Teaching Abstinence Works!

I know many of you heard the results of  the study of pre-teens who delayed the initiation of sex after an abstinence-only based program.  Hopefully, more studies like this will take place and continue to cause Washington to take notice. Let’s actively persuade our politicians that this type of education is needed and that it works.

Quick Response to Study of Abstinence Education

Senior Weight lifting Wonder!

Okay ladies, if this doesn’t motivate you I don’t know what will.  This video speaks for itself.  You’ve got to see this..

Haiti or U.S.?

I recently read an article on www.ac360.com that was very thought provoking.  In it the author, David Gewirtz shares his thoughts and feelings about America helping Haiti long term.  The United States helping its’ neighbors while seemingly neglecting our in house problems has been a long standing arguement.  But, in light of our current economic status and the war in Iraq, what should our stance be?  We have a moral obligation to help those in need at home and abroad, but at what cost?  Tell us what you think…

Haiti is not our long-term responsibility. Detroit is.

First, I’d like to send a good thought to all those suffering today in Haiti, and all their family members here in the United States.

No one can look at the horror of Haiti and not feel both a deep sense of sadness and a desire to help. It seems almost mean and selfish to suggest that we need to do something other than provide our full support to this devastated nation, but that’s exactly what I’m about to do.  Continue reading…

National Sanctity of Human Life Sunday 2010

January 24, 2010 is designated as National Sanctity of Human Life Sunday.  This week is designed to educate and enlighten those who need information about the reality of abortion, to celebrate life at it’s earliest stage, and remember  to fight for those are the most defenseless-the unborn.  Here is a quick overview of what abortion is provided by www.abort73.com, an excellent source for those wanting the unfiltered truth about abortion:

Sisters of the Faith has also provided information for those who want to provide information, and/or seek assistance for themselves and others.  We also have shared stories of those who have been directly effected by abortion and most importantly, how God views us and the love He has for us even before we were conceived.  This is a topic that is near and dear to our hearts.  Please pray continually for this cause.

http://www.sistersofthefaith.com/index.php?s=abortion

Thank You Dr. King

This is the day set aside to honor one of our national heroes, Dr. Martin Luther King,Jr.  Here are some facts about Dr. King:

Martin Luther King Quick Facts

Birth	January 15, 1929
Death	April 4, 1968
Place of Birth	Atlanta, Georgia
Known for	Leading the civil rights movement in the United States
	Advocating nonviolent protest against segregation and racial discrimination
Milestones	1954 Selected as pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama
	1955 Received his Ph.D. in systematic theology from Boston University
	1955-1956 Led a successful effort to desegregate Montgomery, Alabama, buses
	1957 Helped found and served as the first president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
	1958 Published Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story
	1963 Wrote ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail,’ arguing that it was his moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws
	1963 Delivered his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech to civil rights marchers at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
	1964 Won the Nobel Peace Prize
	1965 Organized a mass march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, that created national support for federal voting-rights legislation
	1968 Was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee
Quote	‘I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.’ August, 1963, in a speech to civil rights supporters at the March on Washington.
Did You Know	King’s nonviolent doctrine was strongly influenced by the teachings of Indian leader Mohandas Gandhi.
	In 1964, King became the first black American to be honored as Time magazine’s Man of the Year.
	King’s efforts were not limited to securing civil rights; he also spoke out against poverty and the Vietnam War.

“Martin Luther King, Jr.,” Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2006
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2006 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Quotes–Famous and Not so Famous:

 The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.

Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength to Love, 1963.

If a man hasn’t discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.

Martin Luther King, Jr., speech, Detroit, Michigan, June 23, 1963.

We must combine the toughness of the serpent and the softness of the dove, a tough mind and a tender heart.

Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength to Love, 1963.
 

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction….The chain reaction of evil–hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars–must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.

Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength To Love, 1963.

It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that’s pretty important.

Martin Luther King, Jr., Wall Street Journal, November 13, 1962.

I decided early to give my life to something eternal and absolute. Not to these little gods that are here today and gone tomorrow, but to God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

 

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Happy New Year

Sisters of the Faith would like to take the time to wish our readers a very happy and properous new year!  Our prayer is that this year we become closer to God and walk out His plan for our lives.  Please continue to pray for us and we will definitely be praying for you.  Be blessed!

An Alternative to Christmas Gift Giving

This is great information for those of you wanting to donate to a charity or organization, but you just don’t where to start.  This is a great way to donate to those in need on a more global scale.  This also helps us to see the broder picture of  the human condition, not just what we see around us.  With that said, don’t forget local charities that are in desperate need of donations.  Read and be enlightened!

by Bob on December 8, 2009

I love giving and receiving gifts each Christmas, but I have always been intrigued by the idea of financially supporting a cause or a person in lieu of traditional Christmas gift giving. I have heard of families who take their money that they would normally spend on gifts for each other and use it to adopt another family. You can bet a sacrifice like that would really make it a Christmas to remember.

I recently found a site (that has actually been around a while) called GlobalGiving.org which is basically an online marketplace for charities. The site conveniently allows you to donate to any one of countless causes and charities in your neighborhood or around the world.

So if you want your Christmas giving to go to orphans in India, or if you want to donate to help Mothers with AIDS in Africa, or if you want to just give to the poor in your own area, you can do it all from the website. 

A Little Bit on How it Works:

The Process

Here’s how the Process Works

• You browse the website, research causes by topic or location, and pick the one that matches your interests and passions.
• You make a tax-deductible donation and we combine your giving with other generous folks doing the same thing.
• We ensure that at least 85% of your donation is on-the-ground within 60 days and has an immediate impact.
• You get regular updates telling you what a difference your gift is making and the results that have been achieved.
• If you’re not satisfied with your donation for any reason, the GlobalGiving Guarantee provides you with your money back in the form of a voucher for the amount of your original donation.

How efficient are they?

GlobalGiving is rated 4 stars (the top rating) by CharityNavigator.org. According to their website…

“All donations go through the GlobalGiving Foundation, a registered 501(c)3 organization, which receives a nominal 15% fee. This helps cover the cost of operating the marketplace – finding and researching projects, supporting project leaders in the field, attracting donors, and building our website. It also includes the fees assessed by vendors for credit card processing. Donors can choose whether to make an incremental contribution to cover the fee, or to have it deducted from their donation.”

Source:  http://www.christianpf.com/alternatives-to-christmas-gift-giving/

How To Set Your Christmas Budget

I know this may be late, but this is very useful information in preparing and shopping for the holidays.  Be enlightened!

Step By Step Guide for Making Your Christmas Budget

1. Make a long list of everyone to whom you want to give a Christmas gift.

Be sure to include the following groups of people:

• Family – aunts, uncles, children, spouse, cousins, siblings, grandparents, and even the stray dog your brother-in-law adopted.  Include everyone you WANT to give a gift to.
• Co-workers – partners, bosses, co-workers, support staff
• Church friends – Bible school teachers, church staff, grandparent figures
• Community friends – neighbors, fellow volunteers, clerk at the grocery store
• Those who provide services – paperboy, mail man, pizza delivery boy, yard worker, pool cleaner, teachers
• Anyone else – feeling jovial?  Put them on the list.

2. Determine how much you can afford to spend on Christmas.

This calculation can be relatively simple.  How much money can you save between now and December 25th? How many of those dollars are you willing to dedicate towards Christmas gifts?

Christmas Spending Rule:

How much you can afford to spend must be an amount you save in CASH.  This is not an ‘if-I-were-rich-I-would-budget-this’ list. This is how much you actually have to give for Christmas.  If the number is low, that is fine.  Christmas is not about financially crippling yourself so someone can have a pair of socks that will go in the trash before January. Christmas is about expressing love and appreciation.  Both of which can be done without money.  Christmas can be enjoyed without money.  Be sure that your budget is reasonable in relationship to your income.  This can be done by making sure your total amount fits within recommended budget percentages.

3. Prioritize your list from step #1.  Make it a short list.

If married, before prioritizing the list, pray that God will give you the patience to work together – not against each other.

You might want to cut out your Great Aunt Sally, but your wife has given her a gift every year for two decades.  She might want to remove a business partner who doesn’t deserve anything, but you want to grease that relationship.  This process could be painful, so prayerfully get on the same page before you start.

At this stage you are just going to separate each name into three groups – paid gift, made gift, no gift. Since you know how much you can afford to give you will have a better sense of how many people can be on your paid gift list.  Knowing your time, available you can limit your made gift list. The others – no gift, but perhaps a Christmas card.

4. Assign and complete necessary preparations.

Paid Gift List:

Beside each name on the paid gift list, assign a budgeted amount.  For example, dad might get $50 and cousin Steve $25.  Be sure that total does not exceed the amount in Step #2.  The only rule here is you cannot overspend that amount on that person.  Here are 8 tips to save money on your Christmas shopping.

Made Gift List:

What will you make?  Cookies and other Christmas treats are a great idea for close friends, neighbors, and colleagues.  For family, a customized card with a picture of the kids will suffice.  Need some guidance?  Here is a list of 50 Personalized Christmas Gift Ideas.

No Gift:

If they made it on your first list you might just send them a personalized card.

Merry Christmas Uncle Joe.  We just wanted to let you know that you are a special part of our family.  Thanks for all the time and attention you give to our kids.  We’re blessed to have an uncle like you.

5. Make the budget work.

Don’t spend more than you budgeted.

If your budget is tight, you will need to capitalize on a free valuable resource – CREATIVITY.  Creativity must be combined with another necessary ingredient – TIME.

Time + Creativity = Awesome Valuable Christmas Presents for a Lower Price

How do you set your Christmas budget?  How soon do you start saving money for Christmas?

Source:  http://www.christianpf.com/how-to-make-a-christmas-budget/

Our Daily Bread

One morning I was getting breakfast prepared for my two children.  I was getting a little anxious because it was time to go the grocery store, so our food was running low.  With two little ones, an empty cupboard can be a disaster!  As I was putting breakfast on the table, I began to wonder, ” What will I do about eating tomorrow?”  All of a sudden, Matthew 6:11 came to mind.  “Give us this day our daily bread.”  The Word hit me like a ton of bricks!  Here I am worrying about tommorow and God has provided for today.                                                        

So many times we can become consumed with the thought of tomorrow.  Matthew 6:34 states, “…do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself…”  Many times we are in situations where we are truly walking by faith and not by sight.  Life has brought challenges where we can’t trust our own efforts and abilities.  They will lead us nowhere.  We allow ourselves to be “farsighted” and not look at how and what God has provided each and every day.  We’ve become so obsessed with our seemingly bleak circimstances and we fail to trust God’s plan for our lives.  For some it is the lack material goods or provision, job loss, sickness, or debt.  For others, the place where God is calling you may seem to big for you to handle.

Day by day, God is continually giving us what we need.  God always takes care of those who love and fear Him (Psalm 37:24-26).  For some it is a meal, for others it may be strength or just the ability to open their eyes and embrace a new day.  All of us can see God’s handiwork when we can look back at situations we’ve faced in our lives and wonder “how I got over.”  I just wanted to take the time to encourage you and also to challenge you to be grateful for what God has done for you today–whatever it is.  Don’t worry about tomorrow, but be grateful for today!

Finding the Will of God for Your Life (and job)

by Steve Toschlog

The morning of March 8, 2004 I received an email from a close friend who told me he had a “word from God” for me. Knowing the kind of life my friend lives, I gladly received it as from God. He said, “God is going to use you in ways that are very different than you have envisioned. Be aware, attentive, and ready.”

Immediately, my mind started racing, trying to figure it all out. It seems as though answers to life’s questions never come as quickly as we would like. However, since 2004 God has given me several opportunities to do things in my job, career, and various ministries that I never pictured myself doing. It was necessary that I walk through these open doors in order to stay in God’s will.

For me, one of these opportunities is helping others financially through writings such as this one. The word my friend gave me has motivated and guided me over the last 5 years, and I’m going to show you how this same word will guide you and keep you in God’s will. If you have goals and dreams as I do, it’s very important that you know how to first recognize them as God’s will for your life and then how to make them become reality.

“Be Aware, Attentive, and Ready”

Be:

The word “be” in this context implies that you are doing something. What comes after the “be” is my part, not God’s part. To get a higher paying job or to launch a new business will require action. It won’t just happen by itself. Proverbs 21:5 – “The plans of the diligent lead to profit…” So, what do you need to “be” doing?

Aware:

Be aware of purpose and opportunity in every situation, particularly opportunities to meet the needs of others. While waiting for your answer, be an answer for someone else. Working that low paying job may seem pointless, but God has a plan and purpose for having you there at this time. You may be the only person that can reach that co-worker for Jesus. Dealing with that “jerk” supervisor or employee is growing your character and is valuable experience for when you become your own boss and have employees of your own. The opportunity you’ve been praying for may be right under your nose, but you have to get your mind off of yourself in order to recognize it. Be open to the impossible. Don’t limit yourself or Him. You have abilities to do things, meet needs, and earn money you never thought possible. Dreams don’t have to stay dreams. Be aware.

Attentive:

Be attentive to God’s voice. It’s one thing to recognize an open door, but it’s an entirely different thing to actually walk through it. God may be speaking to you right now about a dream or opportunity. You might think it’s impossible because the door just isn’t open. Many times, it’s not that the door isn’t open; it’s that the devil has hung a curtain of “fear” over the opening. However, the same God who gave you the dream and the awareness of the door to begin with will also give you wisdom, knowledge, and courage to walk through it. But, you must be attentive to his voice. You have to do things in His timing and in His way. Ecclesiastes 3:1 – “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” Very rarely does God birth something in you and it be manifested immediately. (Just ask ladies who have gone through pregnancy.) It takes time. If you get ahead of God, you’ll find that you went through the wrong door. If you don’t have 100% peace that taking that new job is God’s will, don’t do it, no matter how bad you want to get out of where you are at or how big the paycheck will be.

Opportunities are for an appointed time. You’ll know when the time is right if you wait to hear from God. This can only be accomplished by spending significant and quality time in the Bible and in prayer. After doing so, an open door will invariably be in front of you. The level of peace in your spirit will tell you whether or not the door was opened by God. Maybe your time and season is now. Be attentive.

Ready:

Be ready – make necessary preparations for receiving your answer. If you’re not willing to set goals and work toward them, then your dream will remain just a dream. That better paying job, unity in your relationships, or sense of purpose in your life will not come. Even if you have recognized an open door and have clearly heard from God that it’s His will for you life, you still have to do your part.

We blame way too many things on bad luck. The philosopher, Seneca, once said, “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” Many opportunities are lost because we aren’t prepared for them when they arise. In other words, we can make our own luck, good or bad. The Bible says to make the most of every opportunity. (See Ephesians 5:16, Colossians 4:5) Can you name 5 things you have done in the last 3 months to make the most of your finances, your marriage, or your relationship with God? Work like no one is going to give you anything. Don’t expect problems to solve themselves. God is going to bless you and help you, but he will usually do so by giving you the tools with which to construct your own blessing.

Financially speaking, examples of things you can do to prepare to step through an open door of increase are:

1. Tithe – bringing the 1st 10% of all your increase to your local church. If you don’t do this, the doors will remain shut indefinitely. (See Malachi 3:10)
2. Prepare a financial budget, in faith, based on how much money you want to make (in addition to your current budget). This shows God that you are prepared to manage more money before he actually gives it to you.
3. Read books on how to prepare resumes and prepare for interviews. There is a reason that you’re having difficulty getting hired or even getting an interview. Read up, and find out what you can do to improve your chances. Everyone has something they can learn.
4. Read books in your area of interest. Many people make money doing what they love and enjoy. Why shouldn’t you? Remember, don’t limit yourself or God. You serve a God who specializes in the impossible. An opportunity may be right in front of you. Mark 9:23 – “…all things are possible to him who believes.”
5. No negative words or thoughts! Be positive at all times. Constantly remind yourself and others that your life is in God’s hands and He will open the door in His timing. No quitting. (See Philippians 1:6, 4:8)

My goals and dreams are still in the process of being met. But, this word from God has helped me to stay focused, see the impossible, and not give up. I must stay aware of opportunities, remain attentive to God’s voice, and be willing to prepare for those opportunities. It takes all three: Be aware, attentive, and ready, and you will find yourself in God’s will and your dreams coming true.

Source:  http://www.christianpf.com/finding-the-will-of-god-for-your-life/

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