Times can be hard. Hearing my 3-year-old son sing the song, “Trust and Obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, than to Trust and Obey” over and over last week reminded me that I need to do that very thing. Recovering from a bout of bronchitis, I was unable to do much for over a week. Overwhelming thoughts began to fill my mind, a lengthy to do list appeared, and piles of laundry grew. What a blessing that God allowed my son to belt out those words when he did, because that is exactly what I needed to do! Stop worrying and Trust and Obey.

I am not alone in trials, for we all have them. But, how are we responding to them? In recent years my sister’s health has not been good. I can easily become scared that she may go to heaven at a young age, leaving her husband and kids behind, but I need to trust and obey. God tells us in….

1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

He is also the great Healer and Physician. We must trust who He says he is!

Psalm 103:2-5 Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Seven years ago money seemed to blossom and grow everywhere and be the furthest trial from us. But now we are not left untouched. Seeing family and friends struggling with finances hurts as well. The burden often is heavy and more than we can bear. That is why Jesus promises to exchange our heavy load, and give us what is light. What relief! Read Matthew 11:28-30 and be encouraged! When sadness, depression, and grief want to set in as believers in Christ Jesus, what do we do? Trust and Obey. To actively trust him, we must believe that His word and promises to us are true. To actively obey him, we must follow him by reading his word, doing what He says, and running to Him in prayer.

Philippians 4:6-7   Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Currently we are preparing our home to sell. This can be very exciting, yet overwhelming with all of the details of repairs, painting, cleaning, decor, and packing. Then of course questions like, “Where will we live? When will we move? How will our entire family adjust to a new area, friends, and school?” The list of unknowns goes on and on. Honestly, it is scary for me at times. Then I ask, “Am I doing what I need to? Am I trusting and obeying?” God commands us to believe in Him and obey. A favorite verse in Jeremiah comes to mind. You may know it as well.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

You may be able to relate to trials of illness, poor health, or finances. Maybe you currently have feelings of excitement or anxiety about your future. Do not let it consume you, for we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus!  God loves us so much He sent His one and only Son for us. When we have faith, trust Him, and are obedient to what He tells us in His word, we have freedom and joy. That is why this simple little song can mean so much. “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obey.”

Submitted by Charity Stadler

Today at lunch I put my cup up to the soda machine. I waited and let the cup fill up to the top. I didn’t walk away with only an inch of drink in my 16 oz. cup saying, “that’s plenty—I only want a little bit.” I enjoyed my full drink as I ate my lunch, and then went back again to refill the cup before I left the restaurant. As I filled my cup, God pricked my heart with the reminder that He is the filler of the cup of my soul.

…that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and [so] that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,  [so] that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. -Ephesians 3:16-19  -(NASB)

     A heart filled to the top begins with a request for God to grant empowering strength through the Holy Spirit in my inner being. There is a reason to pray for this strengthening: so that Christ may dwell, reside permanently, in my heart and that I may be firmly established in love. If that is not enough in itself, Paul continues with the result of Christ’s in-dwelling and love-grounding presence. These two conditions enable me to be able to comprehend (take eagerly and possess) and to truly know the love of Christ. Being strengthened with the indwelling of Christ and being rooted in love leads to greater understanding and experience of Christ’s love. The reality of this progressive blessing also leads to another effect: “that (I might) be filled up to ALL the fullness of God”! This prayer is about knowing Christ with a God-powered and God-filling completeness that isn’t just knowing facts. Increased understanding and stability in love and faith are results of God’s power at work deep within me. Often I am content with just a little bit of Christ and a little bit of knowledge. I can find myself expecting just a little love. As God works and I begin to understand, a little isn’t enough anymore. My roots of faith begin to reach deeper, growing with an increased vigor to know more of God. It occurs to me that my willingness and desire to receive is an important part of what God must strengthen.

How often do I come to You, Lord, with my heart ready to fill, but I walk away, content with just a sip, instead of being filled with the fullness You want to grant. I still look at being filled as partially dependant on my doing something right. This entire passage is about what You do so generously. What is my expectation? A little , a lot, or over and beyond?

I simply ask for more. The more I seek the meaning in these verses, the more understanding I receive. Will I walk away, content with a little, or will I remain and be filled with Your fullness. There is more than I can learn in a lifetime—so much height, breadth, length, and depth to Your love. May I never forget that Your power is at work within me. I ask for more understanding and You give it. I seek more and You show me more. Lord, let my spirit stretch that I may be able to receive more and more of all the fullness of You.

A little bit is no longer enough!

Submitted by Ginger Harrington

Since I’ve been in Korea the last 2 1/2 years, I’ve had the same passage of scripture come up almost every month.   For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  (Jeremiah 29:11)

Just by itself, I’ve heard it used as a general blessing that nothing bad shall befall God’s people.  If you add the context, you see a different blessing amidst great hardship.  God had judged Judah for her wickedness:  His already exiled people were going into a 70 year period of captivity under Nebuchadnezzar.  That doesn’t sound like nothing bad is going to happen…..it sounds like nothing but bad was already going on!  How could they be encouraged by that?  It was in that hostile land that Jeremiah meets them with this truth.  One commentator put it this way, “They were removed from the Promised Land.  They were sent off from the inheritance of their fathers.  They became strangers in a foreign culture.  It was a disaster such as the Jews had never seen.  They were in turmoil.”

Maybe you haven’t been in captivity under a King or a nation, but I know you have been in hardship.  Have you found yourself in a place where you are questioning the road ahead because you can see a bad storm approaching and you know it’s gonna hurt?  Jeremiah 29:11 is a verse of comfort to believers, especially to those in hardship, that God has a plan for them for their good.  For God’s people, that “good” is peace with God through our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.  In Christ, God promises us a hope and a future.  The next 3 verses of that passage give us God’s perspective of this blessing to HIS people, 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.”  Though that hard road still comes upon us and we will walk through the pain of all the things that come through simply being on this Earth, His goal is to bring us closer to Himself.

As we, God’s people, begin to enter this PCS season and you’re worried about the road ahead, remember the context of the Jeremiah 29:11 passage.  God has a plan for you amidst all your hardship, worries, fears, sadness, etc.:  to give you a future and a hope through a reconciled life in Jesus Christ.

 

Lauren Dillard

I love our theme this year – “Your Kingdom Come.” What if we add to that, “Your will be done?”  We could stop and hang out there for a while! It’s something I’ve actually put in my prayers for many years now and I love that it’s our theme too! But, for the moment, I want to focus on the part that comes just before that. “Hallowed be (or Holy is) Your Name.” Or in other words, “God, You Are AWESOME!!”

Take a walk with me to Ps. 103:1-2 says, “Let all that I am praise the Lord, with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does or me.”

David right here in his own words was  saying, “God you are awesome! And you want to know why? Well, I’ll give you a list!” Then he proceeds to explain what he is praising Him for.

Just in verses 3-5 we see a list of things! “He forgives all my sins, heals all my diseases, redeems me from death. He crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things, and my youth is renewed like the eagle’s.“ (If you want a more fun approach to this passage, look it up in the Message!)

How often when we wake up in the morning do we start our day off with, “Lord, I will bless you today because YOU are awesome!”? I would venture to guess most of us begin to look at what we have going on that day, or remember what we’ve been dealing with for awhile and begin to focus on the issues and problems we are facing wondering how we are going to handle them. Maybe you or someone you know is dealing with a sickness, a rebellious child, a job loss, an estranged relationship with a friend, a recent death of a loved one, the list goes on.

I recall the life of David. He dealt with a lot of awful things in his life, yet he still was able to “rise up early in the morning” and declare the awesomeness and holiness of God!

I had the privilege of growing up under one of the wisest men I knew. He’s a great minister, singer, author, songwriter, and he is my dad. Recently he said something that I thought was very powerful.

“ Most of us start to count our troubles and add them up like a math equation.     Instead we should be counting our blessings – naming them one by one.”

David gave us a great example to follow! If you’re having trouble finding something to give God praise for, I would encourage you to flip through the book of Psalms for starters. Some of those writers walked through difficult times, but there was still something they could find to give God praise for! For some, you might only be able to say, “Thank you, Lord for waking me up this morning,” or “Thank you, Lord there is food in my cupboard today.” For others, you might be saying, “Thank you, Lord for a restored marriage,” or “Thanks, God for bringing my kids into a relationship with you!”

Find your quiet spot today and begin your time with the Lord, by saying “God, You are awesome! And here is why…..” He is a holy God and worthy of our praise! Then, check your thoughts and attitude afterwards. I’m absolutely positive you’ll see a difference!

 

Kayla Atkins

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. ~ James 5:16
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I have struggled with the second part of this verse at times in my life.  “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective..”  In the past I have attributed answered prayer to “who” is praying… if I really need prayer answered I’ll ask “so-and-so” and I’ll see answered prayer.  Maybe you’ve felt this way before too.  The Lord took me through a couple life-lessons on Prayer to show me what prayer is really about.
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You’ve heard me share about my Dad.  It was May 2009, I just arrived home from speaking at a PWOC Retreat in Ft Belvour… as soon as the plane landed, my next stop was the hospital.  My spirit was so full of all the amazing things God did during the Retreat… I don’t know if I had a bigger measure of Faith in my life.  I prayed like I had never prayed before for healing for my father… yet, 2 weeks later my Dad died. I was disappointed and confused… what about this verse?  how much faith do I muster up to see a miracle, Lord?
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About a month later I had another opportunity for prayer.  To be honest… I stopped praying for awhile.  I had nothing to say.  A dear friend called from the hospital… she was in the middle of labor.  It had been a long, tiresome, painful day and she finally asked for an epidural… only to have it done incorrectly which meant the pain reliever was NOT working and she was only 3 cm dilated.  I couldn’t ignore the desperation in her voice… “Kristina, will you pray with me?”  Oh no… should I tell her my prayers are out-of-order right now!??  What do I do?  Okay… I’ll read Psalms to her.  So I began to read a Psalm to comfort her and remind her that God is our HELP in time of need.  I began to pray to the Lord for my dear friend.  Honestly, I didn’t really think He would do it… after 20 minutes of praying… we hung up.  I went to bed worrying for my dear friend.  She called me the next day to tell me as soon as we hung up the phone she had a HUGE urge to push.  The nurse didn’t believe it could be possible, so they weren’t in a hurry… again she wanted to push.  During our 20 minute prayer… God caused her to dilate from 3 cm to 10 cm.  And indeed… it was time to push!  Her sweet little girl was born shortly after our prayer.  God did a miracle…. despite my lack of faith.  It was GOD… it is the LORD who causes all things to happen according to His ways and His purposes.
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That was a huge lesson in prayer for me… it freed me up to TRUST that the LORD will accomplish His purposes despite my meager or great faith.  HE is the one who acts for the BEST in the situation.  I need to ASK and He will be faithful to answer the prayer according to His will.  Don’t let the enemy lie to you and tell you that your prayers are not “good-enough”…. it isn’t about you… it’s about GOD who is GREAT ENOUGH… POWERFUL enough… and ABLE to do all things.  You may or may not get the answer you are looking for… but you can be sure that your God is Faithful, and answers you according to what’s best.  His ways are higher than our ways… so we may not always understand.
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Speaking of the prayer of a “righteous man”… you have heard the verse, “The righteous will live by faith.”  Habakkuk 2:4.  The word “faith” is a word in Hebrew ‘emuwnah  (Strongs H530).  It might be better translated as firmness, steadfastness, steadiness, faithfulness.  It is the same word used in Exodus 17:12  When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up–one on one side, one on the other–so that his hands remained steady till sunset.    or Isaiah 33:6 ~ He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.   or Deuteronomy 32:4 ~ He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He.
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With that in mind… a better translation for Hab 2:4 would be, “the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.“  Not simply in their own FAITH… but Faith that is rooted, and firmly established on the LORD.  The word for salvation in the verse above (Isaiah 33:6) is yĕshuw`ah.  Yeshua… Jesus, our Savior… He will be our sure foundation for our times… good or bad… He is a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge in all situations.  We can trust that our prayers and circumstances are being handled by the One who holds all things together and knows what is best.
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We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints– the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.~ Colossians 1 :3-6
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Kristina Estep
Feb 202012

I don’t watch TV. I’m not on Facebook or Twitter. I don’t have a Smartphone. It’s a challenge to check email some days!

Ah, silence. It must be so easy to hear God’s voice with all that silence, right?

Wrong! Most of the time, my own thoughts chatter so loudly and incessantly that God’s voice can’t get through. He refuses to compete. But once in a while, I do manage to turn off the brain noise.

Ah, silence. Now I can hear Him. What does He say?

“Listen.”

Hearing and listening are not the same. As every kindergartner knows, careful listening is the key to success.

Hebrews 3:8-9 says: “Today, please listen; don’t turn a deaf ear as in the bitter uprising, that time of wilderness testing! Even though they watched me at work for forty years, your ancestors refused to let me do it my way; over and over they tried my patience.” (The Message)

Most of the Israelites Moses tried to lead into their Promised Land turned a deaf ear to their miracle working God, their saving God, the God who rescued them from slavery and fed them with bread from Heaven.

What was the result of not listening?

Hebrews 3:10-11: “And I was provoked, oh, so provoked! I said, ‘They’ll never keep their minds on God; they refuse to walk down my road.” Exasperated, I vowed, “They’ll never get where they’re going, never be able to sit down and rest.”

This passage describes a spiritual state which I dread: that I’ll never get where I’m going; never be able to sit down and rest. I’m not afraid of losing my salvation, but that unbelief and fear will subvert my spiritual journey. I don’t want to wander in the wilderness, never really learning to trust God. I want to stay on the straight path of trust which leads to greater Christlikeness.

I must listen.

Listening leads to belief and trust, which lead to keeping my mind on God, which leads to walking down His road, which leads to reaching my destination, which leads to REST.

“Listen.” It’s what we tell our children. It’s what He tells us.

Listening leads to rest.

Gervais Baptist

Feb 152012

Luke 4:1-2a “Jesus, being full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days He was tempted by the devil.” I have read this verse and its equivalent, Matthew 4:1, many times and many times I have missed a vital piece of scripture. Both scriptures very clearly state the fact that Jesus “…was led by the Spirit to the desert” (Luke 4:1 and Matt 4:1). Not only was Jesus full of the Holy Spirit from His baptism in the Jordan but He was led by the Holy Spirit into the desert, and there He ran straight into the devil.

Anyone who knows me knows that I can be involved in many things. However, I try not to commit to any new thing without prayer and a clear confirmation from the Holy Spirit. Admittedly, there have been times that I have found myself in a position I was not called to and had to make some course corrections. However, more often than not, when I start to doubt what I am doing or my ability in Christ to do a job He has called me to, it is simply a temptation from the devil to take me out of my calling. This starts spiral thinking as I begin to wonder why I have let my guard down and question my spiritual standing. The next step in this spiral is to begin to feel very far from God. This is a lie from the devil and these verses confirm that. Right before Jesus is led into the desert God says to Him “This is my Son, Whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.” (Matt3:17) Jesus was not far away from God when he was led into the desert.

When I am in trying times and I start questioning not only who I am in Christ but what I am being called to do, I can fall back on this verse and remember that I can be filled by the Spirit, doing exactly what I am being called to do, and still run face-to-face with the devil, Jesus did.

Alicia Mayer

Assistant Training Coordinator

Feb 132012

Ah, simplicity!  Holy Father, the simple gifts often seem hidden from our eyes.   How long have I allowed the simple things before me to stand patiently, silently, and faithfully at my side…while I fretted, toiled, and rushed ahead?  Yet, somehow, the simple was always before me.  By embracing this simplicity, I have found gratitude…and wonder!

When we turn our backs on God’s pure gifts, we begin to demand bigger and better “gifts”.  Have we come to believe that the world, the flesh, and the devil could satisfy our deepest needs with empty offerings?  Or as believers, do we know that every good and perfect gift comes from above, coming down from the Father of Lights- who does not change like shifting shadows?  (James 1:17)

Oh, I see! God’s gifts, like Himself, are changeless; the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)  Don’t you see?  The world demands the latest and greatest.  Trying to satisfy this appetite is complicated.  All our striving and competing for status and opportunity is lost with last year’s fad.  Is our worth truly tied to the phone we carry, or the activities in which our children are enrolled? Do people, like technology, really become less valuable the older they get?  Our culture, desperate for meaningful change, instead puts on another pair of shoes… and continues the race….

But God does not change.  And neither do His gifts, pure, and deep as the heavens over the sea.  Such simple gifts…too numerous to count: Feeling the warmth of accomplishment like a soothing, aromatic bath.  Enjoying the contentment that comes after a full day spent completing those basic duties you know you ought. Turning your lamp on low and sinking into a soft bed to read a few pages of a novel or God’s Word. Journaling a few thoughts about the day. Rising the next morning to see the sun highlighting dark, lovely silhouettes of bare trees. Admiring the branches entwined in an intricate pattern against the horizon, bands of blue-grey, gold and silvery white providing a backdrop.  Winter trees at dawn!

Simple joys, new every morning.  Wild and sweet, bouncing forms of baby and boys come to snuggle with Mommy in bed, fight over who may kiss whom, and wonder what’s for “breb-breps” (breakfast), all the while exclaiming, “Mommy, I love you werwy much!”

Simple treats.  A hot cup of tea—nicely creamed and sugared by a young lady-daughter with a servant’s heart.  A cool, heavenly bite of cheesecake created by her younger sister, an exuberant lady-to-be.  Or a son, half boy/half man, who reads perched on the steps, with eyes a-twinkling whenever his noisy outbursts have annoyed yet another female in his house-o-males! (Okay, that last “blessing” may have been a stretch!)

Simple gifts? There are so many which come wrapped in the joys of accomplishing the simple tasks set before you. Godliness with contentment is truly great gain. (I Timothy 6:6) Take one final example: a grateful husband, smiling fondly upon his wife’s cooking, her beauty, and her wisdom in looking after the affairs of his household and beloved children.  Although your blessings may come wrapped in unique packaging, for what more could you wish?  Know the joys of simple gifts!

“For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” I Timothy 6:7

Elnora White

Our prayer focus verse this month is Matthew 11:28-29 where Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.   Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.”

If I marched in with a loaded rucksack today, you would know that I was carrying a heavy burden because my face would be contorted and I would be huffing and puffing.   I’m not used to that kind of weight.

Soldiers who are used to marching for miles with that heavy weight on their backs look fine.   They sweat because the load is heavy, yet they go for miles and miles without a break.  They have been trained to carry a heavy load and they are used to it.

Just like soldiers on a march, there are burdens we carry around that we have become accustomed to.  But, it is not part of God’s design for His people.  Fear, anxiety, shame, secret sin, unforgiveness, trials at home or with others, frustrations, … the list goes on and on.

Think about what burdens you.   Sometimes we are so used to a load, we think it’s our lot in life to carry this load.  Some of us are carrying several rucksacks at once.   May the Holy Spirit reveal those loads we were not meant to carry.

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you.   He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”  (Psalm 55:22)  Do not be like the guy who was walking along a dusty road with a load on his back.  Another man came along in a pick up truck and offered to give him a ride.   The man however kept the load on his back.  The driver stopped and said, “Put your load in the back of the truck.”   “Oh no”, said the man.  “It is very kind of you to give me a ride, but I do not want you to carry my load too.”   It is just as foolish for us to persist in carrying our own load when the Lord, who is carrying us, stands ready to carry the burden for us.

Jot down any burdens that God may reveal to you that you need to give to Him.  When you are done, bring those burdens to the Lord.   Perhaps you can create a special place to put them like in a special box.    The act of casting your burden on the Lord is something God wants you to remember.  By releasing your burden to the Lord, it becomes an offering to Him.  You are saying, “Father, I give this all to You because I know You care for me.”   As you close your box and walk away, you are leaving your burdens right where they belong – in the care of God.   Let your special box be a reminder to you of God’s faithfulness and desire to carry and care for your burdens.

The Lord is your helper.   He will never leave you nor forsake you.   God loves you so much that He gave His only Son, Jesus, to take your place so that you can have complete forgiveness of your sins.   His final work on the cross was paid for you to be free.   “It is finished!”     Ladies, let’s lay our burdens where they belong, in the loving arms of our capable Lord!

 

Michelle Green

Prayer Coordinator,

Ft. Bragg, NC

Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…(Hebrews 12:1b)

In order to have a fresh start to the new year, my family and I went through our house (especially the basement!) giving away things we no longer needed and throwing away the things that were no longer useful…to anyone! We had a great time together going through memorabilia and recounting memories, and the resulting order and release of weight was so wonderful.

My other “New Year’s Fresh Start” dealt with the budget. It was time to take a good look at where the money was going and how we were going to make it stretch in today’s economy. Although this task was just as necessary as the household clean-up, it wasn’t nearly as fun. I had to decide where to cut spending today in order to preserve savings for the future.

I realized that when I’m choosing to give away or throw away things I no longer need, it’s a somewhat pleasant process for me and I call it “simplifying”. But when it’s not initiated by me and it’s a necessary cut-back, I call it “pruning”. It got me thinking. If simplicity is aiming for the bulls-eye in the call that God has for me, will I simplify by laying aside those activities or responsibilities that are actually distracting me from hitting the goal? Or will I hold on to those things until God begins to prune them?

Beth Mills

President PWOC International

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