I WAS SPIRITUALLY AND PHYSICALLY DRAINED FROM THE CHRONIC PAIN THAT TORE AT MY BODY. BUT THE GREATER ONE ON THE INSIDE STILL GAVE ME VICTORY OVER MY ENEMY.
Where was I? Nothing looked familiar. Was I in a motel room?
Both my 3-year-old adopted Chinese daughter, Jessica MeiLan, and I love clothes. As a stay-at-home mom, I’m always looking for a bargain, especially since I buy for my daughter first.
One Saturday I came home from a yard sale with three denim jumpers, two shorts sets, and a princess-waisted floral dress of pastel pinks, yellows, and blues–all for only $13!
I could hardly wait to wear my “new” dress to church the next day. Usually the church women notice new dresses, and I waited, expecting compliments. But none came my way.
I once heard a message in church on “the balanced life.” The speaker made the point that we need to give equal time to each of the most significant areas of our lives so we don’t get out of balance.
I felt prompted to do a search on the word “balance” in my small computer Bible to find scriptural backing for the message. The only reference given that contained the word was a verse in Proverbs, and that had to do with a scale–in other words, with weights and measures, not with the way we use our time.
What I found did not convince me that the preacher was right. I asked the Holy Spirit to show me the truth, and He replied, “The truth is that being wholehearted for God is the key to balance.”
THE NILE MOTHER
She was called the greatest woman in Egypt and was recognized by national leaders for her humanitarian work. About 6 feet in height, Lillian Trasher stood tall in both body and spirit. Throughout her 51 years of ministry she fed, clothed and sheltered thousands of orphans, widows and blind women.
She was born in Florida in 1887 and was converted in her teen-age years. At the age of 18, Lillian sensed the call of God on her life and briefly attended Bible school. She left school to work in an orphanage in North Carolina. Later she left the orphanage to pastor a church and then traveled on the evangelistic circuit.
When I was 37, I began experiencing symptoms of menopause. But it
wasn’t until I turned 43 that I found a doctor who would take me seriously. By then, I was beginning to think I was crazy.
Once my doctor prescribed hormone replacement therapy for me, the symptoms disappeared, and I was able to enjoy a normal life again. Unfortunately, a few years later this doctor closed her practice, and the next physician I saw treated me as though I were exaggerating and changed my medication. This threw me into a tailspin.
At times I felt suicidal, a sentiment which is not in keeping with my personality at all. I could not muster the desire or the energy to do daily tasks.
Though I can’t remember when I took my first drink, I’m sure I was really young. I do remember getting high on marijuana for the first time at the age of 13. From that point on, my behavior deteriorated.
In my early school years I was an overachiever, but by the time I was in the 8th grade, I’d begun believing I was going to hell anyway, so I just adopted a “Who cares?” attitude and determined to have as much fun on my way as I could.
I began going to clubs at 16 and went home with whomever I wanted. I ran with a group of three other girls, and we’d boast about our sexual experiences.
NOREN VANN KIM SAYS SHE HAS A “VOICE LIKE A FROG,” YET THE LORD IS USING HER TO BRING THE ARTS BACK TO THE CHURCH IN CAMBODIA.
The next time you’re in a mall or grocery store, look around you. Imagine that every woman over the age of 25 has lost a husband, brother, father or child.
That’s the situation in Cambodia today, where death has touched every family because of the brutal regime of the communist Khmer Rouge during the 1970s. One of the millions of women affected by the holocaust is Noren Vann Kim. By the grace of God she has not only overcome immense tragedy, but also is helping others to find–and express–the joy of the Lord.
RADIO PIONEER
Edna Jean Green was born on October 23, 1909, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to Salvation Army officers. She was the oldest of six children. Her parents eventually left the Salvation Army and assumed the leadership of a Holiness church in Ionia, Michigan.
Edna Jean started preaching in her parent’s church at the age of 12. As a teen-ager she had her own tent but was accompanied by her father because of her young age. They traveled extensively throughout the Midwestern states conducting open-air, brush arbor and tent meetings. Other meetings were conducted in churches and meeting halls.
Edna Jean was widely accepted by various denominational churches. In 1925, she received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which gave her ministry a new fire and intensity.
At the tender age of 6, I was greatly influenced by television ads. After seeing a Brill Cream commercial numerous times that claimed one could have beautiful hair with just “a little dab,” I decided a whole tube would be even better!
Delighted to find the miraculous salve in our bathroom, I anointed my head with all of it. After I had finished, I revealed the new me to my surprised parents.
After multiple shampooings, it became obvious that the cleansing process would take time. For weeks whenever I ventured out in public, I wore my Easter hat, a scarf or other head wear to conceal my finely greased hair.
IT WAS A WOEFUL TIME WHEN MY VISION FOR MINISTRY DIED. IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE END OF MY MARRIAGE TOO, HAD I NOT LEARNED TO TRUST GOD WITH EVERYTHING.
Some years ago, before my conversion, my husband, Nestor, renounced mysticism and gave his life to the Lord. I filed for a divorce.
Though I had grown up in a denominational church, my eyes were blinded to the gospel. But Nestor continued to pray for me, even when we were no longer together, and stood in faith for the return of everything the enemy had stolen from him.
LIFE WOULD BE HORRIBLY BORING IF WE WERE ALL THE SAME. DON’T STRESS YOURSELF–JUST BE WHO YOU ARE.
Aware of the public’s increased demand for authenticity, advertisers today are placing a fresh emphasis on the “real thing.” They sell drinks that have “no artificial sweeteners,” bread that contains “no preservatives” and fabrics that are “100 percent cotton.” (I have yet to figure out why 100 percent cotton is such a big deal. My iron and I have huge fights with it at least once a week!)
We all have a basic craving for the real rather than the phony. Yet more often than not we maintain a veneer of acceptability in our daily lives that belies who we really are.
THE ABSENCE OF FAMILY, FRIENDS AND HOLIDAY TRAPPINGS DAMPENED MY CHRISTMAS SPIRIT. BUT MY BABY DAUGHTER HELPED ME TO FOCUS ON WHAT WAS TRULY IMPORTANT.
It was a Saturday night, just two weeks before Christmas 1998, and instead of marching through the malls in search of gifts and glitter, I found myself driving along a dark country road with my precious 19-month-old daughter, Olivia. This was more than a road trip. My husband and I were moving from western Wisconsin to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where Don’s new job was taking us away from our home of over 10 years.
There were no Christmas parties this year, only packing sessions. And I was less than thrilled with the idea of moving to what I considered a too-remote area in a too-cold climate. In fact, I was having a hard time hearing God’s voice on the matter. “If I could just get a sense of purpose for this place, maybe I wouldn’t feel so gray about it,” I prayed.
IF WE’RE NOT CAREFUL, WE CAN INVEST A LOT OF ENERGY DEVELOPING PROJECTS THAT HAVE NO ETERNAL VALUE. WE NEED TO BUILD ACCORDING TO GOD’S PLAN, NOT OUR OWN.
Editor’s note: The following excerpt is a portion of the record of the Rountrees’ visions of heaven and the revelations the Holy Spirit gave them. The excerpt begins right after “Anna” has been directed by an angel to take the path to the throne room and go see her heavenly Father.
Much to my amazement, the path on which I had begun to walk seemed to be in motion, like a conveyor belt or a moving sidewalk. I looked down at my bare feet standing on its smooth, advancing surface.
