Challenge of the day...sort of

So the challenge of the day for the last week and a half (again, sorry for the absence) has been be content.  I've decided that I'm going to leave it there for one more day because this seems to be one of the hardest goals for us to reach, and I believe dissatisfaction is a catalyst that launches us into many more problems.

I am content.  I have a husband who knows what love is and chooses to love me.  I am financially stable.  I am talented and I get to use those talents for the Kingdom.  I have a puppy who loves affection and who was potty trained in two weeks.  I am healthy and I have great friends and family. 

Many people would look at that list and say, "Well she should be content," and I am, but it's not due to the things listed above, it's because of the God who makes all those things possible.  Contentment only comes when we learn to love the Creator above the created.  I have peace now because I have learned to be content with where God has placed me in life.  I confess, 5 months ago I had all the same things, but I wasn't happy.  In fact, I was facing profound depression.

It took me strengthening my relationship with God before I could even begin to enjoy the blessings He had given me. I had to realize that God was in control, that He knew exactly where I was and that He had a divine plan for my life.  As I spent more time with God, I started to realize that depression in and of itself was actually selfish.  We were created to praise God and make disciples.  Laying around depressed wasn't going to help me achieve either one.

Now your story may not be my story, but the same prinicple applies.  Sometimes we are so focused on creating our own life paths that we don't give God any room to move on our behalf.  The bible says, "And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.  For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.  But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you (Luke 12:29-31)."

I can tell you from experience that things will only make you smile for a minute, and even friends and family are only there for a little while, but a relationship with God brings contentment (joy and peace) that is complete and everlasting (Isaish 51:11, Ezekiel 37:26).

New Song and Devotion!!

Hey guys!  I know it's been a while, but I'm back :-)  Please excuse my unannounced absence, but I come back bearing gifts!  We have a great song and devotion for this week.  The song is You Can Change by Tye Tribbett and I picked it as a call to action for those of us who may be getting a little complacent with the web that sin has us trapped in.  The devotion is a group of scriptures from a book called Bible Promises for You. The subject for this week is strength and I am sure that meditating on these scriptures will give us all strength for this week and many weeks to come.  Hope you all enjoy!

Song of the week

Devotion

Happy Friday

Hey guys!  Happy Friday to everybody!  Thank God for weekends!  I was thinking this morning and I'm fairly certain today is my 1 month blog-iversary so yay to me :-) 

Well I was going to share some random thoughts with you this morning, but since "I'm sleepy" is the dominant thought right now, I figured I'd spare you the boring details.  Pray for me guys, I have got to get my iron up. 

At any rate, I pray blessings over each and every one of you today.  And if nothing else, make sure you look at the new bible study of the week.  My husband asked me to look into the Lord's prayer, and honestly I thought there was nothing really to 'look into'.  It was a prayer I had memorized a long time ago and I felt that it was pretty straightforward.  But thank God the spirit convicted me to study it anyway!  It was so much more than I thought it was.  It shows us a great structure for all of our prayers and gives us a much needed lesson on submission and humility.  The most amazing thing about this prayer to me is that it came straight from Jesus.  He gave us the inside scoop on God's will for our prayers, and if you really look into the prayer, it gives us wonderful insight into God's character!  Ok, I'm getting excited all over again :-)  Just check it out for yourselves.  I'd love to hear what you think about the lesson.

The Lord's Prayer_Bible Study

Also don't forget to step up to the challenge of the day!

New Bible Study!

In obedience to my husband, I decided to do a study on the Lord's Prayer this week :-)  I hope you all get a chance to check it out.  It was really a blessing for me to write and I am excited to share the Spirit's revelation with you all!  

The Lord's Prayer Bible Study

Challenge of the day: Find a mentor

Hello family, sorry I'm writing so late today.  I attempted writing earlier without the Spirit, and it didn't go so well.  Pray for me.  Anyway, I just wanted to bring your attention to the new Challenge of the Day part of the site.  Each day I will post a challenge that I want us to attempt as a family.  The challenge will be listed under the main title on the home page.  I think these challenges will give us positive things to focus on and help us to grow as Christians.  Feel free to email me if you have any challenges in mind, kalonda@att.blackberry.net.

The challenge of the day is find a mentor.  A mentor can be anybody: parent, coach, pastor, friend, teammate, spouse.  Your mentor should have a strong spiritual foundation and be reasonably accessible.  You should be able to call on this person if you have questions or concerns.  Your mentor should be more experienced or knowledgeable about the faith than you.  Or, at the least they should be strong in places where you struggle.  In this way, you will be able to learn from them and strengthen your own belief.

God saw fit to give me a mentor from the dance ministry that I participate in.  She is slightly older than me in years, but she is much more experienced in spiritual things.  I can call her at any time with problems, and she even celebrates my successes with me.  She is very open about her relationship with God, and I can see the Spirit at work in her life.  She inspires me to strengthen my own relationship with the Father. 

I encourage everyone to find a mentor like this if possible.  Church ministries are a great place to start, but don't ignore the people you see everyday.  God puts some people in our lives for a reason.  Try looking at every encounter and situation through a divine lens.  You'll be surprised at what you see!

Also, remember never forsake the importance of reading the Word yourself as well as personally communing with God on a daily basis.  While I encourage mentorship for support and motivation, we know that we put our hope and faith in God alone. 

Prayer for Asia Bibi-Please Read!

Asia Bibi is a woman from Pakistan imprisoned for blasphemy.  She reportedly told women that she worked with that Jesus was alive and Mohammed was dead.  On November 8th, she was sentenced to death and given 7 days to appeal.  Her attorneys have prepared the appeal, but her husband is pleading with us not to let his wife's plight go unnoticed.  Click below for a video of her husband's request.

Husband pleads for Asia Bibi

Click below for full story and previous prayer request for Asia Bibi
Asia Bibi

New Devotion!

This week's devotion is a personal prayer of mine.  I hope it is a blessing to you!

Weekly Devotion

Success and Failure Testimony

Hey family I have great news!  I have come to learn that when you are doing the will of God, He will put some great people and great opportunities in your path.  So last week I just happened upon a website that was looking for Christian bloggers (coincidence... I think not, lol).  Anyway, I submitted an article (Dead Hope) to him and he loved it and invited me to write on his site as well!  Look at God!  Click on the link below to check out my first article.

Success and Failure-Lacking Substance

As always, we love to celebrate and rejoice together so feel free to share your praise reports as well!

New Song of the Week!

Great news!!!  The Song of the Week is now posted!  This is a great song from none other than Mr. Hezekiah Walker himself.  I'm really thinking I should have posted it on Monday to get our week started off right, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless :-) 

You can get to the song by clicking on the link below or by clicking the Song of the Week link on the right side of this home page. 

Song of the Week page

Majestic Monday!

Good morning family!  I hope everybody is in awesome spirits today.  I decided to call this Majestic Monday because we are beginning our week in the presence of our Lord and Savior, His Majesty, Jesus Christ.  Hallelujah for that!  I want to thank everyone that participated as we prayed for the persecuted church last week.  I am believing Jesus for miracles in the lives of every prisoner, and we know that if one person is saved because of the affliction of the church, then our prayers have been answered.   I implore you not to quit praying for our church family.  I think I am going to continue posting prayer requests at least once a week so that our persecuted brothers and sisters do not stray far from our thoughts or prayers.  Also if you know of persecution going on locally or abroad, please feel free to email me so I can let the family know what to be praying about. 

kalonda@att.blackberry.net

Pray for the Saints: Nigeria

I think these articles speak for themselves.  Please pray for the continued faith and strength of the persecuted.

Written on March 17, 2010
In the latest religious clash in Plateau State, ethnic Fulani Muslims attacked three predominantly Christian farming villages near Jos, killing about 500 people.
Assist News reports that in the early morning of March 7, attackers descended on the villages, doused roofs with gasoline and burned about 75 homes while shouting "Allah Akbar." As villagers fled their burning homes, they were shot and butchered by the waiting Muslims. Those unable to flee - the sick, the elderly, children and mothers caring for children - were most vulnerable.
Plateau State is a predominantly Christian state in a country almost evenly divided between Christians and Muslims. The Muslim minority has been contesting control of some parts of the state, leading to frequent clashes, according to Compass Direct News.
State Information Commissioner Gregory Yenlong confirmed that the attacks took place mainly in Dogo Nahawa, Zot and Rastat villages.

Please Pray!

Reports from Nigeria indicate that some survivors, mainly youth, are calling for revenge against the Muslims. Pray that God will intervene to stop this cycle of violence. Pray that those who lost loved ones or were injured will be comforted by the peace of Christ and that the Nigerian government will begin to protect Christians.
Pray also for the Nigerian Muslims, that their eyes will be opened so that they might turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to the kingdom of God.

Written August 11, 2010

At least four women, a man, boy and a girl were murdered on July 17 in Maza village, near the Nigerian city of Jos, according to Assist News Service. The death toll from this brutal attack is estimated at 10, including the wife, two children and grandson of a local pastor. The ambush occurred around 2 a.m., and the attackers were identified as nomadic Fulani herdsmen. They were seen to be armed with guns, cutlasses, bows and arrows, which they used to attack unsuspecting residents.
According to journalists, Chika Otuchikere and Gonji Palang, "Their attack on the Maza village was ruthless. Along with an estimated 10 dead, the Fulani herdsmen burned down houses and places of worship, such as the Church of Christ. Reverend Nuhu Dawat was the pastor of this church and he is grieving the loss of his wife and two children."
Muslim Fulani herdsmen were responsible for previous massacres of Christians near Jos earlier this year, leaving hundreds dead and injured.

Please Pray!

Ask the Lord to pour out His Spirit in and around Jos so that peace may be restored. Pray for the salvation of the Fulani herdsmen and that Christians will maintain their focus on Christ and not retaliation. Pray that the Christians will not grow weary or lose heart in this hostile environment created by the attackers, but that they will be a witness of Christ's love and forgiveness.
VOM supports hundreds of Nigerian pastors who continue to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ despite persecution. VOM also provides food, clothing and medical aid to Nigerian Christians who are attacked by Muslim extremists.

Information provided by http://www.be-a-voice.net/

New Study coming: Worship!

Good morning, good morning, good morning!  I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend so far.  There's been something kind of bothering me lately so I decided to share it with my meditating family :-)  Lately I've been hearing a lot of different complaints about how others worship.  If you could go through the thoughts of a church body during praise and worship it would probably sound something like this:

Why is she standing
Why is she sitting
Why is he crying
Why is he dancing
Why are her eyes closed
Why are her hands raised
Why is he hollering
Why is he quiet
She doesn't care at all
She is just being emotional

And the complaints go on and on and on.  Personally, I ask why do you care?  If everybody focused on worshipping God themselves, then it wouldn't matter what the other person was doing.  I do understand how for exuberant worshippers, some churches can be stifling, and for reflective worshippers, some churches can be distracting; but that is why it is so important to let God lead you to the right church for you. 

But like I said those are just my personal thoughts.  To really get to the bottom of the issue, we have to see what the bible says.  So I've decided to do a study on worship.  Does it have a look or a feel or does it change with the individual?  We will see what the Word of God has to say on the matter.  So keep your eyes open!  My findings will be coming soon.  And as always, feel free to share your knowledge and experiences as well.

Kalonda

Pray for the Saints: Eritrea

Today I want to share with you two saints that are in dire need of our prayers in Eritrea.  These men have both been in prison for over 2000 days.  Please pray for them, their families, and others in their country.  Also please consider writing letters of encouragement to our brothers and sisters in chains.  http://www.prisoneralert.com/

Featured Prisoner - Haile Nayzgi

• Location: Eritrea
• Arrested: May 2004
• Days Imprisoned: 2364    

During the early morning hours of May 23, 2004, Haile Nayzgi was arrested and taken to Police Station #1 in Asmara. He was the leader of Eritrea’s Full Gospel Church, which is comprised of 120 to 150 house meeting groups. The church groups were closed by government decree at a meeting with a government official on May 15, 2003. At that time the church groups were given an application form for government registration. The Full Gospel Church filled out the form and returned it to the appropriate offices, but no reply was ever received.

Haile is married and has four children. He was previously an accountant with World Evangelical Alliance. During his incarceration Haile has been refused any personal contact with his family. When family and friends went to take food and clothing to the prison for Haile on August 24, 2004, they were told that he was no longer there. Mr. Nayzgi has been moved to various locations since his arrest, but the actual charges against him have not been released.

Featured Prisoner - Kidane Weldou

• Location: Eritrea
• Arrested: March 2005
• Days Imprisoned: 2065    

Pastor Kidane Weldou disappeared and is presumably detained by Eritrean security forces. His vehicle was found abandoned in downtown Asmara. He is a senior pastor of the Full Gospel Church and has been a leader in the church for many years. Weldou is married and has four daughters. For many days his family was unable to learn his whereabouts. Other pastors arrested from this church and still being held include Haile Nayzgi. Pastor Weldou is also a member of the executive committee of Gideons International in Eritrea.
Almost 2000 Christians are being held in prisons and military camps in Eritrea. A few were released after signing a pledge to stop attending religious services. The Eritrean government began forcibly closing evangelical Protestant churches in 2002. They have not allowed any of the independent Protestant churches to register and reopen since, even though 11 have applied for this official registration. Along with Islam, there are only three Christian churches authorized to worship by the government. These include Orthodox, Catholic and Evangelical Lutheran churches. However, Orthodox Christians have also been arrested. On February 19th, a group of Sunday school teachers and students were arrested and detained by police after a raid on the Medhane Alem Orthodox Church in Asmara. They were later released. According to Compass Direct, the pastors of the banned Protestant churches were reportedly ordered not to inform anyone outside Eritrea of their problems. However, these pastors rejected this advice and reported what was happening to the outside world. Some of those arrested are held in metal shipping containers.
Remember Sunday, November 14th is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church!

Information provided by The Voice of the Martyrs Be A Voice network.

Pray for the Saints: Iran, Egypt and Pakistan

I pray that you are not being overwhelmed this week as we focus on our persecuted brothers and sisters.  I thank you all for taking this journey with me.  We show our love of Christ and our maturity in the faith when we can share in the suffering of others.  Below are the details on an attack of a Catholic church in Baghdad and the story of a woman in Pakistan who was beaten and arrested for saying that Jesus is alive and Mohammed is dead.  Please keep all of the saints in your prayers.

On Oct. 31, an Assyrian Catholic Church in central Baghdad was attacked by five Sunni Islamic terrorists affiliated with al-Qaeda. The attack claimed the lives of 59 worshipers, including two priests, and severely injured more than 80 others. Five policemen were also killed in the attack, and all of the terrorists were killed, either in explosions they detonated on their explosive belts or by Iraqi security officers.
The gunmen had reportedly held the worshipers hostage, demanding the release of two Egyptian Christian women. They insisted that the women were Muslims who were being held against their will by the Coptic Church in Egypt.
Coptic activist Mark Ebeid said, "Sheikhs in Egypt decided to spread unfounded allegations and convince thousands of Muslims of their fabrications. Besides, the Coptic Church would have never delivered two of its children, who sought refuge within its walls, to the fundamentalists."

Sources: VOM contacts, Assyrian Int'l News Agency

Please Pray!

Pray for God's protection of Christians who are being targeted in Iraq and Egypt. Pray for the families affected by this attack. Pray also for the salvation of those who do not know Jesus as Lord and Savior.

"Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low; deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I." Psalm 142:6

VOM assists Christians in Iraq through its Action Pack program and Families of Martyrs fund, as well as by providing them with Christian literature.

Featured Prisoner - Asia Bibi

• Location: Pakistan
• Arrested: June 2009
• Days Imprisoned: 510

Asia Bibi, a 37-year-old Pakistani woman from the village of Ittanwali, was arrested by police on Friday, June 19, and faces possible blasphemy charges. Asia is the wife of 50-year-old Ashiq Masih, and their family is one of only three Christian families in a village of more than 1,500 families.

Many of the local women work on the farm of Muslim landowner Muhammad Idrees, including Asia. During their work many of the Muslim women have pressured Asia to renounce Christianity and accept Islam. In June, the pressure became especially strong.

On Friday, June 19, there was an intense discussion among the women about their faith, with the Muslim women telling Asia about Islam. Asia responded by telling them about her faith in Christ. Asia told the Muslim women Christ had died on the cross for our sins, then asked them what Mohammed had done for them, according to VOM sources. She told them Jesus is alive, but Mohammed is dead. “Our Christ is the true prophet of God,” she reportedly told them, “and yours is not true.”

Upon hearing this response the Muslim women became angry and began to beat Asia Bibi. Then some men came and took her and locked her in a room. They announced from mosque loudspeakers that she would be punished by having her face blackened and being paraded through the village on a donkey. Local Christians informed the police, who took Asia into custody before the Muslims could carry out their plan. She is currently being held at the police station in Nankana city. Christians there urged the police not to file blasphemy charges, but police claimed that they must go forward due to pressure from local Muslim leaders.

The Voice of the Martyrs urges Christians around the world to pray for Asia Bibi and her family. Further, we call on the Pakistani government to insure that the rights of Christians like Asia are protected.

*Update:  On November 8th, Asia was sentenced to death for her charges.  She was given seven days to appeal and her lawyers plan to do so.  Please pray that the appeal will be granted and the ruling overturned. 

Information provided by The Voice of the Martyrs Be A Voice network.

Roadblock

Good morning family!  I pray you started this day with high spirits.  I encourage you all to be bold in the Lord today.  My husband and I were talking last night and we came to the agreement that one of the biggest problems Christians have witnessing is lukewarm Christians getting in the way.  I am not trying to talk down to anyone, I used to be just as lukewarm as they come.  I'm just trying to help people not to make the same mistakes I did.  In Revelation 3:15 God says, "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot.  I could wish you were cold or hot.  So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth."  Wow.  That is a strong statement from our God.  Why do lukewarm Christians disgust Him so much?  I think my husband put it best last night when he said, "Well if you're cold, you're able to be saved, if you're hot, you can help save somebody, but if you're warm, you're just in the way!"  This is so true.  On numerous occassions, I've heard non-believers say they didn't believe in Christianity because they had never met a true Christian.  This is a sobering thought.  There are an estimated 2.1 billion Christians in the world, but how many of us have actually submitted to the God we claim can change, transform, and deliver? And out of those who have submitted, how many of us have actually let our light shine in the world around us?  We are called to be salt and light in the earth, but many of us are afraid of what everyone else will think.  Well I'm going to help you today.  They're not going to like it.  There.  It's out.  The world hated Jesus and He was perfect!  Quit trying to make the world happy.  It's not going to work.  But it doesn't matter, the only approval we seek is Jesus'. Ok, now that we know what to expect, let's be the salt and light we've been called to be.  I love you, and I tell you all of this out of my love for you and my extreme desire to see the Kingdom of God strengthened here on earth.

New Devotion and Bible Study!

The devotion and bible study of the week have now been posted!  I pray they are as much a blessing to you as they have been to me.

Devotion

Bible Study

Prisoner Alert

Good morning guys!  I thank all of you that prayed the Lord would give me the words to write to the Christian prisoners.  I was struggling with what to say, and I had delayed writing a letter for two days.  Well last night the Spirit convicted me.  He showed me that every night I procrastinated could be the night my Christian brother or sister lost hope.  So I got up this morning to write the letter and wouldn't you know I had been doing all that worrying for nothing!  Because the website has to translate the letters into so many different languages, they actually give you the phrases to choose from to put in your letter.  I prayed that the Lord would give me the words to write, and He literally gave me the words to write, LOL.  That makes me laugh.  Anyway I hope you guys will join in this endeavor to encourage our persecuted brothers and sisters.  On the right side of this blog, under the pages box, I have added a link that directs you to the Prisoner Alert page. 

Thanks in advance for your love and support!

Favor in the Furnace

This morning I published a post about persecuted missionaries in Kenya.  Below is one scene from the post

Early in the ordeal, the Muslim men asked one of the women, “Who’s the saviour of this world?” When she boldly answered, “Jesus Christ is the Saviour,” they slapped and spat at her and shouted “You’re wrong, you prostitute, it’s Osama who’s the saviour.” When the group was finally released, they were told, “You’re lucky ... we’re directed to free you. We could have killed you this night. Maybe your Jesus saves you. But warning ... stop leading Muslims astray with your corrupt Bible. Nobody shall be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet.”

Every time I read this my chest constricts.  I am overwhelmed with admiration and appreciation of the woman's boldness at the same time I am immensely saddened by the man's cruelty and ignorance.  But over all of that I am overjoyed at the Lord's presence in the midst of it all.  The Muslim men told the group, "You're lucky...we're directed to free you....Maybe your Jesus saves you."  Wow.  They didn't know how right they were.  This is what favor looks like.  Favor doesn't necessarily mean that life is going to be trouble free, but it guarantees that God will be with us even in the midst of trouble.  Hallelujah!  We have to quit thinking that our enemies can't bless us.  God's will can reach any place and any situation.  I am reminded of the story of Joseph.  God's favor was upon him even as a slave and a prisoner of Egypt (Genesis 37-50). 

The Muslims were indeed directed to free the missionaries, but not by the leader they imagined, but by a God they neither knew nor recognized.  Praise Jesus!  The bible says, "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord (Proverbs 21:1)."  When you are favored by God, He can cause anybody to bless you whether they like it, understand it, or even know about it or not.

Pray for the Saints: Kenya

Today I ask you to pray for Christians in Kenya.  Below is a story of six missionaries who were abducted, beaten, and raped about two months ago.  Please pray for their continued healing as well as strength and comfort from the Lord.

Three men including Mr Y, the leader of a group of Kenyan missionaries supported by Barnabas, had travelled to Nairobi on the morning of Wednesday 15 September to help three Christian women to move out of their apartment to a safer location. The three men arrived safely, but when Mr Y’s wife called them later that day, she could not get an answer. By 9pm she began to realise something serious must have happened. Going to Nairobi, she found the apartment door unlocked but no trace of the missionaries.

The police began an investigation and at 4am on 18 September the group were found - dumped at the side of a main road. They all had their eyes and mouths tightly sealed with tape, and their legs and arms were bound, but they were all alive. The three women had been systematically raped and were deeply traumatised; still suffering from shock, they were not even able to talk. At the hospital they were given drugs to reduce the risk of their contracting AIDS. They will remain in hospital for two weeks of comprehensive care to help them recover from the physical, psychological and emotional distress.

The three men had been tortured and their bodies were covered in bruises; one man needs treatment for a dislocated shoulder after he was thrown “like luggage” into a truck. The men will remain in hospital for five days to receive counselling. But Mr Y’s wife said, “No matter the agony, they praised the Lord.”
Early in the ordeal, the Muslim men asked one of the women, “Who’s the saviour of this world?” When she boldly answered, “Jesus Christ is the Saviour,” they slapped and spat at her and shouted “You’re wrong, you prostitute, it’s Osama who’s the saviour.” When the group was finally released, they were told, “You’re lucky ... we’re directed to free you. We could have killed you this night. Maybe your Jesus saves you. But warning ... stop leading Muslims astray with your corrupt Bible. Nobody shall be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet.”

Kenya has a strong Church, yet Christians face challenging opposition, and the situation of converts and women can be particularly difficult. In July, 18 converts from Islam met on a secluded beach to be baptised by Mr Y and his team, when they were suddenly attacked by a crowd of around 100 Muslim men who beat them with pipes and wooden clubs. Five had to be hospitalised for several days, including a woman who had been beaten unconscious and a man with a broken arm.
Barnabas Aid is covering the hospital fees of the missionaries and converts involved in both these incidents.

This information was provided by Barnabas Aid-hope and relief for the persecuted church

Pray for the Saints: Egypt and Somalia

Ok family here are a couple of prayer requests that I wanted to put before you today. Please remember them as you go before God today.

Egyptian Christians
Egyptian Christians fear for their safety as false allegations, violent threats and mass demonstrations pile up against the Church in Egypt.  Muslim anger was ignited last month when entirely unfounded accusations were made on Al-Jazeera TV that Egyptian Christians were aligned with Israel and stockpiling weapons in preparation for waging war against Muslims. (Egypt borders Israel as well as the Gaza Strip.) Tensions were also fueled by Islamist leaders falsely accusing Christians of kidnapping and torturing women who had converted to Islam.

Egyptian Christians' rights were subsequently threatened by the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, a government body, which confirmed Egypt to be an Islamic state where "the citizenship rights of non-Muslims were conditional to their abiding by the Islamic identity of the State." Thousands of Muslims with the Front of Islamic Egypt have promised Christians a "bloodbath" in at least 10 mass demonstrations.

Source: Barnabas Aid

Please Pray!

Pray that tensions against Christians will cease and that the light of Jesus Christ will shine brightly in Egypt. Pray that God will place a hedge of protection around Christians. Pray for enemy strongholds to be pulled down and for those in bondage to false religions to be set free.

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds." 2 Corinthians 10:4

Nurta Mohamed Farah
Since May 10, Nurta Mohamed Farah has been imprisoned at her home in southern Somalia because she became a Christian, according to Compass News Direct. According to witnesses, Nurta's family keeps the 17-year-old chained to a tree by day and puts her in a small, dark room at night.  "When the woman's family found out that she converted to Christianity she was beaten badly but insisted on her new-found religion," a source told Compass News on the condition of anonymity. "Her parents also took her to a doctor who prescribed medication for a 'mental illness' but it had no effect in swaying her from her faith," he said. "There is little the community can do. I have advised our community leaders to keep monitoring her condition but not to meddle for their own safety. We need prayers and human advocacy for such inhuman acts."
Nurta's suffering began after she declined her family's offer of forgiveness in exchange for renouncing Christianity, according to the source.

Please Pray!

According to Compass News, conversion from Islam to another religion in Somalia is considered socially unacceptable. Those suspected of conversion face harassment or even death from members of their community. Please pray that God will protect Nurta and intervene in rescuing her from harm's way. Pray that God will give her the strength to remain steadfast in her Christian faith. Pray also that her parents will come to know Christ as their Lord and Savior and be delivered from the deception of Islam.

The Voice of the Martyrs assists Somali pastors in areas of intense persecution.

Information provided by the Voice of the Martyrs' Be A Voice network.

New Song of the Week posted!

Alright guys it's that time again!  This week we have another song from the Christian rap genre (I promise next week we will try something different, lol).  The artist is the 116 Clique.  They got their name from Romans 1:16 which starts out, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes..."  They are currently on the Unashamed tour so be sure to look them up and see if they will be coming to a city near you.  I think the song for this week is a great theme song as we continue to meditate and pray for the persecuted church.  Be sure to check it out on the song of the week page.

 Song of the Week

Miracles

Have any of you ever believed God for a miracle?  I mean really believed.  The fact that we are alive today is a miracle in itself, but it's one we often take for granted.  I have decided that I am going to start believing in God for miracles in my life and in the lives of those around me.  Not because I deserve them, but because He is gracious.  I know that God doesn't have to prove anything to me.  The bible says that He holds all of creation together with the power of His Word (Col. 1:17, Heb. 1:3) and I believe that.  I also know that the bible says, "Do not test the Lord thy God," and I am by no means trying to do that.  I think this is more a test of myself.  Do I really believe that God is who He says He is?  Because His word says, "I (God) know the thoughts I have for you...plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future(Jer. 29:11)," and "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avail much (James 5:16)."  So if I'm living right and trusting God, why shouldn't I expect miracles in my life?

I think many times we get in the way of our own miracles.  I think the biggest problem is we try to anticipate God's will for our lives.  It's just like many other relationships in our lives, we want to go in whole-heartedly but instead we find ourselves withdrawn, trying to guard against the heartbreak.  I know we have all been disillusioned by relationships in this world, but God is not of this world.  We should not go into our relationships with God afraid that He's going to hurt our feelings.  That is not to say that He will never tell you no or tell you something that you do not want to hear.  But the bible says that He corrects those He loves (Heb. 12:5-6).  We have to remember that everything from God is for our good (Rom. 8:28, James 1:17).  He does not punish us, but He tests us to bring us into our full potential in Christ (James 1:2-4).  So we should not be afraid to believe in God for a miracle because it might not happen.  We should put our full faith in God, that if it is for our good, it will happen and if not, then our Father knows best. 

Personally, I've decided to give it a try.  I'm throwing doubt and caution out the window, and diving full force into God's miraculous plan for my life.  I'll let you know how it goes!

Please feel free to share blessings and miracles that God has done for you!

Quick Note

Good morning, good morning, good morning!  Hey everybody, I hope you are all feeling blessed and highly favored today. 

Quick note:  So I'm watching the 700 club on TBN this morning and I heard about a group of Christians protesting in Iraq for better protection of Christians after 58 people were killed in a raid on a church in Baghdad.  Please remember to keep our brothers and sisters in your prayers.

Also please pray that the Lord gives me the right words to say as I attempt to write letters to persecuted Christians in prison overseas.  I am currently having a hard time getting thoughts on paper.

Prayer for the Saints: Vietnam

Hi guys! I know I'm writing a little late today, but I really needed to straighten up at home and even more essential, I needed to spend a little time with God.  But I'm back now!  I hope you all had a safe and blessed weekend and started this week refreshed and ready to do God's will.  For those of you who may be stopping by for the first time, this week we will be meditating on the struggles of our Christian family around the world.  On Sunday we will join saints around the world in praying for the persecuted church.  Hebrews 13:3 says, "Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering."

I know this week will be a great journey for me.  For a long time, I avoided any mention of suffering or persecution.  I am a pretty sensitive person, and hearing about one person in distress usually upsets me for quite a while.  I had to realize that being upset was nothing to be ashamed at, but ignoring the suffering was.  I pray that you all take time out to observe what is going on with our family around the world and ask God how He would like you to be involved in it (prayer, donations, missions, etc).  As I was seeking God just now, I had a sudden desire to write letters to our persecuted brothers and sisters.  I didn't know how I would do it, but I thought in time God would open that door.  Not thirty minutes later, I sat down to write the post for the day and decided that it would be a good idea to post some of the stories from persecution.com so you all would have a better idea who we were praying for.    I went to the website and noticed the Get Involved section on the side.  The section had ten links but I was led to click on the one entitled Be a Voice, and wouldn't you know that one of the three ways to be a voice was write to the prisoners.  Hallelujah!  Look at how God works.  So believe me, if you are sincere about working for Christ (as I hope we all are), just ask Him what He wants you to do and He will answer.  James 1:5 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."

The prisoners I am going to share with you today are from Vietnam.

Featured Prisoner - Y Wo Nie

Location: Vietnam
Arrested: August 2004
Days Imprisoned: 2273
Pastor Y Wo Nie was arrested August 18, 2004, for leading a demonstration demanding more religious freedom and the release of property confiscated by the Vietnamese government. He received a nine-year sentence. His family has not been able to visit him.

Write a letter of encouragement. Let Pastor Nie know you are praying for him and the believers in Vietnam. Let your friends know about persecution in Vietnam; encourage them to pray and write. Also, write Vietnamese officials requesting Nie’s release. Your letters make a difference.


Featured Prisoner - Nguyen Van Dai

Location: Vietnam
Arrested: March 2007
Days Imprisoned: 1343

In May 2008, Nguyen Van Dai, a Vietnamese Protestant church leader and lawyer, was sentenced to five years in prison and followed by four years of house arrest. Nguyen was accused of a wide range of crimes, including “conspiring with terrorists, in their efforts to promote human rights efforts, including religious rights and democracy.” He was also accused of compiling “evidence of Vietnam’s suppression of the Protestant religion and providing it to the U.S.-based Committee for Religious Freedom in Vietnam and the U.S. embassy.”

Featured Prisoner - Father Nguyen Van Ly

Location: Vietnam
Arrested: March 2007
Days Imprisoned: 1320

On February 19, 2007, Father Nguyen Van Ly was arrested in Hue, Vietnam for distributing material “harmful to the state.” In March, he was sentenced to eight years in prison. He has issued statements criticizing the government’s confiscation of church property, lack of seminary training and the influence of the state in church teachings.

This information was provided by the Voice of the Martyrs Be-A-Voice network.  Please join me in praying for our brothers and sisters in difficult situations all over the world.

"Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others."
                                                             I Corinthians 10:24

Fasting

I apologize for not getting you a full lesson on fasting last week, but I did want to give you a few points that I think are very important. 

1.       Fasting is about sacrificing self for intimacy with God.  You should go into a fast with expectancy.  It is a great opportunity to shut the world out and focus on God.  Fasts should be coupled with prayer.  Humble yourself, ask God to search you, and show you His will for your life.  Seek to know Him better and ask Him what you should be praying about.  Also, remember prayer is a two way conversation.  Be sure to pay attention to things going on around you.  God speaks in many ways.

2.       Fasting is not a diet method.  Please do not look at fasting as a way to lose a couple pounds.  This takes the focus off of God and puts it back on you.  It will also make the fast harder and less fruitful.

3.       Fasting does not have to be food.  Although food is the most common sacrifice during fasts, the purpose of fasting is to focus and get closer to God, therefore you can fast from anything that would normally take your attention away from Him (ex. Cell phones, internet, TV, shopping…).  If you do choose to fast from food, note that there are different food fasts in the bible. 

a.        Absolute fast:  No food or drink for a period of time

This fast was performed by Moses (Ex. 34:28), Elijah (I Kings 19:8), and Jesus (Mat. 4:2).  It is recommended that you participate in this fast for no longer than two or three days at a time.  My husband and I normally do this fast from 12 am to 12 pm for a designated period of time.

b.      Fruit and vegetable fast:  Only fruits and vegetables for a period of time

This fast was performed by Daniel (Dan. 1:12). 

People have also been known to fast from sweets and junk food. 

4.       Do not fast to be seen by men.  Matthew 6:16-18 says  

When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting.  I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.  But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

In other words, don’t make news of your fast in an attempt to make people pity or respect you. Go about your days as usual and as much as possible let your fast be a private act between you and the Father.

5.        Fasts are not meaningless religious rituals.  Isaiah 58 tells us what we can expect to manifest if we fast sincerely.  The fasting that Jesus honors will loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke to set the oppressed free.  Fasting and learning Jesus’ character will inspire us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and provide shelter to the wanderer.  The bible then tells us that with sincere fasting our light will break forth like the dawn, we will call and the Lord will answer, we will cry for help, and He will say, “Here am I.”

Again, I apologize for not getting this to you earlier, but I hope it blesses you nontheless.  Marcus and I will be starting our fast at noon tomorrow (Sun. 9/7/10) and we encourage you to participate if you feel so led.  The fast will culminate next Sunday, November 14, which is the International Day of Prayer for the persecuted church.  Whether you fast or not, please remember to keep the persecuted church in prayer. 

There are many examples of fasting in the bible.  Here are a couple of verses that I picked out, but this is far from an exhaustive list.

I Samuel 7:5

Ezra 8:21

Nehemiah 1:4

Daniel 9:3

Joel 2:12

Jonah 3:5

Luke 2:37

Acts 9:9, 13:2, 14:23

Happy Weekend!

Good morning family!  I hope everyone had a safe Friday night and continues to have a safe and blessed weekend.  I went to see the movie Colored Girls last night.  It was interesting...and that's all I'm going to say about that. 

I started this blog not knowing what I was going to say this morning, but I feel the spirit leading me back to some notes I wrote earlier this week on idolatry.  So let's start there.  It is sad to me that we are so quick to shake our heads and criticize people in the bible when in reality we are falling into the same traps.  For example, God told the Isrealites not to marry with other nations (Exodus 34:12-17).  This had nothing to do with racism and everything to do with their relationship with God.  God didn't want them being influenced to do anything that was contrary to Him.  This is still God's desire. And this is not God's desire out of pride or selfishness, but out of love.  Anytime we get off God's path for us, we put ourselves in grave danger of heading toward destruction (I'm sure there are some people reading that can testify to that). and that's the last thing He wants for us.

Whether marriage or friendship, when we bind ourselves with someone who doesn't share our love of God, this is called being unequally yoked.  The bible says in II Corinthians 6:14-16,

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers.  For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness?  And what communion has light with darkness?  And what accord has Christ with Belial?  Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?  And what agreement has the temple of God with idols?  For you are the temple of the living God.

If you look at the picture above you will see that a yoke was a tool used to keep oxen in line with each other when plowing the field.  If one of the oxen was out of alignment, it would put undue strain on the other oxen.  The same is true in the spiritual realm.  If we are yoked at differnt spiritual levels we are bound to experience some undue strain in our lives, and I can tell you from experience it will be a lot easier for them to pull you down then for you to pull them up.  If you look at the yoke again, you will notice that it wasn't a fixture that could be easily broken out of.  Once you were hooked up, you were in it for the long haul.  So God, isn't telling us not to go around unbelievers at all.  That would go completely against Matthew 28:19.  For some people we know, we may be the only bible they ever see.  Instead God is telling us, do not be joined so tightly that their every move effects the steps we take. 

When we are determined to be unequally yoked despite what God says, we are putting our love for other people over our love for Him, and this is idolatry.  This is probably one of the most familiar forms of idolatry in present day, but it is by no means the only form.  I want to share a list of things that I think the world consistently puts ahead of God, so that we, being made aware, can be strong and uncompromising in our faith.  I'm sure I've missed things so don't hesitate to add to the list.

• fame
• fortune
• success
• power
• pursuit of education
• science
• history
• drugs
• sex
• alcohol
• sororities/fraternities
• friends
• family
• spouse
• self
• superstars
• talk show hosts
• president
• pastor
• ministires
• Mary
• angels
• holidays
• morals
• the cross
• other religions

Dead Hope

 Faith without work is dead hope.  Don’t believe me?  Well let’s look at the bible.  Ephesians 6 tells us to take up our shield of faith.  Take up.  Sounds like work to me.  And faith is called our shield.  Have you not seen the movie 300?  The whole movie was based off hope.  The Spartans were a fierce people in battle and the key to their survival was that each person’s shield also covered their neighbor from foot to shoulder.  In the movie, the Spartans were forced into battle with an army much larger than themselves.  So what did they do?  They went to war and hoped they would last long enough for reinforcements to arrive.  Well, I don’t mean to spoil the movie for anyone, but at the end, Leonidas, the king of the Spartans, got a little anxious, put down his shield to attack the enemy and died.  Dead hope. 

Now I admit that this is a severly simplified summary of the movie and it completely ignores the fact that the Spartans were betrayed and would have likely died anyway, but it serves my point so let’s just go with it.  We are at war.  Every morning we wake up, we step onto a spiritual battlefield (Eph. 6:12).  How big is the opposing army?  Well let’s go back to the bible.  The bible says when Satan fell from heaven he took one third of the angels with him (Rev. 12:4-9).  How many is one third of the angel population?  A lot.  Matthew 12:22 says the angels are innumerable. One-third of innumerable is a lot of soldiers. Do we really want to go to war unprepared? 

Ephesians 6:14-17 describes the full armor that we are to wear:  the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes prepared with the gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and sword of the spirit which is the Word of God.  If you look at the armor, you will notice, as my pastor pointed out, that all of the armor is strapped on except the shield and the sword.  This is consistent with the fact that faith and the Word are the things you have to continually work with to use effectively.  Let me explain. 

If you think about the armor, every item is going to require a little bit of work to put on, but once it’s on, it pretty much works on its own.  This is also true in the spiritual world.  You may have to work a bit, go to church, read some scripture, etcetera before you can put on the spirit of truth, righteousness, and peace.  But once it’s on, it’s on!   Your belt, breastplate, shoes, and helmet are strapped on and they aren’t going anywhere.  They deflect enemy assualt just by being there.

The sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, is a little different.  It is primarily an offensive weapon.  You have to pick it up and use it to defend yourself.  We wiill talk about this in a later post. 

For now let’s focus on the shield of faith.  Shields are interesting.  They are primarily defensive.  You can duck behind them or raise them to defend against an oncoming blow.  But they can also be offensive.  You can use them to push against your attacker or you can even swing them to offer some blows of your own.  The problem with shields, good ones anyway, is that they are heavy.  To use them effectively takes practice and training.  Well the same thing is true of faith.  The bible says we move from faith to faith (Rom. 1:17).  So in the physical realm that looks like this:

You finally get tired of trying to fix all your problems yourself so you decide to give them to God.  Through your faith and obedience, God shows up and shows out.  Then when a bigger issue confronts you, you don’t panic because you remember God’s presence in your life and you believe He is able to handle anything that comes against you.  That’s faith to faith.

Note now, that moving from faith to faith requires you to start somewhere first.  I think I hear of faith most with faith healing.  Someone gets sick, and their friends and family all want to comfort them by saying, “Just have faith and God will heal you.”  Now I wonder, how in the world are they supposed to come up with this Herculean faith that God will heal their cancer, when they have never depended on God for anything before?  On occasion, we do get that faith adrenaline rush, and we are able to believe in God to get us out of a tough situation without having a previous reference point.  But in general, that’s the exception not the rule.  Most of us need to practice exercising faith now, so that when our Goliath comes we are not afraid to pull out our slinghots and take him down (I Sam. 17).   

Examples

So what does faith look like defensively?  Well when the enemy comes along and you start thinking you’re not good enough to walk with God, then you pick up your shield of faith and remind yourself that there is no condemnation in Christ (Rom. 8:1) and He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion (Phil. 1:6).  When the enemy rises up and tells you that your situation is hopeless, that you might as well give up; then pick up your faith and tell him that everything works out for the good of those who love Christ.

What does faith look like offensively?  When the enemy steps in front of you and growls that your financial situation is hopeless, knock him out of the way, remember Malachi 3:10, and praise God with your tithe and offering.  When God gives you a vision that the devil tells you will never come to pass, shove him down, stand over him, look him in the eye and tell him, “The devil is a lie, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! (Phil. 4:13)”

As always, I hope this message is a blessing to every reader. 

As a sidenote, remember earlier I mentioned that the shields in 300 covered each person’s neighbor?  Well faith works the same way.  Sometimes, we have to use our faith to intercede for each other.  Sometimes it is hard to believe in your own healing or your own deliverance, but being covered by the faith of praying saints can sustain you while your shield is down. 

Remember live, love, laugh, and praise God!

Kalonda

The Way, the Truth, and the Life

So yesterday I read an article about a girl who declared that she was raised in the Church of Latter Day Saints but had recently found the teachings of Buddhism to be very reassuring.  She wanted to know was it ok to be one religion and practice certain aspects of another religion.  It was a very sad question to me because I realized that she didn't realize that Jesus was all she would ever need.  As I started reading some of the answers to her question I began to get even sadder.  One person told her it doesn't matter what religion you are as long as you're happy. 

Now I don't know about other religions, but the relationship that is Christianity is not always going to make you happy.  And in reality, if you're living Christianity right, you won't have the time or energy for another "religion".  As I was reading this article it made me really think about all the people who don't truly understand this salvation that we often take for granted.  So this morning I decided to write what I personally see as the top 10 misconceptions of salvation.

I'm going to heaven because:
10.  I follow the ten commandments
9.  The Lord knows my heart
8.  I'm nice
7.  I love people
6.  I tithe
5.  I participate in a ministry
4.  I'm a pastor's child
3.  I believe in God
2.  I go to church
1.  I'm basically a good person

This confusion about eternal life is not new.  John 3 of the bible shares the story of one of the religious leaders, Nicodemus, discussing salvation with Jesus Christ.  In verse 3 Jesus says, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  Nicodemus continues to question the "born again" term so Jesus specifies in verse 16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  That's our answer.  That's the only way to get to heaven.  That's the only way to eternal life, and that's the only way to avoid Hell.  That's it.  We must believe that Jesus is Emmanuel (God with us).  That He came to earth, lived a completely sin free life, and was then crucified for all the sins we would ever commit.  Jesus was forsaken by God and died a gruesome death.... But three days later, Jesus defeated death and rose with all power in His hand. 

So that's my speech for the morning.  I know it's a little heavy for breakfast reading, but it's really important for us to understand. In John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me."  There are too many of our brothers and sisters out there who are confused about this and we have to get the word out.

Pray for the Persecuted Church

November 14th is the International Day of Prayer for the persecuted church.  Many times we get so caught up in our own lives and maybe even our own ministries that we forget about other members of God's church.  The church is not a building, it is a body of believers and we are all connected to one another as brothers and sisters of Christ.  Christ loves and prays for the church and it is our duty as Christians to do the same.  I hope you will all join me in praying for the persecuted church on November 14.  According to The Voice of the Martyrs (http://www.persecution.com/), where I got this information, the people being persecuted are not asking that you pray for an end to the persecution, but only that they be strengthened during the trial.  Wow.  What would the world look like if we all had faith like that?

I truly believe in the power of prayer and I hope you will join me on November 14.  We don't know when we may be the ones in need of praying saints.  Also, if you feel led, I will be fasting that week from noon Sunday, November 7th to noon Sunday, November 14th to seek God and prepare my heart for the prayer.  If you have never fasted before and wish to participate, please do a little research on it first.  I will try to post some information on fasting as well.

Love you guys and as always I hope your day and your week are blessed, blessed, blessed :-)

Praise Report!

So I have news....for the first time ever, I, Kalonda T. J. Coleman, have music on my phone!  Laugh if you want to, but me and Karen Clark Sheard are jamming over here.  Praise God for the little things!  Feel free to share anything God has done for you lately :-)

Listen Carefully...

Good morning family!  I hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far!  And if not, well.... some weeks are like that.  Hang in there, I'll pray for you (seriously). 

I have been writing for about a month now, and I need to make a clarification before I go much longer.  I speak a lot of the Holy Spirit.  I believe that the Holy Spirit is the third member of the Holy Trinity and is God in spirit form.  I believe, as the bible says, that Jesus died so that the Holy Spirit could come to each of us, and this happens when we are saved and baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (John 16:7). 

When I mention the Holy Spirit speaking to me, I do not necessarily mean in an audible voice.  I do know that some people are blessed to hear the Spirit audibly, but that is not the only way He speaks.  The Holy Spirit also speaks through dreams, visions, situations, other people, and our own feelings and desires.  With so many avenues of communication, many people get discouraged and want to know how exactly we are supposed to filter the voice of the Spirit from the other noise in our lives.  There are two things that I have found to work best for me personally:

1.  Make sure the message lines up with the Word of God
 God is immutable, which means He doesn't change.  He did not suddenly start advocating sex and abortion because you find yourself in tempting situations.  He certainly didn't yield to peer pressure and give his vote of approval to drunken tantrums or homosexuality.  We have to quit trying to make our situations and our desires sound like God's will.  His Will is laid out in the 66 books of the Holy Bible and that's it.  So you can be sure if your dreams, visions, or inner voice of reason do not line up with the Word of God, they are of the flesh and not of the Spirit. 

2.  Ask for confirmation
If you are like me and you are a loud thinker, this will probably be a great tool to help you discern God's voice.  If you are praying for guidance about a certain matter and you think God is leading you in a certain direction, it may be a good idea to ask God in prayer to send you confirmation about the decision.  Usually what happens to me when I ask for confirmation is I will start seeing my decision or situation pop up everywhere.  Music, sitcoms, sermons, testimonies, everything will seem to be speaking to me.  But many times we look over these things if we're not careful.  We have to remember what we ask God for, and then keep our eyes and ears open for the response. 

I encourage you to continue to listen for the Holy Spirit in your life and, just as with anything else, it gets easier with practice.  However, I warn you, the Holy Spirit doesn't only tell us what we should do but also what we shouldn't do.  John 16:13 calls Him the Spirit of Truth.  The Spirit will convict us if we are not walking the path of righteousness, but this conviction refines us so that we come out purer and stronger on the other side.

Names for the Holy Spirit
Helper
Counselor
Comforter
Spirit of Truth
Living Water

New Song!

Hey fam!  Just added a new song to the Song of the Week page.  Hope you enjoy it!  Let me know if you have any suggestions.

Kalonda

New Bible Study!

Hey guys!  Hope everyone had a great weekend and a wonderful Monday!  We were pretty busy this weekend.  The kids that we have been working with on the step ministry at church performed yesterday and it was wonderful.  They did a show about the battle between the flesh and the spirit and I think many people were blessed by the performance.  I apologize for being a little late with the bible study of the week but I hope it blesses you as much as it did me.  Feel free to add comments if something from the text jumps out at you.  I am always eager to learn more about our savior and our salvation.

Love you,
Kalonda