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Growing Prosperity – Generosity is Like the Secret Sauce of the Abundant Life!

Growing Prosperity – Generosity is Like the Secret Sauce of the Abundant Life!

How to Virtually Guarantee You Will Experience Growing Prosperity?

Growing prosperity will flourish when generosity is a daily part of life.

Generosity is like the secret sauce of an abundant life because it causes a person to receive more than they give…

Sound impossible?

It is said that the two greatest motivating forces in a person’s life are their desire for gain and their fear of loss. Generosity directly affects both.

Generosity Equals Growing Prosperity

If there was something you could do to virtually guarantee you would never lack for your physical needs, and that you would experience growing prosperity, would you want to know what it is? Well good news, because that something is available to you today. All you have to do is to become truly generous.

The wise Solomon tells us that if we are generous we will never lack for anything, but every true need will be provided and we will have growing prosperity. (Proverbs 11:24-25)

A generous person readily and freely gives a considerable portion of what they have to meet the needs of others and they do so without any expectation of getting something in return. And being generous isn’t just limited to financial and material generosity. It is actually about meeting the real needs of others, regardless of whether it is with your finances, actions, or emotional help.

Too many people think they have to be rich before they can be generous. But this is simply not true. We all have something to give, such as; time, kind words, thoughtfulness, and considerate acts.

Additional Benefits of Generosity

Generosity is one of the most admired characteristics anyone can express. Think about the business man who donates large amounts to charity, or the child who gives his hard-earned allowance to a disaster relief, or the elderly woman who freely gives a portion of what little food she has to a food drive. We appreciate and admire their generous giving.

However, appreciation and admiration are not the only benefits of generosity. A generous person will experience heartfelt joy when they help meet the needs of others. They will be happier and find that just as they refresh others, they too are refreshed. Their own needs will be abundantly supplied for.

“There is one who scatters, yet increases more;
And there is one who withholds more than is right,
But it leads to poverty.
The generous soul will be made rich,
And he who waters will also be watered himself.”
— Proverbs 11:24-25

What about those who are not generous? Well the same proverb previously mentioned says they will fall into poverty. This could be financial or material poverty, or emotional poverty. They tend to never be satisfied with what they have and continually need more.

Why not choose to develop your generous side? Generosity begins in the heart and is expressed through action. Extending generosity to others is a win-win situation. As you willingly bless others, watch as your own needs are abundantly supplied for in life.

May you be generous always and enjoy growing prosperity!

Be blessed to be a blessing –

Cheers,
Brenda

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Help Me! How on Earth Do I Know What God’s Purpose and Will is for My Life?

Help Me! How on Earth Do I Know What God’s Purpose and Will is for My Life?

Knowing God’s Will and God’s Purpose for Your Life

Who, at some point, hasn’t asked:

“What is God’s plan and purpose for my life?”

We sooner or later reach a time in life when we find our self questioning why we are here. We come to a point of knowing, deep inside, that there must be something more God would have for us to do with our lives.

Well, how can you know the will of God and what you should do with your life? Good question. And it all starts with the Word of God, since God’s Word is God’s will.

Knowing God’s General Will

The Bible teaches us how to live our lives. It is filled with instructions and directions and it reveals God’s general will for all of us. So, first and foremost, we need to get into God’s Word so that we can know what He wants from us. His Word is very powerful and will guide us.

Here are just a couple examples:

“Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” — Romans 12:1-2

“Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

God’s will for man is not a hidden mystery. Anyone can open the Book and quickly see many things that God wants them to do (and not do). The chief aim and purpose of our lives should be to live according to His revealed will.

Knowing God’s Specific Will

Now you might be asking, “How do I know God’s specific plan for my life?” People often want God to tell them specifically what to do; like where to live, where to work, where to go to school, who to marry, etcetera.

Well, God can show us in many different ways. A loud, audible voice from heaven is not required, but listening to that still, small voice is. God has given us the Holy Spirit for guidance. The Spirit of truth is here to guide us into all truth. (John 16:13)

God can also direct us, through the events happening around us.  And if we are already living daily according to God’s revealed will, decisions will be much clearer and easier to make. There is a peace that comes when we are pleasing God with our lives.

To get answers, we also need to pray and ask for God’s help and direction. When deciding between two options, the one that brings a greater peace is usually God’s will. Emotions sometimes create a false peace, but true peace will remain even after emotions fall.

Keep in mind: God allows us to make choices, but He is ultimately in control. We should trust Him always in faith that He will accomplish His will in our lives.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” — Proverbs 3:5-6

Plus, questions we should be asking are, “Am I doing this for me or for God?  Is this what I want or what God wants?”  The key is to desire to make choices that agree with God’s will. If a decision does not go against the Word of God, then we can follow our heart.

“It was the Lord who put it into my mind… I could feel His hand upon me… There is no question the inspiration was from the Holy Spirit because He comforted me with rays of marvelous illumination from the Holy Scriptures… No one should fear to undertake any task in the name of our Savior if it is just and if the intention is purely for His holy service.” 
— Christopher Columbus (from his diary, in reference to his discovery of ‘the New World’)

Created with a Purpose

God does have great plans for your life! You were created by God, in His image, for a purpose. (Jeremiah 29:11) We have all been given unique gifts and talents. And just like our physical body is made up of many different parts, all unique, and all important to having a fully functioning body; so it is with the body of Christ.

Your gifts and talents have been given to you so you can be a blessing to the kingdom of God and make a positive contribution in life. So step out and act on the revealed knowledge you have already been given and use the talents you already have.

Then trust God to reveal more to you after you are faithful first in the little. Be confident that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion. (Philippians 1:6) God’s purpose for all is that He is glorified and the gospel and kingdom of God be advanced.

In Conclusion: The wise king Solomon tells us the conclusion of the whole matter and duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments. (Ecclesiastes 12:13) He also encourages us to enjoy life and be happy with our work. Keep the Word of God your foundation and watch His great plan revealed before your very eyes. God is for you and He will help you.

May you seek first the kingdom of God and live a life full of growing prosperity!

God bless you,
Brenda

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Self-Esteem – 7 Ways to Live With Bold Confidence

Self-Esteem – 7 Ways to Live With Bold Confidence

Transform Yourself Into a Shining Success!

Healthy self-esteem and bold confidence,

when put to work in your life…

have transforming power to make you a shining success.

Have you been living with intimidation, self-doubt, anxiety, fear, and rejection? If so, then you know it is time to change the insecurity into security.

Do yourself a favor and take a little time to focus on some ways you can overcome those negative, unwanted traits you’ve been carrying around for way too long.

7 Ways to Help You Live With Bold Confidence:

1.) CHOOSE TO RISE ABOVE

Make a commitment to yourself today, to begin overcoming the weaknesses and inadequacies you’ve been dealing with. Even though it will take hard work and you are bound to mess up along the way, make a conscious decision to keep pressing on and rising above. You are worth it!

2.) SPEND TIME WITH ENCOURAGERS

Be cautious who you spend time with. Your relationships are a key factor in overcoming a low self-esteem.  Choose to spend time with encouragers. Regardless of your past, you can have healthy relationships.

“He that walks with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” 
— Proverbs 13:20

3.) SHIFT YOUR FOCUS ON OTHERS

There is a great empowerment that comes from shifting your focus off yourself and on to others. It is easy to keep our minds focused on our own problems, fears, and insecurities. But this only intensifies them. Look around at someone struggling and reach out to lend a hand. True peace comes from giving.

4.) MAKE YOUR POSITIVE THOUGHTS RULE

Keep your mind filled with positive, empowering, confidence building, and happy thoughts. Overcoming a negative, and weak self-image is going to require that you eliminate those self-defeating thoughts. Squeeze them out of your mind by replacing them with healthy, confident thoughts.

Remember, God is not the one who gave you a spirit of fear. He gave you a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind! (2 Timothy 1:7)

5.) LEAVE THE PAIN IN THE PAST

Do not waste any more time replaying painful, embarrassing, or intimidating experiences from your past. This keeps you stuck and prevents you from walking into the future with the bold confidence needed to succeed. You do not have to let others (or past memories) cause you to lack confidence and live with insecurity.

Forgive anyone that has hurt you, and forgive yourself while you are at it. Then put the painful past behind you and face your future with strong confidence.

6.) TRUST GOD

God has a good plan for our lives. If we spend our lives trusting in ourselves and other people, the result is disappointment after disappointment. We need to put our trust in God and let him guide us. He is the one that will give us the desires of our heart. (Psalm 37:3-6)

7.) TALK CONFIDENCE

Just like it is vital to your self-esteem to get control of your thoughts, the same is true of your words. What are you saying about yourself? Do you make self-defeating confessions such as: ‘I am so ugly,’ ‘I am such a loser,’ ‘I am worthless,’ ‘I am stupid,’ ‘I never do anything right,’ etcetera?

The words we speak have power to affect us for the good or bad. Use this knowledge to empower yourself with confidence building confessions. It does not matter if you or others have spoken negative, curses over your life; you now have the choice to speak positive, encouraging, faith-filled words.

“In all things I am more than a conqueror through Him that loved me.” 
— Romans 8:37

Your next step? Make the decision to begin applying these seven steps to help you conquer low self-esteem, intimidation, fear, and insecurity. Encourage yourself and refuse to give up. God says you are a victor and you really can be all that God has called you to be. You can live with bold confidence and transform yourself into a shining success.

May you live empowered with bold confidence and enjoy a life of growing prosperity!

Soar higher in Him –

God bless you,
Brenda

P.S. Do you have any additions for this list? Feel free to share…

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Empowerment – How to Ramp Up Your Confidence and Put an End to Fear and Anxiety!

Empowerment – How to Ramp Up Your Confidence and Put an End to Fear and Anxiety!

Start Tapping Into Your Full Potential

Empower yourself with bold confidence.

Do not let the fear factor paralyze your potential. Fear works to ruin lives. It makes us withdraw and turn away from our dreams. It eats away our confidence and self-esteem. It holds us back from reaching our potential.

Dale Carnegie said, “You can conquer almost any fear if you will only make up your mind to do so. For remember, fear doesn’t exist anywhere except in the mind.”

Doing it Afraid

Have you had so much fear and anxiety in your life for so long now, that you can’t see how you can ever be free from it?

Well, you can shake loose the powerful hold it has over you by facing it head on. Each time you boldly confront fear; you squash it smaller and smaller and empower yourself with confidence.

Courage is required to face those things we fear the most. No doubt it is not easy to break the negative stronghold fear sets up in our life. But it can be done by taking steps forward and doing it afraid.

Remember, fear causes us to turn away from our dreams and goals. So each time you courageously take a step forward toward your goals and act even in the midst of fear, you begin to squash your fears and build your confidence.

Empowering Faith

Faith provides the confidence to be a success. Fear, on the other hand, is the source of worry, anxiety, depression, and other tormenting emotions.

What can we do to help prevent fear in the first place? We can look to God and trust in His faithfulness and be confident that He will help us. The person who trusts in God has confidence that God will work all things together for good. (Romans 8:28)

Faith empowers us with confidence and gives us boldness to act in the midst of fear.

“We may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me.” 
— Hebrews 13:6

Faith brings a supernatural peace that allows us to enjoy life with confidence and free from the torment of fear. God says He did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)

Put this to the test right away. Call on God to help ramp up your confidence; so you can put an end to fear and anxiety. Hold onto strong faith and begin to replace your fears with confidence and watch what God can do!

May you enjoy a life empowered with faith filled confidence and growing prosperity!

Soar Higher –

God bless you,
Brenda

P.S. Do you have any fears that God has helped you conquer? If so, feel free to leave a comment and share… we’d love to hear…

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Spiritual Warfare – How Can the Belt of Truth Stop Fear from Opening the Door to Trouble?

Spiritual Warfare – How Can the Belt of Truth Stop Fear from Opening the Door to Trouble?

Let the Truth of God’s Goodness Put a Stop to Fear

Spiritual warfare requires understanding the truth that…

God is good.

There is no promise that once you become a Christian bad things won’t happen.

However, it is key to know that God is not the source of trouble;

He is our source of help.

“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble.”
— Nahum 1:7

Where Does Trouble Come From?

Whether you acknowledge it or not, we have a spiritual enemy: the devil. The Bible tells us that anything that kills, steals, or destroys comes from the devil. Then it goes on to say that Jesus gives life and life more abundantly. (John 10:10)

We must not blame God for the attacks from satan. God is always good and never does anything bad. He is not even able to do anything bad and does not like to see people suffer. (James 1:16-17) He is a just God.

What Opens the Door to Trouble?

Fear opens the door to attacks.  First off, because putting on fear and worry is like putting on blinders to the goodness of God. Second, because those things we fear and fill our thoughts with will come to pass. (Job 3:25)

A great example of this is the account of Job in the Bible. God blessed him greatly and this made satan jealous. So the enemy began to attack Job with fearful thoughts. Job’s fear and worry of losing his family and possessions began to blind him of God’s goodness and opened the door to trouble. The enemy then attacked his children, his possessions, and his health. And to top it off, the enemy had him convinced the Lord was to blame.

How Do We Overcome Trouble When the Attacks Come?

When attacks of the enemy come we need to fight to overcome them. Begin speaking the Word of God and put on the belt of truth. Replace the destructive, fearful thoughts and words with truth and life giving words. Memorize and repeat Nahum 1:7 to start with.

The law of attraction goes to work bringing into your life the dominant thoughts of your heart, whether they are good or bad.

Have patience, like Job, and remember trials are only temporary. Even though Job, through his fear and ignorance thought God caused his trouble, he never turned from God. He cursed his situation, but NOT God.

Get a greater understanding of the goodness of God and cry out to Him in your time of trouble. What the enemy intends for bad, God can turn to good. Blessings never come from turning away from the Lord, but only as we move closer to Him and obey His Word.

We Must Not Blame God for Trouble!

It is vital to recognize that the source of evil is from satan and God is always good. We should never blame God for the things the enemy does to kill, steal, and destroy. In the midst of trials and the storms of life, keep trusting in God with patience. Be strong in the Lord, and the power of His might. (Ephesians 6:10)

Choose to open the door to let God work in your life. When trouble comes, choose to turn toward Him. Job’s faith and patience resulted in the Lord blessing him with twice what he had before.

Make no mistake about it; it is possible to remain standing when trouble comes. The Lord knows we have attacks from the evil one and battle spiritual warfare. That is why He provided us His Word and tells us to put on the whole armor of God. So put on the belt of truth today, stand strong, and allow the Good God to be your stronghold in the day of trouble.

May your understanding of God’s goodness strengthen your relationship with Him and increase your life with growing prosperity!

God bless you,
Brenda

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How to Swiftly Overcome Anxiety with 7 Successful Self-Improvement Tips

How to Swiftly Overcome Anxiety with 7 Successful Self-Improvement Tips

Personal Growth: Be the Success You Were Intended to Be!

Self Improvement JoyPersonal growth to overcome anxiety is power to change your life.

A life of panic and anxiety is no way to live.

If the symptoms of this hindering, fear driven behavior have been preventing you from being and doing all that you desire…

…then read on to discover some helpful tips.

It is possible to overcome and be in charge of your life and stop letting fear, anxiety, and stress have control. 

7 Successful Tips to Swiftly Overcome Anxiety:

1.) CALL ON GOD – This tip has been listed first because God should always be first in our lives. The moment something else takes first place, is the moment we allow disorder to spread in our lives. Pray and call on God daily!

God says He will never leave you, so you can boldly say,

“The Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man can do.” (Hebrews 13:6)

2.) GUARD YOUR MIND & HEART – What you allow into your mind long enough is eventually going to get into your heart and show up in your life. Watch closely what you put in your mind and make sure it is positive.

Are you watching and listening to news, music, and movies with crude, fear driven, disturbing, negative, and stressful messages? Then you are allowing this garbage into your mind. Would you allow a garbage truck to unload in your house?

“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” 
— Proverbs 4:23

3.) DAILY MEDITATION & AFFIRMATIONS – This follows the second tip. After putting a stop to negative intake, that encourages fear and anxiety, we now need to replace it with positive, confidence building thoughts, images, and words.

No one can preach to you like you can preach to you. Renew your mind daily. Take time to daily meditate and affirm positive confidence building statements that will build yourself up.

Start with positive affirmations such as the following: 

  • I am Bold, Courageous, Confident, and Powerful.
  • I am Proud of Myself for the Positive Changes I am Making Daily.
  • God has Given Me a Spirit of Power, Love, and a Sound Mind.

4.) HEALTHY LIFESTYLE – A healthy lifestyle is critical to our total well being. We are spirit, mind, and body. It is impossible to let one area of our being go downhill and not have it affect us.

A healthy, balanced diet that reduces sugar, alcohol, and caffeine will reduce stress and anxiety levels. An exercise routine, even one of simply taking regular walks, will quickly help lift your spirits.

5.) BE AWARE OF YOUR INNER DIALOGUE – What type of conversation is going on in your head? Do you speak to yourself with kindness, respect, and love; like you would with someone you care about?

Stop rehearsing your past failures, shortcomings, and mistakes over and over. Let them go and acknowledge that you have the ability to change your present and future. Make a list of your positive qualities and abilities. Then remind yourself of them. Speak to yourself as if you were your own best friend. 

6.) TACKLE FEAR HEAD ON – We’ve all experienced the fear and panic that can overtake us with no notice. Fear is a thief and it steals our destinies and prevents our progress. It causes those who should be bold and aggressive to shrink back and be timid.

Don’t let fear control you. Face it head on and begin taking baby steps by doing things afraid. Move forward and do what you need to do even in the midst of fear. Each time you do, you crush the fearful, anxious spirit and build up the confident spirit within you.

7.) KNOWLEDGE IS POWER – Get informed and find out what you can about the symptoms and causes of panic and anxiety. Many people struggle with anxiety and many have overcome. You are not alone in your struggle and taking a step to inform yourself is a big step to victory.

Getting informed helps equip you with the power to overcome.

Your goal? To start utilizing these tips today. Do not allow anxiety to paralyze your potential. Overcoming is a gradual process, but by applying these tips to your life you can speed up the process. Lift up your head to the light and BOLDLY decide to be all that GOD created you to be. Now go take steps of personal growth.

May you continue to grow in confidence and experience a life of growing prosperity!

Soar higher –

Cheers,
Brenda

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Spiritual Warfare Venting and My Experience

A Little Spiritual Warfare Venting and Rambling for today…

What the Enemy Intends for Bad – God Will Work for Good!

First, I want to apologize to you for the website being down for almost three days.

My web host provider had some unexpected issues over the weekend that took my site down and it just went live again mid-day today!  I’m thankful God answered my prayer and the site is back up without errors.

It definitely gave me practice with patience, overcoming frustration, etc.!

Sword of the SpiritIt also had me thinking about spiritual warfare and reflecting back on things in life. You know, I’m finally getting old enough, and wise enough, to realize things aren’t just coincidence. And that the enemy of this world is up to more than we realize

I started thinking about my site going down and how it not only was in the group that went down, but it was the last one to get back up and running. I’ve had many other sites over the years, either personally or that I’ve managed for others. Never have I experienced this type of down time.

Yet none of the other sites were related to spiritual matters and encouraging people to keep God first in life.

As I reflected back, it is clear that the times in my life that I’ve had the most attacks and trials were either times that I clearly chose to walk away from God, and do my own thing, or times when I decided to step out in a significant way for the Lord.

When I chose to do my own thing in the past, and disobey God, it is understandable that I was going to have to face the consequences of those wrong choices.

However, it used to appear like bad timing when trouble would bombard me during the times I was trying to do the right thing.

For instance, when I purposed to start attending church regularly – BAMM – attacks! When I bought a new Bible and study materials to get into the Word – BAMM – attacks! When I got myself and my girls involved in a good church and started volunteering – BAMM – attacks!

Earlier this year, when I decided to finally move forward and put this site up, I was at first constantly amazed at how so many details easily fell into place and worked out. I thank God often for the provision and ability He continues to give me to be able to do this.

Yet there is, once again, clearly this battle going on at the same time…

On one hand, I know God is helping me and guiding me and adjusting me as I go. However, on the other hand, I am again battling attacks. I seem to have gotten a whole whammy of them since I started this site. Physical attacks against my health, mental attacks against my thoughts, and also attacks against my finances and relationships.

They left me doubting if I should be doing this and I did and continue to keep praying for wisdom and guidance. Everything in me keeps saying move forward.

Well anyway – today I started to get mad, thinking about the enemy attacking me (and I also know of a few others personally under attack for stepping out in a significant way to serve God). I feel like battle on!

God is on my side, how can I lose? What the devil intends for bad, my God will work to good!

I serve a really Good God, and a really Big God! And He has helped me overcome the attacks of the enemy. My health and thought life is better … and my relationships are better … and God gave me some ideas and the energy lately to start implementing them that will improve my finances.

Plus on top of it all, with each attack the enemy has thrown at me… I’ve not only come through, but I’ve come through stronger, wiser, and learning how to use the Word of God to lessen the impact of the attacks. I’ve experienced to a greater degree the importance of not living with doubt and fear, but remaining confident and living by faith.

I refuse to let the enemy steal my joy!

My main web site (and others) went down for almost three days – and No – I was not happy about it, but the funny thing is – I didn’t get emotionally upset. I knew that God was going to take care of things and I was able to maintain a peace in the midst of this little storm of life.

I did get mad at the devil though and it has spurred me to write a few articles on spiritual warfare.

Okay – I’m done venting and rambling on… and I’ll end now with this:

“The Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.” 
– Hebrews 4:12

“The Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil.”
– 2 Thessalonians 3:3

“Now thanks be to God, who always causes us to triumph in Christ, and makes manifest the savor of His knowledge by us in every place.”
– 2 Corinthians 2:14

“May the God of peace make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
– Hebrews 13:21

May you walk close to God and your life be filled with growing prosperity!

God bless you & keep you –
Brenda

P.S. I’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, or suggestions on the subject…

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Lifehouse Everything Drama Video

Lifehouse Everything Drama Video

If You Are Battling to Hang on – Don’t Quit!
There is a God Who Wants to Help!

I know this video skit is popular and you may have already watched it, but it is worth viewing again…

We have an enemy in this world. We are not ignorant of that. But just remember we have help available.

I encourage you … whatever battle you are going through – Don’t Give Up! Keep fighting!

Cry out to The Living God and He will help. Ask His forgiveness. There is nothing anyone has done that the blood Jesus paid on the cross can’t wash away and make as white as snow. Put your trust in Jesus. In Him is the power to overcome and be victorious!

POWER TO OVERCOME:

“Behold, I give to you power to tread on serpants and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”  — Luke 10:19

ANGELS ONASSIGNMENT:

“Bless the Lord, you His angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His Word.” — Psalm 103:20

A PROSPEROUS FUTURE:

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

God loves you! 🙂 And Jesus too!

God bless you,
Brenda

P.S. The enemy tried to take my life, but The Living God pulled me out of the pit and makes me stand victorious! That is why I know He can do the same for you . . . and I know He will do for my daughters who I see the enemy attacking . . . don’t fight your battles alone, keep crying out to The Living God for help!

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