Praying for Jennifer Hudson

We normally do not post information about popular culture, but we felt the need to make a post about Jennifer Hudson. We can hardly imagine what Jennifer must be feeling at this moment. Could you imagine losing more than half of your immediate family? Let us remember that the Lord rewards the evil and that whomever committed this crime will be judged by the Lord. We are praying that Jennifer will not harden her heart to the Lord. We also pray that the Lord will pour out His peace upon her and her family. Above all else, we pray that she will take this time to press into the Lord, His Word and His promises. Please keep the Hudson's in your prayers.

For my Fashionable Sisters: Is appearance everything?

I was reading this article on the crosswalk website called "Are you High Maintenance?" by Tammy Bennett. I found it to be very interesting and a good article about Christian women today. Do we put to much into our appearances that it distracts people from getting to know the Christ-like person that we should be? Do we care to much about what people are going to say or think about what we wear or look like, instead of caring about what we say or do?

I am a fashion guru, if you will, as many of you all know. I believe it is important to keep up your appearance. I always say, "God gave me this body and this is the only one I have, so I will preserve it and maintain it. My body is my temple for the Lord to dwell in, so why should I let it run down?" I have to watch what I eat, maintain my face , skin and be mindful of what I wear. It also shows people what type of woman you are, when you present yourself in a groomed, modest and well-dressed manner. Everyone loves to look at a beautiful, well put together woman.

I believe your appearance should never be a distraction but a way for people to be attracted to you and what you are all about. No one likes to talk to someone who is stuck on themselves or who looks homely and trashy. That might sound harsh, but it is true! When Joshua, In Zechariah 3:1-5, was standing before the angel of the Lord and Satan standing on his right side accusing him, the Lord rebuked Satan. The passage goes on to say: verse 3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. Verse 4 And he answered and spoke to those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And to him he said, Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with change of raiment. Verse 5 And I said, Let them set a fair turban on his head. So they set a fair turban on his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by. (New King James Version)

This passage shows us that the Lord dressed up his prophet in front of his enemy; displaying how wonderful his servant was on the inside and out. True beauty is from within but no one would get to know that if you look like a materialistic queen or a hot mess.

In the article, "Are You High Maintenance" it explains the story of Esther and how she had to undergo an extreme makeover to look like a Queen:

"Esther was the original Queen of High Maintenance. An orphaned Jewish woman, she was one of those selected to go to the palace of King Xerxes of Persia and be groomed as [a] potential queen. For 12 months, Esther was given the prescribed royal beauty treatment for all of the queen hopefuls. At the end of the beauty regimen, she was brought before the king, who favored her and made her his new queen. "

The article goes on to explain if Esther had not had that make over and been apart of that "world", the Lord would not have been able to use her to save His people from genocide. With that said, is your appearance everything? I believe so, in some cases. Me, being in fashion, I never go outside looking frumpy because I never know who the Lord will allow me to meet. In the fashion world, you must carry yourself in a presentable manner. Now, I don't go out with a "too hot of TV" look. As a Christian, modestly must come first. I am learning all these things in my walk; and slowly but surely I am making changes in my wardrobe. I don't want people paying attention to my body and not me as a person. I am a Christian first, before my profession and social life. I would hope many of you believe the same thing. Remember. if you are telling people that you are a Christian, believe me they are looking not only at what you do but also at the way you dress. I am not saying to put all your energy in your appearance but be mindful of the fact that how your look can affect others.

So my advice to my sisters is this: Maintain your looks, treat yourself to something nice every now and then, but do not let it be a distraction or keep you from being a light to others.

For the full article of " Are You High Maintenance" click here

Christian Aid Worker Killed by the Taliban

This morning, while checking my e-mails on AOL, I ran across this article about a woman named Gayle Williams. She is a 34-year-old British-South African national who helped handicapped Afghans within a Christian Organization from the UK. She was shot down by members of the Taliban while on her way to work Monday morning. There was a order put out for her death because the militants believed that she was trying to convert Muslims to Christianity.

My heart ached for this woman and her family. She was just doing the will of God and was killed in cold blood because the enemy does not want the world to know the Truth. The organization that Williams was working for said that she was not proselytizing. Nevertheless, she was still doing the will of God by helping the helpless.

May God rest her soul and I know on judgement day when she meets her maker He will say "Well done my loyal and faithful servant." Oh my stormriders, I pray that we will all hear those same beautiful words.

Please lift up Gayle Williams' family in your prayers and the countless others who are being persecuted for His name sake. Click here to read the entire article.

Also here is a video of a muslim woman who was set free by the Truth:

New Movie: Fire Proof

Fireproof is the story of a firefighter, Captain Caleb Holt, who lives by the old firefighter's adage: Never leave your partner behind. But, after seven years of marriage to his wife Catherine, their own relationship is failing. Neither one understands the pressures the other faces.[6] Caleb claims that Catherine is too sensitive and "doesn't show me respect." Whereas she tells her hospital co-workers that he is "so insensitive" and that "he doesn't listen to me" and "doesn't understand my needs." As they prepare to file for divorce, Caleb's father challenges his son to commit to a 40-day test called "The Love Dare." Caleb starts it, but more for his father's sake than for his marriage.
When Caleb discovers the book’s daily challenges are tied into his parents' newfound faith, his already limited interest is further dampened. Even though he wants to stay true to his promise, Caleb becomes frustrated time and time again. He finally asks his father, "How am I supposed to show love to somebody who constantly rejects me?" When his father tells him that this is the love God shows to people, Caleb makes a life-changing commitment to love God. And, with God's help, he begins to understand what it means to truly love his wife. But, he is unsure if it's too late to "fireproof" his marriage. [6] (plot and movie poster courtesy of Wikipedia)

The movie hit theatres in September and is doing well! Check out the trailer below!

The Bridge

This video was sent to us by a fellow Stormrider. We wanted to share this with everyone! God Bless and please feel free to leave a comment.



What Do You Think?

What Would You Ask For?

2 Chronicles 1:7
v7 In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee.

If God appeared to you and asked you what you would like for him to give you, what would you say? Would you ask for money, a happy family, a husband, a wife, a house or new car? I have often wondered what I would ask for and I am still unsure. If the Lord appeared to me and asked me that question, I would find it impossible to give him an answer right away.

In 2 Chronicles 1: 7 - God asked the question to King Solomon and his answer was wisdom and knowledge. The scripture reads:
7In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee.
8And Solomon said unto God, Thou hast shewed great mercy unto David my father, and hast made me to reign in his stead.
9Now, O LORD God, let thy promise unto David my father be established: for thou hast made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude.
10Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?
11And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king:
12Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.

Solomon’s request was totally selfless. His sole reason for asking for wisdom and knowledge was so that he could govern God’s people in a way that would be just and pleasing to the Lord. Matthew 6:33 says: 33But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. God blesses us so that we can bless others. God also blesses us when our sole intention is to build his kingdom here on earth. Would you ask for a nice big mansion just so you alone could live in it? Or would you ask for that mansion so that you could use a portion of it to help house homeless women with children? God knows our hearts and our intentions and blesses us accordingly. By seeking God and contributing to his kingdom work first, you are putting aside your wants and needs. You have decided to not be selfish and to be focused on his word, his people and his commands. If you focus and seek the Lord, he will find favor in you and withhold nothing from you.

Because Solomon wanted to work for God’s kingdom he was blessed more than any king in history. God said that there would be no other man on earth to experience the riches that Solomon was given. He blessed Solomon in every way and Solomon was a blessing to others. Kings would come from all over to hear his wisdom. He was highly respected and regarded as a man of God.

Search in your heart for what you would want God to give you. We all have a role to fill in the body of Christ. What would help you fulfill your role to your best ability? Solomon knew that wisdom and knowledge would help him far more than riches, houses, horses etc. He knew what his role was and asked for the only thing that would truly help him be effective in his role and give glory to God. As you pour into the kingdom of God; so shall the Lord pour into your life. You will want for nothing and will be assured that you are contributing to his kingdom at your full potential. If you long to enter a ministry in your church that requires counseling, maybe you should ask for understanding and insight. If you have a heart for the homeless, maybe you should ask the for courage and intellect to start a program that helps to rehabilitate homeless people and find them jobs so that they can lead productive lives. Let us pray that we are selfless like Solomon in our requests to God.