Life Changing Stories by Aleta Pollard and Marilyn Ga

Everyone’s story is different. We shared our stories to encourage you that there is a God that changes and transforms lives. We hope this gives you the courage to share your stories, and in doing so, help others become free!



When I was in my twenties, I got pregnant and had an abortion. It was at that time, that I started to seek God and eventually became a Christian. As time went on, I felt shame and condemnation for my decision to have an abortion. I felt inside that I would be punished and probably could never have any children. After Joel and I had been married, we received a prophetic word that our quiver would be full. We now have 3 beautiful daughters! Even those hidden fears inside that we don’t even confess to anyone, God can come and show you how faithful He is - He knows your hidden thoughts and is faithful to heal you and faithful to give you more than you could

ask or think!

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In my journey with the Lord, I can truly say He is faithful through every season.

He equips us for seasons ahead that are going to be difficult, where He is taking us deeper. He knows the perfect timing for uprooting and replanting. These are times that we can feel unstable - as if taking one step forward, we then move three steps backward. Often times, these are seasons He is healing us of deep wounds to bring us to a place of wholeness. These are times where we need help from others who will pray for us, encourage us, and contend for our breakthrough. God never intended for us to walk alone, but that we heal through community.

If you are in a season as I have described, I encourage you to find a few folks that will pray for you and stand with you. Home group is a great place for that! If there’s a need for deeper ministry and as the Lord leads, seek it: Heart Trek, counseling, getting together with someone who has wisdom and maturity, etc. God knows what you need and He has made provision for you.

I am confident of this - “He who has began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6b)

Boldness and Humility by pastor Russ Fochler

For many years, I lived from a skewed impression of what kind of humility God desired.

I believed God wanted me to stay humble by hating myself. I suspect many others have also absorbed a belief like that.

I’m now convinced this approach to humility misses Father God’s heart – and bears lots of bad fruit. We really can’t love others when we hate ourselves. And Father God wants us to live confidently and boldly as His children – bringing His realm to the earth as it is in heaven.

The opposite of godly humility is the Hebrew word pronounced “kaw-sheh” (see Strongs H7186). English translations include: “hard, cruel, severe, obstinate, stiff-necked, intense, and vehement”.

Both Hebrews 3:15 and 4:7 quote from Psalm 95:7-8: “Today, if you will hear His voice,

Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” (NKJV)

The Hebrew word translated harden is “kaw-sheh”.

It was this hardening of heart, this stiff-necked attitude that caused the Israelites to miss entering into the “rest”, the “tranquil felicity”, the habitation God intended for them.

Father God desires us to be humble so we are receptive to His heart, so we can walk with Him and experientially know Him. This helps us to willingly change our ways so we are aligned with love and truth. This is the path to enter into His rest for us. Jesus is the path, the truth, and the life for each of us.

Daniel 11:32b: “…but the people who know (yada – experientially know) their God shal be strong, and carry out great exploits. (NKJV)

Boldness – being strong and doing great exploits comes from experientially knowing our King and God. Because we carry the spiritual DNA of our heavenly Father, the core of our being carries His courage and passion. As we live more from that fiery, fun, creative, confident core of our being, we will live boldly!

Godly boldness comes when:

Our heart is aligned with Jesus’ heart; when we’re passionate for His Kingdom to come into a situation.

We move in the power of the Holy Spirit.

We feel confident — a confidence that comes from Father’s confidence in us.

We “know” that we are flowing in an aspect of our destiny.

Fear tries to keep us from living this way: Fear of what people think, fear of embarrassment, fear of condemnation, fear of being punished. But our Heavenly Dad is cheering us on – to live this life as an adventure with Him; motivated by love and trust instead of fear and anxiety.

1 Peter 5:5b-6: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”  6Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Living humbly; living open-hearted with our God is the way we enter into His rest for us, and also it prepares us for the good works He created us in Christ Jesus to walk in (Eph 2:10).

And when He exalts us, what will we need even more of? Boldness!

We are called to godly boldness and life-giving humility. They go truly go together.

Here is a link to audio of my talk and the slides.

http://blazingfire.podbean.com/e/russ-fochler-boldness-and-humility/

Joyfully,

Russ

Tenacity and Truth by Pastor Karena Lout

Tenacity & Truth

by Pastor Karena Lout

Thank you to everyone who supported our Cambodia team! All of your encouraging words and prayers carried us and gave us strength. We saw God heal people physically and emotionally. One thing we didn’t get to share last Sat. was that Vivian shared a testimony at a church in a remote province about several of her family members coming to the Lord. About thirty adults and children decided to accept Jesus into their hearts after she shared. Our Father’s tender love touched hearts in profound ways at Esther’s House, in churches, a bible school, a bar and the slums. Our team has come back with full hearts and new hope that we will see an end to human trafficking in our time.

On a personal level, I was really impacted by one woman named Ginny. She and her husband have a family style compound filled with amazing young people. Many have been rescued, restored and transformed in powerful ways. Our team held a Father’s Love conference for them during our trip. We were so moved by all God did, we had to be peeled off the floor by the end.

A few days later, we met with Ginny and she began to share about her dreams for the future and the passions in her heart. I began to weep as she shared. I was so impacted by her tenacity and determination. I became more aware of the areas in my own life that I have easily given into intimidation and fear. As I take steps toward some dreams that God has put in my heart, I’ve noticed that new challenges often arise, as well as areas in my heart that I still need more truth. I’m learning how to not allow the challenges to dominate or destroy the dream. I’m learning that if I take any risks at all, falling down is inevitable and that’s okay. God gives us courage to get back up.

I want to encourage you that your greatest challenge will most likely be the area you have the greatest victory. Before I accepted Jesus in my life, I felt dirty and worthless because of some things that were done to me and some things that I did. My redemption story is that my name means “Pure.” I love that every time I get to share with young girls about their worth and value, I’m not only crushing the lies of the enemy but I’m being myself.  

I pray the same tenacity and determination that Ginny prayed for me will be yours too. I pray that in your weakness, Christ’s strength would be made perfect. Every challenge you face is an opportunity to grow and part of the path toward your ocean of dreams. Be encouraged if your dream feels too impossible or if the mountain seems too big to climb. You’re in the perfect position to see God move in ways you didn’t know were possible. Don’t give up. You got this!

“He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.” Rom. 8:28 (message)

Love, Karena

Faithful With Little, Lord Over Much by Pastor Todd Lout

MATTHEW 25:23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

Usually it’s money that first comes to mind when we read this passage.  After all, Luke 16 has the same theme and is in reference to “mammon”.  But this principal that Jesus spells out is a principal that is next of kin to seed time and harvest, which we all know is certainly God’s set up in the Kingdom.  This applies to every facet of our lives.  How are we going to steward what we’ve been entrusted with?

Here are a few more areas we should consider when we read Matthew 25:23:

*The calling on our lives

Our highest call is to actually be His and know that He is ours.  To sit at the feet of Love, Himself, and allow ourselves to become love too.  Out of this flows plans for our lives, carrier, ministry and such. 

Let’s be faithful with this.  Let’s give Him time to be with Him and gain understanding of purpose from the One Who knows the depths of us.  If we will be good stewards here, He will certainly make us master of much.

*Relationships / Friendships

We all want to be important to another person in our lives.  It’s in our nature to be wanted and to have human relationship that is rich.  So often, though, people will sabotage relationships by not stewarding well the ones they already have.  We become co-dependent because of fear.  We become paranoid and accusatory and eventually push people away.  Or, sometimes we don’t value the other above ourselves, thus honor is a missing component. 

But what if we take whatever relationships we have and steward them very well?  Surely God’s truth, here, will come into the picture and create a richness in relationships like with never even though possible.  We may even loose some only to gain deeper ones.  God will honor our faithfulness in relationships.

*Material Things

If a person has a beat up old car and really desires a better one, it would be silly to let the old one become even more trashy.  Take charge and become faithful with that old thing.  Clean it.  Repair whatever can be repaired.  Get tune-ups.  Even with Earthly, temporary possessions, this principle of being a good steward comes into play.  In the natural, if I had a new car to give, but the person I was thinking of giving it to just trashes the lesser one, I wouldn’t want them to own this new car.  There’s clear indication that the new one will soon become a trashed car too.

God sees it all and knows how we manage things.  But He is very willing to help us be faithful with these little things if we get rid of complaining and laziness and allow Him to energize us in stewardship and innovation.

By the way, here are some powerful scriptures on laziness / slothfulness that will cause us to get up and take care of things:

                                                          Romans 6:11 & 12

                                                          Proverbs 13:4

                                                          Proverbs 20:3 & 4

                                                          Proverbs 26:13-16

                                                          2 Timothy 2:15-17

                                                         Hebrews 6:11 & 12

Bless us all as we co-labor with God in stewarding the smaller things.  He has increase in mind if we will be faithful with what we’ve already got.