries clear in your life. Seek that humility that God draws close
to, and throw away every desire for the world. Only then can
you make decisions with a pure conscience.
May we all honor God in everything we do!
Leah Nichols writes in her spare �me....whenever it's available.
She is newly married and living in Eastern Washington State,
working as a labor/delivery nurse, and playing the violin on the
side. She also enjoys cooking, walking, and playing Wii games
with her husband.
When we "flirt with the world" we risk that
in�mate friendship with God that brings
righteousness and life.
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010
HEALTH
Helping Christians with
Negative Emotions How does a Christian deal with negative emotions? How
does a Christian deal with depression and depressive
thoughts that will not go away, with out having to be-
come dependent on drugs? Faith in God should make you
always joyful, right?
God is near to the broken hearted (Psalms 34:18). He
wants you to be close, and to rely on Him, but He doesn't
want you to be helpless. He provided help a long time
ago. The Bible says that in the beginning when God cre-
ated the world He created many plants that were good
for food and good for healing. He gave Moses a recipe
for a holy anointing oil (Exodus 30), and James com-
mands that we call the elders and anoint with oil (James
5).
Our bodies, our health, are absolutely connected to and
affected by our emotions and our mental thought pro-
cesses and so is our spiritual health. The three are con-
nected and affected by the other. Spiritual healing is part
of physical healing and is obviously part of emotional
healing. Spiritually healing, contrary to most aromathera-
py books, can only come from God through Jesus Christ.
Spiritual healing will make us feel elated, on the other
hand negative emotions can block our response to spirit-
ually healing. However feeling elated, feeling cleansed,
feeling close to God is not spiritually healing. God's for-
giveness and love, Jesus' death and resurrection only can
bring spiritually healing.
Our emotions and thought processes are chemical and
electrical processes and some times we need a chemical
boost. Life can overwhelm us and make us feel like God
is not near and does not care. At time like this that is
perfectly acceptable to take advantage of the wonderful
benefits of therapeutic essential oils from plants that God
himself created. Many plants have chemical compounds
that have powerful uplifting affect on our emotions. Es-
sential oils can be calming, stimulating, promote feeling
of self-love, promote courage, and relieve feelings of
anxiety, to name just a few of the emotional benefits of
various essential oils.
Essential oils are steam distilled from various plants. The-
se plant oils are highly concentrated plant essences and
are good for healing the body and healing the emotions,
but do not have the negative side affects that drugs
have. Essential oils can have an immediate affect and
can be safely be used for long periods of time. And with
careful handling can be safely used on children, when
they are feeling down, over anxious or having a two year
old temper tantrum. There are a few safe-handling
guidelines to follow, any book or web site on aromather-
apy will tell what they are.
If you are on antidepressants it is extremely important
that you do not suddenly stop taking them. You need to
talk to your doctor about gradually coming off them. For
more information see http://www.drugawareness.org/
When you feel like life is overwhelming or you are feeling
a little down say a prayer, sing a hymn and reach for a
bottle of essential oil, it is a wonderful combination for
overcoming negative emotions.
Naomi Ball is a cer�fied aromatherapist and is the creator of
www.aromatherapyforchris�ans.com
Interested in writing for
God Works Magazine?
Send your writing samples to us.
writers@godworksmagazine.com
PHOTO CREDIT: Robby McKee
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010
HEALTH
In elementary school one day I was wai;ng to go home on my
bus. I had to change buses at that ;me because I went to a
private school. So the buses would pick us up, then go to the
public middle school and we'd switch. I was wai;ng out on the
playground for my last bus to come home when the wind real-
ly picked up and I got dust in my eye. I remember it preEy well
to this day my hair blowing and all.
All the way home, my eye just watered and watered and I
could not get the dust out of my eye at least it felt that way. It
con;nued on that way un;l my dad got home from work and I
was taken to the emergency room. Come to find out the dust
par;cle had worked its way up under my eyelid and done a
good job scratching up my eye! They removed it but I had to
wear a patch for a few days to heal it up. That was very pain-
ful.
Again during my first year of my marriage, I had another eye
incident. I was curling my hair one morning and the curling
iron got hung up in my hair and kind of flopped down. It's kind
of hard to explain but I'm sure those of you who've dropped
curling irons before understand how something like that can
happen. I thought I bonked my eye and again my eye really
started to water just like when you poke it before you blink
your eyelash. I laid down on my couch for awhile and just let
my eyes close and water, thinking the watering would calm
down aVer a bit. It s;ll hurt preEy good aVer awhile so I went
back into the bathroom and looked into the mirror. I remem-
ber the panic I felt when I saw a white mark across my eyeball.
I thought I'd damaged it forever! Somehow, I drove myself to
the emergency room. (I don't recommend it
but I had no one to call at that ;me). They
told me I'd burnt my eye with the curling
iron, which I guess is not that uncommon of
an injury. Again, I had to wear an eye patch.
You can imagine how I am preEy protec;ve
of my eyes. To this day whenever the wind
whips up I tend to look down. If I get some-
thing in my eye I tend to blink a lot and
oVen. If my children injure their eyes I can
be a liEle too concerned about las;ng dam-
age. Because I've hurt mine twice.
Luckily for me, God has looked out for me.
And it's not gone unappreciated.
But it causes me to pause and think some-
;mes and remember to thank Him for my
eyesight. Just as I do with my kidneys be-
cause I deal with kidney stones.
When did you last thank God for your kidneys or your eyes?
How about your bladder, your spine, your heart, breasts,
teeth, liver, arm, or even your toes? You know we oVen don't
realize how much we are apprecia;ve of each piece that
makes up who we are un;l that part is injured or jeopardized.
Let's take a minute to thank God today for what He's given us.
And let's try to remember to do it more oVen instead of
wai;ng un;l we hurt ourselves, encounter illness, or see some-
one who reminds us that we have what they don't. And let's
use what He's given us for His glory. Every last part.
Dionna Sanchez is Founder of EmphasisOnMoms.com and free-
lance writes. www.beautyinthestorm.blogspot.com. Contact
her at madetomom@yahoo.com
The Eyes Have It PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Willis
Your Ad Could Be Here
Contact Us Today For Rates and Custom
Packages
sales@godworksmagazine.com
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010
COVER STORY K ari Jobe knew at the age of 10 that she would be a
worship leader. She began singing in church when
she was 3 and has been walking in her calling and
sharing her giV ever since.
Growing up in a Chris;an home, Kari is no stranger to ministry
as her father was a traveling minister. She also remembers, as
a child, her mother playing worship music throughout the
house.
For years, Kari has openly shared what God has placed inside
her. Throughout high school and college she led worship in
different places. She now serves as a worship pastor at Gate-
way Church, her home church, in Southlake, Texas. Her studies
at Oral Roberts University, Christ For The Na;ons, and Dallas
Bap;st University gave her the tools she needed to be more
than a worship leader but a pastor as well.
Kari has been featured on Gateway Worship projects, Living
For You and Wake Up the World. In February 2009, she re-
leased her self-;tled album through Gateway Create Publish-
ing and Integrity Music. It was produced by Ed Cash and con-
tains a collec;on of worship pop/folk songs. The songs were
wriEen by Kari Jobe with co-writes with worship leaders/
songwriters Chris Tomlin, Paul Baloche, Mia Fieldes, Ed Cash
and Klaus Kuehn.
Kari’s desire is to write songs that will minister to hur;ng peo-
ple. She says, “I am moved by people’s lives and stories, and I
am amazed by who God is and who He says that we are. Music
becomes a way to minister to people in ;mes of trouble, to
lead them to the feet of Jesus who can bring peace, life, hope
and healing.” GWM
GWM What city are you currently in?
KARI Dallas
GWM Where did you grow up?
KARI Dallas/Forth Worth Area
GWM Who are some of the singers/musicians you lis-
tened to as a young child?
KARI Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, Dennis Jernigan,
Michelle PaEerson, Kevin Prosch
GWM Who/what influenced you to journey into the mu-
sic industry?
KARI I was very influenced by worship leaders. I experi-
enced the presence of God through worship music and just
loved that place. I knew I had a giV to sing and when I would
sing in worship at Church I loved it. I knew I wanted to be
apart of doing that for the rest of my life.
GWM What is it like to have such a pla-orm as a worship
pastor at your church?
KARI I grew up in my local church. It¹s been really pre-
cious to watch how God took a small town girl, just loving the
house of God, and loving to lead worship and began to open
doors. I have always just walked through the doors God opens.
My church family recognized what God was doing even before
I did, so they love what I do and encourage me to con;nue.
GWM Who are some of the ar.sts in the Chris.an music
industry you currently listen to?
KARI Brooke Fraser, Francesca BaZstelli, Kim Walker-
Smith! I support my fellow lady friends! (SMILES)
GWM When wri.ng songs, where is one of the places you
find inspira.on?
KARI Mountains. I love to get away to the mountains and
get alone to write. I feel a sense of awareness of God¹s massive
crea;on in place like that. Much more inspira;onal than Dallas
Texas! (SMILES)
GWM Knowing that you can connect with people all over
the world through your music, what ways do your prepare
before wri.ng?
KARI I pray a LOT. I have a tendency to get into wri;ng
seasons...which I¹m in currently...meaning that everything in-
spires me to write. I keep my journal close by for all the song
and lyric ideas that I get. I am wri;ng for a new worship cd right
now and am finding that I get a lot of the ideas while leading
worship or closely aVer! It¹s exci;ng.
GWM Who is your target audience?
KARI Worshippers! (SMILES) I really don¹t have a specific
one...I find that there¹s a vast audience group that respond to
enjoying my music!
GWM Do you think your music speaks to people who do
not have a rela.onship with God?
KARI I believe so. When you find lyrics that are really, real-
ly honest and that help people to say things to God that they
don¹t always say...I think it helps the unbeliever. I get tes;mo-
nies of these kinds of things happening...so that¹s really good to
hear. You always want your music to reach the unbelievers or
the unchurched..it¹s a prayer...and it always will be a desire and
pursuit for me.
Q & A
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010
GWM Which one of the songs you wrote/recorded is your
favorite? Why?
KARI You Are For Me. Because of the season I went
through to write it, and all that I have seen God do for people
through it. I have received thousands of tes;monies of people
saying that You are for me has really, really helped them. I¹m
very thankful.
GWM What projects are you currently working on?
KARI A new worship cd.
A Word From Kari: Worship is an avenue for us to connect with God. We are
created by God to worship. He is worthy of our every-
thing...if there’s a season that someone is going through
where it might be affec;ng their desire to worship...just get
alone in your place of prayer, turn on worship music and get
honest before God. Journal what God is speaking to you.
Worship isn’t always something we FEEL like doing, but in
our sacrificing of our flesh, and liVing up praise and thanks
to God...I strongly believe it will begin to change your situa-
;on.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own
understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He
will direct your steps.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 )
For upcoming tour dates and
booking info, visit KariJobe.com.
Worshiper
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010
FINANCES
A ll that we have and all that we are has come from
God. He has blessed us with money and possessions, and he
has given each of us specific talents and abili;es. We have
been called to be good stewards - to use our money, our ;me
and our abili;es as best we can to benefit God’s kingdom.
Giving ;thes and offerings demonstrates our obedience to
God, and the recogni;on that all we have has come from him.
Giving our ;me in the Lord’s work, whether in ministry, help-
ing those in need or gree;ng people at the Church door,
shows our determina;on to follow the Lord’s teachings.
Why is it then, if we are happy to faithfully give our ;me and
money, that so many Chris;ans seem to have an issue when it
comes to discussing wealth crea;on. There seem to be two
dis;nct lines of thought – the one promoted by many of the
big name TV evangelists who promote the “prosperity” and
“name it and claim it” teachings and the other viewpoint of
many of the conserva;ve Church officials who push the opin-
ion that seeking wealth is ungodly.
Unfortunately both of these viewpoints seem to run contrary
to the word, and to Jesus’ teachings about stewardship.
The “prosperity” teachers promote the idea that whatever you
give to God, he will return to you many ;mes over. Although
this is close to the teaching of stewardship, which says that
you should seek to mul;ply whatever God gives you, so that
you can give him more back in return. It has been distorted, in
as much as the actual mo;va;on behind giving promoted by
the prosperity teachers is self based (if I give more, God will
give me more) instead of focusing on Christ. There is a huge
difference between giving to get more, and working to in-
crease your means so that you can give more to further the
works of the kingdom.
Some now try to imply that if you are not prosperous, then
your walk with the Lord must be lacking in some area, and
others at the other end of the spectrum are always making
condemning statements about the evils of being rich.
We need to really look at what the word says, and the exam-
ples that Jesus gave. I firmly believe that the enemy wants to
deter us from aiming to invest and make our wealth grow, as
he does not want us to be successful. He doesn’t want us mak-
ing lots of money that we can use for the Lord’s work. He
doesn’t want us to be able to fund mission outreaches or to
feed the poor or to fund Chris;an satellite TV channels.
Some Chris;ans seem to have the misconcep;on that being
wealthy is evil and being poor is holy. There is nothing holy
about being poor. God doesn’t want his children to be in pov-
erty. A rich person has far more power at their disposal to be
able to help where financial assistance is needed than a poor
person. At the same ;me though we need to make sure that
our mo;va;on for crea;ng wealth is to “get so we can give” as
opposed to the prosperity teachers no;on that we should
“give so we can get”. As long as we do not idolize money, and
retain the truth that all we have has come from God anyway,
then there is no need to feel any guilt about how much money
we make. There are many examples in the Bible that show
God’s desire to bless his faithful followers with wealth:
(Gen 39:2) “And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a pros-
perous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyp-
;an.”
(Deu 29:9) “Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do
them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do”.
(2 Chr 26:5) “And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who
had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he
sought the LORD, God made him to prosper”.
PHOTO CREDIT: SH4RP_I
CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010
sought the LORD, God made him to
prosper” and 1 Kings 3:13 “And I have
also given thee that which thou hast not
asked, both riches, and honor: so that
there shall not be any among the kings
like unto thee all thy days”.
God loves to bless his children, especial-
ly if we in return are happy to bless oth-
ers. Therefore there is absolutely noth-
ing wrong with seZng goals to be good
stewards and create wealth to give back
to our creator. In fact, as stewards of the
resources God has given us, it is actually
our responsibility to aim at increasing
what we have. We should be seeking to
be successful for God. To genuinely set
goals for inves;ng both our money and
;me into the kingdom of God. The best
way to increase your monetary wealth is
not to go asking the boss for a pay rise,
but rather to start a regular investment
program. More important s;ll, is to
learn how to invest wisely and not be
wasteful with our resources.
Before you can start inves;ng you need
to make some money available. One of
the most effec;ve methods it to use the
10/10/80 Plan. 10% of your income to
God, 10% for inves;ng and live off the
remaining 80% of your income. This may
take a liEle ;me to adjust to, but when
you consider the long terms results that
you will achieve once you start inves;ng,
you will find that it is extremely worth-
while.
You will have all heard the expression
that “The second million is always easier
than the first”. This is absolutely true –
the reason being is that it is compound-
ing interest that has the greatest power
to create wealth, and the more you have
invested that compounding can work on
– the quicker your wealth will grow.
In mathema;cal terms 72 divided by
Compound Interest Rate of Return =
Years for Money to Double in Value.
Therefore if you have an investment
growing at 10% compound interest, it
will double in value in 7.2 years
(quadruple in 14.4 years and be worth
eight ;mes as much in 21.6 years). If it is
growing at 12% it will double in 6 years.
John D Rockefeller who was once one of
America’s richest men said that
“Compound Interest is the Eighth Won-
der of the World”.
Einstein once said, “The most powerful
concept or principle in the world that I
am aware of is that of compound inter-
est”.
When deciding on the best areas to in-
vest in, it is worth taking into considera-
;on the fact that over 90% of the
world’s millionaires have made their
money through property.
In Australia over the past 50 years prop-
erty has averaged 10% p.a. compound
growth. (Carefully selected proper;es
have averaged even greater returns).
Not forgeZng that investment proper-
;es will also be genera;ng an income
from rent.
Median priced property has averaged
growing at a rate of 2 – 4% p.a. higher
than infla;on, making it a very solid in-
vestment.
I believe the most effec;ve way to build
riches is to accumulate a por_olio of
investment proper;es (over the space of
7 to10 years) and then let the power of
Compound Interest work to your bene-
fit.
It is possible to borrow 100% of the pur-
chase price of a property plus expenses
by securing the deposit against your
own home, so that you don’t have to
come up with a cash deposit.
There are many different strategies for
property inves;ng, which suit different
people depending on their current in-
come or financial posi;on.
God will give you the wisdom to decide
on the best strategies for your situa;on
if you put in the ;me and effort to learn
as much as you can and seek his direc-
;on. It is wise to also seek professional
advice, as rules and regula;ons and tax
effec;veness will vary between na;ons.
The main reason that property can be
u;lized more effec;vely than shares as
an investment, is due to the added ben-
efit of being able to highly gear an in-
vestment property.
Gearing or leveraging is where you use a
small por;on of your own money along
with a large por;on of someone else’s
money (in this case a loan from the
bank) to secure an investment of a far
greater value than you could have using
only you own money. If you had $10,000
to invest and invested it directly into
shares that were growing at 10%, then
in 7.2 years they would be worth around
$20,000. On the other hand if you had
used that $10,000.00 as 5% deposit on a
$200,000.00 property and had borrowed
the remaining 95% plus establishment
costs. If this also grew at 10% then in 7.2
years your investment would be worth
$400,000.00. Meaning that by leverag-
ing your investment you have gained an
addi;onal $190,000.00.
Continued on page 48...
FINANCES
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010
BOOK REVIEWS
The Principle of the Path
by Andy Stanley
The principle of the path by Andy Stanley is a fun book to
read. Andy tells lots of good stories, many of them personal
illustra;ons to make some very valid points. He admits that
much of what he says is obvious and he is right, however
some;mes in the busyness of life, we miss the obvious.
The principle of the path is simply that our des;na;on in life is
determined by the path we choose. Our des;na;on in life,
whether it is in rela;onships, in finances, in spirituality, will
not be determined by our good inten;ons, by the advice we
receive, or by our dreams. Ul;mately our des;na;on is deter-
mined by the path we choose, that is, by the choices we
make.
We oVen disconnect an undesirable outcome with the choices
we have made. For example if someone con;nually buys
things on credit, then they will always be in debt. Yet some-
;mes these very people acted surprised to find themselves
slipping deeper and deeper into debt. Andy discusses the rea-
sons why we do this. We make deci-
sions with our heart, based on happi-
ness now. We then use our minds to
jus;fy our heart decision. We also
deceive ourselves when we think we
are the excep;on and will avoid the
consequences that other people have
experienced.
Andy quotes from many Bible passag-
es, especially the life of King Solomon
the wisest man in the Old Testament yet his life did not end
well. Andy seeks to teach us how to avoid the same pi_alls.
The principle of the path is a great read. It is full of prac;cal,
down to earth, common sense, which actually, isn't so com-
mon!
- Susan Barnes likes to write inspira;onal ar;cles, book re-
views, and devo;onal comments on Bible passages. More of
her wri;ng can be found at: www.susanbarneswriter.com
How to Reach Your Full Poten;al
for God: Never SeEle for Less Than
His Best - By Charles F. Stanley
Best selling author, Charles F. Stanley, has a knack for iden;fy-
ing areas of struggle for his readers. Through this par;cular
book, he unleashes the power God intended for each of us,
giving us permission to claim a beEer way of life for ourselves.
Stanley first iden;fies the traps that ensnare us, including low
self-esteem, the fear of disappointment or failure, laziness,
etc. It is important to recognize the chains that hold us back if
we are to ever make changes that last forever.
Stanley goes on to reveal the steps God shared with him
through a 3:00 a.m. encounter that changed his life. In order
to reach their full poten;al, the reader must reconnect with
his or her own giVs and God-given desires of the heart. He
proclaims that the best is yet to come,
an idea that seems foreign to many in
this day and age.
I recommend this book for anyone
whose dreams were long ago replaced
with the expecta;ons of others. If we
are ever to accept God's challenges,
we must get past ourselves enough to
recognize that we are a part of His
plan, rather than God being a small
part of our own plan for our lives.
- Janet Morris Grimes is a writer from Nashville, TN. She is
currently working on her first book, and plans to spend the
rest of her life wri;ng about the things that maEer most. View
her blog at www.janetmorrisgrimes.com.
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010
In Christian Circles
In Chris;an circles,
I am surrounded by judgment,
I stand in fear of reproach,
I wish I could be myself,
And laugh and cry and not care.
In Chris;an circles,
I dare not be myself,
I dare not make silly comments,
I dare not make a mistake,
I dare not be human,
Oh how I wish...
That in Chris;an circles,
Christ would be there among us,
Like in the days of old,
Like when he ate with the sinners,
Like when he mingled with all sorts,
In Chris;an circles,
I wish I'd find a friend.
Uncondi;onal love all around,
Be seen first as a person,
Then maybe as a sinner,
Be seen first as valuable,
Then maybe as needing Christ,
In Chris;an circles.
I will s;ll stay in Chris;an circles,
And I will keep on hoping,
That maybe aVer a while,
That the message will sink in,
That Christ died for mankind,
That God first loved the world, then he gave.
By Unami Magwenzi, wife and mother living in the Northern
Territory, Australia. Copyright 2010.
By Unami Magwenzi
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Nonprofit organiza;ons making a difference:
• Acacia Outreach - www.acaciaoutreach.org
• B.E.I.M. - www.beginningexperience.org
• Harmonium, Inc. - www.harmoniumsd.org
• Great Falls Symphony - www.gfsymphony.org
• Elijah House Inc. - www.elijahhouse.org
• Food Bank For NYC - www.foodbanknyc.org
• Girltalkback - www.girltalkback.org
• Pee Dee Coali.on - www.peedeecoali;on.org
• The Preschool Project - www.thepreschoolproject.org
• Lighthouse PATH - www.lighthouseoakland.org
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010
WOMEN IN MINISTRY
Debbie Alsdorf Debbie Alsdorf Debbie Alsdorf Debbie Alsdorf is a cheerleader of hope! With humor and
honesty, she holds out Biblical truth to women in a way that
changes their daily lives. Debbie is a national speaker and au-
thor and has spent the past 8 years encouraging women to put
aside old beliefs and embrace the truth of Christ's love, as the
intimate loving God Scripture declares He is.
FOUNDER: Design 4 Living Ministries
WEBSITE: www.design4living.org
Kasey Van Norman desires for every soul to taste the inde-
scribable adventure of an intimate relationship with Jesus
Christ. Through passionate and humorous personal life stories,
Kasey uses her past "pitfalls" into sin to present the gospel, and
display herself as a living example of God's miraculous healing
and use of the most inadequate and undeserving.
FOUNDER: BEAUTIFUL ADVENTURE ministries
WEBSITE: www.kaseyvannorman.com
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010
LE’ANDRIA
JOHNSON
B efore auditioning for Sea-
son 3 of Sunday Best, Or-
lando native, Le’Andria
Johnson had the odds set
against her. She had just lost her
home and considered giving up, but
her 3 children were her motivation
to keep moving forward.
After being given a certain number
of hours to be out of her home,
Le’Andria had nowhere to go. Be-
cause she did not have storage avail-
able, she lost many of her belong-
ings during her transition. A friend
told her about the Sunday Best show
and because she wanted better for
her kids, she decided it was worth
trying out.
She showed up for her audition
wearing socks and flip-flops
(because that is what she found in a
bag of her things). Her appearance,
to the judges, did not scream
“Sunday Best”. However, when she
began to sing “This Is The Day That
The Lord Has Made”, we all quickly
learned that the anointing of God
was all over her. Through her audi-
tion, though seconds long, we heard
her struggle as well as her testimo-
ny of faith.
Le’Andria made it and out of thou-
sands of hopefuls who auditioned
for the title, she was voted the win-
ner and named BET’s Sunday Best.
Immediately after winning she de-
buted her original song “I Shall
Leap Into My Destiny”. Since the
end of the show, Le’Andria has been
walking in her calling and blessing
many along the way.
Through Le’Andria’s life and minis-
try, we see the love of God. We see
that even if we have a little faith
God can show Himself through us. GWM
“MyexperiencewithLe'AndriaJohnsonwasreallygreat!Ihadachancetobeupclosewith
herandhelpherifsheneededitandIreallyenjoyedthechancetomeetherandherfamily
atH.Q.MinistriesinAltamonteSprings,Florida.Sheisarealdowntoearthpersonand
lovingandcaring!Ihadanawesometime.”
-De'VonteJordanDe'Vonte and Le’Andria
(Above: Le’Andria Johnson ; Below: Le’Andria Johnson,
Kirk Franklin, and Elder Goldwire McClendon)
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010
Ac;ons speak louder than words.
This statement rings true for anyone. While it is good to have
the right words within, the true authority or power behind
the words is revealed in what an individual does. As a liEle
boy growing up, I was quite the nerd (some may say I s;ll
am, but we're not talking about that...). However, being a
straight "A" student meant nothing if I didn't know how to
correctly apply what I knew to handle life.
OVen ;mes we love to find out what the newest deep reve-
la;on is. Many people enter debates as a means of flexing
their muscles of exegesis and intellect. While there is an im-
measurable amount of excellent sermons and messages that
emanate from the pulpit, conference, or even the street cor-
ner, it would be quite embarrassing if the life of the individu-
al bringing the message cannot back up the message itself.
Paul said it quite well when he wrote to Timothy to study to
show, rather than study to preach. How wonderful it is to
know that you can say something and not feel ashamed be-
cause your life reflects what you boldly declare! Your life is
the loudest speaker, and your most powerful ministry. As
people read the pages of your life, they should see and hear
Jesus more than just what you say. Rather than prac;cing
what we preach, we should prac;ce what we believe, and
then preach what we prac;ce.
Lord, help us to live your word because knowing the Book is
not enough.
Selah.
NEILJUSTIN.COM
Being Book Smart is
Not Enough BY NEIL JUSTIN
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010
Pray Without Ceasing
- by Susan Darling
There are a great many Chris;ans out there that think, just to
pray at night just before you go to bed is all that God wants
from us. But the truth of the maEer is, He wants our memories
all day long. Just in the same manner you think of your lover all
day long. He refers us as his brides. He is in love with us. Are we
in love with Him? Some ;mes in our lives we feel God is a mil-
lion miles away and doesn't really care about us anyway. But
the truth of the maEer is, are we a million miles away from
Him? Are we so full of ourselves that we don't even try to con-
template the wonder, and love of a God like ours, in a child like
manner.
When we speak to Him do we just call Him, God. Do we make
aEempts to call him my love, my one and only, my all! Most of
us don't. We see God so distantly because of self love most of
the ;me. We usually just looking at all the bad things and not
trying to think of the glorious things, Our Sweet God has done
for us. When you are down next ;me, try to praise Him with all
the sweetest names, you can think of and thank Him of all the
wonderful things He has done for you, and see if that shiVs your
moods. Chances are you will feel a lot closer to God and you will
feel much more loved by Him too. Visit our website for Daily Bible Verses.
www.GodWorksMagazine.com.
PHOTO CREDIT: Anna Gutermuth
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010
GET INVOLVED
GET INVOLVED
GET INVOLVED
GET INVOLVED
GET INVOLVED
Read the stories of volunteers and the ways they have helped others.
Be inspired. Get Involved. You Can Help.
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010
Karen Tourney
By Carol M. Karimi
I t was 1953, the year of the hydro-
gen bomb, and thanks to the Indi-
an Reloca;on Act, millions of Na-
;ve Americans were beginning yet an-
other migra;on.
For most of them, their final des;na-
;on would be an unknown place with a
foreign language. But this ;me the
travelers weren’t headed to a far-off
reserva;on – they were headed to
America’s biggest ci;es.
Karen Tourney was one of them, and
like other Na;ve American youth of the
;me, it would be decades before she
would re-establish the communal ;es
she lost during the era of failed federal
reseElement policy.
Tourney was only five years old when
she and her family – members of the
Oneida na;on – were lured to Chicago
for government job training, educa;on
and housing assistance.
In return, however, the families were
asked to pay a huge price: to make
their residences in the ci;es perma-
nent.
The program worked. But tens of thou-
sands of Na;ve Americans like Tourney
found themselves living in an unfamil-
iar city without much help.
By her early twen;es, looking to foster
her own ;es with fellow Na;ve Ameri-
cans, Tourney began to seek out the
help of the American Indian Center of
Chicago (AIC). She came for the pow
wows and the community dinners, and
used some of the services provided to
the Na;ve American community such
as the food pantry, household goods
giveaways and the referral services to
agencies and other useful programs.
Thirty years later, Tourney is back at
the AIC – this ;me as a volunteer.
“When your family helps you when you
are in need, you want to help them out
when they are in need, too,” she said.
The AIC was founded in 1953, the same
year as the Act. Through programs like
its Health and Wellness Center, which
provides free use of exercise equip-
ment, a Senior Program that addresses
the needs of community elders, and a
medicinal garden cul;va;ng tradi;onal
herbs, the AIC takes a proac;ve stand
against the physical and mental health
challenges in today’s urban Indian
communi;es. Other AIC programs in-
clude landscaped trails and a garden
seZng open to community members
and other residents of uptown Chicago.
According to Sally Wagoner, the organ-
iza;on’s wellness director, a Na;ve
center for Na;ve Americans is key the
organiza;on’s approach.
“It’s so important for the Na;ve Ameri-
can community to have a place where
they can go for help because the needs
of Na;ve American people are unique,”
she said.
At the AIC, Tourney helps coordinate
the monthly flea market and the cen-
ter’s bingo games. In addi;on, for the
last five years she has also helped out
with an elders meal program.
If you ask Karen about what she enjoys
most about volunteering, her modest
and generous nature comes through.
“It gives me a feeling of self worth, and
I like being around people,” she said. “I
was helped a lot by this community
and I want to give to others the help
that I have received.”
Like the AIC itself, Tourney infuses her
volunteer work with the same proac-
;ve spirit. “I don’t wait for someone to
tell me what to do,” she said. “If I see
something that needs to be done, I do
it.”
Tourney, says Wagoner, is “our celebri-
ty volunteer.”
You can be a celebrity volunteer, too,
when you devote yourself to a cause
you care about. Find a new opportunity
today at VolunteerMatch. GWM
American Indian Center in Chicago
The American Indian Center in Chicago
promotes the fellowship among Indian
people, creates bonds of understand-
ing and communica;on between Indi-
ans and non-Indians, and advances
the general welfare of American Indi-
ans in the Chicago metropolitan com-
munity through wellness, educa;on,
and arts programs and services.
American Indian Center in Chicago
1630 W. Wilson Avenue
Chicago, IL 60640
www.aic-chicago.org
GET IN
VOLVED
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010
Pam Farr
I n a world reinforced on all sides by
messages about spontaneity, it's
not easy to spot the champions of
prepara;on. Grab life now before the
moment passes by, we're reminded.
Seize the day. Act now.
That's why when it comes to planning,
Pam Farr is a hero. As na;onal chair of
volunteers for the American Red Cross,
America's premier volunteer organiza-
;on, Farr is both a key execu;ve leader
and a spokesperson for emergency plan-
ning
It's all part of a singular commitment to
success for Farr. From her perspec;ve,
whether the focus is on finance or disas-
ter planning, taking ;me today to lay the
founda;on for future growth is the only
way to ensure success.
Farr started her career as a management
consultant at McKinsey & Company, and
today manages a private equity holding
company in addi;on to suppor;ng nu-
merous charitable ac;vi;es.
Farr serves as volunteer partner to Presi-
dent and CEO Gail McGovern, an employ-
ee-volunteer execu;ve partnership
unique to the American Red Cross. The
Na;onal Chair of Volunteers is the organ-
iza;on's advocate for Red Cross volun-
teers both inside the organiza;on and to
the public.
She also helps the CEO achieve the or-
ganiza;on’s strategic priori;es, ensuring
that volunteers are an integral part of the
work that goes into achieving each
goal. Together with staff, these volun-
teers support, train and educate millions
of people every year.
Serving so many takes extraordinary
planning – and even then it's impossible
to predict what crises may be on the
horizon. Farr saw this up close on Sep-
tember 11, 2001. At the ;me she was the
board chair of her local Greenwich, Conn.
chapter of the Red Cross.
Even with decades of experience re-
sponding to disasters, the Red Cross had
never faced what happened that day as
air travel and other cri;cal aspects of
mobiliza;on were frozen.
In Greenwich, which is just an hour north
of the World Trade Center, thousands of
families had loved ones working in and
around ground zero. As the morning
unfolded, distraught rela;ves arrived at
the chapter offices for assistance.
"We were in the middle of the disaster,"
recalled Farr.
Despite the shock, the chapter sprang
into ac;on. Within minutes, relief staff
arrived to help the families. Within days,
the volunteer leadership was working
with chapter staff to raise money for a
mobile kitchen to feed emergency re-
sponse teams. And over the next few
weeks, Farr and others aEended memori-
al services for all those who were lost
from Greenwich.
The Red Cross eventually formed an un-
precedented response campaign that
over the next five years grew to support
tens of thousands of 9/11 vic;ms and
their families.
Farr served as an advisor on the Red
Cross's September 11 Recovery Program,
which supported long-term recovery
efforts for families who had been affect-
ed by 9/11. In 2004 she became the or-
ganiza;on's na;onal chair of finance,
advising the Washington, D.C.-based
organiza;on's financial team on maEers
that influence the condi;on and direc;on
of the en;re Red Cross.
Like many volunteer leaders at na;onal
organiza;ons, Farr, the mother of five,
believes her experience at her local chap-
ter was crucially important.
"I understand, having come out of the
field, what it's like to be on the ground,"
she said. "I have the chapter perspec;ve,
which is much different than being in
Washington. SiZng in finance mee;ngs, I
was oVen the only person with field ex-
perience."
Since her appointment to na;onal chair
last September, Farr has had ;me to
think about how best to support the or-
ganiza;on's growth through volunteer
service. Last year was among the organi-
za;on's most challenging ever. The Red
Cross responded to 71 na;onal disasters,
including devasta;ng California wildfires,
a record number of tornadoes, and some
of the worst Midwestern flooding in
memory – all during a recession.
A big part of being able to respond to so
many events, says Farr, is making sure
the skills and exper;se of Red Cross vol-
unteers are paired with the parts of the
organiza;on that can most benefit.
"People value the community service
they are able to provide as American Red
Cross volunteers," she said. "Ninety-
seven percent of Red Cross volunteers
plan to con;nue their service and 96
percent would recommend the Red Cross
to a friend as a place to volunteer. S;ll,
we strive con;nuously to do even beEer
in crea;ng excitement among volunteers
by providing meaningful opportuni;es to
serve."
ON THE WEB: www.redcross.org
GET IN
VOLVED
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010
While I'm Down...Just Stand On My Back!
I don't know about you, but at ;mes the effects of doing
the right thing, seem to turn you the wrong way. Have
you no;ced that certain periods in your life, the more
sacrificing, forgiving, and pa;ent you become, the harder life
knocks at you? Well of course you do, if you living! It's a trick
of the enemy to get you to feel that by taking maEers in your
own hands things will work out for your good. Of course you
know this is a lie.
You see one day I was laying on my bed going through one of
those moments, "Lord am I on hold or what? Do you see
what I'm going through? Do you see what I'm doing? LORD
WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?!!!" I tell you one-thing folks, I
had to stay on my knees and pray against the flesh that
wanted to strike out. Strike out against those who were con-
spiring against me, the kids who wouldn't listen, the loneli-
ness that my heart felt at ;mes, I mean all of it was on my
shoulders. It was heavy and I had to fall on my knees. When I
say I had to fall on my knees, believe me, I had to fall, crawl,
scream and all that fun stuff. You know what I mean right?
Anyhow while I was on my knees doing one of those "Lord do
you remember me?" speeches, oh yall know what I mean.
Then my phone rang. I answered it and it was a friend of
mine who was going through some rough problems. Now let
me tell you something, nothing worse than going through
and having someone going through worse than you call. Half
of you want to say, "Please I got my own issues," and the
other half says, "My God, I thought I had it bad, but Lord
someone always has it worse." Well I'm going to be honest,
both cross my mind at ;mes, but I usually go with the later
and listen. I set aside what I'm doing and try to be a friend to
my fellow sisters and brothers. As I was listening and talking
to my friend, we ended up upliVing one another.
Hmmmm...My mind started to ponder on what was happen-
ing. It was as though the Spirit was giving me one of those
life lessons. I realized that while I am down on my knees, I
get blessed by liVing the spirits of others up. It’s sort of like
they standing on me to be liVed up. Standing to see a light in
their blind situa;on. A situa;on where they need my help,
whether, it is in a word or deed, it's a sacrificial act that gives
them hope. Even if I can't see out of my own adversity, I
know God is able to help us both. They may not be able to
reach a certain point in their life, unless I liVed them up. But,
in order for me to liV them up, I had to stay on my knees and
allowed them to climb higher. You see my point? Imagine it
for a moment. Now this is what got me. Even though I am on
my knees, that person can see things that I may not be able
to see myself. They can also help me by my
helping them. If I'm down and may not be
in a posi;on to elevate my spirit, why not help someone else.
Many ;mes sacrificing one’s self and comfort for another is
the key to one's deliverance and peace.
I realized something; it takes strength to liV a person. It takes
stability to stand grounded on your founda;on. You have to
be responsible and trustworthy, not to move and cause that
person to fall. If they fall, they get hurt and you too. Imagine
God trus;ng you to be that beacon of light to someone in the
midst of your adversity. He knows you down on your knees,
crawling, looking for a way of escape. You know He is the
escape, but it seems God is not in your reach. Well He wants
to know if you going to grovel on the ground or wait on Him
and s;ll help others.
You see the enemy wants us to focus on the fact that we are
"down on our luck" as folks like saying. I don't believe in luck.
I believe that when we down its for a reason, whether its
humbling, a ;me of rest, or a period that God wants us to sit
s;ll and not move. Many ;mes moving in the spirit is not
based on what you see happening in your life, but it could be
what you are making happen in someone else's. Do you real-
ize that's power right there? It's the power of faith. You may
not see a way, but you trus;ng God. You know un;l your
;me comes, you can help another brother or sister bear a
burden. Wasn't that one of the main things Jesus taught- our
love for our fellow man? Of course it is.
So my friends, when you have those "down moments", make
the best of them. Encourage others as they encourage you.
You may see what they can't and vice versa. This not a "me
or you" walk. It's about us as one in the body of Christ. We
are not alone in our sufferings, as it may seem. God has not
forgoEen us or closed his ears to our cry. We are his children
and we are des;ned for greatness, being joint heirs as Christ.
At the same ;me we must partake in sufferings, but we can
count it as joy when we can say, "Hey I may not get there
right now, but I can help you my friend." That makes you a
winner regardless, because you have planted a seed in a per-
son's heart. That's what it is all about.
If you don't believe me, trust what Jesus said, "If I be liVed up
from this earth, I will draw all men unto me." So when you
are down, liV up the name of Jesus, by your works with oth-
ers. If this doesn't show the love of the resurrected Christ, I
don't know what does.
hEp://olives;thministries.webs.com
BY OLIVIA D. STITH
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010
Without Fail!
“And David inquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue a=er this
troop? Shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for
thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.” I
Samuel 30:8
I remember, like it was yesterday. Waking up realizing that life
was not going to be the same. The life I once knew was in the
past. Everything that I valued prior to my divorce was re-
moved. The rela;onship that took twenty-three years to cul;vate
had been dissolved in a maEer of months. How in the world could
this be?
When I grew up and got married, I didn’t factor in the possibility of
going through a divorce. I didn’t an;cipate the bumps, bruises and
scars that were going to be part of this major transi;on that I now
faced. No one told me how painful and devasta;ng it was going to
be, nor was I prepared for the journey that my life was soon to be
on.
As co-pastor of a growing ministry, we always prayed and believed
the Lord for reconcilia;on and healing in the lives of those God en-
trusted to our care. At this crucial and delicate stage in our ministry
and marriage, as the pastors, we were now the ones in need of rec-
oncilia;on and healing.
In spite of trying to reconcile, the inevitable occurred, we were
headed for divorce and now I was treading on unfamiliar territory. I
didn’t know where to start, or how to begin living my life without
the person I willingly gave my heart to.
Ques;on aVer ques;on started bombarding my mind. Where was I
going to go? What was I going to do? Who would ever love me
again? And how on earth was God going to put the fragmented
piece of my life back together?
Dealing with depression, rejec;on and many ;mes contempla;ng
suicide, life had turned into a meaningless existence. My desire to
die oVen out weighed my desire to live. Was I going to give up on
life and abort the purpose and plan God indeed had for me? Or was
I going to find the strength to con;nue figh;ng? I decided to fight. I
knew in order for me to move forward regardless of my current
condi;ons, I needed to fight.
I was determined to take one day at a ;me and go in the direc;on
God had for me. The courage to begin again was stronger. The pas-
sion to find out the reason and purpose why God had chosen me to
experience this turmoil was in the forefront of my mind.
Spiritually broken and overwhelmed by the turn of events, I soon
realized this place of brokenness was the exact place God wanted
me to be. If my faith was going to help me get through this ordeal, I
needed to rely, trust and depend on God like never before. Trus;ng
that somehow, someway, God was going to
cause what I had experienced to workout for my good and my life
would be a blessing to others, the process of restora;on began.
As I began to walk this journey without a partner, one thing was
sure… God was with me.
Accep;ng this path for my life and allowing God to guide my steps, I
soon found a place to call home. How would my life be different?
How would my experiences maEer to anyone other than myself?
How could my message of hope and restora;on reach women of
every ethnicity and voca;on? On Jan 1, 2007 God answered my
ques;ons. I picked up a pen and begin to write and I have not
looked back. God was going to use my life as a tes;mony to help,
encourage and empower women.
My book “That Was Then, This Is Now, This Broken Vessel Re-
stored” focuses on my trials, triumphs and restora;on. This book is
not about bashing my ex nor is it full of gossip but it is about God.
How God walked with me doing the storm; how His love brought
me to a place of wholeness, and how I found hope, yet amidst the
hardest ;mes in my life.
Women from all walks of life, who are confronted with insurmount-
able odds, challenges and extreme difficul;es could find hope and
be empowered to face whatever they are going through. If one life
could be changed and benefit from my story, then every tear I
shed, every trial I endured, and every test I went through was
worth it all.
As long as God con;nues to anoint me to write, I will con;nue
wri;ng books that will transform the lives of anyone ready to sub-
mit to the PoEer’s wheel.
I’m a true witness that God uses our greatest test and turns them
into tes;monies so that others may find the strength and desire to
live.
On June 7, of 2010, I was remarried and serving once again in my
righ_ul place in the house of God! Yes, once again walking along
side the Man of God! It took years of wai;ng, tears and prayers but
when God has called you to a par;cular office, there are some
things that are certain: Recovery, Restora;on and Fulfillment of His
promises!
No maEer what you are facing and what has been taken away, God
keeps His word. Just as David faced insurmountable odds of recov-
ery, God made him a promise without fail he would recover all! I
encourage you to take God at His word and believe just as David,
that you too shall recover all.
www.pauleEeharper.com
BY PAULETTE HARPER JOHNSON
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010
Words DO Hurt
"S;cks and stones may break my bones, but words will never
hurt me."
That is probably the most common chant on any school play-
ground. And it's a big lie. Words probably hurt more than
any physical wound ever could. Because they live on in our
hearts. We end up becoming what it is that was said about
us. That is why words are so cri;cal to who we believe we
are.
As a parent, my words can even be more cri;cal. What I
choose to say to my children can make or break their spirit.
It can be especially tough when we are angry, frustrated, or
showing a lack of pa;ence on an issue that we have dealt
with repeatedly. We are human and we vent yes? We just
need to be so careful in how, when, and where we do that
ven;ng. Especially when it comes out in our words.
I don't ever want to be the source of a broken spirit in my
child. And I'll be honest with you. My own heart breaks at
the thoughts and memories I carry with me of the ;mes that
I "lost it" and said something that I regreEed. Oh how I wish I
could take those moments back and handle them with more
grace, love, and mercy! But I can't. I can only vow to try
harder now and next ;me, and the next ;me. I can choose to
keep trying un;l I get it right.
I want my words to encourage, heal, and love. Some;mes I
want my words to make a point, or move to ac;on. But I
always want them to help my child move in a posi;ve direc-
;on.
I realize there will be ;mes when the most important and
powerful words I can choose to use will be none at all! I will
need to bite my tongue. That is tough. But I want to give my
children the space they need to come to me when they need
to, when they choose to. I want to let them know that I real-
ize they don't always need my opinion on everything. (As
hard as that may be for me to swallow!)
I think a mom has the most powerful role in the world. How
we choose to use our words in heated moments, in frustrat-
ed, or teachable moments is a life-forming thing. Let's not
forget that.
- Dionna Sanchez is Founder of EmphasisOnMoms.com and free-
lance writes. She also blogs at hCp://
beautyinthestorm.blogspot.com
TWEETS FOR GOD
Follow Us On TwiEer: twiEer.com/godworksmag
thatrygood
“God is Love”
Jourdynalexis
“Disappointments are just God's way of
saying: ‘I've got something beEer’. Be
pa;ent, live life, have faith.”
worldprayr
“God is the solu;on…”
TheSingleWoman
“If u can trust God in the dark, He'll
change your midnight into music.”
Cynthiacg95
“People really need to be with GOD at
these ;mes.”
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010
Four Things Every Husband Needs to
Know About His Wife (con.nued from
page 10)
She wants to be an essen;al part of
your world. If she is not, her world be-
gins to discourage and close in on her.
Third, she needs you to cherish her and
enjoy seZng aside ;me for personal
conversa;on. There is a difference be-
tween loving her and cherishing her.
Most men love their wives whether they
prove it or not. Few men cherish them.
You cherish her when you know her as a
person, protect her, and compliment
her to others.
Your wife must know she is an essen;al
part of your world, and you love her
beyond what she does for you. Show
her that you love her for her sake and
let her know you long to be with her.
She wants to ensure that the quali;es in
her you fell in love with are s;ll relevant
to you. You need to repeat expressions
of your love to her oVen.
Men experience much of their self-
worth and respect from their profession
and women get most of their value con-
firma;on from their husbands. Even
women with successful careers receive
much of their personal affirma;on at
home.
You can show her how you appreciate
her in small ways. You can go a long way
to prove you adore her by giving her the
same courtesy you give to other wom-
en. Take the few extra seconds required
to open the car door for her. Open the
door for her in public, pull out her chair
and wait un;l she sits down before you
sit down in a restaurant. You can help
her with her coat, and liV heavy objects
for her. You tell the world how valuable
your wife is to you when you do these
things in public. This message does not
miss your wife's aEen;on. She will shine
for weeks.
We leV a restaurant several years ago,
and my husband opened the car door
for me. Our seventeen-year old son
opened the rear car door for our four-
teen-year old daughter. The woman in
the booth seated next to where we had
been siZng saw this through the win-
dow and hit her husband. My daughter
and I laughed. I was smart enough; how-
ever, to realize how fortunate I was that
my husband enjoyed "showing me off in
public."
Your wife needs in;mate conversa;on.
This is possible only when you share
oneness of spirit. She needs to com-
municate her experiences and thoughts
about them, so she can express her con-
fused feelings. She needs to know you
are listening and not eager to go away
and do something else.
One way to ensure in;mate conversa-
;on is to have a fixed ;me planned for
it. Ul;mately, the most in;mate level of
conversa;on occurs when your spouse
can trust you with the secrets of her
deepest emo;ons.
Many wives have genuine fears they
never share with their husbands. There
are several reasons for this. Some;mes
a woman feels guilty for her feelings and
just hopes that they will disappear. She
may fear cri;cism and rejec;on from
her husband. She oVen just wants to
reduce his load. Some;me she knows
he probably does not know what to do
so there is no point in disturbing him.
You can help your wife overcome these
fears by giving her the respect and cour-
tesy of listening to her and encouraging
her to talk. Whatever she has to say
maEers to her. Be careful not to beliEle
her or make what she has to say seem
insignificant. If you do, she will find
someone else to talk to, and your mar-
riage will suffer.
Mike and Tina are so busy during the
day that they sit up talking late many
nights. This is usually the only ;me they
are alone. As a woman, Tina oVen has
emo;ons boEled up. Through the years,
her wise husband has been a sounding
board. Many ;mes, he never says any-
thing. He will usually just say, "Urn-hum,
yeah. Right." He draws her out with well
-worded ques;ons that help her work
through harbored doubts and fears.
A woman finds solu;ons on her own as
she talks out her thoughts. She gets
frustrated when things stay inside. It
can be confounding and cause her to
have feelings of insecurity and self-
worth issues. By geZng them out, she
can "see" them and put them into per-
spec;ve.
Your wife's fourth need is protec;on in
areas where she feels inadequate. She
needs insight, primarily from you. She
wants boundaries expressing your con-
cern for her. If you fail her now, she will
feel neglected. She wants you to be
aware of her spiritual, mental, emo;on-
al, and physical strengths and weakness-
es. She also wants you to have the wis-
dom and courage to give loving but firm
guidance, so she will not fail by going
beyond her limits. She may occasionally
ask you for something she does not
want just to check you out. She wants
you to be sensi;ve to her real needs and
the dangers she faces.
If you give her everything she wants,
without ques;on, she will be insecure.
You should understand your wife so well
that you can be strong or you can be
lenient when she needs it. She appreci-
ates and respects loving firmness when
you both believe it is appropriate.
The main func;on of the head is to de-
GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010
velop, train, and protect the rest of our body, so the whole per-
son can accomplish God's plan. In this point you are to be the
head of your wife (Ephesians 5:23). It is your responsibility, as
your family's spiritual leader to set the standard in your home.
When you treat their mother with clear expressions of love,
your children will follow her and admire you as a man of cour-
age and integrity. By learning to meet your spouse's basic needs,
she will respond with acts of kindness and expressions of re-
spect for you that un;l now you only imagined.
- Dr. Sharon Schuetz is an ordained minister and has been in min-
istry with her husband for over twenty-five years. She has a PhD
in clinical Chris�an counseling. Visit her online at
www.drsharonschuetz.com.
CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP (con.nued from page 23)
Keep in mind here that there are two types of Debt. Good
Debt is where you have borrowed funds to secure a capitally
apprecia;ng, income producing asset. Bad Debt is where you
borrow to buy a capitally deprecia;ng, non-income produc-
ing item such as a car, boat or holiday.
A combina;on of using Good Debt to buy property and then
allowing Compounding to do its work – seems to be a most
effec;ve way of crea;ng wealth. But this is definitely not a
“Get rich quick scheme”, on the contrary it is a “Get rich
slowly” scheme which works most effec;vely over a 10 to 20
year period. It takes pa;ence and perseverance, but aVer
having spoken to dozens of other property investors, many
of whom have become mul; millionaires within the space of
10 to 15 years, I am certain that it is worthwhile.
I believe God wants to start shiVing the wealth of this world
into the hands of Chris;ans, who can plant it back into his
kingdom.
For more informa�on on this topic please visit www.the-ten-
commandments.org. Debra Lohrere is the author of Chris�an
Prophecy and Investment books
www.investmentpropertybooks.com/chris�anbooks.html
God Can Call You Out
Poor. Lost. Hopeless. Abandoned.
God no;ces even the people who feel they can be called
one of the above.
One day Jesus was passing through Jericho and there was a
chief tax-collector by the name of Zacchaeus who wanted
to see who He was. (Luke 19: 1-10 NIV) Zacchaeus was a
wealthy man yet he was lacking in his physical appearance.
He was very short. Because of this, Zacchaeus was not able
to see Jesus through the crowd of people who had gath-
ered to see Him. To increase his chances of being able to
see, Zacchaeus ran ahead and climbed a sycamore fig tree.
When Jesus had reached the area where Zacchaeus was,
He looked up and called him out of the tree. Amongst
many, He was singled out by Jesus. Can you imagine how
He must have felt deep inside to be called out by someone
so many people wanted to become acquainted with? Zac-
chaeus’ heart must have been racing when Jesus told him
to come down from the tree immediately. Because it was
such an honor to even be in His presence, he gladly obeyed
and welcomed Jesus.
Jesus had told Zacchaeus that He must stay at his home.
Hearing that made the crowd angry and they began to
grumble. Zacchaeus was hated by the group of people and
they were confused as to why Jesus wanted to be the guest
of a sinner.
Because of who He is, God does not look at the things peo-
ple look at when He decides to come to us. He does not
care if we are poor or rich, or whether we have done
wrongs, or if we are hated by others. It does not maEer if
people overlook us or if we are constantly passed over.
Out of nowhere and unexpectedly, Jesus called out to Zac-
chaeus and just like that He can call to you. Oh, what a feel-
ing that will be. Can you imagine that?
- Ayana Elon
www.AyanaElon.com