A Day of Rest & Worship

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Learning to Write in My Voice

I will be the first person to tell you that I am not a writer. But God is gracious, sovereign and most certainly my God and Lord; therefore I do whatever He tells me to do.

Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I tell you?
~ Luke 6:46

Does my sharing this mean that I've reached a point in my life where I am completely sinless and obedient to God? No, it most certainly does not. But what this statement means is that I no longer intentionally live for myself, my desires or choose my opinions (or that of others) over God and what He's expressed about Himself in His written word, the holy Bible. However, I do intentionally live as our brother Oswald Chamber says, "my utmost for His highest".

One of the struggles I've had since I started this blog, and openly sharing devotionals, articles, etc. online is staying true to who God made me. One of the reasons why writing has been such a struggle and time-consuming task for me is because I continue to try to write in other people's voices. What I mean by that, is I try to write the way I think I'm "supposed" to write. Whether it be flowery, poetic, scholarly, eloquently, or whatever.

I read how others write and often find myself praying, "Father, why can't I write like her or him? Lord can you help me write like ......" Recently, our wise Father God revealed to me why I can't write like anyone else. It turns out, it's because I'm not anyone else but me.

The Bible is written with one solid message, is inerrant and completely consistent, yet it is written in many different voices. Why? Because while the message remains solid, God allowed the unique personalities of each author to shine through to reveal to us the beauty of His creation, the diversity in which He majestically formed each person, while bringing their writing in total unity with His Spirit; to proclaim the ultimate message of salvation found only in His Son, Jesus Christ.

I share all this with you only to say that since I've finally found my own voice and am desperately trying to like it, you may start to see me write about different things then what you're accustomed to reading here.

For example, some of things that determine the "voice" in which every person writes are the spiritual gifts, talents and abilities God grants each person, including the combination in which these gifts are given. My spiritual gifts happen to be prophecy, evangelism, teaching, exhortation, faith, wisdom and discernment. With the combination of these gifts, it tends to make me quite a passionate person, specifically for the things of God that include the importance of sound doctrine, making disciples for the same purpose in which Christ made disciples - to send workers into the field to preach the Gospel of salvation, and exhorting followers of Christ to daily repent, die to self and follow Christ with everything they have.

The message God gives me to speak are often stronger than I am personally comfortable with; therefore up to this point have not always been faithful in proclaiming His truth the way I always should.

So, I thought it only fair to warn you that you may not like very much what I will be writing. It will be loving, as I dearly love all of you who are in Christ, but it will also be very strong.

Therefore, if you're looking for teachings that warn you about the variations of "false gospels" (Galatians 1:6-9) that has been and is once again very prevalent in our world today, and a solid message to grow more deeply in your faith, then be sure to stop by and fellowship with me. But if you're interested in someone patting you on the back....you may or may not find that here, but you will definitely find what God has called me to and that's to be a springboard to boost you, rather than pat you. ☺

If you have any doctrinal questions, please feel free to ask. I may not know the answer, but I will, through much prayer and leading in the Holy Spirit as He guides me in God's word, provide you with a biblically sound answer. And I'll be honest. If God's not giving me insight in that particular area, I'll tell you. ♥

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
~ Galatians 1:10

I wholeheartedly pray for each of you, thank God for you and fervently seek God's face on your behalf for your spiritual life, rather than the one here.

For this very reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith -- that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
~ Ephesians 3:14-19

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The Gift of A Bible

Wow! Many of you may have heard of Penn & Teller, the comedic, magician act. Penn has always been very open about being a devout atheist.

But still when someone, filled with love for God and men who were created in God's image gave this outspoken atheist a Bible, this is what happened.

May the Lord our God find all His children this obedient and full of compassion for the lost.

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Man - Created in God's Image

Before I share this teaching on how God created man in His image, I want to thank those of you who contacted me and let me know that you were praying for God to give me wisdom from Heaven. I cannot adequately express in words what it means to me that you would go before the throne of God on my behalf, for my edification and growth in the faith. You are more precious to me than you will ever know.

Last week I was inspired by our Father God's Holy Spirit to make a Scripture-picture for our weekly WFW based on Psalm 23:3. And although I had read Psalm 23 in its entirety about a gazillion times (much like everyone else), God revealed to me that I needed to meditate on it once more...so I did.

This passage is so familiar that even unbelievers know and chant it as if it were some holy rabbit's foot that will save them when they're scared or overwhelmed. And sadly, as a child of God, I've misunderstood this passage to mean only that - that God is with us in our times of trouble and will bring us comfort. While this is a true fact about our God, I discovered this passage is not referring to God's comfort here on earth, but for something much greater. It turns out, it's a prayer that only believers would be able to say. This famous prayer of King David is a prayer of confidence in God's ultimate work of salvation in Christ Jesus our Lord.

When the Holy Spirit inspired King David to write verse 3, He inclined David's heart to express the immeasurable peace of God that comes to a soul that is once again restored (brought back to its original state, brought back to a former or original condition). For the soul that is restored, is saved by God's grace, through faith/full trust in Jesus Christ alone. King David then ends this Psalm stating that he is confident he will dwell in the house (Heaven) of the LORD forever.

I was very excited, to say the least, to discover such an awesome truth about our infinitely glorious, holy and righteous God. So much so, I wanted to share with everyone how we were first created in God's image, how we separated ourselves from His holiness and how God Himself, saved us from our fallen state through faith in His Son Jesus, who became the propitiation for our sins; thereby initiating the process of sanctifying (restoring) our condemned souls, so that we might once again partake in holy communion with our Creator by the indwelling of His Holy Spirit.

But as I began to draw pictures to depict this miraculous phenomena of God - creating man in His image, I began to realize that all the teaching I had heard on this subject, didn't work. For years, I was taught to believe the trichotomist theology that man was made in the image of God in that God is a Triune God; therefore, man is a triune man (body, soul and spirit). I never really thought about it very much, but there were lots of great arguments for it and it all seemed to make sense - until of course, I tried to make sense of it all.

I found myself in quite a conundrum when trying to make this theology of trichotomy work. When I first drew it, it seemed odd to me that God is a Triune God, greater than man, yet man was equal to God in being made as a trinity? Somehow, that didn't sit quite right with me and I had a very difficult time trying to draw man and his essence, just like I drew the Trinity of God below with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, three in one, and equal.

As my Favorite and I looked and looked over these pictures, we realized that further study was necessary, as there was no way that man is in any shape, way or form just like God. To be made in one's image, does not automatically denote that the image is an exact replica of the original.

I then pulled out Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine by Wayne Grudem, confident that a book about biblical doctrine would include the theology of man and his essential nature (being made in God's image), as well as Scriptures that would prove what is true versus what has been passed down from generation to generation (traditional theology) without question and without Scriptural proof. And sure enough, there it was! [By the way, I highly recommend this book, I use it quite often in my study of Scripture].

I must admit, it was quite taxing to look up all the Scriptures that were referenced and the laziness in me wanted to find a short cut. But I realized that this matter was far too important (really, anything about God is) for me to only read over what I might think to be necessary. I wanted to know the whole truth and earnestly asked God to help me and give me wise counsel through His Holy Spirit. Every time I was tempted to skip a Scripture/passage or favor a conclusion (which was to hold on to what I had always believed), God's Holy Spirit was ever so faithful to continue to remind me:

"Thus says the LORD: Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD."
~ Jeremiah 9:23-24

"If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame."
~ Proverbs 18:13

These words from our Lord Jesus were a great encouragement to me to continue on and finish studying and meditating on every passage noted so that I might not have an "answer" (come to a conclusion) before I finished listening to the full counsel of the Lord.

After much prayer and meditating on God's holy Word, I realized He provided no biblical reference for the trichotomist theology, but only that of the dichotomist theology which concludes that the the essence of man is in two parts (body and soul/spirit) and not three parts (body, soul and spirit). I won't get into all the nitty gritty details, but I will sum up my study on this topic with the following pictures which portray that being made in God's image does not mean we physically look like God or are made equal with God, but that we are an image of His character and nature.

The picture above depicts the essence of man, being created in the image (not exact replica) of God, with body and soul/spirit which are in perfect harmony with one another and more importantly live in harmony with God the Father.

In the picture to our left, we see what happened to the original design of man and his fallen state. The soul/spirit of man is no longer in harmony with the body as God created it (with the soul/spirit governing the actions of the body) because the soul/spirit is now dead to God and corruptible. The death of the soul/spirit also led to the death and condemnation of the body. The body and soul/spirit of man is no longer blessed by God, but is under His curse due to man's rebellion and willful act in the attempt to usurp God's authority and become his own god. Due to this atrocious rebellion, one day, those who have not been made alive in Christ, will suffer the second death, which is, the lake of fire.

Jesus said, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Luke 10:28)

In the picture to the right, we see how God is in the process of restoring man back to his original state for those who have trusted in the name of His Son, Jesus the Christ. But due to sin's corrupting affect on man's flesh, the final restoration will not take place while we're here on earth, but will be fulfilled when our bodies are redeemed. Until then, God uses His Holy Spirit to begin that sanctifying (or restoring) process and we begin to see the soul/spirit gaining victory over the sinful flesh that continues to war against the man's soul/spirit that has once again been made alive by Christ Jesus our Lord.

Can you see that the essence of man - being made in the image of God will once again be fully restored to its original state when those who have trusted Jesus with their lives will one day live in Paradise with Him? Just as God intended from the very beginning.

By the way, perhaps many of you already know this, but for those of you who don't, both Eden and Paradise mean: a garden or a pleasure ground.

I truly pray that this study of man being created in God's image, will cause you to give glory, praise and honor to our Father God, increase your gratitude for the long-suffering of God by which He patiently and sacrificially gave His one and only Son, to pay a debt He did not owe in order to restore our souls to its original state before the Fall of Man. And may your immense gratitude and love for what our God has done for us, burn your heart with passion to do what Jesus came to do: spread the Gospel so that condemned souls (like yours and mine used to be) may find salvation in the only name in which all men are saved, Jesus Christ our Lord.

"How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News!' "
~ Romans 10:14-15

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ATW - Mothering in Christ

This Week's Discussion Topic:

That Where I am, You May Be Also?


The discussion questions for today are:

• Are there areas of hardness and coldness in my life? What are the roots of these? Do I need to release someone who has hurt me in my past? Do I need to confess and release myself from the bondage of sinful patterns in my own life?
  
• What are some ways that I can turn the conversation around when other women begin to gripe and complain about their children?
• Name some creative ways we can create warmer, more inviting environments for our children.

The first three questions really don't apply to me in my life right now, as the Lord has so kindly dealt with me regarding my unforgiveness towards my parents for things that cannot be mentioned here without bringing them shame and dishonor for all that God has mercifully forgiven and has taught me to do the same in Christ Jesus.

As far as needing to release and/or confess bondage from sinful patterns in my life, well, I'd have to say "yes". But then again, I believe this is a "yes" for all of us throughout our lives. We will all continue to have struggles with this wicked flesh (Romans 7:21-25) and its abominable desires until that glorious day when our bodies are redeemed (Romans 8:23)! Of course I am very careful as to what, where and to whom I make these confessions. Before I make any confessions, either here in bloggy land, or with someone in person, I prayerfully consider if what I am confessing is only for my self-gratification while causing another to stumble, or if my confession will in anyway bring shame or dishonor to another poor soul.

God commands us to speak as if we're speaking the very words of God.

"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies -- in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ."
~ 1 Peter 4:10-11

I am very grateful to God that I am not often in the company of women who have unwholesome talk coming out of their mouths, which includes unkind and denigrating remarks about their children. But when I have been in these situations (i.e., at my boys' schools), the first thing I do is pray, as I don't presume that I am anybody to say anything at anytime I might see fit. Often times, God has me do the best thing I can for them, which is pray. And I pray as I would want someone to pray for me if I was caught participating in such a sin: with compassion, mercy and great love, considering them above myself.

If and only if the Holy Spirit clearly directs me to speak, then I will speak only that which He has put in my heart to speak, which usually isn't very much. I've found that God doesn't use as many words to express profound truths the way that I do. ☺ Many times God has me say nothing. And I've seen His power work in mighty ways through my silence. It's humbling to be reminded of how rarely God "needs" us to speak in order for others to hear Him.

"She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue."
~ Proverbs 31:26

Some ways that the Lord has graciously taught me to create a warm environment for my entire family (husband and kiddos) are:

• make sure I have ample praise and quiet time (that means no 30 minute quickies) so that my heart and mind are set on the things eternal and not things here on earth
• taught them how to have their own praise and quiet time since they were 2.
• faithfully have breakfast devotionals so that we as a family can begin our day together in Christ not in ourselves, cartoons, or any other thing
  
• keep a tidy house (not immaculate, but tidy and orderly) to provide the mood of God's peace and order
• keep my word without having to say "I promise"
  
• volunteer in their schools only as necessary for their encouragement and not to gain a name for myself
  
• wash the laundry and provide/cook nutritious snacks and meals
• never answer my phone when I'm with my kids taking them to school, or picking them up, they have my undivided attention - unless my husband calls, as he comes before they do ☺
• I don't allow them to interrupt me unless its urgent because this only gives them the false sense that the world revolves around them and drives them more towards self-centeredness rather than Christ-likeness; what I do instead, and have since they were about 3 was this: stop what I'm doing, look them in the face, lovingly put my hands on their sweet little faces, give them a kiss and then say, "Sweet baby, I love you. Mama is right in the middle of some work [if I can, I will explain what I am doing] and I really love you and want to give you my undivided attention. I just don't want to miss a single thing you want to show/tell me. So would you kindly wait for (x amount of time) and Mama will be right there as soon as I'm done. " Then I give them another hug, a kiss and they happily run off and wait for me (but not always so patiently). The most important part about this is to keep my word and not move on to another thing, but only finish what I was working on at the time, and go see them as quickly as possilbe. I've been doing this with my boys their whole lives. They are now 16 and almost 14 and they still light up and smile when I do this and they still happily (and more patiently) wait for me because they know by experience that I will keep my word and come to them immediately.

The most important thing we've instilled in our children is ultimate and superior love for God over all things and any other person. My Favorite and I have worked tirelessly to train our children the way we were never trained, so that they might have a more intimate relationship with Jesus than we do.

We strive to teach our children that everything we do is to bring honor and glory to God, by loving Him with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength; and love our neighbors as ourselves. And why do we do all this? Because we keep our eyes on the end goal - to live only to do what Christ Himself came to do: preach the Gospel of salvation through faith in Him alone, and make disciples who will also go forth and preach His Good News.

Please be sure to join the other precious today "At The Well's Gathering".

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A Day of Rest & Worship

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We'll Interrupt This Program...

...for this short commercial break...


Hello precious sisters!

A couple of things I wanted to mention. First, many of you may have already noticed that I have a new feature on my blog: Scripture tags. You will see that if you simply cursor over the Scriptures I note, a little box will pop up with that Scripture, so you can easily read it yourself without having to be referred to another site. As soon as this feature is made public by the company, I will share the HTML code with you so that you may also offer this feature on your blogs or websites, thereby making God's word more accessible for your readers.

Second, I wanted to let you know that I'm still working on the lesson for today re: how we're made in God's image. But as I was working on the visuals I wanted to share with you today, I realized that I needed to go back to Genesis and prayerfully in the Holy Spirit, re-read what God has written. This study is more complex than my little mind can comprehend, therefore, I'm studying in great detail and meditating much of God's word, both Old and New Testaments, while intently listening for the counsel of the Holy Spirit so that I might have understanding and gain wisdom from Heaven.

I desire greatly not to spew what I already know, versus what God desires to speak through me. Therefore, I am very slow in doing things at times.

I hope that God will reveal all this to me today...as far as what He desires to speak through me, but I honestly cannot say one way or the other.

Please know however I am working diligently to seek our Father God's face and intent on being still so that I may know....He IS God.

For now, I leave you with this to consider as you pray for me and that I hear God clearly and share the wisdom from Heaven (James 3:13, 17) and not of myself (James 3:14-16), but also as you pray for yourself that His Holy Spirit will also go before you and prepare you to receive with joy all that He chooses to reveal to you about Himself. What a glorious thought! The LORD God Almighty desires for us, to know HIM!

Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD."
~ Jeremiah 9:23-24

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WFW - He Makes Me New!

He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
~ Psalm 23:3

One of the things I love most about God and His word is that He never gets old! He makes all things new, just like He's making me new every day!

Like many of you, I've read Psalm 23 in its entirety, probably about a hundred fifty million times (as you know by now, I like using LARGE numbers ☺). But today, God showed me something new that I had never seen. Before today, I've always looked at this particular verse as looking to God for rest, my hiding place, my source of comfort when I am weary, discouraged or afraid.

As I meditated on this Scripture today, I realized I didn't fully understand what the word restore means. This is what I found on Dictionary.com:

restore v.
1) to bring back into existence, use, or the like; reestablish: to restore order. 2) to bring back to a former, original, or normal condition, as a building, statue, or painting. 3) to bring back to a state of health, soundness, or vigor. 4) to put back to a former place, or to a former position, rank, etc.: to restore the king to his throne. 5) to give back; make return or restitution of (anything taken away or lost).

God alone is my Savior. He alone can and will make me new in Christ and give me life. I was once dead and useless. But now, I am whole, alive and created to be one of God's ministers of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)....just like all of you! ♥

I realize now that Psalm 23 is not about personal comfort, but about our eternal salvation. In Psalm 23, God is telling us that He alone is the Good Shepherd, who will feed us Bread from Heaven (Jesus Christ), allow us to drink from the from the Living Water (the Holy Spirit) and will restore our souls, by saving us and making our spirits that were once dead in sin, alive in Christ Jesus. And why has He done all this? Because we are good people? Because we do nice things for each other? No, because of His righteousness and for His name's sake (Deuteronomy 9:5).


For those of you who are visual, come back tomorrow. I'll have a picture to demonstrate how we are made in God's image; we'll talk more about what that really means and why it's possible for us to be alive in Christ, and dead to our flesh.

for more inspiration from God's word today please visit Amydeanne at:

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NEVER React to People. ALWAYS Respond to God.

React vi- 1 to act in return or reciprocally 2 to act in opposition 3 to act in a reverse way; go back to a former condition, stage, etc.

Respond vi- 1 to answer; reply 2 to act in return, as if in answer 3 to have a positive or favorable reaction

There was a time many years ago that I was very hurt by something someone said and did. I ran to my Father God, cried and asked Him to protect me and help me to know what to do. My personal preference was to stay away from that person so they would never have another opportunity to hurt me again. Then my mind went to the Cross, and I could hear my Savior say, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Convicted by the Holy Spirit and with great pain, I chose to seek God's way of resolving conflict, rather than my way. No one said dying was painless...and it's not...it's very painful. But that's what Jesus calls us to do, carry our cross daily, following Him, to die to our flesh so that we can live free...free from the temptation to only give others what they give us.

The Holy Spirit then led me to Luke 6:27-28 & 35-36. That day, God taught me that I was never to react to people, but I was to always respond to Him. What does that mean? That means when I've been hurt, or if I'm annoyed or insulted by someone, I have a choice to make. I can either "react" (reciprocate - return what I was given) or I can "respond" (have a favorable or positive reaction) towards God and His gift of Life through Jesus Christ. Am I going to give back what I received (returning evil for evil) Romans 12:17 , Romans 12:21 or will I be a light in the darkness and respond to this person as an expression of my love and gratitude to God for all that He had done for me? The psalmist who wrote Psalm 116:12-14 put it best:

"How can I repay the LORD for all His goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD. I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all His people."

Now, what does this really look like? Well, Jesus made it pretty simple for me with four action items in Luke 6:27-28:

1 LOVE 2 DO GOOD 3 BLESS 4 PRAY. Love - I need to love like Jesus loves me (in spite of myself, sacrificially and with great compassion); do good - doing something that will truly benefit that person; bless - look for opportunities to share kindness with them they could never earn or return to me; pray - ask God to forgive them, just like Jesus did for me and pray for their healing and reconciliation with Him. Does this mean God wants us to just gloss over evils done against us and pretend they never existed? NO! This means, God wants us to confront the issue with His agape love and forgive (work through, not just "get over" the problem).

So next time someone hurts you, don't be a victim, don't plot revenge, instead, use it as an opportunity to say "thank You Jesus" for all He has done for you! After all, our God is "kind to the ungrateful and the wicked." And who are the ungrateful and wicked God is so kind to? Well, that would be all of us! :-)

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A Day of Rest & Worship

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Please Pray With Me...

I don't normally have the TV on during the day. My Favorite hurt his back, so he is home in bed and turned on the news....only to find that Flight #3407 crashed this morning on top on a house in Buffalo. The 48 people who were on the plane and the man who owned the house all died. The man's wife and 22 year old daughter came home to the inferno that engulfed their house.

Honestly, I don't even know what to pray. I'm so thankful that the Holy Spirit is interceding with groans we cannot even understand.

My first thoughts were "Lord, was everyone on that plane saved? Are their surviving family members saved?" Of course I prayed for God's comfort and peace to come upon them, but I feel even more impressed to begin praying for the salvation of and the faith of those who are here and have been affected - family, friends, co-workers, etc.

One of the people on the plane was a widow of man who died on 9/11.

Truly, my heart is heavy, and I'm just sitting here...listening intently for God's Holy Spirit to speak.

Please take a moment to stop everything you're doing and pray with me for God's will to be done and His glory to be revealed.

For more information, please go HERE.

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Do Good

"Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it" -- when you have it with you."
~ Proverbs 3:27-28

And who are the ones who are "due" good done to them? Everyone in whom the LORD our God says; for truly no human being is worthy or owed (due) any good from God, but we are lavished by His love, mercy and grace in spite of ourselves (Luke 6:35).

Key Passages:

Exodus 35:4-9
"Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, "This is the thing that the LORD has commanded. Take from among you a contribution to the LORD. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the LORD's contribution; gold, silver, and bronze; blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; goats' hair, tanned rams' skins, and goatskins; acacia wood, oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, and onyx stones and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece."

Exodus 36:3-7
"And they received from Moses all the contribution that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning, so that all the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, and each from the task that he was doing, and said to Moses, 'The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the LORD has commanded us to do." So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp. 'Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.' So the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more."

There is nothing "good" we give that hasn't been given to us from God. Therefore anything good we offer to another is from the LORD's contribution, not ours. We make these offerings to God, with His blessings; in the hopes that the benefactor of our gifts will be blessed by God and His generosity so that He alone may receive the praise due Him.

Freely we have been given, so freely we ought to give.

"And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the LORD's contribution to be used for the tent of the meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments."
~ Exodus 35:4-9 & 21

"And the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the LORD had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the LORD."
~Exodus 35:29

Yesterday, my heart was moved to make a phone call today and extend a very simple, not so extraordinary invitation to a sister - an invitation to take her to dinner in order to give her some rest from her troubles: the recent death of a child. And I prayed earnestly about this. I asked God for a sign. I did what I often do, "Oh Lord, I don't want to do this if this isn't from You. I don't want to do this if it's just my own desire and faulty thinking. If this is truly from You, please give me a sign. Remind me in the morning to call. Then let her answer right when I call and let her accept the invitation. Then I will know it is You who have spoken." I continued to pray that same prayer this morning as I became anxious because I had not heard from the Lord yet.

Then the Lord rebuked me, "Child, why do you ask for a sign? Have I not already commanded you, if your heart is moved, if your spirit is stirred to extend any kindness, any good, which all comes from Me, to another poor soul, you shall do it? For what good thought, what good deed or intention ever originated from you? I alone AM good. And every good and perfect gift comes from Me alone. So why do you ask Me for such a thing?"

And why was I behaving in such an evil and adulterous way? Because I wanted to "feel" secure in all that I was doing. If I was going to do something "in the name of the Lord" I wanted it all to work out. I wanted the assurance that what I was doing was not in vain. I wanted it to all work out the way that I considered would make the call worth my time.

Instead of knowing the good I ought to do and just do it (James 4:17), I labored over something that made me nervous (due to fear of rejection because I hardly know this sister), rather than keeping my eyes, heart and mind fixed on Jesus, who saved us not because we were going to accept His sacrifice and look upon His suffering with humble gratitude, but He did what He did because He loves us, much greater and better than we deserve.

So what shall I do with the Lord's rebuke today? I choose to be thankful that the LORD of hosts would hear my prayer and even speak to me. I choose to be humbled that I can approach the throne of grace without being destroyed because I come, washed by the blood of the Son of the Lord God Almighty. I choose not to let Satan use the Lord's rebuke as an occasion to spiral into self-deprecation, but will use my merciful Abba Father's rebuke as an occasion for thanksgiving for His holy discipline in which He is using to train me so that I might yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Most Holy Abba Father, thank You for the right to call upon Your holy name. Thank You that you hear me! Oh what is man that You Lord God are mindful of us?! What kindness, mercy and love! Humiliate me Lord with every opportunity you see fit, so that the beast of my pride may be utterly destroyed. Please help me to remember that Jesus left His place of comfort for me, while He found His full assurance and acceptance in You alone and not from men.

I am very disappointed to find out about this sin of mine; that I would even think twice about sharing Your goodness, Your kindness with others, particularly with those in the faith with whom You have commanded me to show particular favor. But I refuse to sit in this pit and allow my flesh and Satan to use this to deem me ineffective while I wallow in self-pity. Instead Father, I am grateful for Your kind rebuke, for Your directing me in Your love and into Christ's steadfastness.

I am grateful that You have revealed this sin to me Lord. Thank You for testing my heart, finding that which grieves You and leading me in the way everlasting. Make my heart like those Israelites, who loved you so much and was so grateful for You that You had to restrain them from giving. I pray that one day Lord, I will be so in love with You, that You will have to restrain me too. May all glory, honor and praise be given Your name alone! You are my Rock and my Salvation! Amen.

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are in the household of faith."
~ Galatians 6:9-10 ~

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WFW - Valentine's Neighborhood Evangelism

Here's the picture of all the elements (Valentine's tract, candy & crinkle paper) as well as the picture of our family's Valentine's Neighborhood Evangelism Gift bags.

Please feel free to share this idea with anyone and everyone you know that loves our Lord Jesus Christ and who deeply desires this to be said about them:

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus."
Acts 4:13
(NKJV)

Some interesting facts about our life.

The average person dies at 70 years old.
IF YOU ARE:	YOU HAVE:
20 years old	2,600 weekends left
30 years old	2,080 weekends left
40 years old	1,560 weekends left
50 years old	1,040 weekends left
60 years old	520 weekends left
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 150,000 people die every 24 hours.

According to this chart, and as of next month, I only have 1,560 weekends left. That's not a lot!

"So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom."
~ Psalm 90:12

This is something I pray for myself daily as I consider how I've already spent the days the Lord has given me (and I must say, it hasn't always been focused on Christ), and how I will spend the rest of my days.

Will I spend my weekends on what I want to do for my personal pleasures? Or will I spend them remembering the mercies of God poured out to me, and present my body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God by leaving my comfort (like Jesus left Heaven) and choosing to live as Christ: dying to flesh daily so that I might share His life with others.

I pray daily that the Lord will help me stop being so scared of what others think and what they might do to me. I felt so rejected and embarrassed the other day when I was at WalMart and the clerk refused the tract I gave him. But when I remembered Jesus, I prayed and asked Him to help me and He gave me strength to turn around, look at the person who was standing behind me in the check-out line and say, "Well, I sure don't you to miss out on a gift. Would you like this?" With a huge smile, she answered, "SURE! Wow, thank you!"

While the world is celebrating their love for one another, won't you join me this Valentine's Day in sharing the love of Christ with anyone and everyone the Holy Spirit brings to mind?

Gracious Lord God in Heaven, I ask you to go before us and prepare the way. Guide us Father God with Your word that lights our path so we may walk as Jesus did. Just like the pillar of cloud You put before the Israelites to lead them into the Promised Land, will You also go before us and prepare the hearts of those You send us to? Will You also Lord, then go behind us, like the pillar of fire, to protect our work from the enemy? Please Father, do not let our enemy snatch up the Good Seed You've given us to share, but bless it and let it take root in the hearts of all those whom You've called to salvation in the name of Jesus. Amen.

for more inspiration from God's word today please visit Amydeanne at:

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Celebrate Valentine's Day - Share Christ!

While I was visiting my wonderful sister Lori, I saw this FABULOUS craft she came up with for a Valentine's Day evangelism opportunity!

Then I decided that it would be great if someone came up with a Valentine's Day evangelism tract that I could include in this gorgeous gift packet of Lori's. And guess what? Someone did! I found it at Custom Tract Source.

back of card says:

A Gift For You

A “wise” man once said, “Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get!” You know, he was right. You just never know what you’re going to get in life. But there’s more to our existence than just this life on earth. What about eternity? We can all afford to make mistakes in this life, but when it comes to our eternal destination, none of us can afford to be wrong! So how do you know where you’ll spend eternity? You can find out by asking yourself if you have kept God’s moral Law, the Ten Commandments: Have you ever told a lie? (White lies, half truths, and exaggerations are still lies.) Have you ever stolen anything? (The value is irrelevant.) Have you ever taken God’s name in vain? That’s called blasphemy. Have you ever looked at another person with lustful desires? Jesus said, “Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). If you have done these things, then God sees you as a lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulterer-at-heart. What will you say on Judgment Day? Your conscience confirms that you are guilty. If you are found guilty of breaking God’s Laws, your punishment will be eternity in Hell. Does that concern you? It should. There is good news, though! God became man in the person of Jesus Christ, who came to this earth to suffer and take God’s wrath for your sin upon Himself. He suffered and died on a cross, taking your punishment. You broke God’s Law, and Jesus paid your fine! That’s God’s gift to you! You cannot earn a gift—you can only accept it with gratitude. In order to accept this gift, God commands you to repent (turn from your sins) and place your faith in Jesus Christ alone to save you. Please do that today; you may not have tomorrow. When you do, your eternal destination will be certain—Heaven. Nothing could be sweeter! For more information, please visit www.TheGoodPersonTest.net

Instead of hot chocolate, we're using Valentine's Day candies. Mix and match, be creative, and enjoy sharing God's word so others can taste and see that our Lord God truly taste good....THE BEST!

My Favorite said we should go ahead and get these packaged this evening and have our boys put them in all our neighbors mailboxes on Friday so it doesn't get lost in all the Valentines' hustle and bustle. Afterall, who doesn't love receiving a gift in their box rather than a bill, right?

Plus, it's just a GREAT and FUN way to teach your kids the importance of sharing the Gospel with those who live in your Harvest Field a.k.a. your neighborhood. :-)

Please join me in taking every opportunity we have to seek to save the lost, just like our Savior, Christ Jesus our Lord did. ♥

NOTE:
Our precious sister Sheila added another GREAT idea I wanted to pass along. It may be too late to purchase these tracts for this year, but you can just copy and paste the above evangelistic message that's on the back of the card and make your own! Just print it out and add it to your package!

Thank you for the idea Sheila! I sure do LOVE you sweet sisters and your passionate heart for our Savior and His Kingdom!

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ATW - Doing Good vs. Being Good

What a beautiful day the Lord has made! Let us be glad and rejoice in it together as the daughters of the Lord God Most High once again, recount the glorious ways of our Heavenly Father!

This Week's Discussion Topic:

Are my motives pleasing to You, God?


The discussion questions along with my short answers are:

What is the real underlying motive for all the good stuff that you do?
PAST: for accolades both private and public; tangible rewards (in the form of gifts); to fulfill a personal desire to feel "needed"; and just overall feel good about myself. PRESENT: for God's name to be honored, praised and glorified; to participate in filling my Father God's heart with joy and gladness along with others who love and fear Him; and to walk humbly before Him.

FOR EXAMPLE:

Do you go to church to fulfill an obligation?
PAST: I was extremely involved in various ministries through teaching and most times, only attended church in order to fulfill that obligation. PRESENT: After nearly a year of much fervent prayers the LORD God graciously and kindly chose to bless us by giving us a foretaste of what it will be like in Heaven when He led us to our current church family where our entire family goes to worship our King, the Lord Jesus Christ ~ alongside other brothers and sisters who revere the name of our holy God (Acts 2:42, 44-47).

Do you get involved to get a reaction from someone; possibly pity, recognition or even money?
PAST: Yes for the recognition, but definitely not for pity or money. PRESENT: Now I serve because I believe this:

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 1 Corinthians 9:19, 22-23 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 Galatians 1:10; 2:20 Ephesians 2:8-10 1 Timothy 6:6-7

Do you volunteer in your child’s classroom to analyze the new teacher or is it to help?
To help.

Do you share prayer requests for a chance to gossip or because you truly care and are praying?
PAST: Both. PRESENT: Out of true compassion for beloved brothers or sisters in the Lord who have wandered, or for the lost. There are times that I still entertain thoughts of using prayer requests as an occasion to gossip, but God has been so gracious to teach me Psalm 19:14; 139:23-24, Ephesians 4:29-30 and the clinchers ~ 1 Peter 1:22-23; 4:10-11

Doing "good" reflects the appearance of personal holiness; being good reflects the truth of God's righteousness.

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For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
~ Romans 7:18

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Therefore, thanks be to God who alone is good and has graciously given us His Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ, to work His good in and through us.

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A Day of Rest & Worship

<a href="http://jesusrulzme.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh167/JesusRulzMe/Test%20Blog/SabbathDayScroll.gif" /></a> </center><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

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God Is Still On His Throne

Good day precious sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ!

Below is one of the sources God has provided me to use for my personal praise and quiet time. We use these as our family breakfast devotionals as well. I encourage you to sign up for these so that you may also be blessed and strengthened in the word of our awesome Father God as you daily strive to meditate on His Law and His holy precepts.

This particular message is so timely as our brother Mark Roberts reminds us that although our world seems to spiral into the abyss of ungodliness, as God's children our hope is not in this world or society's view, but on the LORD God Most High and His view of things here on earth.

God is still on the throne - so all is well. ♥

May the Lord our God bless you this day sisters as He directs you into His love and Christ's perseverance!

Daily Reflection

by Mark D. Roberts
Laity Lodge Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence
What Can We Do If the Foundations of Society Collapse?

READ Psalm 11:1-7
“The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?” [Psalm 11:3]

Nobody has prayed in more presidential inaugurations than Billy Graham. (Note: If you’re interested in these prayers, you might visit a series I did on my website: The Inaugural Prayers of Billy Graham.) In his inaugural prayer for Richard Nixon in 1969, and then again in his prayer for George H. W. Bush in 1989, Graham quoted Psalm 11:3 in the King James version: “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” As we see so much of what our society was built upon crumbling around us, we might wonder if there is any hope left?

David faced a similar challenge thousands of years ago, as the wicked around him were gaining strength. It was tempting for godly people to flee from the problems, to find a safe place to hide from social chaos. Yet David refused this option. “What can the righteous do?” he asked and then pointed to the Lord. The foundations may be collapsing, “But the LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD still rules from heaven” (v. 4). In time, the one who examines every person will punish the wicked and reward those who seek justice (vv. 5-7). So the godly should not flee when society is falling apart. Rather, they should remain, trusting God in all things, standing up for his justice.

We too can be tempted to flee from our society as it becomes less and less shaped by God’s designs. How much easier it would be to become hermits, hiding among our fellow Christians until Jesus returns! But our calling is to be salt and light in this world, to live justly even when the foundations seem to be crumbling. In this way, we honor the Lord even as we extend his kingdom into our part of this world.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: Do you ever feel like the foundations of our society are collapsing? When? Why? Are you tempted to flee from the fallen world? What gives you strength to stand for God and God’s way in an increasingly hostile world?


PRAYER: Dear Lord, it does seem like the foundations of our society are collapsing under us. Increasingly, you are mocked in the public square, while your ways are rejected in society and law. We might wonder, with David, “What can the righteous do?”

Most of all, we can trust you, acknowledging you as Lord of heaven and earth. We will not find the strength to stand for justice apart from your help. So give us perseverance to seek your justice and truth, no matter what happens around us. Help us to live for you each day. Though the foundations may be crumbling around us, still we are free to serve you. For this we need your help, each and every day. Amen.

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CWO - Sister 2 Sister with Lisa McKay

Hello precious sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ! I just wanted to remind all of you that the February issue of CWO is hot off the presses! As usual, there are some amazing stories, practical "how-to's" and wonderful encouragement for all of us as we strive to live as Christ in this world.

Please be sure to read my interview with Lisa McKay....no, not CWO's Lisa McKay, but another sweet sister with the same name. I got to visit with her about her debut novel as well as chat with her about her interesting courtship with her husband (as of January 24, 2009), what it was like to grow up in eight countries, the challenges and blessings of very unique job and so much more!

Here's an excerpt of my interview:

Before I introduce our guest for this month’s cover, I thought it would be best for me to confess something first. I am not an avid reader. Besides the Bible, I’ve never enjoyed reading and have been frustrated my entire life, as I constantly find myself asleep after reading for only a few minutes.

In addition, I don’t particularly enjoy reading fiction books. And now I’ll share with you, why this confession is so important to mention, prior to introducing this month’s cover girl. Our guest this month is an author… of a fiction book nonetheless. And do you know what? It is FABULOUS! It has to be, I didn’t even fall asleep! And if that weren’t enough of a miracle, I really enjoyed it! Why? I believe mostly because it wasn’t the typical story, nor was it the typical fiction book. Instead, it was a book that really made me consider some very deep faith issues. It caused me to contemplate why I believe what I believe, it challenged me to consider if I would behave the same way if put in a similar situation and also provoked me to wonder if I am living out true biblical Christianity or have succumbed to the comforts of cultural Christianity.


Now with all that said and done, I’d like to introduce you to our dear sister, Lisa McKay, whom God has used to prove to me that all fiction books are not boring and some even have deep spiritual impact on the lives of those who read them.

Our sister Lisa has come to visit us with her debut novel, my hands came away red, (Moody Publishers). I have not only been intrigued by this wonderful book she wrote, but also by her life she so honestly shares.

Lisa is a trained forensic psychologist.....

To read more click HERE.

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Blessed Aroma 2008 - Thank You!

I was notified yesterday that this blog is one of the Internet Cafe's Top 100 Christian Women's Blogs of 2008! I am surprised, truly humbled and honored to be included in the company of such faithful sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ.

This blog is listed under the "Pouring Proverbs 31 Blog" category.

Thank you to everyone who voted and counted my "penny" (Mark 12:42) offered to the Lord as something worthy of His name. ♥

May the Lord our God bless you, protect you and direct you always in His love and Christ's perseverance.

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ATW - Train Them to Love

Today, I'd like to invite all of you to join me in the discussion at the....

To kick-off the celebration of the new site and ministry of "At the Well", our sister Chelsey has wisely suggested that we discuss: Titus 2 and what that means in your own life.

When you read the Scripture found in Titus 2:3-5, how do you see this playing out in your own life?

What are your areas of strength? Of weakness?

If you could set some sort of goal in relation to this Scripture, what would it be?

To answer Chelsey's first two questions, I'd have to say that Titus 2:3-5 is first of all, very sobering. It's only two verses, but the Lord our God directed the Apostle Paul to pack a lot of punch into those two little verses.

The first time I read this passage, I felt the same about it as I felt about the Proverbs 31 woman (Proverbs 31:10-31). I felt as if there was no way that I could accomplish all that was required of me as a wife and mother according to Titus 2:3-5. I realized I didn't have a clue about some of the things this passage mentions, i.e., to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, teach what is good, love my husband and children, be self-controlled, pure, submissive....well, you get the picture.

One of the things my heart was settled on truly understanding was one particular phrase: "train the young women to love their husbands and children". I asked the Lord, "Why do we have to be 'trained' in loving our husbands and children? Don't we already know how to do that? Isn't that something that naturally comes with wifehood and motherhood Lord? Why do I need someone to 'teach' or 'train' me in how to do this? I already know how to do this...don't I Father?"

Our Father God is so gentle, kind and gracious in how He tenderly answers a confused and naive heart. He spoke so kindly to me and said, "No daughter, you don't already know how to love according to My standards - according to My love. You only know how to love according to your own standards, which are imperfect and based not only on your own opinions and experiences, but also on yourself and it being returned to you." I was humbled and baffled. I was in tears as I realized for the first time in my life, that I never knew how to love another person, especially my own husband and children. I was ashamed and saddened to know that I had already been married for six years, had two children and until that point, had not loved them the best I could have - with the commandment the Lord Jesus gave me in John 14:34-35.

This caused me to ask myself these questions in order to properly test myself with how I presently love and why:

1. Do I love my husband and children according to my needs, my desires and pleasure or theirs? Mine.
   
2. Do I love my husband and children when they hurt me? Yes, but not fully in order to protect myself.
   
3. Do I love my husband and children when they don't return love to me? Sometimes, but begrudgingly.
4. Do I become embittered and resentful when I am not appreciated? Yes.
   
5. Do I love my husband and children only when they respect me? Yes.
   
6. Do I love my husband and children sacrificially as the Lord Jesus Christ has loved me? No.
   

After testing myself with God's word, according to His standard of love, our holy Father God revealed to me the disturbing reality of my love: self-centered and convenient, compared to His love: God-centered and sacrificial.

In order to learn how to love my husband and children, the Lord took me back to the Cross. God showed me that while we hated Him, received Him not, mocked Him, dishonored Him, and did not return His love to Him; He still chose to come to us, live among us, gave up His rights, was willing to be wronged, carried our burdens, loved us when it was not convenient -- but with sacrificial, holy love, He gave Himself to us, not just in part, but all of Himself (in Christ Jesus) so that He might offer us the best of Himself. The LORD God Almighty withheld nothing from me when He chose to love me. But I often withhold my love from others, especially if they've treated me like I've treated my Savior (ignoring His voice, only coming when I need something, without respect, and taking Him for granted).

Since this revelation of my lack of offering true love to my husband and children, my goal has been this; To love everyone as Christ, my God has loved me by:

1. Committing to read God's Word a minimum of three times a day to keep my spiritual body more fit than I keep my physical body;
   
2. Going out of my way to serve others, as Christ Jesus went out of His way (left Heaven) to serve me;
3. Choosing to treat those who hate me and hurt me as Jesus commanded me to in Luke 6:27-28 and Luke 6:35-36 -- love them, do good to them, pray for them and bless them. For sometimes my "enemies" are those in my own household.
4. Constantly asking God to refine me, discipline me in the way of righteousness and to humiliate me when I am prideful.

The Lord God Almighty has loved me and called me to Himself, not because I am worthy or could ever be worthy, but because Jesus Christ alone is worthy. In order to save my wretched and most wicked soul, my Savior redeemed me with His own blood when I still loved my sin and hated Him (James 4:3-4). What kind of love is this? The love that asks me to die to myself that I may truly live -- live forever in the fullness of my Creator's glory.

"Not that I have already obtained all this or am already made perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus made me His own."
~ Philippians 3:12

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."
~ Romans 8:18

Holy Father God in Heaven, hallowed be Your holy name! Thank You for loving me all the times in which I have been so unloveable. Thank You for teaching me to do the same. Thank You for teaching me to love my husband and children according to Your perfect standards, just as You have loved me. Oh Lord, may Your love abide richly in me! And may I never lose sight of the Cross and the high cost in which my salvation has come to me. May my life be something that is beautiful in Your sight. Teach me, that I may teach others to live in such a way, that Your word may be honored and not reviled. Bless Your daughters this day, with all that we need, according to your compassion, mercy and righteousness. Jesus, use our lives to bless Your holy name. Amen.

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A Day of Rest & Worship

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