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Subject: Special Preview of the August 30th Church Life Newslettter
Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 14:04:27 -0400
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August 30, 2005 Edition <img src="http://www.churchlifenewsletter.com/images/cln_tab_headerinspiration.gif" border="0" height="22" width="500" name="" alt="INSPIRATION" />
This following story is a strong combination of Inspiration and Thought with a little humor thrown in for good measure!
My Abracadabra FAITH!
Pamela Ann Kono Sioux Falls, S. Dak.
I wonder how many times I?ve prayed for a miracle. How
often have I ended my prayers with "Abracadabra" and sat back to watch
God?s magic show, waiting for Him to produce all my wants and needs out of
thin air? And when the trick didn?t work, I thought, What a sham!
"Poor me," I?d moan. "God must not care any
more." Never did I imagine I was responsible for my unanswered prayers.
Perhaps because He had allowed a few miracles to come my way in spite of myself,
I had started taking God for granted.
I remember the time I prayed for His help with my floundering
marriage: "God, I guess what I?m praying for is a miracle. That?s the
only thing that will get us out of this mess. Please, God, You?ve helped us
out of so much in the past; I know You will again. I believe in Your
miracles."
Years earlier, He had saved my life when a broken engagement
threatened to destroy my emotion well-being. How magnificently and complete He
had fulfilled my prayers for comfort then and ultimately brought my wandering
fiancée? back to me.
Surely, now He would mend our marital rift. What was meant to
be, He would keep together.
So resting on my faith, I slept soundly that night. My
prayers had been sincere. I knew I needed and wanted God to heal my marriage. I
trust He would.
The next morning, I nitpicked at my husband, so he left early
for work.
"Okay, God, so You?ll do Your magic tonight,
right?"
But when Charlie got home late, and dinner was ruined, we
spent the evening in separate rooms.
"God, how could You let me down?" I whined.
Then there was the time I prayed for the miracle of release
>from overeating: "Heavenly Father, I am so sick and tired of being fat. I
don?t have the energy to get out of bed, let alone serve You throughout the
day. Please be with me on this diet. Help me be thin and happy again."
I really wanted to change my poor eating habits this time. If
God didn?t want me to eat junk food, He?d supply me with the ability to say
no when everyone else around was stuffing down chips and dip.
God will not let me be tempted beyond what I can bear (cf. I
Corinthians 10:13, NIV), I told myself. If I maintain constant contact with Him,
it will be easy to overcome my gluttony.
Of course, dinner time was no time to start a diet. I?ll
give up all the good stuff starting tomorrow, I thought, so tonight I?ll
finish off the ice cream and cookies and ? oh, there?s a frozen pizza I can?t
throw away. . . .
In the morning, I groaned, "God, why didn?t You help
me?"
Most recently, I asked God to pull big bucks out of His magic
hat: "Father, we need money. You see our bills and know we?re not
extravagant. You know what we need to survive and have promised to fulfill our
needs if we just ask. So please, God, send us a little prosperity, a better job
or a raise maybe."
We had avoided bankruptcy this long. Surely God would not
desert us in our month of need. Bill collectors loomed ominously, but our faith
in God?s goodness lifted us above them. We?d get through this problem, too.
I fantasized, then I could get new curtains for the kitchen
and shoes to go with my new dress. If only . . . they?re having a great sale
at the mall today. Charlie will probably bring home news about his raise
tonight.
I clutched my purse. This sale was too good to miss! Imagine
my chagrin that evening when I discovered there would be no raise.
I shook my fist. "God, why have You slammed the door in
my face?"
Fortunately, for my spending habits (now more under control),
my husband works very hard. Often he has to go on business trips. Trips that we
can?t usually afford for me to tag along with him.
One evening when I sat home alone, moping and feeling
cheated, I was finally granted a miracle.
It definitely was not one I had prayed for, though. My
prayers for God?s action in my life were answered by an overwhelming
conviction of my own slothfulness.
How dare I feel cheated! My husband worked long, hard hours.
Didn?t he deserve the few perks that went with them? How supportive had I
actually been of his struggling, either in or out of town, for us?
An inner voice taunted me. "You?re jealous of your
husband?s success, aren?t you? You want him to give you his success by
osmosis, don?t you? And you blame God for the times you sit on your hands when
you could be working with Him on your latest request."
"But I?ve had such faith in God!" I protested.
"I let Him run everything for me."
"You mean do everything for you. Have you
forgotten that faith without works is dead?" (cf. James 2:17). My
conscience belted me.
Stunned, I dropped the book I?d been reading. All my
prayers for miracles and waiting in ?perfect faith? hadn?t gotten me very
far. Reality was: Charlie and I still battled each other; my waistline was fast
expanding; and only through Charlie?s overtime were we able to see the bottom
of the bills.
Could it be I was supposed to do more than pray (ask) and
wait? Was my faith dead?
The thought hurt. I had expected God to just wave His magic
wand and say, "Voila! Here?s what you want!" Working to get what I
wanted had seemed to contradict my idea of faith.
For a long time I had believed that working at improving my
life was wrong. I thought having faith meant letting God take care of everything
for you without lifting a finger. As a matter of fact, the "stronger"
my faith, the less I?d do. God would do it for me.
Now, through the miracle of insight, I clearly saw the folly
of such an idea. I also realized I was the one who had turned my faith into a
sham. I had used it as an excuse for laziness and for not accepting
responsibility for my own life. "Forgive my ignorance, Father. What would I
do without You and the dozens of second chances You give me? Thank You for Your
patience. I understand better now. I want to work with You!" With God at my
side, I moved back into the real world and left Fantasy Island behind. I knew I
had to work for whatever I wanted: an improved relationship with my husband,
better health, and a more productive, successful career. God would accept my
labor "as to the Lord" (Colossians 3:23).
First, I had to ask myself, "What does it mean to work
with God?" It means faith goes into action. It becomes real, a useful part
of my life, not wishful thinking or hocus-pocus.
Simply to work with God means I acknowledge He?s always
with me. He gives me life; I have to live it. He supplies me with the courage to
try something new, the discipline to finish it, and the confidence to know I can
succeed at whatever we do together.
As I put my faith to work, it grows and so do I. A faith that
only sits and waits will eventually be disappointed. I was. Most times,
action is necessary for growth, even for life.
It takes work to keep a marriage alive. Charlie and I have
begun to read and discuss books dealing with our problems. We are learning how
to show we care about each other as individuals, not just as each other?s
spouse.
As the pressures in our marriage have lessened, my tendency
to seek solace in food has also lessened. But still for me to
lose weight means I must develop self-discipline. That?s spelled H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K.
As an old axiom say,s anything worth having (e.g., good
health) probably won?t come easy.
In regard to career success, I have accepted the
responsibility to create my own. Because I?ve chosen to work at home, I can?t
depend on anyone else to push me forward. Nor can I sit and wait for
inspiration. I?ve found instead the doing the work inspires me!
Work is no longer a dirty word to me or a contradiction of
faith. My Boss provides both boosts and guidelines in His Standard Operating
Procedures Manual. He also helps me maintain proper priorities.
God?s enabling love and my efforts combined to make quite
an act. When I made my mind and hands available for His use, my faith came back
to life. I?m so thankful for the insight that told me to say,
"Abracadabra religion, disappear."
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logos.christianwebhost.com has address 65.109.242.236
[whois.networksolutions.com]
Registrant:
Logos Media Network inc
12372 west 107th terrace
Overland Park, KS 66210
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Domain Name: CHURCHCLASSIFIEDS.NET
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Logos Media Network inc
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Overland Park, KS 66210
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913-488-4488
Technical Contact:
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churchclassifieds.net has address 65.109.241.42
www.churchclassifieds.net has address 65.109.241.42
[whois.networksolutions.com]
Registrant:
Logos Media Network inc
12372 West 107th Terrace
Overland Park, KS 66210
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Domain Name: CHURCHDIRECT.NET
Administrative Contact, Technical Contact:
Logos Media Network inc daniel.ryan@logosinternet.com
12372 West 107th Terrace
Overland Park, KS 66210
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913-488-4488
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Registrant:
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United States
Registered through: GoDaddy.com (http://www.godaddy.com)
Domain Name: CHURCHLIFENEWSLETTER.COM
Created on: 12-May-05
Expires on: 12-May-06
Last Updated on: 12-May-05
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Ryan, Daniel daniel.ryan@logosmedia.net
Logos Media Network inc
12372 West 107th Terrace
Overland Park, Kansas 66210
United States
(913) 488-4488
Technical Contact:
Ryan, Daniel daniel.ryan@logosmedia.net
Logos Media Network inc
12372 West 107th Terrace
Overland Park, Kansas 66210
United States
(913) 488-4488
Domain servers in listed order:
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NS2.CHRISTIANWEBHOST.COM
churchlifenewsletter.com has address 65.109.241.43
www.churchlifenewsletter.com has address 65.109.241.43
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Logos Media Network inc
12372 West 107th Terrace
Overland Park, Kansas 66210
United States
Registered through: GoDaddy.com (http://www.godaddy.com)
Domain Name: CHURCHRESOURCEDIRECTORY.COM
Created on: 08-Jun-05
Expires on: 08-Jun-06
Last Updated on: 08-Jun-05
Administrative Contact:
Ryan, Daniel daniel.ryan@logosmedia.net
Logos Media Network inc
12372 West 107th Terrace
Overland Park, Kansas 66210
United States
(913) 488-4488
Technical Contact:
Ryan, Daniel daniel.ryan@logosmedia.net
Logos Media Network inc
12372 West 107th Terrace
Overland Park, Kansas 66210
United States
(913) 488-4488
Domain servers in listed order:
NS.CHRISTIANWEBHOST.COM
NS2.CHRISTIANWEBHOST.COM
churchresourcedirectory.com has address 65.109.241.46
www.churchresourcedirectory.com has address 65.109.241.46
[whois.networksolutions.com]
Registrant:
Logos Media Network inc
12372 West 107th Terrace
Overland Park, KS 66210
US
Domain Name: CHURCHSUPPLIERS.COM
Administrative Contact:
Logos Media Network inc daniel.ryan@logosinternet.com
12372 West 107th Terrace
Overland Park, KS 66210
US
913-488-4488
Technical Contact:
Retail Holding, Inc., NSI nsiholding@verisign.com
NSI Retail Holding, Inc.
13200 Woodland Park Drive
Herndon, VA 20171
CH
818-547-9420 fax: 818-547-9420
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churchsuppliers.com has address 65.109.241.44
www.churchsuppliers.com has address 65.109.241.44
[whois.networksolutions.com]
Registrant:
Dan H Ryan
POB 12445
Overland Park, KS 66282
US
Domain Name: CHURCHSUPPLIERSDIRECTORY.COM
Administrative Contact:
Ryan, Dan daniel.ryan@logosinternet.com
Logos Media Network inc
12372 West 107th Terrace
Overland Park, KS 66210
US
913-488-4488
Technical Contact:
Dan, Ryan danhryan@MCM2.COM
P.O. Box 12445
Overland Park, KS 66282
US
816-507-4757 fax: 123 123 1234
Record expires on 14-Apr-2006.
Record created on 14-Apr-2000.
Database last updated on 30-Aug-2005 16:26:49 EDT.
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www.churchsuppliersdirectory.com has address 65.109.241.46
[whois.networksolutions.com]
Registrant:
Logos Media Network inc
12372 West 107th Terrace
Overland Park, KS 66210
US
Domain Name: LOGOSINTERNET.COM
Administrative Contact:
Ryan, Dan daniel.ryan@logosinternet.com
Logos Media Network inc
12372 West 107th Terrace
Overland Park, KS 66210
US
913-488-4488
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Record created on 06-Nov-2003.
Database last updated on 30-Aug-2005 16:21:37 EDT.
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www.logosinternet.com has address 65.109.241.47
[whois.networksolutions.com]
Registrant:
Logos Media Network
12372 W 107TH TER
OVERLAND PARK, KS 66210-1153
US
Domain Name: LOGOSMEDIA.NET
Administrative Contact:
Logos Media Network daniel.ryan@logosinternet.com
12372 W 107TH TER
OVERLAND PARK, KS 66210-1153
US
816-507-4757 fax: 123 123 1234
Technical Contact:
Dan, Ryan danhryan@MCM2.COM
P.O. Box 12445
Overland Park, KS 66282
US
816-507-4757 fax: 123 123 1234
Record expires on 08-Jan-2006.
Record created on 08-Jan-2001.
Database last updated on 30-Aug-2005 16:21:07 EDT.
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www.logosmedia.net has address 65.109.241.41
[whois.networksolutions.com]
Registrant:
Logos Media Network Inc
12372 west 107th terrace
overland park, KS 66210
US
Domain Name: PASTORDIRECT.COM
Administrative Contact, Technical Contact:
Logos Media Network Inc daniel.ryan@logosinternet.com
12372 west 107th terrace
overland park, KS 66210
US
913-488-4488
Record expires on 17-Dec-2005.
Record created on 17-Dec-2004.
Database last updated on 30-Aug-2005 16:20:32 EDT.
