God Works Magazine September 2010

GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010 1

True Worshiper

KARI JOBE

GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPT 2010

Helping Christians with

Negative Emotions

Accepting Those Things

We Cannot Change

Christian Stewardship


in this issue

Pg. 18

Kari Jobe

8 - Accepting Those Things We Cannot Change

10 - Four Things Every Husband Needs To Know

About His Wife

12 - Maintaining Clear Boundaries

14 - Helping Christians with Negative Emotions

15 - The Eyes Have It

22 - Christian Stewardship

28 Women In Ministry

40 Get involved

31 Le’Andria Johnson


R R R R EFLECTIONS A MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDER

Enter Into Worship.

I love all types of music but there is something about worship music that

just moves me.

If I am going through something or just need to spend some time with God,

worship music takes me to a place that no other type of music can. Many

mornings after I wake up, I’ll put on one of my favorite worship songs and

just begin to enter into His presence. No words are needed as the song I

listen to speaks every word for me.

Worship music has a calming effect. When listening to it, there is this in-

tense desire to just praise God. In worshiping, we connect with Our Father.

Our hearts speak to Him and His to us.

Kari Jobe (pg. 18) is familiar with this type of connection as she is the wor-

ship pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas. She has been sharing

her heart through her songs with hurting people for years. Her songs create

an intimate atmosphere that allows those who are broken to be lifted out of

painful places.

God desires intimacy with his children and wants to connect with us. Wor-

ship music is perfect for anytime praise even if you do not know exactly

what you want to say.

Allow the music to take you to that place with God where you can rest, be

loved, and get healed. Worship.

Ayana Elon

“No words are need-

ed as the song I listen

to speaks every word

for me.”

Contributing Writers

Shirley Mahood

Dr. Sharon Schuetz

Leah Nichols

Naomi Ball

Neil Justin

Olivia Stith

Dionna Sanchez

Debra Lohrere

Andy Stanley

Charles F. Stanley

Unami Magwenzi

Susan Darling

Carol M. Karimi

Paulette H. Johnson

Photographer Credits

Anna Gutermuth

Chris Willis

Robby McKee

Peter Harrison

Lauren Nelson

Adrian Boliston


NEWS & HEADLINES

Derek Degrate, Releases Debut Album

Derek, brother of JODECI’s Devante’ and Dalvin releases debut album,

“The Other Brother”. Like his brothers, he has been involved in music

since he was a child.

“The Other Brother” is a stylish mix of smooth grooves and hip beats all

with lyrics that are dedicated to God. "It's real cool to be feelin’ a beat

like you hear on your favorite R&B or pop radio sta;on and at the same

;me express your love for GOD for waking you up in the morning!" says

Derek.

You can listen to samples and purchase the CD at derekdegrate.com.

7 year old Gospel Singing Sensation

Rhema Marvanne is not your average 7 year old. She is a

young gospel sensa;on. Her video of her version of ‘O Holy

Night at her Carrollton, TX home has received more than

one million views on the popular website, Youtube.

Unlike most children her age, Rhema has her own website.

She also connects with her fans via social networks, Face-

book, TwiEer, and Myspace.

Her inspira;on comes from her mother who died in 2008

from Ovarian Cancer. Rhema’s mother used to write her

own music and sing to her.

To find out more about her, visit www.rhemamarvanne.com

New Gospel Choir

Dr. Crystal Sellers is organizing a gospel choir in BluHon, OH. She

has joined the BluHon University faculty as an assistant professor

of music. The choir is open to the community and university facul-

ty, staff, and students.

Dr. Sellers has a long history in singing gospel music. She began

singing at a church in Columbus which was founded by her grandfa-

ther. She believes the choir can create a nice community network.

The choir debut is scheduled for Nov. 13 at a Celebra;on of Gospel

Concert in Yoder Recital Hall.

You can find Dr. Sellers on facebook: facebook.com/cyssoprano


Accepting Those Things

We Cannot Change

PHOTO CREDIT: Adrian Boliston


FAMILY

N early 20 years ago now our

family was hit with the dev-

astating news that one of

our then teenage daughters had a

serious mental illness. I could not

believe that God had allowed this to

happen to her or to us. After all, we

were a good family; at least we tried

to be. Trouble and bad luck are

things that happen to people who

don't take precautions against them,

or so I thought. (Guess you can tell I

have been a real control freak in my

life.)

It was a time my faith was rocked to

the core, but, thankfully, not aban-

doned. Sleepless nights and anxious

days were the name of the game for

several months. I was in major denial

or, when I chose to recognize the sit-

uation, then I figured if I just re-

searched enough, said the right

things, did the right things, my

daughter would be healed. I was

praying, but I was praying for her

healing. What I didn't realize then is

that she is whole, a beloved child of

God. I was too busy seeing her as

much of the world would probably

see her.

Then one night as I lay in bed, awake

at 3am, continuing my prayer for my

daughter's healing, I seemed to hear

a voice say, "Accept my healing for

you." Healing for me, I remember

thinking, "I don't need to be healed. I

am not sick."

But my recognition of my need to

change began a change from which

the whole family has benefited, and I

would not now be on the path of

helping hurting people through my

talks and workshops if I had not

learned from this situation. I am so

grateful that God stayed with me as I

struggled to accept what I considered

the unacceptable. Yes, of course, I

would wish my daughter could have

an easier life, but God does bring

good out of all situations to those

who trust. Today because of how we

all learned to think differently, my

daughter is herself in a much better

place as well.

Many Bible passages brought me

much needed strength as we all

struggled to cope with the unusual,

and often very erratic, behavior of

our daughter. Trust in the Lord and

lean not on your own understanding,

Proverbs 3:5, was one. My under-

standing had been that anyone who

really tried hard enough could "get

their act together." Another faulty

way of thinking was that there was

something "wrong" with her. And, of

course, being her mother, I was deal-

ing with another disturbing thought.

What kind of mother will people

think I am that my daughter has this

illness?

God guided me to change those

thoughts. I began to understand that

sometimes illness can prevent people

from changing in ways that they

themselves would like to change. It

wasn't just our family who wished

she could be different; she would

have liked to have a more "normal"

life, though today she says honestly

that she has many really good days;

she has stopped trying to be what the

world would want her to be, that is

successful in the way the world

measures success. The other two un-

healthy thoughts I had to change

were even harder to accept at first.

Living too much in the world, I strug-

gled to finally come to the conclusion

that indeed there is nothing wrong

with my daughter. Yes, she has a

mental illness diagnosis, and yes, she

cannot work, but she is, as I said ear-

lier, still a child of God with her own

strengths and weaknesses, just like

every other person. And, lastly, I was

unhappy to realize that I at times

could be more concerned about what

people thought about me than how to

be a support to my daughter.

John 2:9 became and remains one of

my most reassuring verses. Jesus is

asked about a blind man, "Who

sinned, he or his parents?" Jesus an-

swers, "Neither this man nor his par-

ents sinned. But this happened so

that the work of God could be seen in

his life." How true that is. My daugh-

ter's life is indeed a testimony of the

power of God to work in an individu-

al. Her own strength to deal with her

life and her enormous capacity to

offer caring and compassion to all

people, often giving money to people

begging, despite the very limited in-

come she has, are just two of the

ways we see God at work in her. And,

whenever we tend to forget how God

cares for each one of us, we remem-

ber the numerous times God has

"been there" for our daughter when

she was in a difficult position, and no

family member was available to help

her. Some stranger always somehow

arrived to save the day.

Accepting those things we cannot

change, as the Serenity Prayer tells

us, does bring a sense of peace. I

know that now. How sad I feel that it

took me as long as it did to under-

stand I am not in control. God knows

what He is doing, and my job is not

to judge, but to support and offer to

others what my daughter is so good

at offering care and compassion. In-

deed she has blessed our family.

Shirley Mahood is an author and work-

shop leader on topics of self-esteem and

managing stress from a spiritual point of

view.

I am so grateful that God stayed

with me as I struggled to accept

what I considered the

unacceptable.

GOD WORKS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2010

H ave you ever wondered why God made wom-

en so different? A woman will hide her feel-

ings, mulling them over until she thinks her-

self into despair. She worries about her

problems; she worries about her family; she worries about

her church, her neighbors, and her career. Left un-

checked, her fear turns into depression. She masks her

pain, deceiving herself and everyone else, until she ex-

plodes at the slightest provocation.

Does this sound like someone you know? Perhaps it is

your wife. Remarkably, as her husband, you make a great-

er difference in her life than anyone else. By learning

about a few basic needs exclusive to a woman's nature,

you can help her grow into the beautiful creature God de-

signed her to be. After all, she is the one you married and

wanted to stay with forever.

A woman releases her pent up emotions through talking

about her thoughts. This is how she finds solutions. She

needs someone in her life she can trust. This is someone

who will listen when she is willing to share.

She needs a man with whom she is safe, who allows her to

expose her soul, and share her innermost self. If you will

not listen to her without criticism, judgment, or rejection,

she will stop and find someone else to share this part of

her life. Consequently, your marriage will suffer the loss

of intimacy and trust. A husband with a sympathetic ear

is rare, but you can learn the art of listening.

Why do men not understand women? Who knows? God

wired men and women using different schematics. Our

human nature believes everyone deals with the world the

same way we do. Men think women manage information

and behave a certain way because they would behave the

same way in their place. We can compare men and wom-

en to bananas and strawberries. Both are fruit, but each

has its own form, flavor, and texture. By themselves, they

taste fabulous, but combine them together and you get a

fantastic fruit salad with each part keeps its own charac-

teristics.

Marriage is like fruit salad. A man and a woman: each

with unique shapes, textures, and flavors, are complete by

themselves. Nevertheless, when you combine them to-

gether, you get a brand new creation. Though, both of you

keep your own identity.

When his wife cries, her husband embraces her and wants

to solve her problems. Once she gets a few intelligible

words out through her sniffles, he holds his head back;

sometimes he is even stupid enough to laugh. Then he

PHOTO CREDIT: Lauren Nelson

Four Things Every Husband Needs to Know About His Wife


says, "Oh, is that all. It’s so is simple.

This is what you need to do."

It dumbfounds him when she stops

talking, looks at him and says, "Never

mind! I'll figure it out myself," as she

walks away slamming the door. Now

she is angry and frustrated as well as

depressed.

He has no clue why she did not throw

her arms around him, give him a pas-

sionate kiss, and thank him for all his

wisdom. Men want to give women a

solution after hearing a few details.

Never mind that they heard only a few

of the facts. They do not want to hear it

all. They have the answer whether their

wives want it or not. Overall, their an-

swer is probably correct, if not appreci-

ated.

The resulting argument adds pressure

to an already strained relationship.

Women do not want the answers given

to them. It defeats the purpose. Men

get aggravated when women reject

their quick fixes, but women must pro-

cess their own way to find the answer.

God designed your partner to keep her

emotions in, releasing them as she

speaks. Through talking, she verbalizes

her thoughts. Her emotions begin to

unravel and confusion dissipates. This

allows her to identify the answer star-

ing her in the face. You probably of-

fered the same solution. Nevertheless,

because of her confused emotions she

was not ready for it.

So many marriage problems could be

resolved if we understood God made

both genders different with different

needs. Our desires, our thinking pro-

cesses, and our needs are all different.

Understanding them can help us make

positive strides in relating to one an-

other.

There are four characteristics every

woman needs from her husband for

her sense of security and complete-

ness. By understanding them he can

make a tremendous difference in his

marriage, transform his home, chang-

ing the atmosphere from disappoint-

ment, confusion, and indifference to

one of peace and oneness of spirit and

purpose.

The first attribute or virtue your wife

needs from you is the sound guidance

of a spiritual leader. As

a strong spiritual leader,

you can provide many of

her needs. Spiritual

leadership reveals a

man's spiritual health

and shows the direction

he is going.

A wife aches for guidance when her

husband fails to be the spiritual leader.

God did not intend for her to be the

spiritual leader of the family. If you fail

here, you expose her to worry she was

not meant to experience. Her life is out

of control. The resulting fear and help-

lessness forces her to make decisions

she should not make. Then she must

accept the consequences and some-

times the blame from you if she makes

the wrong choice.

As her spiritual leader, she needs to

trust your desire for a relationship with

God is sincere. You prove this when

you read his word, pray, pay tithes and

faithfully attend church. She needs to

see you build your strong convictions

on Scripture, and consistently follow

your convictions.

The next thing your wife needs is reas-

surance that she is meeting needs in

your life no other woman can. This is a

fundamental need common to all

women. She needs you to convince her

she is special to you. God made her for

a "helpmate." The needs she is meeting

in your life must be relevant to you.

The more valuable they are, the more

you should compliment and appreciate

her.

A man has the tendency to hide his real

needs from his wife, wanting her to

admire him and think of him as a suc-

cess. For your wife to honor you, she

must see your humility. You will re-

ceive and keep her love more quickly

by sharing your failures with her than

you will by sharing only your success-

es. You must not only describe your

needs, but you

should relate

to her exactly

what she can

do to help you

meet them.

You encounter

many needs in your life only your

spouse can satisfy. She can help pro-

tect you against other women with

wrong motives. We live in a world per-

meated with sensuality and passion.

She can give you the joy of a physical

love without guilt.

Her need for security and steadfast-

ness will make you want to make

sound decisions instead of hasty ones.

It grieves a man when his wife suffers

because of his poor decisions. Under-

standing how his choices affect his en-

tire family makes him take more time

and examine the consequences before

acting rashly.

Your wife instills godly character in

your children and discerns their needs.

She is probably with them more than

you are, and as a mother, she often has

insight in their lives you may not. She

serves as a buffer during conflict and is

usually an arbitrator.

She will become discouraged if she

feels you are more concerned with the

needs of employers, employees, col-

leagues, friends, and church members,

than you are with her needs.

Continued on page 47...

In putting God first in our

relationship with our spouse,

our marriage becomes more

God-centered.

FAMILY


DATING

You know the story.

Girl meets guy. Guy woos girl....says stuff

like, "You're just so beau;ful," and "I can't

believe how wonderful you are," and

"Other guys were fools not to see how

much you ____," and so on.

Guy is not exactly the ideal of godliness,

and he may even have some habits and

behavioral tendencies that would make

even the weakest believer cringe, but girl

does not care.

She knows in her heart that guy is not re-

ally all that bad, and more than that, be-

cause she's strong in faith, they will work

as a couple with her taking the spiritual

lead.

She knows beEer than to end up in bed

with him - that commandment is as clear

as day in her mind. There's no way she'd

break that rule.

Yeah right.

And so the story goes. First she lets him

kiss her, then she finds herself making out

on the couch, and the next thing she

knows, she's dealing with a whole load of

shame, if not an unplanned pregnancy.

No, I'm not cynical. Yet I do see an increas-

ing number of women pass through our

labor & delivery unit without a wedding

band, and many claim to be professing

Chris;ans. So how do they end up there,

when the Scripture is so explicitly clear on

the maEer?

Paul gives us a direct admoni;on regard-

ing the life of faith in I Corinthians 10:12 -

"Therefore let him who thinks he stands

take heed lest he fall." (NKJV) This Scrip-

ture reflects the classic warning in Prov-

erbs: "Pride goes before destruc;on, and

a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs

16:18 NKJV). The first reason why a wom-

an, or anyone for that maEer, falls into a

paEern of sin, has to do with her self-

percep;on. She ignores the warnings

about da;ng someone weak in the faith

(or not at all in the faith) and says to her-

self, I am an excep;on - I will be able to

resist sin.

My sisters, the Bible speaks very clearly to

this condi;on: "Do not be unequally

yoked," (II Corinthians 6:14 NKJV) which in

plain English means Do Not Be Unequally

Yoked!

The moment we think that we can resist

sin by our own willpower or holiness, we

fall into a trap laid quite ingeniously for us

by the enemy. Gala;ans 6:1 warns,

"Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any

trespass, you who are spiritual restore

such a one in a spirit of gentleness, consid-

ering yourself lest you also be tempt-

ed." (NKJV, emphasis mine) We cannot

afford to think more highly of ourselves

than we ought to think (Romans 12:3) -

such pride stands in the way of God's help.

Over and over the Bible states that God

resists the proud and gives grace to the

humble (Proverbs 3:34). We cannot afford

to think that we will not fall when placed

into the same situa;on - Jesus warns in

MaEhew 7:1-2 that the very thing we

judge in another will be judged in our own

life.

A sober, humble view of ourselves is the

first way to resist sin in this area. Even if I

have guarded my heart for years and re-

fused to date anyone who might drag me

down spiritually, if I believe for one se-

cond that I can make an excep;on just

once and that I will not fall away, I place

myself directly into that trap. Over and

over I have seen different friends make

that fateful decision despite warnings

from all the believers around them, and

over and over again they fall - every single

;me.

God has placed His body around us for our

protec;on and to spur us on in the faith.

Allow the believers around you to speak

Maintaining Clear Boundaries

PHOTO CREDIT: Peter Harrison


DATING into your life. On our own, we may easily slip up, but with the

admoni;ons of those around us (as long as we actually listen)

we may steady our feet on the path of righteousness.

Secondly, we must resist the tempta;on to believe that the

world has anything to offer us that would excel the glory of

following Christ. Many women who make the choice to date

someone outside the faith mistakenly believe that God is with-

holding from them - that they are missing something wonder-

ful that their heart longs to experience. Surely God would not

withhold a rela;onship from them, especially if it makes them

happy!

James 4:1-10 addresses the issue of following aVer worldly

desires:

Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels

come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They

come about because you want your own way, and fight for it

deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don't have and

are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn't yours and will

risk violence to get your hands on it. You wouldn't think of just

asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know

you'd be asking for what you have no right to. You're spoiled

children, each wan;ng your own way. You're chea;ng on God.

If all you want is your own way, flir;ng with the world every

chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And

do you suppose God doesn't care? The proverb has it that

"he's a fiercely jealous lover." And what he gives in love is far

beEer than anything else you'll find. It's common knowledge

that "God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to

the willing humble." So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud

no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God

and he'll be there in no ;me. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your

inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit boEom, and cry your eyes

out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious.

Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way

you'll get on your feet. (James 4:1-10 The Message)

When we "flirt with the world" we risk that in;mate friendship

with God that brings righteousness and life. We have heard

that God can sa;sfy our longings: "For He sa;sfies the longing

soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness" (Psalm 107:9

NKJV). Desiring to seek that sa;sfac;on through the ways of

the world only brings hurt and destruc;on!

Remember Abraham, who waited over 25 years for the fulfill-

ment of the promise - when he tried to make it happen on his

own, he created a whole mess that carries on in the Middle

East even into the present day. God s;ll fulfilled His promise to

Abraham, however, and will fulfill every promise to us today (I

Corinthians 1:20). If we hold onto those promises He has

made, and resist the passions of the world, we will experience

the joy of peaceful obedience to the One who sa;sfies the

soul.

Sisters, I know that many of you long for the love of a man.

God knows that deep desire of your heart, and even put that

there Himself. He knows the very person that is created to

match you perfectly. In His own ;me, God will bring you to-

gether.

God desires that you and I will come to Him and seek Him to

fulfill the desires of our hearts! He joyfully longs to bless those

who ask Him: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you

will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone

who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who

knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you

who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he

asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being

evil, know how to give good giVs to your children, how much

more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to

those who ask Him!" (MaEhew 7:7-11 NKJV)

While you wait for His answer, though, you must make bound-

aries clear in your life. Seek that humility that God draws close

to, and throw away every desire for the world. Only then can

you make decisions with a pure conscience.

May we all honor God in everything we do!

Leah Nichols writes in her spare �me....whenever it's available.

She is newly married and living in Eastern Washington State,

working as a labor/delivery nurse, and playing the violin on the

side. She also enjoys cooking, walking, and playing Wii games

with her husband.

When we "flirt with the world" we risk that

in�mate friendship with God that brings

righteousness and life.


HEALTH

Helping Christians with

Negative Emotions How does a Christian deal with negative emotions? How

does a Christian deal with depression and depressive

thoughts that will not go away, with out having to be-

come dependent on drugs? Faith in God should make you

always joyful, right?

God is near to the broken hearted (Psalms 34:18). He

wants you to be close, and to rely on Him, but He doesn't

want you to be helpless. He provided help a long time

ago. The Bible says that in the beginning when God cre-

ated the world He created many plants that were good

for food and good for healing. He gave Moses a recipe

for a holy anointing oil (Exodus 30), and James com-

mands that we call the elders and anoint with oil (James

5).

Our bodies, our health, are absolutely connected to and

affected by our emotions and our mental thought pro-

cesses and so is our spiritual health. The three are con-

nected and affected by the other. Spiritual healing is part

of physical healing and is obviously part of emotional

healing. Spiritually healing, contrary to most aromathera-

py books, can only come from God through Jesus Christ.

Spiritual healing will make us feel elated, on the other

hand negative emotions can block our response to spirit-

ually healing. However feeling elated, feeling cleansed,

feeling close to God is not spiritually healing. God's for-

giveness and love, Jesus' death and resurrection only can

bring spiritually healing.

Our emotions and thought processes are chemical and

electrical processes and some times we need a chemical

boost. Life can overwhelm us and make us feel like God

is not near and does not care. At time like this that is

perfectly acceptable to take advantage of the wonderful

benefits of therapeutic essential oils from plants that God

himself created. Many plants have chemical compounds

that have powerful uplifting affect on our emotions. Es-

sential oils can be calming, stimulating, promote feeling

of self-love, promote courage, and relieve feelings of

anxiety, to name just a few of the emotional benefits of

various essential oils.

Essential oils are steam distilled from various plants. The-

se plant oils are highly concentrated plant essences and

are good for healing the body and healing the emotions,

but do not have the negative side affects that drugs

have. Essential oils can have an immediate affect and

can be safely be used for long periods of time. And with

careful handling can be safely used on children, when

they are feeling down, over anxious or having a two year

old temper tantrum. There are a few safe-handling

guidelines to follow, any book or web site on aromather-

apy will tell what they are.

If you are on antidepressants it is extremely important

that you do not suddenly stop taking them. You need to

talk to your doctor about gradually coming off them. For

more information see http://www.drugawareness.org/

When you feel like life is overwhelming or you are feeling

a little down say a prayer, sing a hymn and reach for a

bottle of essential oil, it is a wonderful combination for

overcoming negative emotions.

Naomi Ball is a cer�fied aromatherapist and is the creator of

www.aromatherapyforchris�ans.com

Interested in writing for

God Works Magazine?

Send your writing samples to us.

[email protected]

PHOTO CREDIT: Robby McKee


HEALTH

In elementary school one day I was wai;ng to go home on my

bus. I had to change buses at that ;me because I went to a

private school. So the buses would pick us up, then go to the

public middle school and we'd switch. I was wai;ng out on the

playground for my last bus to come home when the wind real-

ly picked up and I got dust in my eye. I remember it preEy well

to this day my hair blowing and all.

All the way home, my eye just watered and watered and I

could not get the dust out of my eye at least it felt that way. It

con;nued on that way un;l my dad got home from work and I

was taken to the emergency room. Come to find out the dust

par;cle had worked its way up under my eyelid and done a

good job scratching up my eye! They removed it but I had to

wear a patch for a few days to heal it up. That was very pain-

ful.

Again during my first year of my marriage, I had another eye

incident. I was curling my hair one morning and the curling

iron got hung up in my hair and kind of flopped down. It's kind

of hard to explain but I'm sure those of you who've dropped

curling irons before understand how something like that can

happen. I thought I bonked my eye and again my eye really

started to water just like when you poke it before you blink

your eyelash. I laid down on my couch for awhile and just let

my eyes close and water, thinking the watering would calm

down aVer a bit. It s;ll hurt preEy good aVer awhile so I went

back into the bathroom and looked into the mirror. I remem-

ber the panic I felt when I saw a white mark across my eyeball.

I thought I'd damaged it forever! Somehow, I drove myself to

the emergency room. (I don't recommend it

but I had no one to call at that ;me). They

told me I'd burnt my eye with the curling

iron, which I guess is not that uncommon of

an injury. Again, I had to wear an eye patch.

You can imagine how I am preEy protec;ve

of my eyes. To this day whenever the wind

whips up I tend to look down. If I get some-

thing in my eye I tend to blink a lot and

oVen. If my children injure their eyes I can

be a liEle too concerned about las;ng dam-

age. Because I've hurt mine twice.

Luckily for me, God has looked out for me.

And it's not gone unappreciated.

But it causes me to pause and think some-

;mes and remember to thank Him for my

eyesight. Just as I do with my kidneys be-

cause I deal with kidney stones.

When did you last thank God for your kidneys or your eyes?

How about your bladder, your spine, your heart, breasts,

teeth, liver, arm, or even your toes? You know we oVen don't

realize how much we are apprecia;ve of each piece that

makes up who we are un;l that part is injured or jeopardized.

Let's take a minute to thank God today for what He's given us.

And let's try to remember to do it more oVen instead of

wai;ng un;l we hurt ourselves, encounter illness, or see some-

one who reminds us that we have what they don't. And let's

use what He's given us for His glory. Every last part.

Dionna Sanchez is Founder of EmphasisOnMoms.com and free-

lance writes. www.beautyinthestorm.blogspot.com. Contact

her at [email protected]

The Eyes Have It PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Willis

Your Ad Could Be Here

Contact Us Today For Rates and Custom

Packages

[email protected]


^ari]obe


COVER STORY K ari Jobe knew at the age of 10 that she would be a

worship leader. She began singing in church when

she was 3 and has been walking in her calling and

sharing her giV ever since.

Growing up in a Chris;an home, Kari is no stranger to ministry

as her father was a traveling minister. She also remembers, as

a child, her mother playing worship music throughout the

house.

For years, Kari has openly shared what God has placed inside

her. Throughout high school and college she led worship in

different places. She now serves as a worship pastor at Gate-

way Church, her home church, in Southlake, Texas. Her studies

at Oral Roberts University, Christ For The Na;ons, and Dallas

Bap;st University gave her the tools she needed to be more

than a worship leader but a pastor as well.

Kari has been featured on Gateway Worship projects, Living

For You and Wake Up the World. In February 2009, she re-

leased her self-;tled album through Gateway Create Publish-

ing and Integrity Music. It was produced by Ed Cash and con-

tains a collec;on of worship pop/folk songs. The songs were

wriEen by Kari Jobe with co-writes with worship leaders/

songwriters Chris Tomlin, Paul Baloche, Mia Fieldes, Ed Cash

and Klaus Kuehn.

Kari’s desire is to write songs that will minister to hur;ng peo-

ple. She says, “I am moved by people’s lives and stories, and I

am amazed by who God is and who He says that we are. Music

becomes a way to minister to people in ;mes of trouble, to

lead them to the feet of Jesus who can bring peace, life, hope

and healing.” GWM

GWM What city are you currently in?

KARI Dallas

GWM Where did you grow up?

KARI Dallas/Forth Worth Area

GWM Who are some of the singers/musicians you lis-

tened to as a young child?

KARI Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, Dennis Jernigan,

Michelle PaEerson, Kevin Prosch

GWM Who/what influenced you to journey into the mu-

sic industry?

KARI I was very influenced by worship leaders. I experi-

enced the presence of God through worship music and just

loved that place. I knew I had a giV to sing and when I would

sing in worship at Church I loved it. I knew I wanted to be

apart of doing that for the rest of my life.

GWM What is it like to have such a pla-orm as a worship

pastor at your church?

KARI I grew up in my local church. It¹s been really pre-

cious to watch how God took a small town girl, just loving the

house of God, and loving to lead worship and began to open

doors. I have always just walked through the doors God opens.

My church family recognized what God was doing even before

I did, so they love what I do and encourage me to con;nue.

GWM Who are some of the ar.sts in the Chris.an music

industry you currently listen to?

KARI Brooke Fraser, Francesca BaZstelli, Kim Walker-

Smith! I support my fellow lady friends! (SMILES)

GWM When wri.ng songs, where is one of the places you

find inspira.on?

KARI Mountains. I love to get away to the mountains and

get alone to write. I feel a sense of awareness of God¹s massive

crea;on in place like that. Much more inspira;onal than Dallas

Texas! (SMILES)

GWM Knowing that you can connect with people all over

the world through your music, what ways do your prepare

before wri.ng?

KARI I pray a LOT. I have a tendency to get into wri;ng

seasons...which I¹m in currently...meaning that everything in-

spires me to write. I keep my journal close by for all the song

and lyric ideas that I get. I am wri;ng for a new worship cd right

now and am finding that I get a lot of the ideas while leading

worship or closely aVer! It¹s exci;ng.

GWM Who is your target audience?

KARI Worshippers! (SMILES) I really don¹t have a specific

one...I find that there¹s a vast audience group that respond to

enjoying my music!

GWM Do you think your music speaks to people who do

not have a rela.onship with God?

KARI I believe so. When you find lyrics that are really, real-

ly honest and that help people to say things to God that they

don¹t always say...I think it helps the unbeliever. I get tes;mo-

nies of these kinds of things happening...so that¹s really good to

hear. You always want your music to reach the unbelievers or

the unchurched..it¹s a prayer...and it always will be a desire and

pursuit for me.

Q & A


GWM Which one of the songs you wrote/recorded is your

favorite? Why?

KARI You Are For Me. Because of the season I went

through to write it, and all that I have seen God do for people

through it. I have received thousands of tes;monies of people

saying that You are for me has really, really helped them. I¹m

very thankful.

GWM What projects are you currently working on?

KARI A new worship cd.

A Word From Kari: Worship is an avenue for us to connect with God. We are

created by God to worship. He is worthy of our every-

thing...if there’s a season that someone is going through

where it might be affec;ng their desire to worship...just get

alone in your place of prayer, turn on worship music and get

honest before God. Journal what God is speaking to you.

Worship isn’t always something we FEEL like doing, but in

our sacrificing of our flesh, and liVing up praise and thanks

to God...I strongly believe it will begin to change your situa-

;on.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own

understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He

will direct your steps.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 )

For upcoming tour dates and

booking info, visit KariJobe.com.

Worshiper


FINANCES

A ll that we have and all that we are has come from

God. He has blessed us with money and possessions, and he

has given each of us specific talents and abili;es. We have

been called to be good stewards - to use our money, our ;me

and our abili;es as best we can to benefit God’s kingdom.

Giving ;thes and offerings demonstrates our obedience to

God, and the recogni;on that all we have has come from him.

Giving our ;me in the Lord’s work, whether in ministry, help-

ing those in need or gree;ng people at the Church door,

shows our determina;on to follow the Lord’s teachings.

Why is it then, if we are happy to faithfully give our ;me and

money, that so many Chris;ans seem to have an issue when it

comes to discussing wealth crea;on. There seem to be two

dis;nct lines of thought – the one promoted by many of the

big name TV evangelists who promote the “prosperity” and

“name it and claim it” teachings and the other viewpoint of

many of the conserva;ve Church officials who push the opin-

ion that seeking wealth is ungodly.

Unfortunately both of these viewpoints seem to run contrary

to the word, and to Jesus’ teachings about stewardship.

The “prosperity” teachers promote the idea that whatever you

give to God, he will return to you many ;mes over. Although

this is close to the teaching of stewardship, which says that

you should seek to mul;ply whatever God gives you, so that

you can give him more back in return. It has been distorted, in

as much as the actual mo;va;on behind giving promoted by

the prosperity teachers is self based (if I give more, God will

give me more) instead of focusing on Christ. There is a huge

difference between giving to get more, and working to in-

crease your means so that you can give more to further the

works of the kingdom.

Some now try to imply that if you are not prosperous, then

your walk with the Lord must be lacking in some area, and

others at the other end of the spectrum are always making

condemning statements about the evils of being rich.

We need to really look at what the word says, and the exam-

ples that Jesus gave. I firmly believe that the enemy wants to

deter us from aiming to invest and make our wealth grow, as

he does not want us to be successful. He doesn’t want us mak-

ing lots of money that we can use for the Lord’s work. He

doesn’t want us to be able to fund mission outreaches or to

feed the poor or to fund Chris;an satellite TV channels.

Some Chris;ans seem to have the misconcep;on that being

wealthy is evil and being poor is holy. There is nothing holy

about being poor. God doesn’t want his children to be in pov-

erty. A rich person has far more power at their disposal to be

able to help where financial assistance is needed than a poor

person. At the same ;me though we need to make sure that

our mo;va;on for crea;ng wealth is to “get so we can give” as

opposed to the prosperity teachers no;on that we should

“give so we can get”. As long as we do not idolize money, and

retain the truth that all we have has come from God anyway,

then there is no need to feel any guilt about how much money

we make. There are many examples in the Bible that show

God’s desire to bless his faithful followers with wealth:

(Gen 39:2) “And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a pros-

perous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyp-

;an.”

(Deu 29:9) “Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do

them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do”.

(2 Chr 26:5) “And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who

had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he

sought the LORD, God made him to prosper”.

PHOTO CREDIT: SH4RP_I

CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP


sought the LORD, God made him to

prosper” and 1 Kings 3:13 “And I have

also given thee that which thou hast not

asked, both riches, and honor: so that

there shall not be any among the kings

like unto thee all thy days”.

God loves to bless his children, especial-

ly if we in return are happy to bless oth-

ers. Therefore there is absolutely noth-

ing wrong with seZng goals to be good

stewards and create wealth to give back

to our creator. In fact, as stewards of the

resources God has given us, it is actually

our responsibility to aim at increasing

what we have. We should be seeking to

be successful for God. To genuinely set

goals for inves;ng both our money and

;me into the kingdom of God. The best

way to increase your monetary wealth is

not to go asking the boss for a pay rise,

but rather to start a regular investment

program. More important s;ll, is to

learn how to invest wisely and not be

wasteful with our resources.

Before you can start inves;ng you need

to make some money available. One of

the most effec;ve methods it to use the

10/10/80 Plan. 10% of your income to

God, 10% for inves;ng and live off the

remaining 80% of your income. This may

take a liEle ;me to adjust to, but when

you consider the long terms results that

you will achieve once you start inves;ng,

you will find that it is extremely worth-

while.

You will have all heard the expression

that “The second million is always easier

than the first”. This is absolutely true –

the reason being is that it is compound-

ing interest that has the greatest power

to create wealth, and the more you have

invested that compounding can work on

– the quicker your wealth will grow.

In mathema;cal terms 72 divided by

Compound Interest Rate of Return =

Years for Money to Double in Value.

Therefore if you have an investment

growing at 10% compound interest, it

will double in value in 7.2 years

(quadruple in 14.4 years and be worth

eight ;mes as much in 21.6 years). If it is

growing at 12% it will double in 6 years.

John D Rockefeller who was once one of

America’s richest men said that

“Compound Interest is the Eighth Won-

der of the World”.

Einstein once said, “The most powerful

concept or principle in the world that I

am aware of is that of compound inter-

est”.

When deciding on the best areas to in-

vest in, it is worth taking into considera-

;on the fact that over 90% of the

world’s millionaires have made their

money through property.

In Australia over the past 50 years prop-

erty has averaged 10% p.a. compound

growth. (Carefully selected proper;es

have averaged even greater returns).

Not forgeZng that investment proper-

;es will also be genera;ng an income

from rent.

Median priced property has averaged

growing at a rate of 2 – 4% p.a. higher

than infla;on, making it a very solid in-

vestment.

I believe the most effec;ve way to build

riches is to accumulate a por_olio of

investment proper;es (over the space of

7 to10 years) and then let the power of

Compound Interest work to your bene-

fit.

It is possible to borrow 100% of the pur-

chase price of a property plus expenses

by securing the deposit against your

own home, so that you don’t have to

come up with a cash deposit.

There are many different strategies for

property inves;ng, which suit different

people depending on their current in-

come or financial posi;on.

God will give you the wisdom to decide

on the best strategies for your situa;on

if you put in the ;me and effort to learn

as much as you can and seek his direc-

;on. It is wise to also seek professional

advice, as rules and regula;ons and tax

effec;veness will vary between na;ons.

The main reason that property can be

u;lized more effec;vely than shares as

an investment, is due to the added ben-

efit of being able to highly gear an in-

vestment property.

Gearing or leveraging is where you use a

small por;on of your own money along

with a large por;on of someone else’s

money (in this case a loan from the

bank) to secure an investment of a far

greater value than you could have using

only you own money. If you had $10,000

to invest and invested it directly into

shares that were growing at 10%, then

in 7.2 years they would be worth around

$20,000. On the other hand if you had

used that $10,000.00 as 5% deposit on a

$200,000.00 property and had borrowed

the remaining 95% plus establishment

costs. If this also grew at 10% then in 7.2

years your investment would be worth

$400,000.00. Meaning that by leverag-

ing your investment you have gained an

addi;onal $190,000.00.

Continued on page 48...

FINANCES


BOOK REVIEWS

The Principle of the Path

by Andy Stanley

The principle of the path by Andy Stanley is a fun book to

read. Andy tells lots of good stories, many of them personal

illustra;ons to make some very valid points. He admits that

much of what he says is obvious and he is right, however

some;mes in the busyness of life, we miss the obvious.

The principle of the path is simply that our des;na;on in life is

determined by the path we choose. Our des;na;on in life,

whether it is in rela;onships, in finances, in spirituality, will

not be determined by our good inten;ons, by the advice we

receive, or by our dreams. Ul;mately our des;na;on is deter-

mined by the path we choose, that is, by the choices we

make.

We oVen disconnect an undesirable outcome with the choices

we have made. For example if someone con;nually buys

things on credit, then they will always be in debt. Yet some-

;mes these very people acted surprised to find themselves

slipping deeper and deeper into debt. Andy discusses the rea-

sons why we do this. We make deci-

sions with our heart, based on happi-

ness now. We then use our minds to

jus;fy our heart decision. We also

deceive ourselves when we think we

are the excep;on and will avoid the

consequences that other people have

experienced.

Andy quotes from many Bible passag-

es, especially the life of King Solomon

the wisest man in the Old Testament yet his life did not end

well. Andy seeks to teach us how to avoid the same pi_alls.

The principle of the path is a great read. It is full of prac;cal,

down to earth, common sense, which actually, isn't so com-

mon!

- Susan Barnes likes to write inspira;onal ar;cles, book re-

views, and devo;onal comments on Bible passages. More of

her wri;ng can be found at: www.susanbarneswriter.com

How to Reach Your Full Poten;al

for God: Never SeEle for Less Than

His Best - By Charles F. Stanley

Best selling author, Charles F. Stanley, has a knack for iden;fy-

ing areas of struggle for his readers. Through this par;cular

book, he unleashes the power God intended for each of us,

giving us permission to claim a beEer way of life for ourselves.

Stanley first iden;fies the traps that ensnare us, including low

self-esteem, the fear of disappointment or failure, laziness,

etc. It is important to recognize the chains that hold us back if

we are to ever make changes that last forever.

Stanley goes on to reveal the steps God shared with him

through a 3:00 a.m. encounter that changed his life. In order

to reach their full poten;al, the reader must reconnect with

his or her own giVs and God-given desires of the heart. He

proclaims that the best is yet to come,

an idea that seems foreign to many in

this day and age.

I recommend this book for anyone

whose dreams were long ago replaced

with the expecta;ons of others. If we

are ever to accept God's challenges,

we must get past ourselves enough to

recognize that we are a part of His

plan, rather than God being a small

part of our own plan for our lives.

- Janet Morris Grimes is a writer from Nashville, TN. She is

currently working on her first book, and plans to spend the

rest of her life wri;ng about the things that maEer most. View

her blog at www.janetmorrisgrimes.com.


In Christian Circles

In Chris;an circles,

I am surrounded by judgment,

I stand in fear of reproach,

I wish I could be myself,

And laugh and cry and not care.


I dare not be myself,

I dare not make silly comments,

I dare not make a mistake,

I dare not be human,

Oh how I wish...

That in Chris;an circles,

Christ would be there among us,

Like in the days of old,

Like when he ate with the sinners,

Like when he mingled with all sorts,


I wish I'd find a friend.

Uncondi;onal love all around,

Be seen first as a person,

Then maybe as a sinner,

Be seen first as valuable,

Then maybe as needing Christ,

In Chris;an circles.

I will s;ll stay in Chris;an circles,

And I will keep on hoping,

That maybe aVer a while,

That the message will sink in,

That Christ died for mankind,

That God first loved the world, then he gave.

By Unami Magwenzi, wife and mother living in the Northern

Territory, Australia. Copyright 2010.

By Unami Magwenzi

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Nonprofit organiza;ons making a difference:

• Acacia Outreach - www.acaciaoutreach.org

• B.E.I.M. - www.beginningexperience.org

• Harmonium, Inc. - www.harmoniumsd.org

• Great Falls Symphony - www.gfsymphony.org

• Elijah House Inc. - www.elijahhouse.org

• Food Bank For NYC - www.foodbanknyc.org

• Girltalkback - www.girltalkback.org

• Pee Dee Coali.on - www.peedeecoali;on.org

• The Preschool Project - www.thepreschoolproject.org

• Lighthouse PATH - www.lighthouseoakland.org


WOMEN IN MINISTRY

Debbie Alsdorf Debbie Alsdorf Debbie Alsdorf Debbie Alsdorf is a cheerleader of hope! With humor and

honesty, she holds out Biblical truth to women in a way that

changes their daily lives. Debbie is a national speaker and au-

thor and has spent the past 8 years encouraging women to put

aside old beliefs and embrace the truth of Christ's love, as the

intimate loving God Scripture declares He is.

FOUNDER: Design 4 Living Ministries

WEBSITE: www.design4living.org

Kasey Van Norman desires for every soul to taste the inde-

scribable adventure of an intimate relationship with Jesus

Christ. Through passionate and humorous personal life stories,

Kasey uses her past "pitfalls" into sin to present the gospel, and

display herself as a living example of God's miraculous healing

and use of the most inadequate and undeserving.

FOUNDER: BEAUTIFUL ADVENTURE ministries

WEBSITE: www.kaseyvannorman.com


LE’ANDRIA

JOHNSON

B efore auditioning for Sea-

son 3 of Sunday Best, Or-

lando native, Le’Andria

Johnson had the odds set

against her. She had just lost her

home and considered giving up, but

her 3 children were her motivation

to keep moving forward.

After being given a certain number

of hours to be out of her home,

Le’Andria had nowhere to go. Be-

cause she did not have storage avail-

able, she lost many of her belong-

ings during her transition. A friend

told her about the Sunday Best show

and because she wanted better for

her kids, she decided it was worth

trying out.

She showed up for her audition

wearing socks and flip-flops

(because that is what she found in a

bag of her things). Her appearance,

to the judges, did not scream

“Sunday Best”. However, when she

began to sing “This Is The Day That

The Lord Has Made”, we all quickly

learned that the anointing of God

was all over her. Through her audi-

tion, though seconds long, we heard

her struggle as well as her testimo-

ny of faith.

Le’Andria made it and out of thou-

sands of hopefuls who auditioned

for the title, she was voted the win-

ner and named BET’s Sunday Best.

Immediately after winning she de-

buted her original song “I Shall

Leap Into My Destiny”. Since the

end of the show, Le’Andria has been

walking in her calling and blessing

many along the way.

Through Le’Andria’s life and minis-

try, we see the love of God. We see

that even if we have a little faith

God can show Himself through us. GWM

“MyexperiencewithLe'AndriaJohnsonwasreallygreat!Ihadachancetobeupclosewith

herandhelpherifsheneededitandIreallyenjoyedthechancetomeetherandherfamily

atH.Q.MinistriesinAltamonteSprings,Florida.Sheisarealdowntoearthpersonand

lovingandcaring!Ihadanawesometime.”

-De'VonteJordanDe'Vonte and Le’Andria

(Above: Le’Andria Johnson ; Below: Le’Andria Johnson,

Kirk Franklin, and Elder Goldwire McClendon)


Ac;ons speak louder than words.

This statement rings true for anyone. While it is good to have

the right words within, the true authority or power behind

the words is revealed in what an individual does. As a liEle

boy growing up, I was quite the nerd (some may say I s;ll

am, but we're not talking about that...). However, being a

straight "A" student meant nothing if I didn't know how to

correctly apply what I knew to handle life.

OVen ;mes we love to find out what the newest deep reve-

la;on is. Many people enter debates as a means of flexing

their muscles of exegesis and intellect. While there is an im-

measurable amount of excellent sermons and messages that

emanate from the pulpit, conference, or even the street cor-

ner, it would be quite embarrassing if the life of the individu-

al bringing the message cannot back up the message itself.

Paul said it quite well when he wrote to Timothy to study to

show, rather than study to preach. How wonderful it is to

know that you can say something and not feel ashamed be-

cause your life reflects what you boldly declare! Your life is

the loudest speaker, and your most powerful ministry. As

people read the pages of your life, they should see and hear

Jesus more than just what you say. Rather than prac;cing

what we preach, we should prac;ce what we believe, and

then preach what we prac;ce.

Lord, help us to live your word because knowing the Book is

not enough.

Selah.

NEILJUSTIN.COM

Being Book Smart is

Not Enough BY NEIL JUSTIN


Pray Without Ceasing

- by Susan Darling

There are a great many Chris;ans out there that think, just to

pray at night just before you go to bed is all that God wants

from us. But the truth of the maEer is, He wants our memories

all day long. Just in the same manner you think of your lover all

day long. He refers us as his brides. He is in love with us. Are we

in love with Him? Some ;mes in our lives we feel God is a mil-

lion miles away and doesn't really care about us anyway. But

the truth of the maEer is, are we a million miles away from

Him? Are we so full of ourselves that we don't even try to con-

template the wonder, and love of a God like ours, in a child like

manner.

When we speak to Him do we just call Him, God. Do we make

aEempts to call him my love, my one and only, my all! Most of

us don't. We see God so distantly because of self love most of

the ;me. We usually just looking at all the bad things and not

trying to think of the glorious things, Our Sweet God has done

for us. When you are down next ;me, try to praise Him with all

the sweetest names, you can think of and thank Him of all the

wonderful things He has done for you, and see if that shiVs your

moods. Chances are you will feel a lot closer to God and you will

feel much more loved by Him too. Visit our website for Daily Bible Verses.

www.GodWorksMagazine.com.

PHOTO CREDIT: Anna Gutermuth


GET INVOLVED

GET INVOLVED

GET INVOLVED

GET INVOLVED

GET INVOLVED

Read the stories of volunteers and the ways they have helped others.

Be inspired. Get Involved. You Can Help.


Karen Tourney

By Carol M. Karimi

I t was 1953, the year of the hydro-

gen bomb, and thanks to the Indi-

an Reloca;on Act, millions of Na-

;ve Americans were beginning yet an-

other migra;on.

For most of them, their final des;na-

;on would be an unknown place with a

foreign language. But this ;me the

travelers weren’t headed to a far-off

reserva;on – they were headed to

America’s biggest ci;es.

Karen Tourney was one of them, and

like other Na;ve American youth of the

;me, it would be decades before she

would re-establish the communal ;es

she lost during the era of failed federal

reseElement policy.

Tourney was only five years old when

she and her family – members of the

Oneida na;on – were lured to Chicago

for government job training, educa;on

and housing assistance.

In return, however, the families were

asked to pay a huge price: to make

their residences in the ci;es perma-

nent.

The program worked. But tens of thou-

sands of Na;ve Americans like Tourney

found themselves living in an unfamil-

iar city without much help.

By her early twen;es, looking to foster

her own ;es with fellow Na;ve Ameri-

cans, Tourney began to seek out the

help of the American Indian Center of

Chicago (AIC). She came for the pow

wows and the community dinners, and

used some of the services provided to

the Na;ve American community such

as the food pantry, household goods

giveaways and the referral services to

agencies and other useful programs.

Thirty years later, Tourney is back at

the AIC – this ;me as a volunteer.

“When your family helps you when you

are in need, you want to help them out

when they are in need, too,” she said.

The AIC was founded in 1953, the same

year as the Act. Through programs like

its Health and Wellness Center, which

provides free use of exercise equip-

ment, a Senior Program that addresses

the needs of community elders, and a

medicinal garden cul;va;ng tradi;onal

herbs, the AIC takes a proac;ve stand

against the physical and mental health

challenges in today’s urban Indian

communi;es. Other AIC programs in-

clude landscaped trails and a garden

seZng open to community members

and other residents of uptown Chicago.

According to Sally Wagoner, the organ-

iza;on’s wellness director, a Na;ve

center for Na;ve Americans is key the

organiza;on’s approach.

“It’s so important for the Na;ve Ameri-

can community to have a place where

they can go for help because the needs

of Na;ve American people are unique,”

she said.

At the AIC, Tourney helps coordinate

the monthly flea market and the cen-

ter’s bingo games. In addi;on, for the

last five years she has also helped out

with an elders meal program.

If you ask Karen about what she enjoys

most about volunteering, her modest

and generous nature comes through.

“It gives me a feeling of self worth, and

I like being around people,” she said. “I

was helped a lot by this community

and I want to give to others the help

that I have received.”

Like the AIC itself, Tourney infuses her

volunteer work with the same proac-

;ve spirit. “I don’t wait for someone to

tell me what to do,” she said. “If I see

something that needs to be done, I do

it.”

Tourney, says Wagoner, is “our celebri-

ty volunteer.”

You can be a celebrity volunteer, too,

when you devote yourself to a cause

you care about. Find a new opportunity

today at VolunteerMatch. GWM

American Indian Center in Chicago

The American Indian Center in Chicago

promotes the fellowship among Indian

people, creates bonds of understand-

ing and communica;on between Indi-

ans and non-Indians, and advances

the general welfare of American Indi-

ans in the Chicago metropolitan com-

munity through wellness, educa;on,

and arts programs and services.

American Indian Center in Chicago

1630 W. Wilson Avenue

Chicago, IL 60640

www.aic-chicago.org

GET IN

VOLVED


Pam Farr

I n a world reinforced on all sides by

messages about spontaneity, it's

not easy to spot the champions of

prepara;on. Grab life now before the

moment passes by, we're reminded.

Seize the day. Act now.

That's why when it comes to planning,

Pam Farr is a hero. As na;onal chair of

volunteers for the American Red Cross,

America's premier volunteer organiza-

;on, Farr is both a key execu;ve leader

and a spokesperson for emergency plan-

ning

It's all part of a singular commitment to

success for Farr. From her perspec;ve,

whether the focus is on finance or disas-

ter planning, taking ;me today to lay the

founda;on for future growth is the only

way to ensure success.

Farr started her career as a management

consultant at McKinsey & Company, and

today manages a private equity holding

company in addi;on to suppor;ng nu-

merous charitable ac;vi;es.

Farr serves as volunteer partner to Presi-

dent and CEO Gail McGovern, an employ-

ee-volunteer execu;ve partnership

unique to the American Red Cross. The

Na;onal Chair of Volunteers is the organ-

iza;on's advocate for Red Cross volun-

teers both inside the organiza;on and to

the public.

She also helps the CEO achieve the or-

ganiza;on’s strategic priori;es, ensuring

that volunteers are an integral part of the

work that goes into achieving each

goal. Together with staff, these volun-

teers support, train and educate millions

of people every year.

Serving so many takes extraordinary

planning – and even then it's impossible

to predict what crises may be on the

horizon. Farr saw this up close on Sep-

tember 11, 2001. At the ;me she was the

board chair of her local Greenwich, Conn.

chapter of the Red Cross.

Even with decades of experience re-

sponding to disasters, the Red Cross had

never faced what happened that day as

air travel and other cri;cal aspects of

mobiliza;on were frozen.

In Greenwich, which is just an hour north

of the World Trade Center, thousands of

families had loved ones working in and

around ground zero. As the morning

unfolded, distraught rela;ves arrived at

the chapter offices for assistance.

"We were in the middle of the disaster,"

recalled Farr.

Despite the shock, the chapter sprang

into ac;on. Within minutes, relief staff

arrived to help the families. Within days,

the volunteer leadership was working

with chapter staff to raise money for a

mobile kitchen to feed emergency re-

sponse teams. And over the next few

weeks, Farr and others aEended memori-

al services for all those who were lost

from Greenwich.

The Red Cross eventually formed an un-

precedented response campaign that

over the next five years grew to support

tens of thousands of 9/11 vic;ms and

their families.

Farr served as an advisor on the Red

Cross's September 11 Recovery Program,

which supported long-term recovery

efforts for families who had been affect-

ed by 9/11. In 2004 she became the or-

ganiza;on's na;onal chair of finance,

advising the Washington, D.C.-based

organiza;on's financial team on maEers

that influence the condi;on and direc;on

of the en;re Red Cross.

Like many volunteer leaders at na;onal

organiza;ons, Farr, the mother of five,

believes her experience at her local chap-

ter was crucially important.

"I understand, having come out of the

field, what it's like to be on the ground,"

she said. "I have the chapter perspec;ve,

which is much different than being in

Washington. SiZng in finance mee;ngs, I

was oVen the only person with field ex-

perience."

Since her appointment to na;onal chair

last September, Farr has had ;me to

think about how best to support the or-

ganiza;on's growth through volunteer

service. Last year was among the organi-

za;on's most challenging ever. The Red

Cross responded to 71 na;onal disasters,

including devasta;ng California wildfires,

a record number of tornadoes, and some

of the worst Midwestern flooding in

memory – all during a recession.

A big part of being able to respond to so

many events, says Farr, is making sure

the skills and exper;se of Red Cross vol-

unteers are paired with the parts of the

organiza;on that can most benefit.

"People value the community service

they are able to provide as American Red

Cross volunteers," she said. "Ninety-

seven percent of Red Cross volunteers

plan to con;nue their service and 96

percent would recommend the Red Cross

to a friend as a place to volunteer. S;ll,

we strive con;nuously to do even beEer

in crea;ng excitement among volunteers

by providing meaningful opportuni;es to

serve."

ON THE WEB: www.redcross.org

GET IN

VOLVED


While I'm Down...Just Stand On My Back!

I don't know about you, but at ;mes the effects of doing

the right thing, seem to turn you the wrong way. Have

you no;ced that certain periods in your life, the more

sacrificing, forgiving, and pa;ent you become, the harder life

knocks at you? Well of course you do, if you living! It's a trick

of the enemy to get you to feel that by taking maEers in your

own hands things will work out for your good. Of course you

know this is a lie.

You see one day I was laying on my bed going through one of

those moments, "Lord am I on hold or what? Do you see

what I'm going through? Do you see what I'm doing? LORD

WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?!!!" I tell you one-thing folks, I

had to stay on my knees and pray against the flesh that

wanted to strike out. Strike out against those who were con-

spiring against me, the kids who wouldn't listen, the loneli-

ness that my heart felt at ;mes, I mean all of it was on my

shoulders. It was heavy and I had to fall on my knees. When I

say I had to fall on my knees, believe me, I had to fall, crawl,

scream and all that fun stuff. You know what I mean right?

Anyhow while I was on my knees doing one of those "Lord do

you remember me?" speeches, oh yall know what I mean.

Then my phone rang. I answered it and it was a friend of

mine who was going through some rough problems. Now let

me tell you something, nothing worse than going through

and having someone going through worse than you call. Half

of you want to say, "Please I got my own issues," and the

other half says, "My God, I thought I had it bad, but Lord

someone always has it worse." Well I'm going to be honest,

both cross my mind at ;mes, but I usually go with the later

and listen. I set aside what I'm doing and try to be a friend to

my fellow sisters and brothers. As I was listening and talking

to my friend, we ended up upliVing one another.

Hmmmm...My mind started to ponder on what was happen-

ing. It was as though the Spirit was giving me one of those

life lessons. I realized that while I am down on my knees, I

get blessed by liVing the spirits of others up. It’s sort of like

they standing on me to be liVed up. Standing to see a light in

their blind situa;on. A situa;on where they need my help,

whether, it is in a word or deed, it's a sacrificial act that gives

them hope. Even if I can't see out of my own adversity, I

know God is able to help us both. They may not be able to

reach a certain point in their life, unless I liVed them up. But,

in order for me to liV them up, I had to stay on my knees and

allowed them to climb higher. You see my point? Imagine it

for a moment. Now this is what got me. Even though I am on

my knees, that person can see things that I may not be able

to see myself. They can also help me by my

helping them. If I'm down and may not be

in a posi;on to elevate my spirit, why not help someone else.

Many ;mes sacrificing one’s self and comfort for another is

the key to one's deliverance and peace.

I realized something; it takes strength to liV a person. It takes

stability to stand grounded on your founda;on. You have to

be responsible and trustworthy, not to move and cause that

person to fall. If they fall, they get hurt and you too. Imagine

God trus;ng you to be that beacon of light to someone in the

midst of your adversity. He knows you down on your knees,

crawling, looking for a way of escape. You know He is the

escape, but it seems God is not in your reach. Well He wants

to know if you going to grovel on the ground or wait on Him

and s;ll help others.

You see the enemy wants us to focus on the fact that we are

"down on our luck" as folks like saying. I don't believe in luck.

I believe that when we down its for a reason, whether its

humbling, a ;me of rest, or a period that God wants us to sit

s;ll and not move. Many ;mes moving in the spirit is not

based on what you see happening in your life, but it could be

what you are making happen in someone else's. Do you real-

ize that's power right there? It's the power of faith. You may

not see a way, but you trus;ng God. You know un;l your

;me comes, you can help another brother or sister bear a

burden. Wasn't that one of the main things Jesus taught- our

love for our fellow man? Of course it is.

So my friends, when you have those "down moments", make

the best of them. Encourage others as they encourage you.

You may see what they can't and vice versa. This not a "me

or you" walk. It's about us as one in the body of Christ. We

are not alone in our sufferings, as it may seem. God has not

forgoEen us or closed his ears to our cry. We are his children

and we are des;ned for greatness, being joint heirs as Christ.

At the same ;me we must partake in sufferings, but we can

count it as joy when we can say, "Hey I may not get there

right now, but I can help you my friend." That makes you a

winner regardless, because you have planted a seed in a per-

son's heart. That's what it is all about.

If you don't believe me, trust what Jesus said, "If I be liVed up

from this earth, I will draw all men unto me." So when you

are down, liV up the name of Jesus, by your works with oth-

ers. If this doesn't show the love of the resurrected Christ, I

don't know what does.

hEp://olives;thministries.webs.com

BY OLIVIA D. STITH


Without Fail!

“And David inquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue a=er this

troop? Shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for

thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.” I

Samuel 30:8

I remember, like it was yesterday. Waking up realizing that life

was not going to be the same. The life I once knew was in the

past. Everything that I valued prior to my divorce was re-

moved. The rela;onship that took twenty-three years to cul;vate

had been dissolved in a maEer of months. How in the world could

this be?

When I grew up and got married, I didn’t factor in the possibility of

going through a divorce. I didn’t an;cipate the bumps, bruises and

scars that were going to be part of this major transi;on that I now

faced. No one told me how painful and devasta;ng it was going to

be, nor was I prepared for the journey that my life was soon to be

on.

As co-pastor of a growing ministry, we always prayed and believed

the Lord for reconcilia;on and healing in the lives of those God en-

trusted to our care. At this crucial and delicate stage in our ministry

and marriage, as the pastors, we were now the ones in need of rec-

oncilia;on and healing.

In spite of trying to reconcile, the inevitable occurred, we were

headed for divorce and now I was treading on unfamiliar territory. I

didn’t know where to start, or how to begin living my life without

the person I willingly gave my heart to.

Ques;on aVer ques;on started bombarding my mind. Where was I

going to go? What was I going to do? Who would ever love me

again? And how on earth was God going to put the fragmented

piece of my life back together?

Dealing with depression, rejec;on and many ;mes contempla;ng

suicide, life had turned into a meaningless existence. My desire to

die oVen out weighed my desire to live. Was I going to give up on

life and abort the purpose and plan God indeed had for me? Or was

I going to find the strength to con;nue figh;ng? I decided to fight. I

knew in order for me to move forward regardless of my current

condi;ons, I needed to fight.

I was determined to take one day at a ;me and go in the direc;on

God had for me. The courage to begin again was stronger. The pas-

sion to find out the reason and purpose why God had chosen me to

experience this turmoil was in the forefront of my mind.

Spiritually broken and overwhelmed by the turn of events, I soon

realized this place of brokenness was the exact place God wanted

me to be. If my faith was going to help me get through this ordeal, I

needed to rely, trust and depend on God like never before. Trus;ng

that somehow, someway, God was going to

cause what I had experienced to workout for my good and my life

would be a blessing to others, the process of restora;on began.

As I began to walk this journey without a partner, one thing was

sure… God was with me.

Accep;ng this path for my life and allowing God to guide my steps, I

soon found a place to call home. How would my life be different?

How would my experiences maEer to anyone other than myself?

How could my message of hope and restora;on reach women of

every ethnicity and voca;on? On Jan 1, 2007 God answered my

ques;ons. I picked up a pen and begin to write and I have not

looked back. God was going to use my life as a tes;mony to help,

encourage and empower women.

My book “That Was Then, This Is Now, This Broken Vessel Re-

stored” focuses on my trials, triumphs and restora;on. This book is

not about bashing my ex nor is it full of gossip but it is about God.

How God walked with me doing the storm; how His love brought

me to a place of wholeness, and how I found hope, yet amidst the

hardest ;mes in my life.

Women from all walks of life, who are confronted with insurmount-

able odds, challenges and extreme difficul;es could find hope and

be empowered to face whatever they are going through. If one life

could be changed and benefit from my story, then every tear I

shed, every trial I endured, and every test I went through was

worth it all.

As long as God con;nues to anoint me to write, I will con;nue

wri;ng books that will transform the lives of anyone ready to sub-

mit to the PoEer’s wheel.

I’m a true witness that God uses our greatest test and turns them

into tes;monies so that others may find the strength and desire to

live.

On June 7, of 2010, I was remarried and serving once again in my

righ_ul place in the house of God! Yes, once again walking along

side the Man of God! It took years of wai;ng, tears and prayers but

when God has called you to a par;cular office, there are some

things that are certain: Recovery, Restora;on and Fulfillment of His

promises!

No maEer what you are facing and what has been taken away, God

keeps His word. Just as David faced insurmountable odds of recov-

ery, God made him a promise without fail he would recover all! I

encourage you to take God at His word and believe just as David,

that you too shall recover all.

www.pauleEeharper.com

BY PAULETTE HARPER JOHNSON


Words DO Hurt

"S;cks and stones may break my bones, but words will never

hurt me."

That is probably the most common chant on any school play-

ground. And it's a big lie. Words probably hurt more than

any physical wound ever could. Because they live on in our

hearts. We end up becoming what it is that was said about

us. That is why words are so cri;cal to who we believe we

are.

As a parent, my words can even be more cri;cal. What I

choose to say to my children can make or break their spirit.

It can be especially tough when we are angry, frustrated, or

showing a lack of pa;ence on an issue that we have dealt

with repeatedly. We are human and we vent yes? We just

need to be so careful in how, when, and where we do that

ven;ng. Especially when it comes out in our words.

I don't ever want to be the source of a broken spirit in my

child. And I'll be honest with you. My own heart breaks at

the thoughts and memories I carry with me of the ;mes that

I "lost it" and said something that I regreEed. Oh how I wish I

could take those moments back and handle them with more

grace, love, and mercy! But I can't. I can only vow to try

harder now and next ;me, and the next ;me. I can choose to

keep trying un;l I get it right.

I want my words to encourage, heal, and love. Some;mes I

want my words to make a point, or move to ac;on. But I

always want them to help my child move in a posi;ve direc-

;on.

I realize there will be ;mes when the most important and

powerful words I can choose to use will be none at all! I will

need to bite my tongue. That is tough. But I want to give my

children the space they need to come to me when they need

to, when they choose to. I want to let them know that I real-

ize they don't always need my opinion on everything. (As

hard as that may be for me to swallow!)

I think a mom has the most powerful role in the world. How

we choose to use our words in heated moments, in frustrat-

ed, or teachable moments is a life-forming thing. Let's not

forget that.

- Dionna Sanchez is Founder of EmphasisOnMoms.com and free-

lance writes. She also blogs at hCp://

beautyinthestorm.blogspot.com

TWEETS FOR GOD

Follow Us On TwiEer: twiEer.com/godworksmag

thatrygood

“God is Love”

Jourdynalexis

“Disappointments are just God's way of

saying: ‘I've got something beEer’. Be

pa;ent, live life, have faith.”

worldprayr

“God is the solu;on…”

TheSingleWoman

“If u can trust God in the dark, He'll

change your midnight into music.”

Cynthiacg95

“People really need to be with GOD at

these ;mes.”


Four Things Every Husband Needs to

Know About His Wife (con.nued from

page 10)

She wants to be an essen;al part of

your world. If she is not, her world be-

gins to discourage and close in on her.

Third, she needs you to cherish her and

enjoy seZng aside ;me for personal

conversa;on. There is a difference be-

tween loving her and cherishing her.

Most men love their wives whether they

prove it or not. Few men cherish them.

You cherish her when you know her as a

person, protect her, and compliment

her to others.

Your wife must know she is an essen;al

part of your world, and you love her

beyond what she does for you. Show

her that you love her for her sake and

let her know you long to be with her.

She wants to ensure that the quali;es in

her you fell in love with are s;ll relevant

to you. You need to repeat expressions

of your love to her oVen.

Men experience much of their self-

worth and respect from their profession

and women get most of their value con-

firma;on from their husbands. Even

women with successful careers receive

much of their personal affirma;on at

home.

You can show her how you appreciate

her in small ways. You can go a long way

to prove you adore her by giving her the

same courtesy you give to other wom-

en. Take the few extra seconds required

to open the car door for her. Open the

door for her in public, pull out her chair

and wait un;l she sits down before you

sit down in a restaurant. You can help

her with her coat, and liV heavy objects

for her. You tell the world how valuable

your wife is to you when you do these

things in public. This message does not

miss your wife's aEen;on. She will shine

for weeks.

We leV a restaurant several years ago,

and my husband opened the car door

for me. Our seventeen-year old son

opened the rear car door for our four-

teen-year old daughter. The woman in

the booth seated next to where we had

been siZng saw this through the win-

dow and hit her husband. My daughter

and I laughed. I was smart enough; how-

ever, to realize how fortunate I was that

my husband enjoyed "showing me off in

public."

Your wife needs in;mate conversa;on.

This is possible only when you share

oneness of spirit. She needs to com-

municate her experiences and thoughts

about them, so she can express her con-

fused feelings. She needs to know you

are listening and not eager to go away

and do something else.

One way to ensure in;mate conversa-

;on is to have a fixed ;me planned for

it. Ul;mately, the most in;mate level of

conversa;on occurs when your spouse

can trust you with the secrets of her

deepest emo;ons.

Many wives have genuine fears they

never share with their husbands. There

are several reasons for this. Some;mes

a woman feels guilty for her feelings and

just hopes that they will disappear. She

may fear cri;cism and rejec;on from

her husband. She oVen just wants to

reduce his load. Some;me she knows

he probably does not know what to do

so there is no point in disturbing him.

You can help your wife overcome these

fears by giving her the respect and cour-

tesy of listening to her and encouraging

her to talk. Whatever she has to say

maEers to her. Be careful not to beliEle

her or make what she has to say seem

insignificant. If you do, she will find

someone else to talk to, and your mar-

riage will suffer.

Mike and Tina are so busy during the

day that they sit up talking late many

nights. This is usually the only ;me they

are alone. As a woman, Tina oVen has

emo;ons boEled up. Through the years,

her wise husband has been a sounding

board. Many ;mes, he never says any-

thing. He will usually just say, "Urn-hum,

yeah. Right." He draws her out with well

-worded ques;ons that help her work

through harbored doubts and fears.

A woman finds solu;ons on her own as

she talks out her thoughts. She gets

frustrated when things stay inside. It

can be confounding and cause her to

have feelings of insecurity and self-

worth issues. By geZng them out, she

can "see" them and put them into per-

spec;ve.

Your wife's fourth need is protec;on in

areas where she feels inadequate. She

needs insight, primarily from you. She

wants boundaries expressing your con-

cern for her. If you fail her now, she will

feel neglected. She wants you to be

aware of her spiritual, mental, emo;on-

al, and physical strengths and weakness-

es. She also wants you to have the wis-

dom and courage to give loving but firm

guidance, so she will not fail by going

beyond her limits. She may occasionally

ask you for something she does not

want just to check you out. She wants

you to be sensi;ve to her real needs and

the dangers she faces.

If you give her everything she wants,

without ques;on, she will be insecure.

You should understand your wife so well

that you can be strong or you can be

lenient when she needs it. She appreci-

ates and respects loving firmness when

you both believe it is appropriate.

The main func;on of the head is to de-


velop, train, and protect the rest of our body, so the whole per-

son can accomplish God's plan. In this point you are to be the

head of your wife (Ephesians 5:23). It is your responsibility, as

your family's spiritual leader to set the standard in your home.

When you treat their mother with clear expressions of love,

your children will follow her and admire you as a man of cour-

age and integrity. By learning to meet your spouse's basic needs,

she will respond with acts of kindness and expressions of re-

spect for you that un;l now you only imagined.

- Dr. Sharon Schuetz is an ordained minister and has been in min-

istry with her husband for over twenty-five years. She has a PhD

in clinical Chris�an counseling. Visit her online at

www.drsharonschuetz.com.

CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP (con.nued from page 23)

Keep in mind here that there are two types of Debt. Good

Debt is where you have borrowed funds to secure a capitally

apprecia;ng, income producing asset. Bad Debt is where you

borrow to buy a capitally deprecia;ng, non-income produc-

ing item such as a car, boat or holiday.

A combina;on of using Good Debt to buy property and then

allowing Compounding to do its work – seems to be a most

effec;ve way of crea;ng wealth. But this is definitely not a

“Get rich quick scheme”, on the contrary it is a “Get rich

slowly” scheme which works most effec;vely over a 10 to 20

year period. It takes pa;ence and perseverance, but aVer

having spoken to dozens of other property investors, many

of whom have become mul; millionaires within the space of

10 to 15 years, I am certain that it is worthwhile.

I believe God wants to start shiVing the wealth of this world

into the hands of Chris;ans, who can plant it back into his

kingdom.

For more informa�on on this topic please visit www.the-ten-

commandments.org. Debra Lohrere is the author of Chris�an

Prophecy and Investment books

www.investmentpropertybooks.com/chris�anbooks.html

God Can Call You Out

Poor. Lost. Hopeless. Abandoned.

God no;ces even the people who feel they can be called

one of the above.

One day Jesus was passing through Jericho and there was a

chief tax-collector by the name of Zacchaeus who wanted

to see who He was. (Luke 19: 1-10 NIV) Zacchaeus was a

wealthy man yet he was lacking in his physical appearance.

He was very short. Because of this, Zacchaeus was not able

to see Jesus through the crowd of people who had gath-

ered to see Him. To increase his chances of being able to

see, Zacchaeus ran ahead and climbed a sycamore fig tree.

When Jesus had reached the area where Zacchaeus was,

He looked up and called him out of the tree. Amongst

many, He was singled out by Jesus. Can you imagine how

He must have felt deep inside to be called out by someone

so many people wanted to become acquainted with? Zac-

chaeus’ heart must have been racing when Jesus told him

to come down from the tree immediately. Because it was

such an honor to even be in His presence, he gladly obeyed

and welcomed Jesus.

Jesus had told Zacchaeus that He must stay at his home.

Hearing that made the crowd angry and they began to

grumble. Zacchaeus was hated by the group of people and

they were confused as to why Jesus wanted to be the guest

of a sinner.

Because of who He is, God does not look at the things peo-

ple look at when He decides to come to us. He does not

care if we are poor or rich, or whether we have done

wrongs, or if we are hated by others. It does not maEer if

people overlook us or if we are constantly passed over.

Out of nowhere and unexpectedly, Jesus called out to Zac-

chaeus and just like that He can call to you. Oh, what a feel-

ing that will be. Can you imagine that?

- Ayana Elon

www.AyanaElon.com

God Works Magazine September 2010

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Transcript of God Works Magazine September 2010