As God Guides, God Provides
(However, it doesn’t always come easy -- A Testimony)

God never ceases to amaze me by the way in which He chooses to answer our prayers, meet our needs, provide our miracles and blessings, and make Himself available to us. I wanted to share what He has been doing in the lives of my family just in the past few months, since I felt called to be a part of this Hearts for Christ Ministry with the Hearts for Christ team. I have always believed that God honors those that honor Him. But it is the way in which he blesses our socks off that continuously brings tears of joy to my heart even amidst trials and tribulations...you know, those things that hassle us daily.

As Christians, we need to have certain needs met to survive. My husband calls it our three-legged stool. One leg meets our spiritual need (a church fellowship, a solid relationship with God, a ministry), the next leg meets our natural or physical need (food to eat, clothing for our backs and a place we can call home), and the last leg meets our emotional need (a job we can live with, friends, and family).

If one leg is broken, the stool has a difficult time standing on its own. (Try it sometime. It is a crippling feeling, and the stool easily topples over.)

Earlier this year the Lord placed it on my husband and my heart to leave our "hometown" and venture off on another journey. We were not sure where God would take us this time. You see, we have done this several times. Each time, we have had to spend some time in a wilderness mode before entering into the blessing mode. Each time, we learned wonderful lessons, which brought us into an even greater love relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ and each other, each time our relationship as husband and wife became stronger. Our faith was stretched (sometimes to the point where we thought our rubber bands might break ... but they didn’t)

God answered our prayers this year and made a way for us to relocate to a coastal town on the southern tip of Oregon -- a beautiful town in the banana belt that poetically meets the Pacific. There, we found a place to buy that gave us a lovely view of the crystal sea and an opportunity to watch the most beautiful sunsets that I think I have ever seen. You may have seen a view of two of those sunsets in the recent slideshow added to Hearts for Christ. We used to pay a pretty penny to stay at a vacation spot in Bodega Bay, California, to see beautiful sunsets, but none so special as these.

Although we experienced numerous trials as we waited for our escrow to run its course, not worth dwelling on here, through prayer, we finally made it to our one and a half acre piece of property on the cape. Since that first day, my husband and I have spent our evenings walking around our bit of land, thanking our Lord for supplying us with this little piece of miracle.

Our two Siamese cats and Border Collie, who take those evening walks with us, have never been happier with all the space with which to run, jump, and play.

And every time I have emptied another box, I have marveled that I finally have a place for everything.

God provided for us a good portion of pasture land, already fenced, that had a small barn, as well. I have look out at that and it always gives me cause to smile because I know the Lord owns the animals and might just have a few for me -- even beside the deer that smile from just across the fence far above our property. His word says, "For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills." Psalm 50:10. I began praying for some goats to start with. I adore all animals. Two weeks later, I noted in the town newspaper that a family was giving away pygmy goats. By the next evening, we owned three adorable little goats! God guides, He provides!

We are praying now for an Angus calf (if it is His will), so that we can raise our own meat. I know God will supply in His time.

We arrived in town on a holiday weekend. We prayed for the Lord to supply a job for my husband. The day after the public holiday, he got a position and started work the following week. Yes, God supplies.

The final leg of our stool had to do with a church fellowship. This immediately went to prayer, and we began searching for that place that God had prepared for us. It took a bit longer, because we could only do our searching on Sundays. Nevertheless, because of his faithfulness, we found the place that met our needs for worship, prayer, and the breaking of bread. We felt we had something to take home with us during the week to chew on until we could meet again. Yes, the Lord supplies.

God cares about the little things as well. The ministry here at Hearts for Christ has grown little by little. People write in with their comments, their prayers, and their words of encouragement. I have been tremendously blessed by this website and for the help I receive in keeping it running!

I needed a coffee table for my livingroom. Nothing spectacular. Just something to finish off the "look." (Maybe this is a "woman" thing, maybe not.) Not a spiritual thing, to be sure. But God smiled and said to my heart, "I will provide that just as well; watch." And of course, he did. Out in my husband’s new giant shop we noticed up in the rafters four aged trunks. My husband got them down for me. All they needed was a bit of cleaning up and dusting off. After a touch of paint on one, it was perfect for the livingroom as a coffee table.

Another old wooden one fit perfectly in my master bedroom ... a place to keep my material for sewing. The last two looked as if they were made for my garden room. When God guides, He provides!

For the first time in my marriage, I live fairly close to part of my family. We do not see each other too often, but just knowing they are nearby has been a tremendous blessing for us. God knew the need I had in my heart for that.

I just thank the Lord for His care, and love, and pocket full of blessings. I hope that my sharing this with you will help you to look to Him for all your needs. He will meet you at every turn. If I were to share the blessings of each day, I would drive you crazy. Just remember as God guides, He provides, and He will provide for you.

Starting Your Own Prayer Chain
(Your Intercessory Phone Prayer Ministry)

Do you feel called to intercessory prayer? This is a wonderful ministry to be a part of, so get into your prayer closet, put your kneepads on and look up. That is the best beginning. Another way in which you can fulfill that call is to become part of an intercessory phone prayer chain. A person feeling called to this ministry should not take the position of "prayer warrior" lightly. Are you first-of-all a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, who is willing to commit a time set aside for praying openly for others with another person (not necessarily of your choosing)? Are you able to commit your time to attending the prayer meetings designated to keep continuity and unity amongst the prayer chain members in your group and to follow the guidelines given? The following list gives a few suggestions to add to your group’s guidelines.

Be born again believer first and foremost Be faithful and committed to the calling -- the ministry of prayer Be loyal to group and available for meetings Be teachable by being willing to spend as much time as possible on one’s busy schedule to study God’s Word (on the subject of prayer) Be not a slanderer or gossiper: Prayer time is not "chit-chat time". In fact all prayers should remain private and without discussion and opinion Be open to moving of the Holy Spirit Be ready for a blessing

"And the Lord said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually."
1 Kings 9:3

Your particular group may have additional guidelines, but these give your group a good beginning whether it is a small church prayer chain, a community prayer chain, or a personal prayer chain. I share this with all gravity because the enemy despises prayer chains and will do all in his power to tear one apart. In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, Chapter 6:11, 12 he wrote that you and I should, "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." As Christians, your life is warfare against the enemy and you do not want him interfering.

For your prayer chain, you should look for a mature Christian Coordinator who is strong in the faith, organized, disciplined, discerning, and available and well acquainted with God’s Word. Why? Let us look at each of these traits for the answer.

• The Coordinator will be full of FAITH: She or he is the first one to be called and will be able to share the evidence of the power of prayer and the importance of praising God in all things regardless of the circumstances to the person who calls with the need.
• The Coordinator is an ORGANIZER: The Bible says, "Let everything be done decently and in order." A disorganized prayer chain can fall apart easily without continuity or unity.
• The Coordinator is DISCIPLINED: Restricted, but Controlled by Holy Spirit.
• The Coordinator is DISCERNING: He or she has the task of deciding what prayers shall cross the chain, what prayers shall go to the pastor alone, what prayers she/he can pray for and leave at the throne of God, i.e., nothing derogatory and nothing secretive should cross a phone prayer chain. One successful way to accomplish this could be by prior discussion with the pastor. One never knows what subject might come up "for the prayer group." The key to a successful prayer chain is sensitivity.
• The Coordinator is AVAILABLE: She or he should be within reach of those with needs. If your coordinator has a multitude of other duties, and people find her inaccessible, maybe she/he should reconsider the position and choose rather to be a part of the chain itself.
• The Coordinator KNOWS GOD’S WORD: This is important not only for the coordinator, but for the encouragement and teaching of the group, and for the person calling in with the need, for the building of her or his faith. Reassuring someone with Words from the scriptures can bring them comfort and peace during a time of trial

Your Coordinator, who will organize a schedule in accordance with the needs of your prayer group, should designate time of day and/or evening for phone calls.

Each group member should make a prayer journal to place by the phone for when the calls come in. Write the prayer request down, the date of the request, and then pray with your "prayer partner." It is important then to call the next person on your list to keep the chain going. Pray again with the next person, and then hang up so they can continue the chain until it runs its course. If your "prayer partner" is not at home, leave a message that a prayer request has come in and continue to the next person on the prayer list. (The unavailable person can then call you or the person after them to get the request.) The Coordinator will encourage the caller to phone in once again when God has answered the prayer regardless of how he answered.

Prayer Chain meetings can be scheduled monthly or quarterly, or seasonally at the discretion of the Coordinator. One good way of meeting could be to have a prayer breakfast, brunch, or luncheon. A bonding and unity in Christ amongst your members is another key to your success. Any way that you can come together for a brief time of prayer and update will shore up the questions and flaws that often arise, and to bring additional encouragement as needed for the group itself. Prayer chain groups often forget to lift up their own needs. "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." James 5:16

Another consideration is the organization of an All-Day Prayer Chain Workshop once or twice a year. This is much like a mini-retreat. For information on how to get one set one up, see the Hearts for Christ Christian Business Section on "Retreat Organization."

Calling All Missions
By Guest Contributor: Linda Stroud of Sheridan, Wyoming

I wanted to ask you to check out the www.TimothySnodgrass.Com website. He is a Christian missionary who travels all over the world and is now presently serving in Johannesburg, South Africa with his family. He is from Kimberley Oregon. This website is full of world news and includes a prophetic ministry for those interested in studying that subject matter.

Mr. Snodgrass does not let anything get by him, which can often happen through many of our news agencies. He reported yesterday that California passed a law that you will not be able to home school unless you have a teacher’s credential.

I am glad that through this newsletter I have the opportunity to provide a referral to the Snodgrass website, as it is very useful, and Christians can get a larger picture of what is going on in our world. We surely cannot rely on what the news media via television tells us, as it is so in complete. We definitely can get tunnel vision because we do not see the whole picture.

Recipe Ideas from our Readers
The following is a recipe sent in by Pam J. of Washington, for use as a great side dish on a brisk autumn evening with close friends or family.

Hearts for Christ Ministries thanks Pam for this recipe and looks forward to trying it out!

Do you have a RECIPE that you would Enjoy Sharing? Send it to us here (in the Hearts for Christ - Comments Section). We will be glad to pass it along to our readers.

The Virtuous Woman and Her Marriage
A Wife's Reflection

"The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies on and believes in her safely, so that he has no lack of honest gain or need of dishonest spoil. She will comfort, encourage and do him only good as long as there is life within her."
Proverbs 31:11, 12 AMP

We reflect once again on God’s words about that Proverbs 31 Virtuous Woman. How do we see ourselves in comparison to the wife He describes? For those of us not yet married, we can still consider those verses by placing our Lord Jesus Christ as our husband, our bridegroom. One way or another he is speaking to us all.

• Do we instill confidence and trust in our relationship with our husband?

"A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is rottenness in his bones"
Proverbs 12:4 KJV

Lord God, help us to give our husband the assurance he needs to rely on our judgment. Help us build a bond between us that cannot be broken.

• Does our husband believe that we will be honest and sensible in our dealings with the world?

"...a prudent wife is from the Lord."
Proverbs 19:14b KJV

Lord, may we never be reckless in thought and deed. Keep us levelheaded and discerning in all our transactions, whether we be at the market, or while managing the cares and affairs of our home or business.

• Do we bring comfort to our husband who is in need of someone to stand along side, even if he might be wrong? Do we encourage our husband to grow in his faith without badgering or trying to change him?

"Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord."
Proverbs 18:22 KJV

Father, God, it is so important to be there for our Christian husband, to encourage him when he is down, to believe in him when others mock him, and to be patient with him when we know you are in the process of doing a great thing in him for what we may not yet be aware. Help us trust you for the husband you have given us. Help us trust you for the blessing we can be to one another as we do our part.

• Are we doing good for our husband, by honoring him and not speaking out of turn about him behind his back? Are we giving 100%, which means our ALL in the marital relationship?

"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ the head of the church and he is the head of the body. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify it and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word."
Ephesians 5:22- KJV

This, dear Lord, is often the most difficult. Submission, in this 21st century seems not of our culture, but God, you would not have spoken it in your word without good cause. We pray you will help us to remain tender towards our husband, who is called to be head of our household, that you would help him love each of us as Christ loves the church, that you would help us to respect and honor our husband, and that we would lift him up to others rather than put him down. Most of all, dear Lord, help us to give 100% of ourselves to the man we prayed for and you provided.

HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR "HONORARY" MOTHER-DAUGHTER TEA
(Watch for this next season)

Are You Ready to Share with Us? What is the Lord doing in your life today? Do you have an experience or victory in trial you would enjoy sharing in a future newsletter? Send your comments to info@heartsforchrist.org. No names will be included without permission, and the editor reserves the right to edit submissions.