His name is Joseph. I first saw him walking through our quaint downtown square with a bundle of blankets tucked under his arm . He was obviously malnourished. His hair and beard were unkempt and his skin bore the marks of weathering both the physical and spiritual storms of life. In my mind’s eye I immediately saw him as someone’s son, someone’s brother, perhaps, someone’s husband or father. My heart hurt for him. It was a short and simple prayer that I prayed that day, “Lord, show me how I could help someone like that.” The light turned green and I drove on.

Keep Asking - Faith Thurmond

You see, I remember the times I prayed. When I was a teenager, I prayed for a husband. I asked God over and over to give me a husband. You see my dad pastored in a pretty bad part of Memphis, Tn and let’s just say there was no one around to marry. I even told my mom God won’t send anyone here for me to marry. You see, I did doubt that God could do it…maybe I didn’t doubt God could as much as I doubted that God would do it for me. I was discouraged, would God ever send me my future husband?

Children, Christian Life, Faith, Friendship, God's Will, Life Changes, Trials, Trusting GodAmy SappSeptember 25, 2023Trials, Ask, Seek, Knock, pray, prayer, consistent

Living for the Lord - Jodi Sherlin

Again, living for the Lord has many mountains and valleys. It’s not an easy road,

but don’t give up, or you will miss the best of the best!

Born into a Christian Home - Krista Wood

I was born into a Christian home and went to church every Sunday. I remember one Sunday morning sitting in church listening to the message and when it was time for the invitation I knew that I needed to accept Jesus as my Saviour. I went home and that afternoon my dad sat with me on the couch and clearly explained the Gospel to me and I accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour when I was 4 years old. I was baptized the next year.

Placing "All of my Begs in One Ask It".... - Melody Decker

There was an old saying about trusting all one’s goods to one ship. It was replaced with the phrase “Don't put all your eggs in one basket,” which is a proverb or idiom first recorded in 1710, that means you should not risk everything or depend entirely on a single thing or course of action. It advises against investing all your resources, time, or efforts in a single venture, as it leaves you vulnerable to failure or loss. If you gather all your eggs in a single basket, there is a potential danger of dropping the basket and losing everything you have worked diligently to obtain. In contrast, the proverb advises considering different options and distributing your eggs across multiple baskets, so you don’t find yourself in a desperate situation if one of your endeavors fails.

S.M.I.L.E. - Victoria Starr

As a Christian of any age and any stage of life, there are simple principles in the Bible we can remember when we don’t know what else to do. The Bible instructs us first of all to – (S)eek God. In James 1:5 the Bible says, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him as of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not: and it shall be given him.” This verse tells us when we need wisdom to know what to do, all we have to do is ask God. If we have trusted Christ as our Saviour, God listens and wants to answer our prayers. He has told he will give us wisdom if we will simply ask. First thing first, seek God and ask Him for wisdom.

How is Your Tone? - Erica Stalions

So as you go throughout your day remember to think about how you are speaking just as much as what you are speaking. So many of life situations can be handled so much better if
we guard our mouth and how we communicate with others. Psalm 141:3 - Set a watch (guard), O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

It's Not My Problem, or Is It?? - Dot Soldavini

As society continues to normalize sin, it has become even more important that we provide and

promote safe environments for children. As parents, grandparents, and caregivers, this should be

a top priority. As society tries to make sin into “right”, we must continue to hold steadfast to the

Bible’s definition of sin. Also, as society seeks to normalize abnormal sexual and relational

behavior, they are making it easier for predators to pursue victims. Activities that are now being

disguised as “family-friendly”, leave children vulnerable to harm.

He Delights in YOU! - Amy Snow

Their, Joy, their contentment was the key that unloosed their chains. HE WAS ENOUGH FOR THEM! He was everything they needed. There wasn’t a material possession that they lacked because their contentment was in the ONE who delighted in them!

In Him - Rebekah Smith

As we go through our lives and about our daily business doing all the right things, all the good things, are we living “in him”. It can be so easy to go into auto pilot. If we are not careful we can almost become robotic. Not intentionally, not even with a bad spirit, but we are doing all the things and checking off all the boxes of things to be done without giving our full attention or full spiritual awareness to them. Stop and think about it for a minute.

Happy Accidents - Amy Sapp

Every person I meet is someone MY best friend loved enough to die for

Rehearsal Time - Jessica Shipp

We have all heard someone say or have ourselves said something that we don’t intend to act upon. But why would we say something we don’t mean? Most of the time we quickly forget what we said or thought, but what damage have we caused? I have started thinking about this more and have become more aware of it after I heard a phrase in a sermon last year. The phrase was “don’t rehearse evil.” DON’T REHEARSE EVIL. You might be thinking it’s not that bad, it’s not evil because they or I didn’t mean it. If it’s not Phillipians 4:8 worthy it’s evil. If it’s not righteous it’s evil. The Bible says in Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…” and in Matthew 12:34b, “…for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” What is in our hearts? God destroyed all of mankind with the Flood because “…every imagination of the THOUGHTS of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5b) What is in the heart will eventually spill forth to our mouths. “Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.” Psalm 34:13 We need to be on guard for even the tiniest splinter of evil. How do we keep those thoughts and words of destruction from forming?

To Pause 2023 - Stephanie Shipman

This year my plan and I feel the Lord has led me to this… the Pause. To focus on the pause or pauses of life. I want to listen to when the Lord says, “ Pause.” I believe the Lord wants us all to “stop for a minute,” or to “linger” here for a time. He always has a reason. He may have something better for us or He may simply be protecting us from what we can’t see.

To Be Seen - Theresa Schwenke

Then go out and PURPOSE to see others. Look for the gold God has put within those around us, and tell them! Make the effort. In purposing to help others recognize their value, we will help them to know they are seen by our God. “To the world you may be one person’ but to one person you may be the world” is a quote we should remember often. Most importantly, share your “Thou God seest me” testimony with the unsaved. Let them know that they too can be seen, saved, and their eternity changed forever!

Isn't Being Married SOOOOO Good! - Amy Sapp

Work together to create a budget. When you don’t know what you are spending it can get out of control fast. Look at your budget from time to time and adjust as needed. Talk about it and make spending decisions together! (Money is one of the biggest reasons for marriage problems.) Keep your checkbook balanced!

Children, Christian Life, Encouragement, Friendship, God's Will, marriage, PrayerAmy SappFebruary 6, 2023Marriiage, Love, Forgiveness, Fun, Best Friends, Life

The Classroom of Life - Pam Seulean

One day, I overheard a third grader disdain a kindergartener’s work. “Oh, that’s SO EASY! I wish my work was that easy.” Of course, the sixth grader immediately scoffed, “You think YOUR work is hard?? Wait until you get to sixth grade!” Whereupon the 11th grader in the room piped up with scorn, “Dude. You have no idea. Take a look at this chemistry equation I had today!” (And I wanted to tell HIM that, chemistry and all, his life is so simple compared to an adult’s life!)

Children, Christian Life, Faith, God's Will, Life Changes, TrialsAmy SappJanuary 30, 2023School, Classroom, Life, Easy, school, hard

Jesus the GREATEST GIFT - Geri Jean Sanderson

I never realized how hard it must have been for God to send Jesus to earth for those 30 years. Until I lost my daughter to heaven. I loved being her mom, best friend, and serving Jesus together for so many years.

What to do When You are Overwhelmed - Kelly DeMoville

Now don’t get me wrong, I do get depressed; I do struggle at times with frustration; I do wonder why things can’t be easier or why does everything have to be tough sometimes, but I try very hard not to live there. In fact over the last few years, I’ve had many conversations with God about certain things in my life that seem “unfair!” And God has been working on me in this area very much in the last couple of years. One of my very favorite Bible characters is Joseph.

Make the Rule; Keep the Rule - Molly Audiss

Sometimes it seems that our world is getting worse and worse. Listening to the news, you would think that there is nothing but wickedness and evil to be found. But really, there is nothing new under the sun. Think about it, everything that is a sin was addressed in the Bible, so man had already done every evil deed thousands of years before there was a CNN or Fox News.

Christian Life, Children, Faith, God's Will, marriage, Trusting GodAmy SappOctober 24, 2022Rules, Rule, Addressed, God, Handbook, Playbook, Standards

Benefits - Kathy Rowell

I wasn't doing something right or enough! Years later - got married, my Pastor husband was saved at his brother’s church during his first revival.