kids — Woman to Woman Mentoring

Let’s Make America Godly Again!

The title of this week’s blog originated from an interview I heard on FlashPoint with the “Praying Great-Grandmother,” Rebecca Lavrenz, who was just found guilty on April 4, 2024 of four misdemeanors for walking into the Capitol on January 6^th for less than ten minutes. Her story is alarming! She prayed and fasted for five days before driving 25 hours from her home in Colorado to the rally in D.C. to pray. She says on her website Restoring Godly Culture, “I bring God with me wherever I go . . . He told me to be there to pray.”

Videos show her peacefully walking into the east side of the Capitol building where Capitol Police ushered people inside. There’s even a video of her chatting with a police officer as she was leaving. Videos also show her staying within the roped designated area, as instructed, while she walked around praying then left. That’s it. That’s the crime for which the FBI came after her almost two years later in December 2022. This praying patriotic grandmother awaits sentencing in August 2024.

Here are the charges. Each one could result in a year in prison and $100,000 fine per charge. Remember the Capitol police stood with the doors open for her to enter and leave and all she did was walk around praying and at one point dropping to her knees in tears and prayer.

18USC 1752A1: Entering and remaining in a restricted building.
18USC 1752A2: Disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds.
40USC 5104E2D: Disorderly conduct in a capitol building
40USC 5104E2G: Parading, demonstrating or picketing in a capitol building

On her website under “My Story,” Rebecca describes herself, “I am a God loving, praying mom, grandmother, and great-grandmother who loves my country, family, and the things that are on God’s heart. I count my life as no longer mine, but God’s, which has lead me to the situation I now find myself in . . . . I went to Washington, D.C. believing God had chosen me for this assignment to pray and put action to my faith, not knowing He would also lead me to carry His presence into the Capitol building itself on January 6 to reconfirm the covenant which was set forth in the year 1620 by our pilgrim forefathers, that this country was established ‘…for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith.’”

She also posts her Mission Statement. Do you have a mission statement for your life like this one?

I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. Phil. 3:10

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matt. 6:33

Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations, you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. Is. 58:12

Philippians 3:10-Matthew 6:33-Isaiah 58:12

My Mission in life is to know God and make Him and His ways known, with a vision of restoring our nation back to God’s original intent and that of our founding colonists, declared in the words of the 1607 First Landing Covenant.

“We do hereby dedicate this Land, and ourselves, to reach the People within these shores with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to raise up Godly generations after us, and with these generations take the Kingdom of God to all the earth. May this Covenant of Dedication remain to all Generations, as long as the Earth remains, and may this Land…be Evangelist to the World.”

Each time I’ve seen Rebecca interviewed, the joy and love of the Lord shines through her. There’s no bitterness or anger, even though her defense attorneys, support witnesses, or herself weren’t able to use or even mention the First Amendment in court. In fact, the jury asked twice why they couldn’t consider the First Amendment when they were deliberating.

Rebecca says as surprising as it was to hear “guilty” to all four charges, she immediately had a peace that God would still use it for good to reveal the injustice in our courts today.

Yet, we watch anti-Israel and pro-Hamas activists in the streets yelling “Death to Israel, Death to America!” “We are Hamas!” Hamas are terrorists?! They’re creating sit-ins to close bridges and roads leading to airports with seemingly no consequences or even arrests, while praying grandmas are being shackled, arrested, charged, and jailed. Sadly, Rebecca is not the first grandma this has happened to and many political prisoners languish in jail since Jan. 6, 2021.

How Did This Injustice Happen?

America has forgotten that our “rights,” even those in the Constitution and Bill of Rights, don’t come from man or government, they come from God. Government is not the highest order in the land. God is and we’re accountable to Him.

Originally, all civil laws were based on moral laws. The further we get away from that premise, the more rights and freedoms we actually lose. Civil law with moral law gives us freedom and rights. Civil law without moral law is tyranny.

When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability. Pr. 28:2 NLT

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen! Is. 9:6-7 NLT

The founders of America were specific about everything in the Constitution because they had a real fear of power in the hands of a ruling class. Government should be responsible to the people, not to each other. The people are the bosses and government exists to provide for the common defense and general welfare of the people whom they serve and are responsible to.

Government without checks and balances will always have a propensity to want to rule and create civil law without consideration of moral law. This leads to a pharisaical, tyrannical ruling class who see themselves as gods. That’s where we are right now in America.

“The Constitution is a limited one, possessing no power not actually given, and carrying on the face of it a distrust of power beyond the distrust indicated by the ordinary forms of free Government.”—James Madison

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? Jer. 17:9

Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people. Pr. 14:34 NLT

Morality isn’t not doing what’s wrong; moral character is doing what’s right!

Why Aren’t All Christians Voting to Keep America a Godly Nation?

As Christians, we’re citizens of heaven, but as long as God gives us breath, we’re also citizens of earth. That makes us responsible. Our job is to vote our faith and our values! God will determine the outcome, but that doesn’t mean we do nothing. We vote! We speak out! We get involved!

Doing nothing isn’t the attitude we take with our own physical health. We don’t say that we’re going to die anyway someday, so why bother to ever go to a doctor? People use the excuse for not voting that God’s in charge so why bother to vote for who will be overseeing the health of our country and the future of our children and grandchildren for generations to come. Abstaining from voting isn’t biblical or moral. We’re to love and protect our neighbor and family as we love ourselves (Luke 10:27).

Not voting our values, faith, and beliefs forfeits our duty and privilege as an American by abrogating our responsibility of protecting and caring for those we love most and our fellow citizens!

Some people say, “I don’t get involved in politics or vote, I just pray.” That sounds so spiritual, but it’s not. A church that doesn’t encourage the flock to exercise their voting rights is spiritually and civically negligent. I know that might offend some. If you’re offended, ask yourself why. Then consider what if the disciples had taken a laissez-faire attitude after Jesus ascended to Heaven. Rationalizing: Well Jesus is determining everything from heaven now anyway, so we might as well just go fishing. They actually did go back to fishing before Jesus’ resurrection when He found them and told Peter, “If you love me, feed my sheep.” (John 21:15-17)

Jesus made it clear to them, and to us, that He left us on earth to occupy until His return. That means putting our faith into action, not always popular then or now. But Jesus’ disciples weren’t intimidated or dissuaded, and neither should we be. They used every tool they had to reach people with the truth of the Gospel.

Christians must not lose our voice in the public square because we acquiesced and allowed people into public office who try to silence us! The Bible is very clear that faith without action is dead!

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades, will not overcome it. Matt. 16:18

You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? James 2:20

Evangelical Christians make up about 35% of the voting population, 68 million! Unexplainably and inexcusably only half register to vote, and of that group, only half show up to vote! That’s pathetic, embarrassing, and tragic. Then we lament and wonder why moral law no longer influences civil law. If those potential Christian voters had voted in past elections, America would be a much better country today.

Satan uses this vulnerability and laziness in the body of Christ to divide Christians in their beliefs and values. A good example of that is on the topic of abortion or transgender atrocities. If Satan can weaken our influence and impact through infighting, fear, and complacency, we will see less and less moral law, and consequently less of a godly America!

We’re the stewards of our country. You and me! Every voter will determine not only the candidates that win, but whether or not America can truly live up to its motto, “In God We Trust!”

Don’t vote just so you get your way, or everything turns out how you want. I’ve heard some Christians say, if the next election isn’t fair, they’re not voting any more. That’s a defeatist position that Satan loves to hear from Christians. God rewards us not based on what other people do, but based on what we do! (Luke 19:11-27 “The Parable of the Ten Talents”)

And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. Luke 19:13 KJV

If we have a bad meal at a restaurant, we don’t say I’m never going to eat out again! We research a restaurant with good reviews of food we like. If we’re not happy with a particular doctor, we don’t say I’m never going to a doctor again. We do our homework and try another doctor. Our country’s political and spiritual health could depend on our research, participation, prayer, and vote!

“All that the best men can do is to persevere in doing their duty to their country and leave the consequences to Him Who made it their duty, being neither elated by success, however great, nor discouraged by disappointment, however frequent and mortifying. . . We must go home to be happy, and our home is not in this world. Here we have nothing to do but our duty, and by it to regulate our business and our pleasure.” –John Jay, first Supreme Court Chief Justice

I hope and pray you do your civic duty to research candidates, both local and federal, vote your faith, and pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven!

The people who know their God will be strong and take action. Dan. 11:32 HCSB

Please pray God will use praying grandma Rebecca Lavrenz’s story in a powerful way! That’s what she would want even if she goes to prison for praying.

Calls to Action

Dave and I have been taking a Biblical Citizenship class from Patriot Academy and some of the ideas I express in this blog came from our classes. We highly recommend this course.
Read Hal Lindsey’s blog from April 21, 2024, An Ancient Evil Reborn in Today’s America. Here’s a line about those young people born post 9/11/2001 chanting in America, “We are Hamas!” Lindsey says what I said above, “If they ‘are Hamas,’ they want to replace democracy with a theocratic ruling elite.” Don’t let this happen on our watch. We were born for such a time as this!
Listen to this podcast with Michele Bachmann, The Center of the Storm. Two people sent this to me. It’s that good and full of need-to-know information about the times we’re living in today.

Please leave a comment here. I reply to every comment.

April 22, 2024

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God Fights for Prodigals When We Pray His Will!

“You know how it feels when you see any glimmer of hope in your prodigal.” —A praying mom

If you follow my blogs and newsletters, you know I wait on the Lord to tell me what to write about each week. God is so faithful to not only give me a word, but also back it up with confirmation that I cannot ignore. So I know today there are parents and grandparents in my reading audience experiencing sorrow over prodigals in your family because that’s what God has told me to write about in this blog. It’s not the first time I’ve written on this topic, in fact, I wrote an entire book about praying for our prodigals.

Last week, hubby and I participated in a prayer group where the common request was for prodigal children, most of whom were in the millennial age range in their thirties and early forties. That was the age of my own prodigal years. Even children raised in Christian homes sometimes want to explore their independence, which might mean venturing into the world’s ways. So, we prayed that night for the spiritual awakening, or reawakening, of all the prodigals.

Then the next night, Dave and I watched a recorded Flashpoint program, which aired originally on the same night the group was praying for prodigals. Gene Bailey, the host of Flashpoint, interviewed Pastor Kent Christmas about his new book, Turning Sorrow Into Joy: A Journey of Faith and Perseverance. Here’s the interview: Kent Christmas on FlashPoint with Gene Bailey Interview Segment 4.9.2024 (youtube.com). If you have a loved one engaging in sexual sin, I highly recommend you listen.

In the interview with Pastor Christmas, they referred to the previous night’s program when again the topic was praying for prodigals. Now God really had my attention, so we watched it also. Gene Bailey interviewed Pastor Tim Sheets of Awaken Ministries and his daughter Rachel Shafer who wrote together Come Home: Pray, Prophesy, and Proclaim God’s Promises Over Your Prodigal. Even as parents and grandparents agonize and grieve with tears on their pillow every night, Pastor Sheets and Rachel offered assurance that God will forgive returning prodigals.

They emphasized that while you wait, stay rooted in God. Your feelings and emotions will lie to you, but God’s Word is truth, as I wrote in last week’s blog Knowing and Speaking Only the Truth Will Keep Us Free!

Come Home contains 90 decrees in Scriptures to pray for bringing prodigals home. In the interview, the authors mentioned several verses with the prophetic message of hope. Belief accelerates the power of God. Believe in a future where your children will come home physically and spiritually.

But now this is what the Lord says: “Do not weep any longer, for I will reward you,” says the Lord. “Your children will come back to you from the distant land of the enemy. ¹⁷There is hope for your future,” says the Lord. “Your children will come again to their own land. Jer. 31:16-17 NLT

God promises He will fight for and save your children! You must believe and claim these promises and pray them over your children with unwavering faith.

Who can snatch the plunder of war from the hands of a warrior? Who can demand that a tyrant^[^a^] let his captives go? ²⁵But the Lord says, “The captives of warriors will be released, and the plunder of tyrants will be retrieved. For I will fight those who fight you, and I will save your children. Isaiah 49:24-25

The Message translation of Isaiah 49:24-25 says: Can plunder be retrieved from a giant, prisoners of war gotten back from a tyrant? But God says, “Even if a giant grips the plunder and a tyrant holds my people prisoner, I’m the one who’s on your side, defending your cause, rescuing your children. And your enemies, crazed and desperate, will turn on themselves, killing each other in a frenzy of self-destruction. Then everyone will know that I, God, have saved you—I, the Mighty One of Jacob.”

Those verses emphasize that God’s on our side. He’s going to save our children. While we want to believe this, it’s tempting to take back our concerns and worries even after we cast them onto God. We should quit putting power into earthly circumstances and instead magnify God and His heavenly perspective as these following Psalms emphasize.

All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, ²⁸for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations. Ps. 22:27-28

They [prodigals] will receive the Lord’s blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior. Ps. 24:5 NLT

My Daughter and My Prodigal Story of Redemption

I wrote Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter: Hope, Help & Encouragement for Hurting Parents with input from my daughter of what she was thinking and feeling during her prodigal years. For seventeen years, I was a prodigal raising a prodigal until God reawakened my spirit at a Harvest Crusade where I rededicated my life to Christ. On the stadium floor, I knelt and told the Lord, “Your prodigal has returned. I will go where you send me.”

Kim didn’t receive well the dramatic change in my life. She was happy with the way we were living before. In spite of her resistance, I felt an urgency for Kim to also surrender her life to the Lord. I remembered a time when I stopped eating beef and switched to turkey burger. One day Kim, who was probably in middle school, said, “Mom, don’t you care about my health too?!” I thought she would still want hamburgers, but she wanted to be healthy like me. She hasn’t eaten beef since.

After my rededication, I heard a message on the reality of hell. I couldn’t stand the thought of my daughter going there. I had a dream that I looked down from heaven and heard her saying, “Mom didn’t you care enough about my spiritual health to not give up on me?” That’s when I began praying Scripture for my daughter daily, biblically, expectantly, persistently, sacrificially, unceasingly, and thankfully.

In Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter, Kim writes, “Mom, I saw the book Praying God’s Will for my Daughter in your bathroom one time, and I felt resentful that you thought I was ‘lost’ and needed you to pray for me. You turned your life around so completely, and I couldn’t relate to the new, ‘weird’ you. All the praying stuff was outside of my comfort zone. When I learned you were praying for me, it upset me. I felt that I could take care of myself and didn’t need your prayers.”

From the devotional Kim referred to above, I learned how to personalize and pray Scripture for her, which allowed me to pray God’s will while I journaled my will to release my feelings and concerns on paper. I share those journal writings throughout the book and include “40 Days of Praying Scripture for Your Prodigal” on page 313. Kim thanks me today that I never gave up praying for her.

Satan is Targeting Children!

Today, Satan is blatantly attacking the family and children more openly and abrasively than ever before. Abortion for teenagers or gender changes without parents’ consent. Parents who want to know what their children are being taught in schools labeled domestic terrorists! Drugs are rampant and killing our children. Child suicide has reached record numbers. Schools are teaching young children about perverse sex practices as “sex education,” even as young as kindergarten. As “gay rights” became mainstream and legalized, Satan had to move it up a notch to transgenderism. Children are given drugs and surgically mutilated, irreversibly in many cases, and deceived into thinking they can change their gender from the way God created them. Drag grooming is considered entertainment for children, even though it’s a precursor to pedophilia.

This isn’t normal or biblical. It’s satanical. Satan really is coming after our children, but Christians have the weapons we need to ward off the attacks of the enemy. Prayer. God’s Word. Civic action like voting, running for office, and activism.

I’m not writing this article to promote my book, or any book, but there’s a reason God had these pastors and me write about saving our prodigals. Because we all need to know how to love and pray scripturally for children and grandchildren, while still maintaining a relationship with them without backing down from our biblical beliefs. Their very lives depend on it!

If you have a child or grandchild involved in sinful activities, it doesn’t make it right. Yes, I know it hurts and it’s painful. Parents often think they need to go along with what their child is doing or risk losing the relationship instead of being godly parents and getting them the emotional, spiritual, and mental help they’re so desperately crying out for, while also praying unceasingly for them. If they were a murderer, and some are, you still love your child, but you don’t decide that murder is acceptable because your child committed it. That applies to any and every sin.

I chose to unconditionally love but never condone. In God’s eyes, all sin is wrong, and all have sinned. Only repentance and asking forgiveness from Jesus for our sins places us in a right relationship with God. Salvation.

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. ²³For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. ²⁴Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. Romans 3:22-24 NLT

Never Stop Praying!

Declaring God’s Word over your prodigal activates your own faith!

None of us know when Christ is going to return for believers. We watch the prevalent evil today and wonder how long it will be before the Lord says enough. No parent or grandparent wants to have a child or grandchild left behind. That was the urgency I felt when I was praying for my daughter’s salvation. Then I prayed for each of our eleven grandchildren to be saved with the assurance that I would someday see them all again in heaven. Yes, there’s been a few regressions, and I just pray all the harder because I know what God assured me with my daughter: God wants our prodigals back even more than we do!

Don’t give up and let Satan win the spiritual battle for your prodigal’s heart and soul. Though it may seem contradictory, the more rebellious, defiant, stubborn, and argumentative your prodigal becomes, the more you should cling to this hope and encouragement: God is working in his or her heart, and they’re resisting. But that means they haven’t surrendered completely to Satan and are experiencing tormenting guilt. God hasn’t given up and neither should you. There’s still hope.

I know it’s hard to do when your heart is breaking and you don’t see any change in the situation, but never stop praying for your prodigal. Pastor Christmas prayed and interceded for 14 years. I prayed Scripture for six years for my prodigal. Previous blogs from prodigal Alycia Neighbours whose story is in Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter, shared how long her parents prayed for her return: Never Stop Praying for Your Prodigal! and After the Party for the Returning Prodigal.

Alice prayed for 27 years. She said, “It’s all you can do when everything else is out of your control.” In the chapter on Praying Biblically in Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter, Alice told how she prayed Scripturally for her daughter, which is how I prayed for my daughter EVERY DAY! It’s simply personalizing and paraphrasing God’s Word as a prayer back to Him. Here’s an example of how Alice said she prayed Scripture for her prodigal.

“I’ve learned to pray for my daughter by praying back the Scriptures to God. For example, I pray Ezekiel 36:27-29 for Liz’s heart to soften and for her to return home: “God, give my daughter Liz a heart of flesh to replace her heart of stone toward spiritual things. Through Your Spirit, move her to follow Your decrees and carefully keep Your laws. Help Liz to return home Allow her to live in the land You, God, gave to her spiritual forefathers; may she be Your child, may You be her God. Save her from all her uncleanness.”

As another praying mom Suzanne said, “I know God isn’t done with her, and I choose to see her the way He does!”

“Never stop praying!” 1 Thess. 5:17 NLT

Photo Credits: http://www.sharefaith.com

PS Hear the interview I did on Solomon and Jamila Jefferson’s podcast about praying for your prodigals, It’s Not How You Start But How You Finish. click here.

PSS The principles I share in Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter also apply to sons and grandchildren. There are questions at the end of each chapter for use in a Support Group or Bible study group.

Library Update

VICTORY!! Idaho’s Governor Little signed the Children’s School and Library Protection Act, finally addressing the widespread library porn issue in a meaningful way! It goes into effect this summer so I’ll follow up with our local library to be sure they enforce it.
Gov. Little also signed Bill 538 that bars teachers from referring to a student by a name or pronoun that doesn’t align with their birth sex unless parents consent.
Last month, the governor signed House Bill 668, which blocks the use of public funds for gender-affirming procedures.
Gov. Little also signed House Bill 421. It states, “In human beings, there are two, and only two, sexes: male and female. In no case is an individual’s sex determined by stipulation or self-identification.” Most notably, in addition to ruling that sex and gender were synonymous, this bill “codifies in state law biological definitions for ‘woman,’ ‘man,’ and other sex-based terms, making [Idaho] the fifth to exclude men who identify as women from being legally recognized as female.”

Idaho is on a role! What’s happening in your state?

Please leave a comment here. I always reply!

April 15, 2024

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Raising Kids to Follow Christ: Nurturing Lifelong Faith in a Turbulent World

As you’ve read in my previous blogs and newsletters, I have a heavy burden for protecting our children and grandchildren from the wiles of the evil one. Satan is no longer sneaky and sly in his tactics. He’s open, blatant, and ruthless in going after our children in the schools, libraries, entertainment, games, sports, sexualization, gender confusion, and child-sex trafficking, while liberal “progressive” politicians on the left and media are complicit with the devil’s evil demonic ways. As a grandparent, I find it horrifying to watch the legal system working as accomplices to the breakdown of the family and taking away the rights of loving parents.

Satan had a minor setback with the overturn of Roe v Wade, so he’s now targeting his evil attacks on the children given precious life.

Children Are A Gift From God

Children shine with exceptional and extraordinary worth that exceeds all other God-given blessings. These priceless souls arrive in our arms as eternal treasures bearing the very image of God. As stewards of these divine gifts, we have a duty to equip ourselves for their proper care. It sounds like such a daunting task, and at times, it can seem overwhelming. We need tools and insights steeped in Scripture and spiritual wisdom that will empower us when we feel inadequate to guide our children towards a lifelong commitment to Christ.

The Bible does tell us that parents bear a sacred responsibility when it comes to nurturing children in the ways of the Lord. Joel 1:3 instructs parents to impart the truths of their faith to their children, who in turn, will pass on this sacred legacy to future generations. The Woman to Woman Mentoring Ministry and platform God entrusted me with almost 30 years ago is exemplified in this verse.

Tell your children about it in the years to come,
and let your children tell their children.
Pass the story down from generation to generation. Joel 1:3 NLT

This cyclical transmission of faith serves as the bedrock upon which the continuity of Christianity rests, echoing the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19–20. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. ²⁰Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Lee Ann Mancini Wants to Help Parents!

A book from an author friend of mine has come along at the perfect time to help parents and grandparents raise and nurture children for Christ and not the culture. Today’s Monday Morning blog is featuring author Lee Ann Mancini’s new release Raising Kids to Follow Christ: Instilling a Lifelong Trust in God. (No relation to my daughter Kimberly Mancini) Let me share with you some thoughts about Lee Ann’s book because we all have children in our family and community. We all should care about their souls.

Our culture’s current trend toward moral relativism amplifies the urgency of instilling a steadfast faith in our children. Lee Ann Mancini provides the solutions we need in her new parenting guide. Raising Kids to Follow Christ: Instilling a Lifelong Trust in God offers invaluable insights drawn from both scripture and cutting-edge research in childhood spiritual development. As the CEO of Raising Christian Kids and a distinguished professor, Mancini emphasizes the vital role of parental guidance rooted in love and joy, safeguarding children from the perils of faithlessness.

I often ask audiences when I’m speaking on mentoring, “Are you the men and women you want your children to become?” “Do you have the marriage you want your children to have?” “Do you have the faith you want your children to live out?”

Lee Ann also recognizes parents are the primary educators and spiritual mentors in the lives of their children. She stresses that the way we live proves the most significant character lesson we teach. Lee Ann says that our actions and attitudes serve as the blueprint upon which our children model their own beliefs and behaviors. Her book shares insights on how to exemplify a life centered on the Word of God so we can provide a living testimony of Christ’s transformative power. Faithfully measured, our personal steps will lead our children and grandchildren towards a deep and abiding relationship with their Savior.

Lee Ann emphasizes the cornerstone of parental efforts must rest upon the unwavering truth of God’s Word. Just as Jesus is the living Stone chosen by God, so too must His teachings form the solid foundation upon which our children’s, and grandchildren’s, faith is built. Amidst the storms of life, anchored in Christ, they can stand firm unwavering in their devotion to Jesus and unyielding in their faith convictions.

As many of us know so well, the journey of raising children in the faith comes with a myriad of challenges. In a world hostile to Christian values, we must remain vigilant in equipping our children and grandchildren with the spiritual armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) necessary to withstand the onslaught of worldly temptations. Through prayer, guidance, and unwavering commitment, we can nurture within them a love for God and His Word thus empowering them to become beacons of light in a world shrouded in darkness.

Lee Ann esteems the calling to raise godly children as sacred, but she also shares her parenting advice with the hope of grace. It is never too early, nor too late, to inspire our children to love Jesus and develop a passion for His Kingdom. With fresh insights and transformative strategies, she welcomes us to embark on a journey of faith, nurturing the next generation of believers and disciples.

Raising Kids to Follow Christ serves as a wise and powerful companion as we navigate parenthood or as grandparents. The crises and shadows of life in this world will threaten to shake its youngest souls. Our children need the hope only Christ can offer. With a strong foundation, this generation can transform the future.

As we embrace our role as stewards of His precious gifts of our children, may we rise to the challenge with unwavering faith and steadfast resolve. We can depend on experts like Lee Ann Mancini to come alongside us in raising kids to follow Christ. Together, we can fulfill our true purpose and enjoy our greatest reward of raising a generation to love and follow Christ Jesus as their personal Savior.

An Overview of the Treasures Found in Raising Kids to Follow Christ.

In Raising Kids to Follow Christ: Instilling a Lifelong Trust in God, Lee Ann Mancini inspires parents, grandparents, teachers, and others to teach their children essential Christian principles to enable them to navigate the world with grace, integrity, and an unbreakable bond with their heavenly Father.

This book goes beyond surface-level advice, delving into the intricate matters of children’s hearts and minds and offering a blueprint for nurturing a deep and unwavering faith in Christ.

Raising Kids to Follow Christ offers:
• Decades of personal experience and training based on key essential principles in Scripture
• Practical strategies for addressing doubts, fears, and questions that arise in today’s culture
• Ways to help children control their emotions and actions in various situations
• Suggestions from some of today’s brightest Christian minds in children’s spirituality
• Empowerment for parents to become their child’s spiritual champion
• Easy-to-understand apologetics for children and adults
• Fun ways to connect your child’s heart to Christ

Raising Kids to Follow Christ is a collaborative journey inviting parents to learn, grow, and flourish alongside their children as they become bold in their witness and committed to their faith rather than the secular culture.

About Lee Ann Mancini

Lee Ann Mancini is the award-winning author and executive producer of the Sea Kids series, which can be viewed on Answers.TV, Pure Flix, Right Now Media, and Minno. Lee Ann earned Master’s degrees in Theological Studies, Christian and Classic Studies, and Biblical and Theological Studies. She serves as an adjunct professor at South Florida Bible College and Theological Seminary and hosts the award-winning podcast, Raising Christian Kids.

Raising Kids to Follow Christ: Instilling a Lifelong Trust in God would make a great Easter or Mother’s Day or Father’s Day or any day gift for the parents in your life. The children of today are the future of tomorrow. Let’s be sure they’re spiritually prepared to win the battle for their souls and for our world.

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March 4, 2024

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Respect Your Weapons of Fasting and Prayer!

I hope you didn’t look at the title and discount this blog because you saw fasting. Hang in with me. I’ll explain why I chose this topic after battling with it myself for over a month.

Each week, I wait on the Lord to reveal a topic to write on and He never lets me down. Sometimes it’s at the last minute. Other times, I look for more confirmation, especially if it’s a hard one to tackle and maybe not one I’m eager to apply myself!

Dave and I watch Flashpoint on Victory News Channel. Pastor Gene Bailey, who hosts the program, has been encouraging the “Flashpoint Army” of viewers to join a Corporate Fast for our nation from February 5^th through the 25^th. I felt a tugging in my heart every time I heard him talk about it. I struggled with the Lord. With my health could I actually fast?

Then last Wednesday morning, January 31^st, I opened my email and saw CBN was covering live the 2024 National Prayer Breakfast in DC, so I decided to watch. The keynote speaker was Senate Chaplain Barry Black. He started by saying he wasn’t a speaker, he was a pastor, and so his message that morning would be from the Bible. His topic was fasting!

Now, I knew God was trying to get my attention! He wanted me to share about fasting with all of you, who like me, have been praying for a spiritual revival and reformation in our churches, nation, and government. Or maybe you need a spiritual breakthrough in your life. I’ve shared in previous blogs about my ongoing battle with our local library to remove inappropriate obscene books harmful to children. I’d prayed continuously (1 Thess. 5:17), but I hadn’t fasted.

I told my husband the Lord wanted me to not only write about fasting, but also join the 3-week Flashpoint Corporate Fast. His initial response, “You might lose more weight!” Now to some that might seem like a good thing. In my case, I need to maintain my weight so Dave had a legitimate concern.

Some of you might have health issues that don’t allow fasting food for extended periods, but you could fast a meal, do a liquid fast, or fast a favorite food or activity. Chaplain Black said many at the Capitol join him in the Wesley Fast and Prayer on Wednesdays when they fast until 3 pm. John Wesley originally advocated fasting on both Wednesday and Friday as a weekly spiritual discipline and wouldn’t ordain anyone into the Methodist ministry unwilling to fast both days. But later, he only fasted once a week starting at sundown Thursday and ending at 3 pm on Friday. That seems doable.

There’s nothing magical about those days. If another day of the week works best for you then pick that if you want to only do a one-day weekly fast. Be flexible. Listen to the Holy Spirit so you don’t focus more on the fast than the reason for it—to draw closer to God and hear the Holy Spirit more clearly.

Fasting doesn’t always have to be food. Maybe it’s something that has a grip on you like screen time, television, news media, social media, junk food, or even caffeine and fasting it would be a significant sacrifice.

Why Fast?

Intermittent fasting is a popular diet regime, but spiritual fasting isn’t about weight loss, it’s about spiritual gain. Food has power. Food motivates. Food addicts. Food controls. We’re often willing to spend more time and money on our food purchases and preparation then we spend on our time with the Lord. Esau traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a bowl of stew!

Fasting helps us crave spiritual food from God more than physical food from the refrigerator or pantry. Fasting intensifies the powers of our prayers. Fasting is more dependent on faith than any other spiritual discipline. When we fast, we believe that God’s going to show up. We hunger and thirst for righteousness and knowledge more than food and drink. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matt. 5:6

Many describe fasting as a lifting of the fog of fear, doubt, uncertainty, and worry revealing clarity of vision on what God wants us to learn from His Word and the Holy Spirit.

Fasting is often portrayed as hard and painful. It is a form of self-denial, but the purpose of spiritual fasting is to focus on God instead of what you’re fasting. Every time you go for the remote or to check social media or grab that snack or cup of coffee, instead you stop and pray for God to have more sovereignty over your time, mind, and body than food or the outside world.

Your desire becomes more for God than the object of your fast. Many testify that fasting and prayer, not one or the other, is the most powerful effective spiritual road to revival. We know we need revival in our country and in our government, but maybe it’s revival in your home or in your life.

Examples of Fasting and Prayer in the Old Testament When Seeking God’s Intervention for Their Nation

Moses: This happened when I was on the mountain receiving the tablets of stone inscribed with the words of the covenant that the Lord had made with you. I was there for forty days and forty nights, and all that time I ate no food and drank no water. ¹⁰The Lord gave me the two tablets on which God had written with his own finger all the words he had spoken to you from the heart of the fire when you were assembled at the mountain. Deut. 9:9-10 NLT

Nehemiah: When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven. (Neh. 1:4 NLT) On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads. ²Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors. ³They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God. Neh. 9:1-3

Esther: “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.” Esther 4:16 NLT

Daniel: So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. I also wore rough burlap and sprinkled myself with ashes. ⁴I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands. Dan. 9:3-4 NLT

In the third year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia, Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) had another vision. He understood that the vision concerned events certain to happen in the future—times of war and great hardship. When this vision came to me, I, Daniel, had been in mourning for three whole weeks. ³All that time I had eaten no rich food. No meat or wine crossed my lips, and I used no fragrant lotions until those three weeks had passed. Dan. 10:1-3 NLT

Jonah: The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow. Jonah 3:5 NLT

Examples of Fasting and Prayer in the New Testament.

Many have falsely claimed that fasting was only a spiritual discipline for the Old Testament, but the Bible contradicts such a fallacy. I don’t know why we don’t hear more sermons on fasting.

Jesus: For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. Matt 4:2 NLT

Anna There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. ³⁸Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child [Jesus] to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:36-38

Paul: He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink. Acts 9:9 NLT

Church Elders: One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” ³So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way. Acts 13:2-3 NLT

Paul and Barnabas: Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. Acts 14:23

The disciples fasted after Jesus ascended into heaven, as should we as His disciples: One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, “Why don’t your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do?” ¹⁵Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. Matt. 9:13-15 NLT

Examples of the Thompsons Fasting

Our first year of marriage blending a family was horrific. Without keeping Jesus at the center of our marriage, we would’ve never made it. On Mondays, we did a liquid fast and prayed for our family and protection from the enemy. We were both working and would call each other during the day for encouragement. Those Monday liquid fasts drew us closer to the Lord and to each other and helped us not just endure, but experience victory!
When my daughter Kim and her then fiancé Toby accepted Christ in a premarital course we gave them as an engagement gift, we prayed and fasted for them to want to be baptized. Dave fasted tortilla chips, a daily bread of life for him to this day. I was addicted to Diet Coke, so that’s what I fasted. Soon Kim and Toby both started asking about baptism and Dave and I helped baptize them two weeks before their wedding. Dave went back to eating tortilla chips; I never drank another Diet Coke. The Lord removed the desire.
Two of our daughters and their husbands experienced infertility. Dave and I both fasted all sweets and desserts as we prayed for the Lord to let them become parents. We didn’t tell anyone what we were doing, as we never did, according to Matt. 6:16, 18 NLT And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get . . . Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. But after not even eating birthday cake on our own birthdays, the family started noticing. After many months, Shannon became pregnant and had a baby boy, but Kim still wasn’t a mommy, so we kept on fasting and praying. Seven months later, Kim and Toby adopted our grandson Brandon, and the night they picked him up she called and told us to go out and have a hot fudge sundae!

“When praises go up blessings come down.” 2 Chron. 20:5-6

The Thompsons 2024 Fast

Dave and I are uniting with the Flashpoint Corporate Prayer and Fast to take a stand for biblical changes in our nation, culture, and world. Following is Flashpoint’s prayer list. The last four items I added, and this is not an exhaustive list for us.

Prevention of anti-God government decisions
Closure of the wide-open Southern border
The large number of supporters, especially in colleges, of the horrific Oct. 7 attack on Israel
What our children are being exposed to in schools and libraries
The unabashed censorship and attacks on Christians and biblical ideals
End abortion entirely
Remove men from women’s sports
Stop the gender confusion and mutilation of our children and end transgenderism
Removal of obscene and pornographic books from our local library

Together, from Feb. 5-25, we will set our faces toward God in order to bring about breakthrough. Why three weeks? Due to stubborn national and global strongholds, an extended time of fasting is necessary. They say it takes 21 days to change your life, to change your story. It takes 21 days of repetitive confession to change an inner narrative. We’re hoping to change our country. Also, Daniel fasted for 3 weeks.

What Flashpoint and We Are Believing for, Nationally and Globally, in this Fast:

An awakening to God in the Body of Christ
An awakening to God in Israel
An awakening to God in America and the nations
Fair 2024 elections
Ministry breakthroughs
Personal breakthroughs
Preparing for all that is coming

Pray and seek God for what He might be asking you to lay aside during a fast. Take that time to allow the noise to be silenced so His voice can be heard more clearly. Allow God to pinpoint the things He’s asking you to surrender.

The battle is not ours; it belongs to God. But we’re in the Lord’s army and fasting and prayer are weapons He’s given us to use towards victory. Fasting isn’t a way to get a better response to prayer. True fasting is a means of fostering a humble, repentant approach to prayer.

“He can turn our crisis into conquest. Release the power of your praise before the victory is won.” Chaplain Barry Black

Other Resources

At What is Biblical Fasting and Does It Work you’ll find additional information about biblical fasting.
A helpful article if you haven’t fasted before Fasting for Beginners.
More about the Flashpoint Corporate Fast with a message by pastor Gene Bailey at this link.
I’ve also joined My Faith Votes weekly prayer call on Monday mornings. Here’s the link if you would like to join.

PS Sorry this was long, but I always like to post the text of the Scriptures I’m referencing.

I’m so interested to read your comments on this article. Please leave a comment here.

February 5, 2024

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No More Recreational Christianity!

You might be thinking, “Well I’m a Christian and I enjoy recreation!” I do too. I’m not talking about squelching fun in fact I encourage it. In the context of this blog, I’m using recreational as light, undemanding, even entertaining, Christianity.

Christian living encompasses an obligation beyond what feels good or is easy and comfortable. God isn’t expecting us to be the smartest person in heaven. He’s going to be more interested in how we used the gifts and talents He gave us to further His kingdom here on earth to overcome pervasive evil.

Yes, being a Christian goes beyond fellowshipping and enjoying the company of like-minded believers, even beyond our personal spiritual maturity, although these are all important elements of our Christian life. But even more important is our willingness to go where Christ calls us to go and do what He says to do. I’m not suggesting going on the mission field, unless that’s where you feel God calling you. When we look around us with discernment, we see a huge mission field of evil engulfing our world from the government to the schools.

It’s easy to think there’s nothing we can do about it. Or, who are we to get involved? I would answer, “We’re Christians. That’s who we are and that’s why we do get involved. If not us, than who? If not now, then when?”

The Bible tells every Christian, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.” Pr. 31:8 NLT

Right now, our children and grandchildren are being crushed by evil in a secular culture that sees them as innocent prey. In schools. Libraries. Entertainment. The medical profession. Satan puts a bullseye on children he can’t murder in the womb.

Abortion is a sacrament of Satan. It’s demonic. Satan knows he can’t kill God, so he breaks God’s heart by killing or deceiving God’s creation using demonic industries like Planned Parenthood that performs the majority of abortions and is one of the top producers of gender alternation medications. Assaults on children by Planned Parenthood, the medical profession, and the Democrat transgender agenda are evil golden cash cows.

I found myself yelling at the television when Democrat Congressman Jerry Nadler told Congress we need more illegal immigrants because Americans are having less babies and our population is diminishing. He admitted the Dems do have a plan to replace American citizens with illegals. I wanted someone to tell him, “The population is decreasing because the Democrats support the murder of babies, transgenderism, and castrating, mutilating, and chemically sterilizing young children!” That’s not a political statemen; it’s factual.

You might think we won the battle of abortion when Roe v Wade was overturned. While that was an amazing accomplishment, the battle is far from over as each state now sets its own abortion laws and Biden is trying to codify abortion as the law of the land. Every time a red state passes strict abortion regulations, the Biden Administration sues that state! The Federal government has also approved abortion pills mailed into states that prohibit the sale of them, like Idaho where I live. That’s why abortion will be a central part of the Presidential campaign. Sadly, many pro-life politicians have been defeated. There are a number of pro-abortion Republicans in both the Senate and Congress who have either bought the “healthcare” lie or aren’t willing to tell the truth about abortion. They compromise to win.

I was happy to see our Idaho legislature changing the terminology for our state to reflect the true sanctity of life. Fetus and stillborn fetus are now replaced with preborn child and stillborn child.

I know you’ve seen an infant recently in your family, church, or community. What a blessing that child is but we weep for all the precious lives ended before they could begin. Only those deceived by Satan would champion indiscriminate sex over a precious conceived life. If you study this issue, you quickly learn that Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, first called Planned Parenthood the American Birth Control League. She’s credited with originating the term birth control. Research shows that her intent was that women could have sexual pleasure without the responsibility of pregnancy. It also involved eugenics, as she wanted to eliminate blacks and any child with potential birth defects. Straight from Satan’s playbook.

I challenge you to find anywhere in the Bible where God, the Creator of life, uses the term birth control, or espouses the concept of humans, instead of God, controlling birth. Just the opposite. Man also thinks he can control the weather. Again, trying to usurp God.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Gen. 1:28

An atheistic mind that believes there is no God, concludes there’s no need or respect for human life. It’s a false humanism religion denying that we are both body and soul. Exactly where our secular culture is today and yet so often the church is afraid to talk about this or expose the satanic repercussions. We’d rather talk about things that make us feel good—recreational entertaining Christianity instead of righteously effective Christianity.

Planned Parenthood is also behind pornography and “Sex Ed for Social Change” in schools, school libraries, and public libraries. If they can corrupt innocent minds with sex and sexual deviations, they control them for life. Those who are paying attention can clearly see this is all a prelude to normalizing sex with children, pedophilia. It’s already happening as we saw in the movie Sound of Freedom. Child sex trafficking rings are prevalent, especially with the border invasion. Horrible stories appear in the news like videotaping toddlers being sexually abused while perverts attempt to lower the age of sexual consent for children!

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Matt. 18:6

Does that seem too extreme to be true? Many of us can remember when sex outside of marriage was taboo. Virginity was cherished. Living together before marriage was unacceptable, and if a couple got pregnant, they got married. Sex, nudity, couples in bed together, multiple lovers, and promiscuity weren’t allowed on television. Now it’s all been normalized and somehow Christians let it happen.

Let marriage be kept honorable in every way, and the marriage bed undefiled. For God will judge those who commit sexual sins, especially those who commit adultery. Heb. 213:4

Every Christian must defend morality! One day, we’re all going to stand before God and He’s going to ask what did you do, or not do, about the evil corruption in your culture.

I would encourage you to listen to this YouTube conversation with Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills and Seth Gruger who has a Pro Life Ministry, A White Rose. I learned that Pastor Hibbs is an abortion survivor. In his teens, he overheard his mother telling someone that a neighbor discovered his mother mutilating herself by trying to abort him with a coat hanger. After three weeks in the hospital, Pastor Hibbs’ life was saved. He didn’t understand the complete impact of his rescue until he later became a Christian. How many future pastors, presidents, inventors, physicians, missionaries, parents, musicians, athletes . . . God’s children . . . weren’t rescued and saved? If you’ve ever heard Pastor Hibbs preach or speak, you know he’s living out his purpose.

We were all saved and called to a purpose that promotes God’s kingdom here on earth. We must discover that purpose and fulfill it for the Lord’s glory!

²⁸And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[a] have been called according to his purpose. ²⁹For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. Romans 8:28-30

Update on Our Local Library

Some of you have been following my unexpected and unplanned role spearheading the removal of obscene and pornographic books targeted for children in our local library. You can read the history in my blogs Jesus Reveals the Opposing Fathers of Truth and Lies and Be Alert for Where and When the Lord Wants You to Get Involved!

As an update, a friend and I accepted an invitation to meet with the librarian who at first was determined that we were censors. But after talking with us, she agreed to amend the board minutes referring to us as “people in favor of censorship” and suggested I send a letter to the library board asking them to review the books according to Idaho’s definition of pornography.

In God’s perfect timing, our Idaho Legislature’s House State Affairs Committee has introduced a new bill for libraries to either remove or move to a designated “Adults Only” section of the library “harmful materials” directed to minors, or materials that include “nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or sado-masochistic abuse.” Under the Legislatures definition of “sexual conduct this includes any act of homosexuality. With this new legislation, students, parents and legal guardians could fill out a written notice to libraries asking to relocate a library item that they deem “harmful” to the adult section. A library that doesn’t comply would be fined.

There was a similar law last year that made its way to Governor Little’s desk and he vetoed it. One Republican vote prevented overriding the veto. They’ve revised the bill according to the changes the governor asked for and are hoping to get this one passed. I’m happy to see Republicans didn’t give up, as I haven’t given up.

I’m not telling you this story for pats on the back or an at-a-girl. I’m sharing it to make the point that we never know where God is going to “call” us to get involved for a just cause. I would’ve never predicted I would be enmeshed, let alone the spokeswoman, for this issue in our little town, but God knew. Therefore, I can’t be deterred or dissuaded. Instead, I ask for prayer and go where He leads and change is happening for the good. I want to encourage each one of you to do the same.

When Hobby Lobby won the case in the Supreme Court to not be required to offer abortion in their employee’s insurance plans, California sent a letter to churches that California wasn’t going to abide by the ruling and churches would be required to offer abortion to their employees. Pastor Hibbs went to battle against it and eight years later, won!

We know God’s truth and we must stand our ground for it wherever God has planted us!

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. ¹⁴“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matt. 5:13-16

⁴The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. ⁵We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. ⁶And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete. 2 Cor. 10:4-6

Please leave a comment here and check back for my reply.

January 15, 2024

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Is Giving Thanks a Lost Tradition?

This week is Thanksgiving when many of us will gather with family and friends to eat a big delicious traditional meal. Maybe watch football, play games, fellowship, and hopefully say a prayer thanking God for the many blessings we enjoy in our life. Often, the only time we really focus on the true meaning of Thanksgiving is during that prayer before the meal we’re all anxiously awaiting with anticipation and appetites! If you’re looking for some ideas of how to offer a Thanksgiving prayer for various circumstances, I wrote a Crosswalk article on that topic—4 Prayers to Say At the Thanksgiving Table.

Last week, I learned a term that was new to me. As Dave and I were shopping at Trader Joe’s a full week prior to Thanksgiving, the aisles at this store and Costco were jam packed with shoppers. I commented to the Trader Joe’s checker that I was surprised people were shopping so early for the big meal a week away. Both she and the bagger simultaneously said, “Friendsgiving.” I didn’t hear what they said, so they repeated it several times. When I had a questioning look on my face, the checker said many people get together for a meal with their friends the weekend prior to having a family Thanksgiving celebration later in the week.

I love that idea. We’ve done that in the past too, as well as invited friends to the family dinner. But I’d never heard it called “Friendsgiving” before. When I posted about Friendsgiving on Facebook, I received many comments from people, including my daughter, who said it wasn’t a new term. Just new to me, I guess.

Thinking about Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving brought to mind a thought I’ve had for quite a while. Are we raising generations that have forgotten the courtesy of expressing gratitude not only to God, but also to others? Let me explain. I’m a boomer. My generation was born between 1946-1964. As soon as I could print, or even scribble, the expectation was that when I received a gift from someone, especially for birthdays or Christmas, I sent a thank you note to the gift giver whether it was family or friends.

When I was married, part of the shower and wedding preparation was ordering thank you notes to send out for the gifts we received. And when I was pregnant and received shower and baby gifts, as crazy as it was being a new working mom, it was a given I would make the time to send thank you notes.

I’m finding this thank-you etiquette courtesy is now a lost tradition. Yes, today it might be an email or text instead of a mailed thank you card, but often those aren’t sent either. Somewhere along the generational sequence, one generation didn’t pass down to the next generation the importance of showing gratitude for the gifts they receive. And we wonder why we’re watching generations of entitled children and adults today who expect someone else to pay for college loans they willingly took out and then complain about having to work 9-5 jobs!

Author Carol Roth says Gen Z’s (1997-2012) woes with fulltime work stem from “their parents failing them.” Here’s a quote from her article. “While it’s easy to dunk on these young people, I really blame the parents. This hurts, because Gen Z is being raised in large part by Gen X [1965-1980], which should make the kids awesome and self-sufficient.” She goes on to say that “young people consuming Marxist propaganda online and even in school it’s not surprising they want to do as little works as possible while still expecting food, clothing, shelter, entertainment and more will just fall from the sky for them.” I was happy to see she suggested mentorship as a solution.

But an even sadder consequence of not feeling compelled to be grateful to those who sacrifice their money and time on a gift or providing a college education or offering them a job, is we now also have a generation that has forgotten to say thank you for the sacrifice Jesus made to give them the gift of salvation.

It only takes one generation failing to pass down their faith, traditions, work ethic, or even the courtesy of showing tangible gratitude for a gift, for these things to be forgotten or eliminated from a culture, as we’re watching today with the void of Christian beliefs in government and in families.

Make This Thanksgiving a Wake-up Call in Our Life and Families

Even more important than thanking each other is to give thanks to God who is the provider of every good thing in our life. I like how Dr. David Jeremiah presents the importance of experiencing continuous daily thanksgiving in his November 18-19, 2023, Turning Points Magazine weekend devotion titled “Thank Goodness!”

“Thanksgiving is understanding that blessings are hiding all around us, and we must find and focus on them. It’s the attitude of knowing we have a God in charge of all. It’s the habit of pausing to whisper, ‘Thank you Lord,’ throughout the day. It’s finding good times even in bad times and rejoicing even in sorrow. It’s noticing the color of flowers, the shape of clouds, the smell of fresh bread, and the comfort of a soft pillow at night.”

“Gratitude leads to ‘glad-itude.’ Counting our blessings is a positive step toward erasing our heartaches. The psychology of thanksgiving comes from the very mind and heart of the God who told us to be vigilant in thanksgiving (Colossians 4:2) and ‘in everything give thanks; for this the will of God in Christ Jesus for you’ (1 Thessalonians 5:18).”

With the birth of Christ, there were no longer Old Testament feast days of thanksgiving. All the ceremonial celebrations of Israel were fulfilled in the Messiah. Instead, we’re told to give thanks in and for everything—the good and the bad times. As we gather together to celebrate our American holiday of Thanksgiving rooted in the harvest celebration of the Plymouth Pilgrims in 1621, let’s be reminded to give thanks in everything and to everyone—today and every day.

I personally want to thank each of you who take the time to read my weekly blogs and monthly newsletters. I appreciate your comments on the blogs and also for those who share on social media or forward them on email. We really are blessed to live in a time when we can freely communicate with each other across the miles and expand our friendships even to those we’ve never met personally. It’s a blessing I don’t take for granted and a ministry I take very seriously.

As the apostle Paul would say, “May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love to all of you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Cor. 16:23-24 NLT

Have a blessed and grateful Thanksgiving from Dave and me.

PS There won’t be a Monday Morning Blog on November 27, but I’ll be back December 4. Can you believe it’s almost December?

Please leave a comment here and I will reply.

November 20, 2023

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Be Alert for Where and When the Lord Wants You to Get Involved!

If you follow me regularly, you know I’m always challenging my readers to be Christians of action and not just full of biblical knowledge. It’s one thing to know the Bible; it’s another to live the Bible. The Lord wants us to do both. Not only be knowers of the Word, but also doers. In our volatile world today, we don’t have to look far for where we can get involved in promoting good where evil is invading our culture.

It’s easy and comfortable to be armchair critics where we sit on the couch and watch on television, social media, or our electronics the world atrocities contradicting reason and right. We complain about how insanely wrong things are today.

We might even gather in groups and discuss our opinions and complaints, but talk is powerless unless we put our disgust and distress into some kind of positive action to make a difference.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22

There was a time when our frustration focused mostly on the world stage or maybe even centered on our government, but Satan is shooting his flaming arrows into our neighborhoods, families, schools, and yes, even, our churches.

We’re watching horrific pictures and narratives of evil at its worst as satanic barbarians attempt to wipe out the country of Israel. An evil attempted genocide of Jews we never expected to occur again after the Holocaust. How could this current atrocity happen to one of America’s allies and the people God has called His chosen?

I think some of the surprise attack came from relying on technology that can always be hacked or fail. Also, complacency and apathy to the reality that until Jesus returns for His church, Satan really is the ruler of the world.

We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one. 1 John 5:19 NLT

We must remain alert to the enemy’s tactics, which are ALWAYS evil and destructive with the motive of deception and denial of God’s principles.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8 NKJV

Complacency masquerading as “tolerance” has allowed the enemy to infiltrate almost every area of life today. Americans think we’ll never be blindsided by a 9-11 style attack again. We take our shoes off and go through metal detectors and put our liquids in 2 oz. bottles to board an airplane because that was the vehicle of evil used the last time, while millions of illegals flood our borders and throw away their passports and ID’s once inside so they can assume new identities in America. Why would anyone want to do that? You know it isn’t for good. Are we ready? Is the church ready?

I’m not talking provisionally ready; I’m talking spiritually ready. Are our loved ones ready? Are we willing to reach out with the gospel to those who aren’t?

Yes, it can be uncomfortable. Inconvenient. Unpopular. Challenging. Scary. But when I find myself in those situations, I rely on the promise God gives us in Luke 21:14-15 . . .

¹⁴ Don’t worry about what you will say to defend yourselves. ¹⁵I will give you the wisdom to know what to say. None of your enemies will be able to oppose you or to say that you are wrong. Luke 21:14-15 CEV

My Recent Getting Involved Experience

I hope you know I would never challenge you to do something I’m not willing to do myself. My mantra for years has been that the church, you and me, need to get involved in our local communities to right any wrongs that God brings to our attention. I’ve also said that we shouldn’t look only at the national level, but open our eyes to what’s going on in our own backyards. Maybe it will be running for office or actively supporting candidates who support our values. Every position is important from school boards to library boards.

I also would encourage you to investigate Christian-based organizations keeping a pulse on what’s happening in your area. I follow several in Idaho and one of those is Freedom Foundation. I receive their emails which often expose unethical issues in our state and draw our attention to pray over, and if we feel the Lord leading, to get involved. Since I live in a very small rural community most of the issues I read about are not in our area. But several weeks ago, there was an email from the Freedom Foundation addressing sexually obscene, pornographic, inappropriate books for children discovered in our local community library.

How could I ignore this? I couldn’t. So at first, I just posted the article on my social media page and a community social media page. Little did I know I was starting a firestorm! The comment attacks were fast and furious. I have to admit I was shocked that so many people were in favor of these books.

My main question was why were the books in our library? What was the purpose in making them available to our local children? But instead of answers, I received attacks on Christianity and my “morals,” although I never said I was a Christian. But it seems if you took a moral view of this atrocity, you must be a Christian. I was told, “keep your morals in your church.” I wondered what kind of “morals” the accusers had.

I learned there was a “Material Reconsideration Form” we could fill out to request these books be removed from the library. So I announced the situation to my church congregation and asked others to join me in filling out the forms. I was encouraged that many did. The two-sided form wasn’t easy to fill out and it required reviewing the dark material in these books, which I didn’t want to do. I felt like I needed a shower. How would I get the images and words out of my mind? It was just too dark.

Did I really want to do this? When my grandchildren were younger and visited us, I used to enjoy taking them to the children’s section of our library as a fun activity, but they’re older now, so these books weren’t affecting me personally. But I care about all children. I care about the next generation.

You would recognize some of the book titles as the same books parents are bravely contesting and reading aloud in school board meetings. Now God had brought them to my attention in my town. I had a choice to just complain or take further action beyond filling out the forms.

Then I discovered a podcast “Banned?” with Pastor Jack Hibbs interviewing Karen England, from Capitol Resource Institute. In this podcast, they discuss the sexually explicit and pornographic books that are plaguing our public-school systems and public libraries. Karen kept pointing out that we may be surprised to learn this isn’t only a problem in liberal cities, but many of these books are often available in conservative “red states” as well. They were talking about the very books in our “red state” small community library or on their website as an e-book download that children could access.

“Banned?” is an important podcast for every parent, grandparent, and concerned citizen to hear. It’s hard to listen, and yes, it’s dark, but that’s where Satan does his work. Especially, if you’re in a “red state” like we are in Idaho and think that none of this could happen in your local library or school. It is happening in school districts and libraries throughout our state! You can’t escape it.

It was a timely podcast for me. I thought if this brave Christian woman, Karen England, can subject herself to knowing the content of these books and go around the nation exposing them to protect our precious children, I can and will do my part.

I prayed long and often late into the night for God to give me the words, wisdom, and courage to take a stand and encourage others to join me. Many did. We attended the next library board meeting where those opposing our “moral” position and those joining me opposing the books each were given three minutes to present our arguments to the board.

Even a young twenty-year-old woman courageously read a disgusting sexually graphic page from one of the books and others told testimonies of the horrific acts that occur when young minds are exposed to pornography. To the board’s credit, they listened and allowed everyone the opportunity who wanted to speak. They recorded the meeting, and we were told they would review and make their final decision, which as of this writing we haven’t received.

Applause and Assaulted

A group of us stood outside the library hugging and thanking each other for speaking out and for those that came to support us. But as you can imagine, not everyone was happy about us being there. It only took a day for me to be attacked personally on the community social media page. I received the usual “hater” slander, my ministry was ridiculed, and I was pretty much told to stay in my own Christian lane. Which actually I was!

I could also see the delusional confusion when the slanderer accused me of making the young woman read the vulgarity from the book and referred to her as my “daughter”?! I had no idea she was going to read or what she was going to say. I was just delighted to have the next generation participate and speak the truth.

Sometimes you just have to laugh at delusion. The Lord reminded me I should be flattered they thought this 20-year-old was my daughter, since my own real daughter just turned 50!!!

Jesus told us to expect persecution but also not to stop sharing the gospel because there are some who will listen just as He experienced.
Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. John 15:20

Paul said, ¹²We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; ¹³when we are slandered, we answer kindly. 1 Cor. 4:12:13

I’ve chosen to not give the satisfaction of answering the latest slanders because I choose not to escalate the discussion with those who are blinded by lies. That’s a lose/lose attempt and only gives them more of a platform. I can only pray that one day their eyes will open to the truth.

As an author myself, I know that authors write to a target audience with a purpose and focused message. I can’t imagine what kind of mind writes this smut for children. An author would have to have a sinister agenda and purpose to write books like these directed towards children. Their purpose is either pedophilia or grooming.

If you saw the movie Sound of Freedom, they really are coming for our children! I wrote a blog last year on November 8, 2021 by that very title They’re Coming for Our Children! We can’t stay silent.

Jesus didn’t say living the gospel-life would be easy. It’s often heartbreaking to see so many people championing evil as a “freedom” when we’re talking about innocent little minds and bodies. If you’re willing to take action in the schools and libraries in your area, I want to leave you with this tool.

Obscenity Law Defined: Supreme Court Defines Obscenity

Roth v. United States, 354 U.S. 476 (1957). Ruled on two criminal convictions for obscenity. The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the convictions, holding that obscene speech is not protected by the First Amendment. It further determined that the standard for obscenity is “whether, to the average person, applying contemporary community standards, the dominant theme of the material, taken as a whole, appeal to prurient interest. (Emphasis added)

Miller v. California, 413 U.S. 15 (1973), reaffirmed the Roth ruling. “In sum, we (a) reaffirm the Roth holding that obscene material is not protected by the First Amendment; (b) hold that such material can be regulated by the States, subject to the specific safeguards enunciated above, without a showing that the material is “utterly without redeeming social value”; and (c) hold that obscenity is to be determined by applying “contemporary community standards” not “national standards.” (Emphasis added)”

Where is God asking you to get involved?

[God] who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, 2 Tim. 1:9 NKJV

“Today is no random day. It’s a God-planned day for His devoted children.” Greater Purpose by David Jeremiah

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The middle picture is from Andrew D Griffin of Love Alive.

October 16, 2023

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Breaking Up Is Hard to Do!

I’m sure you’ve broken up with someone in your lifetime. Maybe you found someone you liked better. Or maybe you learned the person wasn’t who you thought they were. Or maybe they were even talking bad about you behind your back. Or just maybe you discovered your values were at odds with theirs and you weren’t willing to compromise on your values and morals.

On different occasions in my life, I’ve broken up for each of those reasons. When we become Christians, the Bible tells us clearly to leave the old life and ways behind and choose to follow Christ in our relationships, words, actions, thoughts, time, and money. It might even mean breaking off a close relationship because that other person is tempting and luring you to return to wicked ways you’ve already asked God to forgive you for and you don’t want to regress. You want to live a new life in Christ.

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Cor. 5:17 NLT

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. Rom. 6:6

Occasionally, God points out that something or someone has become an idol in our life. God warns us to have no other gods or idols before Him. We may need to break up or break away from anything that becomes more important to us than God or change our perspective and outlook on whatever is getting more of our attention than God is.

“You must not have any other god but me. ⁴“You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.” Ex. 20:3-4 NLT

Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 1 Cor. 10:14

Breakups are painful. Hard to do. Sometimes freeing. Other times grieving. But often something you know you need to do to honor Jesus and your witness for Him. God may want us to use our breakup as a wakeup call to others. That’s the message I’d like to share in the remainder of this blog.

We’ve all seen the impact consumers can have when the woke agenda attempts to normalize sin and sinful behavior. Before anyone starts calling me names, I proudly identify as a Bible-believing Christian. My identity is in Christ alone. I’m not “homophobic,” I’m sinphobic! I think I coined a new word since spellcheck doesn’t like it. Webster’s Dictionary describes phobic as “having an intolerance or aversion,” and that’s exactly how I feel about sin. Anyone’s sin, including my own. But especially when the media, government, fringe groups, and even some pastors try to tell me I should be “tolerant” of sin, I’m gonna say a resounding, “No Way!”

Jesus was NEVER tolerant of sin. He spent time with sinners with the sole goal and purpose of helping them turn away from their sin and repent, not to celebrate, party, and revel in their sin or impose it on others. Jesus gave His life on the cross to free us from sin, not parade sin in the streets, teach it in schools, or ignore it in churches. He told the woman at the well living in sin with her boyfriend and the woman caught in adultery, “Go and sin no more.” He went to Zacchaeus’ house and even to the Pharisees’ homes to share the truth with them in hopes some would be saved from their sinful, prideful lifestyle.

So that being said, here are a few breakups I’ve experienced with businesses who finance, support, encourage, and promote sin. Maybe you’ll want to break up with them too if you haven’t already. We can make a difference as we saw with what is now termed the “Bud Light” effect when the beer brand decided to make their mascot a lunatic and very sick man impersonating as a woman. Hubby and I don’t drink beer, but we cheered the effective reaction and response from the conservative population who support the way God created us as either a man or a woman and never the two shall exchange bodies!

Here’s Some of My Breakups and the Whys

#1 Breakup with Target-In 2004, the Target retail chain announced a new corporate policy that banned Salvation Army bell ringers and their collection kettles from Target storefronts. Next, they banned employees from saying “Merry Christmas.” Then slyly they stopped having separate areas for little boys’ and girls’ toys and bedding. Their woke agenda continued to get worse with a crescendo this year of placing obscene clothing in the front of their stores and next to the children’s section, even displaying alphabet mafia clothing for babies!!

That’s what happens when you take Christ out of Christmas; it’s a deep dive into hell. Needless, to say we broke up with Target many many years ago and have NEVER missed them!

#2 Breakup with Starbucks—My breakup with Starbucks was brought on by their huge financial support and endorsement of gay marriage. But that was only the beginning. They also support abortion, the alphabet sexual perversion, pronoun reassignment, gender mutilation and castration even of children, and the entire radical liberal agenda.

When we lived in California back in 2008, voters voted in Proposition 8, which “provides that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.” It passed 52% to 48%, by a margin of about 600,000 votes. The Protect Marriage campaign supporting Proposition 8 constantly invoked the “far-reaching consequences” of legal gay marriage, particularly the implication that school curriculums would be required to teach that gay marriage is “the same as traditional marriage.”

Pollster David Fleischer, in his analysis of the election results, found that the greatest shift toward “Yes” among undecided voters was “among parents with children under 18 living at home—many of them white Democrats,” who feared the effects of legal gay marriage on their children’s public education. Evangelicals and Republicans formed the core of Proposition 8’s support. Sadly, the people’s will was overturned and gay marriage was legalized.

What these parents feared most has become our reality today. The Biden Administration labels parents who protest the sexual/pornographic indoctrination of their children as domestic terrorists. Many Evangelicals and Republicans today seem defeated and fear speaking out against the cultural demise.

When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, Starbucks announced it would reimburse travel expenses for employees who “need” abortions and cannot get them within 100 miles of their homes. They also provide insurance coverage for mislabeled “gender-affirming care,” which is actually gender annihilation, and cover travel expenses for employees who don’t have access to this horrible atrocity near their homes.

One article said, “Starbuck’s customers and workers tend to be more liberal.”

I’ve been laughed and scoffed at when I compare Starbuck’s logo signs with Asherah poles from the Old Testament. But after my breakup with Starbucks, that’s how I see them. Like an idol, the Starbuck’s logo sign used to magnetically draw me to pay an insane price for a calorie-ridden cup of coffee! Now I see that sign and pray for everyone still deceived into throwing money at a company whose values are the opposite of God’s.

The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. They forgot about the Lord their God, and they served the images of Baal and the Asherah poles. Judges 3:7 NLT

Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. 1 John 5:21

#3 Breakup with Disney—I remember going to Disneyland as a child not long after it opened. I was so excited to take my daughter and then later her children to enjoy the “happiest place on earth!” Tragically, they’ve become the wokest place on earth with their corporate executives caught on video saying their goal is to include as much of the DEI and satanic agenda as possible by rewriting beloved children’s movies to depict gay, trans, morally sick people.

“Diversity” is a word you hear repeatedly along with “inclusive” and yet they now exclude conservatives, Christians, and godly values in all their movies and disgusting remakes of old favorites.

Diverse has become perverse!

#4 Breakup with Kohl’s—I was never much of a Kohl’s shopper, but like Target, they support the alphabet sexual agenda, especially during June.

#5 Breakup with Bed Bath and Beyond—I enjoyed this store because it didn’t matter how old the coupon, they would take it. Then they showed their true liberal loyalty by canceling Mike Lindell’s line of My Pillow because he was questioning the 2020 election. We stopped shopping at BB&B and threw away the coupons.

#6 Breakup with Maybelline— When they had a bearded man as a model for their makeup!

#7 Breakup with Fred Meyer/Kroger—Of all our breakups, this one is by far the hardest. We live in the mountains of Idaho over an hour away from major shopping. So, when we go down the hill to Boise, we appreciate one-stop shopping where we can get most of our needs from food to housewares, pharmacy and clothes. For twelve years, Fred Meyer was that store for us. We took advantage of their digital coupons, savings on gas, first Tuesday of the month and every Tuesday in December savings for seniors, and savings for Veterans on the 3^rd Thursday of the month.

This is an extremely painful breakup for both of us. Here’s why we’re parting ways with our treasured Fred Meyer and all Kroger products, since Kroger merged with Fred Meyer. You may have a Kroger store with a different name than Fred Meyer.

The gay, trans, alphabet “pride parade” and “celebration” of their sinful and perverted way of life not only dominated the month of June in Boise, Idaho’s Capitol, but because of Covid last year, they moved their parade and festival to the second weekend in September. When I got home from our church Women’s Retreat that same weekend, my daughter told me what took place in Boise. First, she sent a picture of the Fred Meyer float with children on it, then the heartbreaking photo that Fred Meyer not only participated in the parade, they also actually put it on!

This year’s parade title was “The 2023 Fred Meyer Pride Parade.” The parade was at 9:30 Sunday morning, I imagine so Christians would be in church and not protesting this debauchery.

Mad and grieving, I dashed off two emails to Fred Meyer corporate. The only response was an automatic form email confirming they had received my “valued customer” comments. I don’t feel like a valued customer. I feel like a betrayed ex-customer!

#9 Breakup with Walmart, Albertsons, and Wells Fargo—We seldom shop at Walmart, but they were a sponsor of the Boise pride parade as was Wells Fargo where we had already closed my ministry account many years ago when they went liberal woke. I don’t shop at Albertsons, but they also had a float in the parade.

What Does a Breakup Accomplish?

When God told Abraham that He was going to destroy his nephew Lot’s town of Sodom and Gomorrah because of their horrible sin, Abraham asked God if He would spare it if there were 10 righteous men. God said He would. But the night before Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed, two male angels came to Lot’s house and a group of despicable men surrounded the house demanding Lot send those men outside so they could have sex with them. Do you remember that? Sexual perverted sin has been going on since the beginning of time, but never in my lifetime was sin celebrated in the streets until now.

The picture opening this blog is not when Obama lit up the White House for the legalization of gay marriage. No, it’s the Boise Capitol during the September Fred Meyer pride event on Friday night September 8^th and Saturday September 9^th. Since it was illegal to have the lights on government property, they solicited donner money to set up lights across the street and shine them on our beautiful Capitol. That should’ve been illegal too!

My blood pressure is rising and tears flowing just writing about this. We must have more than 10 righteous people in Boise because God has allowed us to remain a red conservative state, but how long Lord will You wait for those righteous people to take a stand against this evil? People used to try to hide their sin, but the current culture wants to flaunt their sin and force people to accept and embrace it. Indoctrinate our children.

Gay marriage was only the beginning and would never be enough. When Satan gets a foothold, he never stops.

Why do you boast about your crimes, great warrior? Don’t you realize God’s justice continues forever? All day long you plot destruction. Your tongue cuts like a sharp razor; you’re an expert at telling lies. ³You love evil more than good and lies more than truth. Ps. 52:1-3 NLT

I want you all to remember what the Bible says in Romans 1:24-28 NLT

²⁴Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. ²⁵They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

²⁶Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. ²⁷In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

²⁸Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.

You may think I’m being too extreme, but God is watching where we spend our money and what we’re supporting. We can’t tithe on Sunday, proudly give to missionaries, and then throw money at businesses whose values are the opposite of ours because it’s more convenient or we like the products. That goes for our investments too! We must be good stewards of what God gives us. He’s watching. He knows. Do we speak one thing and do another?

As a cohesive likeminded group, we can make a difference. Many of the companies I listed, and others, are either going bankrupt or losing billions of dollars from conservative consumer pushback. When a restaurant in Boise was having drag brunches, I wrote about it and even stood up in church and told the congregation what was happening at this Italian restaurant. That restaurant is now closed.

If you’re thinking these breakups are unloving, 1 Corinthians 13:6 reminds us, “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” When we know the truth, we have no excuse for not living it. God will keep us accountable.

Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Phil. 2:1-2 NLT

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September 18, 2023

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When Brave Choices Regarding Our Children are Hard!

When I was writing Everyday Brave: Living Courageously as a Woman of Faith, I chose “Brave Choices” as the chapter to feature Jochebed, the mother of Moses. We know how terrible our culture is for children today, but when Moses was born, Pharaoh was demanding the murder of all newborn baby boys. Parents and children have been the object of satanic attack since the beginning of time.

Today, we have our government calling parents domestic terrorists for trying to protect their children from Marxist propaganda and perverted sexual grooming in schools. In some cases, those parents have been falsely labeled, targeted, canceled, and even lost their job, as one California mother experienced. Even still she says, “It’s been tremendously stressful, absolutely devastating to my family … Hopefully people will be inspired to just be courageous and strong and supportive of each other. And it’ll inspire parents to stand up for their children and come together as a community to not let cancel culture happen to anyone else.”

Marxists are running the American Library Association and pornographic books are considered curriculum in schools. Emergency room visits by children and youth with mental and behavioral health emergencies in the United States have been increasing over the last decade with an increased prevalence of depression and suicide.

Parents and grandparents can relate to Jochebed when they send their kids out the door to school not knowing what harm might come to them physically or mentally. Imagine Jochebed’s angst when she was making her legendary brave choice. As she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, her heart twisted in turmoil: the joy of a new mother competing with fear for his life. Egyptian Pharaoh, observing the Israelites were multiplying too fast for his comfort, had commanded the killing of every Levite baby boy upon delivery.

Fortunately for Jochebed and Moses, the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, feared God more than Pharaoh and made the brave choice to defy Pharoah’s death command; “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” (Ex. 1:16) Selective infanticide even back then.

How the midwives must have feared for their own lives when the dreaded Pharaoh summoned them and angrily demanded to know why they were letting the baby boys live. Without wavering or hesitancy, they calmly answered that the Hebrew women were much stronger than Egyptian women were and they delivered before the midwives arrived. These two women risked their own lives to save lives. Discovery of their secret would surely result in punishment or even death. Instead, God blessed their courage and grit, “So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous.” (Ex. 1:2)

God also caused Pharaoh to believe them so the king decided to take matters into his own hands by sending his soldiers to locate and drown newborn Hebrew males in the Nile River. Jochebed trembled with trepidation hearing the wails and screams of new mothers as soldiers ripped infant boys from their arms and mercilessly drowned the crying babies.

Jochebed and her husband Amram cried out to God to spare their precious son and trusted God to answer. For three months, she nursed and tended to her baby, while trying to muffle his cries and coos and cautioning her two older children, Miriam and Aaron, not to tell anyone about their new baby brother.

When she could no longer hide her baby, Jochebed resolutely wove together a basket to keep him safe from the flowing waters, swaddled him in a blanket, nestled him in the basket, and prayed as she tearfully slipped him into the Nile to float downstream, not knowing his ultimate fate. Would God protect her precious baby? Would the soldiers discover him? A mother’s distraught tears—a heart-wrenching choice.

Living Everyday Brave!

In an article titled, “Living Every Day Brave,” Rachel Linden wrote, “Today I am choosing to be every day brave. What does that mean, you may ask? In essence, every day brave means choosing courage in the face of challenge. Believing that on the other side of fear is something better. It means embracing bravery as a mantra, a habit, a way of life, and embracing it every single day.”

Some choices are easy, but others not so much. While vacillating between options, we’re often weighing the effect of our choice on ourselves or someone else. Sometimes, we have to dig deep to find the courage to make a hard choice . . . a brave choice we may not want to make, especially when it comes to our children.

In Putting the Basket in the Water: Trusting God in the Next Phase of Your Child’s Life, children’s teacher and author Ashlei Woods wrote:

“There comes a time – many times, actually – in the lives of our children where we have to put the basket in the water. We have to let go and trust the plan of the Father. The world is a scary place – a place where we fear our children could drown. But we must remember that we have to let go so that God can draw them from the waters for His great purpose. He has called us to be their parents, but they were His first.

My friend, whatever water you may be getting ready to put your basket into – remember that you have to put them in the water for God to draw them out and place them into His perfect plan. Though you might not be physically present with your child as much during the next phase of life, you can always petition the heart of the Father on their behalf.”

Susan Reinhardt commented on Facebook about Ashlei’s quote above, “I need this message again and again, reminder after reminder. The “water” grows much more tumultuous every day and can be terrifying, especially since I now have grandchildren to pray for as the world’s agenda is to own their souls. Praying, praying, praying!”

Susan has the answer for all of us with children or grandchildren heading off to school this year as the schoolroom turns into a political and spiritual battleground. As I was writing this blog, I came across an Op-ed by Jeannie Cunnion, “I’m a mom who left it all on the field raising my sons and I can’t stop smiling and crying.” The subtitle is “God was our coach and our leader, but now it’s time for my son to move on to college.” As the Lord led me to read this article about a mom sending her firstborn off to college, putting the basket in the water if you will, Cunnion shared why like Moses’ mother she could let the basket go with confidence. Here’s what she said:

“I know this: What I get right and what I get wrong does not determine who my child becomes. Yes, I play a vital role in his life. My words and actions matter greatly. But God’s sovereignty over my son’s life supersedes my significance in his life. What I’ve done is significant. But what God can do is supreme. And His wild grace covers us both!

But more than anything, God was our coach. He’s our leader and He held us together. And for all the things I got wrong, this is one thing I got right – I left it all on the field and I entrusted the outcome of our effort to God. I trusted God with the son He entrusted to me. God knows what my son needs in this next season. He loves my son in ways I can’t comprehend. He has a plan for my son that is better and bigger than what I often felt pressure to orchestrate for him.”

Our Children and Grandchildren Need to be Prepared to Make Brave Choices

God lets us all make our own choices, yes even our children and grandchildren. They have free will, but we as parents and grandparents can make the decision to ask God that they would follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance. S. Hawkins writes in his devotional The Believer’s Code, “An amazing aspect of God’s love for us is the fact that He gives us choices. We are not His puppets . . . . He loves you so much that He allows you to make choices in life. While most of the choices are small, some have the potential to be life-altering.” It’s those life-altering choices that keep us on our knees for our children and grandchildren.

They are His creation, made in His image, but he will not force then to remember that or to make choices according to His will or His commandments. That’s the hardest part in letting go. Some choices could change the trajectory of their life and that’s what scares us, but Janet Denison wrote in an article in Christian Parenting, Push the Basket from the Shore, the following wise advice for every parent and grandparent: “Put the basket in the water—then push!”

“Congratulations to all of you who had to put your babies in a basket for the first time and especially for that last time. Pray that they will row in God’s directions instead of anyone else’s—even yours. Pray that they will serve God and become who he has called them to be. Look forward to watching them achieve their [Jeremiah] 29:11 life.”

“How did Moses’ mom ever place her baby in that basket and shove it in the direction of Pharaoh’s house? It was impossibly difficult, but she wanted her boy to live.

You will bless your kids if you follow her example. And, chances are, they will bless you in return. The baby Moses grew to become the man God used to save the children of Israel from slavery. Weave the baskets, put them in the water, and equip them for their journey. Then give them your blessing as they shove off from the shore. It’s not easy, but it’s the right thing—actually, the ‘God-thing—to do.”

I would add though that we as parents and grandparents must continue the battle to bring God back into our schools and actively do our part in preventing Satan from using public schools to indoctrinate our children. I read a great meme “It’s not about who is right and who is wrong. It’s about what is right!” We should all be fighting for God’s definition of right to prevail against opposition from those who are trying to turn our culture into Sodom and Gomorrah. It didn’t turn out well then and it won’t now either.

Please leave a comment here. I appreciate your thoughts and always reply.

*Portions of this blog were excerpts from Everyday Brave: Living Courageously as a Woman of Faith.

August 21, 2023

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Loving God and America is “Dangerous” in 2023!

People come and go over the generations, but demons remain the same from the days of Noah, Elijah, Ahab, Jezebel, and Jesus until today.

Satan is real and his army of demons are continually at war with God’s people. Jesus dealt with demons that understood His true identity and obeyed His command. He cast out demons from a man with an impure spirit – “My name is Legion; for we are many” – into a herd of pigs that rushed over a steep bank into a lake and drowned (Mark 5:1-13).

Author, Lit. Col. Robert Maginnis (ret.) writes in an opinion article, “Today, Satan’s demonic army is very active. They manifest themselves through various practices such as divination, witchcraft, channeling and wizardry (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). They deceive, attack the human mind with the intent of control, and they leverage power to take captive people, especially the prominent.” The Scripture Maginnis refers to here also says in verse 10, “never sacrifice your son or daughter”!

Hal Lindsey reminds us that, “Like it or not, we live in a war zone. Bombs of deceit, violence, and rage explode all around us. This spiritual war is not hypothetical, and it is not a metaphor. It is a real war with real casualties and real collateral damage. But a spiritual war is not to be fought with guns, fists, or missiles.”

Just like Jesus doesn’t change, neither does Satan. That’s hard to hear and accept, but it’s true. Satan’s goal is the same as it’s always been to tempt, deceive, and destroy God’s created people with sinful and evil practices and choices.

I encourage you to listen to a podcast with Charlie Kirk and Pastor Mark Driscoll. Pastor Driscoll’s recent book New Days, Old Demons: Ancient Paganism Masquerading as Progressive Christianity, describes how the entire apparatus of modern wokeness—transgenderism, child mutilation, abortion, even drag queens—is simply a repeat of themes from the Old Testament starting with Ahab and his evil immoral wife Jezebel, whose evil ways passed down from Genesis to current times.

There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. 1 Kings 21:25

In the podcast, Driscoll explains that the Bible doesn’t just retell what happened in the past, but forecasts what will always happen in the future. The same political and cultural issues chronicled in 1^st and 2^nd Kings are the evil issues we see in our culture and politics today. Progressive, woke, soft-woke Christianity / pastors are rooted in the same demonic realm.

If we tolerate evil demonic forces, they will dominate! Jesus told the Church in Thyatira in Revelations 2:20-21, “But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman—that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet—to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols. ²¹I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. Rev. 2:20-21

Praise God there are spiritual warriors amongst us today who aren’t afraid of the demonic principalities coming against them because these men and women of faith allow the Holy Spirit to guide and lead them. I want to highlight two mighty warriors for God who understand that Satan and his demons work through men and women blinded by evil who want to replace God with government. These men of valor are saying not on our watch!

I hope you stand with them and me in agreement. Even though we don’t have the platforms of these two courageous Christians, and many others, we can support them in prayer, encouragement, and however the Lord leads you.

Two Modern-Day Spiritual Warriors

The first Christian warrior I’m going to discuss is Sean Feucht because he made national news right here in my home state of Idaho when he brought his Kingdom to the Capitol tour to Boise and received demonic pushback. This isn’t the first time it’s happened to Sean, but it became big news because Idaho is considered a red, conservative, Republican-dominated state. Beware: that position isn’t guaranteed nor is it one we can rely upon complacently as evidenced to what happened to Feucht here in my beloved Idaho where Sean was called “dangerous” by the local newspaper, The Statesmen, for daring to bring God and worship to the steps of the Capitol.

You can read the entire news coverage with details here “Christian singer mocks Idaho newspaper calling worship gathering ‘dangerous.’ ‘Good news is that God wins’. But a synopsis is that ahead of his scheduled stop in Boise, the Idaho Statesman’s editorial board wrote an opinion article attacking Feucht and his allies as “dangerous activists” and “charlatans” “who want to inject their brand of Christianity into government.” The Idaho Statesman’s article spewed the following hate propaganda . . .

“Feucht and his group are playing on the same, tired, worn-out, BS, far-right ‘fears’ that evildoers on the Left are coming for your children, through the schools, through the libraries, at Pride festivals and drag shows,” the opinion piece read. While conceding that his “hate speech” was protected under the First Amendment, the editorial board warned it was still “dangerous.” “The danger comes when these groups impose their religious views on others and inject church into the state through the power of government, as we’ve already seen in Idaho through the most restrictive abortion ban in the country, attempts to put a bounty on libraries and bans on gender-affirming care for transgender youth. No one is telling these groups to abandon their religious beliefs. We’re just telling them to keep their religion in their church and out of our government.”

The Statesman doesn’t think using the power of government to kill innocent babies in the womb, sexually mutilate and castrate children, and allow the teaching of perverse sex in schools is “dangerous,” only biblical principles are “dangerous.”

If you read the full hit job in the Statesman titled “Keep Your religions out of our government. Dangerous activists coming to Idaho Capitol,” you’ll see that a group of “faith leaders” in the Northwest (Feucht went to Olympia WA and Salem OR Capitols before coming to Boise) sent a letter to legislative leaders to denounce “the appearance of these faith peddlers, whose views are full of hate.” Here’s an excerpt from these so-called “faith leaders” who must’ve all gone woke to protest Christian worship at Capitols and reject biblical principles!

Here’s an excerpt from the letter: “As faith leaders in the cities of Salem, Olympia and Boise, we are writing to inform you of an anti-LGBTQ+ speaker coming to each of our state capital cities this week and ask you to speak out against anti-LGBTQ+ bigotry,” the faith leaders wrote in a letter to state legislative leaders. The letter from the ‘faith leaders’ continued: “Sean Feucht has spent the past year capitalizing on anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments by railing against Pride Month, even embracing the exclusionary label of ‘Christian nationalist,’ and declaring that people with his narrow view of Christian theology should make all laws in the United States. “We reject these attempts to cloak bigotry in religious language, and we ask you to do the same.”

Sean Feucht’s response:

“It’s all part of the King coming back,” Feucht said at an event in Tulsa, Oklahoma. “That’s what we’re practicing for. That’s why hell hates that we’re worshiping at every Capitol across America. That’s why we get called, ‘Well, you’re Christian nationalists.’”

Feucht understands why his Christian beliefs cause friction. “When you’re doing something BIG for the kingdom of God, the opposition is LITERALLY Satan. The good news is that GOD WINS,” he wrote on Twitter, after Satanist counter-protesters showed up to the Boise event.

“I don’t begrudge the Statesman for what they wrote—they are well within their Constitutional right. We both exercised our rights under the same amendment. What they wrote is not so much a critique of the Let Us Worship Movement as it was a shameless plug for the LGBTQ agenda. To stand on the Bible is dangerous in the year 2023, especially when that truth conflicts with the LGTBQ agenda,” he wrote.

He also tweeted: More than 12,000 “dangerous” God-fearing, America loving worshippers flooded the capitols in Washington, Oregon & Idaho! Thank every one of you for TAKING A STAND for Jesus in your state!

In another satirical tweet mocking the media article and protesters, Sean wrote: “Beware! Kids singing with flags! Hurry up and ban flag waving DANGEROUS Christian kids from the capitol before someone gets hurt!”

On a Facebook post he wrote: “’He who sits in the heavens laughs.’ Sometimes you gotta just laugh at the enemies pathetic attempts to stop the spread of an unstoppable kingdom. He’s weak. He’s lost. He’s got no new tricks. PRO TIP FOR 2023: Laugh your way through victorious living.”

Sean mocked those trying to mock God! He uses humor to combat their vicious attacks and he always prays that some of the Satanists, abortion-rights protesters, LGBQT mafia, and media find salvation at his worship events. He’s reported that many have come to accept the Jesus they initially came to denounce. Still, he concedes, “To stand on the Bible is dangerous in the year 2023.”

As protestors and satanists yelled profanities the entire two hours the Boise Capitol allowed the worship event, Sean’s team passed out individual communion packets. The entire worshipping crowd took communion together with Sean on his knees in front of the Capitol declaring the blood of Jesus over the building and the city. The worshippers did a joy dance around the Boise Capitol and Sean rang the Freedom Bell he said was the first one he’d seen accessible at a Capitol. Then he sang a song about freedom. “I can hear those Liberty Bells rattling rattling the gates of hell. I can hear those Liberty Bells ringing ringing. It’s the sound of freedom. The gates of hell will not prevail!”

The only way to fight satanic demonic spirits is with the Spirit of the Lord, which Sean and many of us “dangerous Christians” fully understand. For more information about Sean’s Let Us Worship Ministry go to his website and learn when he’s coming to your Capitol or city.

The second Christian activist I want to highlight is actor/author Kirk Cameron who has several faith-based children’s books published by Brave Books. Cameron has been trying to host faith-based story readings for children at libraries to counter drag queen story readings and receiving pushback initially having 50 libraries prevent him from coming. He sent them all letters asking them to reconsider and many did, but he’s also had to contend with drag queens, Satanists, and trans people showing up to harass him and the audience of parents and children.

In spite of the attacks, Cameron pushed forward and declared August 5 to be a See You at The Library national event with over 300 libraries across the country booked by everyday patriotic people to read books to children that cherish family, faith, and patriotism. Kirk says he’s “passing the baton to the people.”

But two days before Kirk and Riley Gaines were to read books to children and families on August 5th in another so-called red state at the Huntsville Alabama Library coordinated by Moms for Liberty, the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library System said it would no longer accommodate the book-reading event “due to concerns about logistics and security” as popularity for the event grew.

Cameron and Brave Books used law firm First Liberty Institute to send a letter saying it was “prepared to vindicate this violation of our client’s civil rights in court,” as a discrimination against religious groups. The library reversed course and allowed the book reading limited to 225 attendees and the police restrained 100 protestors outside.

“We must stand our ground and fight for our public institutions,” Brave Books CEO Trent Talbot said. “The foe we fail to meet at the gate in our own generation is the foe we let into the city for the next.”

Cameron said, “I believe this reconciliation between us and the Madison Public Library is a testimony to the strength and power of moms and dads gathering in prayer for the blessing of their community. Both sides rose to a higher ethic than we often see in today’s polarized society.” He also said, “By seeking the common good and love for our neighbor, we found a solution … See you at the library!”

Gaines said, “We’ve seen this before. The library has come up with an excuse to prevent us from sharing wholesome messages to children and their families because they don’t want to be associated with it.” She added, “The people have shown they want to attend this event and to support the mission of Brave Books. Situations like this embolden activists and ANTIFA. She also said, “I’m happy to say the event now a go again, and we will continue forward with full force! It’s times like this where we must stand our ground as conservatives but more importantly as Christians.”

Here’s an alarming fact. Brave Books uncovered a video discussed in an interview with Cameron where the federally funded American Library Association headquartered in Chicago teaches librarians specifically how to stop Kirk Cameron from coming to their library! The methods included permitting rooms to be booked only by local library cardholders as well as offering “alternative,” diverse programming on Saturday at the same time as the “See You at the Library” events. An ALA executive, in a live-streamed presentation suggested that members hold a “library-sponsored Pride festival the same day and fill the library with rainbows” to share messages of “inclusion and diversity.”

Yet the ALA has no problem with drag men reading to and sexually gyrating in front of children in their libraries. That’s demonic!

Be Dangerous for Jesus!

It’s true that the Bible, Christians, and Christianity are dangerous to Satan, demons, and all forms of evil! That’s why the Lord tells us “¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Eph. 6:12

Just like God created earth with a physical and spiritual realm, He created humans with an earthly body, soul, and spirit. We take great care of our physical bodies but can neglect that we have a choice as to the spirit that resides inside us. Either the Holy Spirit or a demonic spirit will take residence in our heart. THERE’S NO OTHER CHOICES. NO NEUTRAL.

We see the spiritual forces of evil manifested in our culture, government, laws, schools, libraries, medicine, and people who consider God dangerous. What they’re saying is that to them Satan is safe.

Lord, help the deceived understand that heaven and hell are as real as God and Satan.

The teaching of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand. Ps. 119:113 NLT

If you haven’t seen my July newsletter, I encourage you to read the opening article 4 Prayers Asking God for a Hedge of Protection. Here’s the link.

I love to read your thoughts. Please leave a comment on the website blog and I’ll reply.

*The opening picture is of Sean Feucht’s worship team and the worshippers in front of the Boise Capitol on July 30, 2023. I hope it wasn’t too big, but I wanted you to get the full effect.

August 7, 2023

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She also posts her Mission Statement. Do you have a mission statement for your life like this one?

Philippians 3:10-Matthew 6:33-Isaiah 58:12

How Did This Injustice Happen?

Why Aren’t All Christians Voting to Keep America a Godly Nation?

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Satan is Targeting Children!

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Children Are A Gift From God

Lee Ann Mancini Wants to Help Parents!

An Overview of the Treasures Found in Raising Kids to Follow Christ.

About Lee Ann Mancini

Why Fast?

Examples of Fasting and Prayer in the Old Testament When Seeking God’s Intervention for Their Nation

Examples of Fasting and Prayer in the New Testament.

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The Thompsons 2024 Fast

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Update on Our Local Library

Make This Thanksgiving a Wake-up Call in Our Life and Families

My Recent Getting Involved Experience

Applause and Assaulted

Here’s Some of My Breakups and the Whys

What Does a Breakup Accomplish?

Living Everyday Brave!

Our Children and Grandchildren Need to be Prepared to Make Brave Choices

Two Modern-Day Spiritual Warriors

Be Dangerous for Jesus!

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