I claim the blessing of the Blood of Jesus on the people in this place and I am looking for lives to be changed as the good news is shared and souls are surrendered to Him.

Thank You, Lord, for my job, for my coworkers, and for the people with whom we do business. I pray for peace in their homes and hearts, and safe travels and arrivals when they are not here.

Help me, Lord, to keep in mind that my highest priority is to remind those in my path that Your love is unconditional, and Your salvation is free to the undeserving simply for accepting the gift and acknowledging the Giver. Grant me the courage to put that amazing message first in my life.

Help me, Lord, to remember that everything I do as a Christian reflects on Your message of salvation--not only what I do in church, but moreso the way I behave at home, in the marketplace, and at work.

Thank you, Lord, for the unspeakable joy available to all who serve you, even during times of suffering. I claim that precious connection to You for all who are connected with this workplace, because I know that is Your desire, Heavenly Father.

May Your name continue to be lifted up from this place, and may every seed planted in Your name bear sweet fruit. Amen.

The evil in you
Attempts to flay me
Burrowing the knife of betrayal
Beneath my skin

Yet the stripping you've done
And clever stab wounds
Simply deepen the furrows needed
To receive seeds of increased faith from my Father

He strengthens me
To choose His love
Over the hate with which you fornicate

I must reject
Your angry pain
The Spirit of God leaves me no room for it

Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
Goodness, faith, meekness and temperance
Soothe and overflow my borders

God loves us all

You can't know how sorry I am
That my deflection leaves your heart
As the only remaining target
For what you've unleashed

I pray your bonds are broken
Before it is too late

Your forgiveness is already bought

(Photograph by Claudia Pau)

As I read the story of missing Morgan over the weekend, and wondered how Morgan's parents felt when they heard the latest police speculation that their daughter may have been hitchhiking after leaving the University of Virginia's John Paul Jones Arena, trying to get a ride with a stranger back to the Virginia Tech campus. They have said they find it hard to believe she'd do that. I assume they taught her not to take such chances, and she knew to take their advice.

However, we all do things--especially in our often adventurous and blind young adulthood, and most especially when we first get the opportunity to live away from our families--that would surprise those who knew us in our more obedient days of childhood. If we get away with taking our youthful chances, even the memories may surprise us later in life. I realize now, but certainly did not know 30-some years ago that having survived my own semi-innocent exuberance is a miracle.

As a Christian, I have sometimes foolishly taken the chance that ignoring God's commands "just this once" will be okay.

"God knows my heart," I've said. "Everything will be okay."

For weeks at a time, and longer, I have ignored God's command to study His word so that my thoughts will be in tune with His. I have watched what I wanted to watch on TV, knowing it's not pleasing to my Lord and indulged angry or fantastic thoughts that go against His teaching.

Then I have had the nerve to not understand why I have wound up feeling so distant from God at times. Well, I have wandered away, disobeyed, and left myself vulnerable to Satan's attempt to kidnap me and keep me away from my Father.

I pray that God gives me sufficient wisdom not to repeat those past painful mistakes of mine.

I pray also that young Morgan is found and lives to look back in gratitude for wisdom gained and not in regret. God bless her and her family.

1 Kings 17:9  “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”

In the Book of Kings,  Elijah had  previously proclaimed to King Ahab  that there would be no dew nor rain except at his word.   Instructed by God,  Elijah went to the Brook Cherith where the ravens fed him until the river became dry.

As the land begins to suffer the consequence of the drought, God instructs Elijah to leave the Brook and go  to Zarephath where He has commanded a  widow to provide for him. 

In arriving at Zarephath, Elijah meets the widow, and he instructs her to provide him with water and a cake.  She obeys, But warns him it will be their last, as she is prepared to eat this last meal and die with her son. Click to continue

1. I sat down with someone who felt a bit sad and shared with him the story of what it was like for me when my late husband died and what God provided in my life afterward. Going back to Jae's deathbed over lunch made me cry a little, but the young man with whom I shared it said he felt more hopeful that real love can happen more than once in a lifetime, and that's a good thing.
2. I watched my husband Benjamin forgive a friend who did his best to deeply wound him with words. He accepted the following apology and talked over the incident calmly with his friend. Mature behavior in one's man is a real turn-on.
3. My husband gave me more reason to admire him when he gave someone in our church a second chance, but had sense enough to add locks to a couple of doors. Married men, if you don't know, your wives are thrilled with any opportunity to feel proud of you. (Any married lady who has not made this clear to your husband, start letting him know.)
4. Seeing many, many dear friends we had missed was one of the highlights of a trip to Tennessee for a Faith Conference at Faith Mission Ministries, Inc. Sharing the trip with our two boys and several members of our church seriously sweetened the experience for me and my husband.
5. On August 2nd, we officially became part of the Faith Mission Ministries family of churches under Bishop Harold K. Browning. Our church is no longer made up of St. Stephen's people and Koinonia Faith people. We are St. Stephen's Koinonia Church and we have each other's backs. We're in love with God and the work He has called us to do is our focus.

Those are the highlights of August for me, but not the end of my list of things for which to thank God this month. At the same time, bad things happened too, but reminding ourselves of the good makes the bad seem so much less worth mentioning.

What were your August highlights? Remember that when you share your stories of what He has done, God is glorified and you may just increase someone else's hope.

2 Corinthians 11:14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. (NKJ)

We had ahalf breed pit bull that had everything going for him here. He had food, fresh bones, a large yard, and even a doghouse with a warm blanket to sleep in, and owners that cared for him.

One particular morning, a female dog wandered into the yard. (Continue to the Fresh Wind Ministries blog to read the full post.)

Today’s been a hard day. I woke up early to get to my first meeting at 8:00, and then spent the next several hours casting vision and sharing dreams about Valley View (the church I pastor) to the folks I was meeting with. I left to rush home to have 2 more phone meetings, and then the last phone call that I was going to make was to my dad to get him to pray for the things that I have felt heavily called to participate in and hopefully get my church to participate in. Enter here the conversation that no one wants to hear… My dad informed me that a dear friend to him and our family committed suicide. (Read the full post on A Holy Mess, a blog by Matthew Costner.)

Late Sunday night, I read halfway through quite an inspirational book. Here is an excerpt from page 13 of Sandy Hancock's book "Letting Go: Pathway to an Amazing Life" :

"A couple of months after my son was born, he was taken away and placed in foster care. Within a couple of months after this happened, my husband left me stranded while I was in an auto part store."

How did Sandy get from this low point in her life to claim a life full of love and contentment? How can you let go of whatever is keeping you from claiming the life God meant for you?

"Letting Go: Pathway to an Amazing Life" will teach you where and how to find the hope you need to let go of whatever is holding you back and move toward God's best for you. Here is a video of author Sandy Hancock to tell you more:

Enter to win a free copy of "Letting Go" by leaving a comment below.

Anyone who leaves a comment to this post will be entered in a drawing to win an autographed copy of Confessions of a Pastor's Wife: He Speaks...Can You Hear Him.

Kathryn, when and how were you first inspired to write Confessions of a Pastor’s Wife?

I write about this in the intro of the book. It was literally like a burning bush moment for me. In 2004 God gave me all of the chapter titles all at once. He was literally speaking this book into me! I never expected it! It’s one of the reasons the subtitle is "He Speaks, Can You Hear Him?" I literally ran into my office and grabbed my prayer journal and began writing all of the chapter titles down as fast as He was delivering them to me. They came in perfect speed―it was overwhelming and awesome! I stood there in amazement staring at each chapter title―knowing what would be in every single chapter! Of course, immediately thereafter began to have all of the feelings of being unable, unworthy, and unqualified to do this work. But it was God who gave it to me and He who made the way for it to be completed.

What was the process of writing this book? Was this an all-at-once kind of epiphany or did this take years, collecting thoughts and ultimately putting them together?

I mentioned before how God gave me the book to write in 2004, but it wasn't until 2006 that I really began to write it. He had to build my faith further, nudging me along. One of the ways in which He continued the prompting was that He provided me with a life coach to hold me accountable, to push me. Then once I finally surrendered all of the self-doubt, unworthiness and fears I began standing in this beautiful place of faith, with His power. He gave me a joy around it and then I began to write. It was like opening up a vein, it just began to flow. There were times when I couldn't pull myself away from the writing, that's when the writing is great! That's when you feel the power of God, the Holy Spirit moving through you, Him speaking. That's the gift He gives me in it. I am so thankful for this gift. It's all from Him, all of it. I love it.

In the chapter of your book called "Discovering God", you say that there are "moments when God speaks to you through your dreams". Does God still speak to you in your dreams?

Oh yes, He sure does, and I hope He never stops! He also speaks to my husband in dreams. Dreams seem to be one of the ways He has revealed major transactions that are headed our way. He speaks profoundly to me through the dreams. It’s not every day, but when it happens it’s intense. In the book I write about some of the dreams He has given me that have come to pass. He’s also done so with Bruce.

You talk about the many ways in which God speaks to us. Do you hear His voice audibly or is it an inner sense of His voice? Also can you share a few ways in which God speaks and reveals Himself to us, while backing this up through Scripture? 

I don’t hear Him in an audible voice, it’s with an inner voice that I hear Him, and I hear Him through His Word. Some Biblical references in which God speaks to us are: Exodus 3:14: God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" ACTS 9:15: "But the Lord said to Ananias, 'Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.'" 2 Timothy 3:16-17: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 

The book frequently takes a humorous approach; I found the chapter titled "The Bug Truck" to be deep and absolutely hilarious all at the same time. It has a kind of an intimate "Ya Ya Sisters" kind of thing. Do you think of your book as something that will appeal more to women than to men? Why or why not? 

Women love it, and they laugh as they fly through the pages and then they cry as they land on the very next sentence. It’s been very soul stirring. You know, at first I thought that it would have an appeal mainly to women; however, I am getting incredible feedback and actual responses from men. Men are really able to relate to this book on numerous levels. They have shared how parts of it have essentially moved them emotionally as well. This book is about marriage, talks about becoming a blended family, and talks a lot about Bruce and his approach to our marriage, speaks to raising our children, financial concerns, and being a supportive partnership in marriage. So it has been speaking volumes to men, which I am glad to hear... God is good. 

How did your husband Bruce support your efforts with the book? 

Bruce was totally supportive. He was an encourager to me. He prayed for me, he knew that this was something new for me and he enjoyed the process along with me. I think he was rather fascinated with the way that God had spoken this book into me.

Was he at all curious about just how much "confessing" appears in the book?

I'm sure he was a bit, but interestingly enough he wasn't asking to read it, he wasn't asking me what I was writing. I found that interesting, because if it were him writing a book, I know that my curiosity would get to me, I'd want to read each page as it was written. He didn't do that at all. He just watched me as I wrote, sat back and smiled at it all.

What do you think is the essence of what you felt compelled to say?

Oh wow, that feels like a loaded question! There are so many things regarding faith, family, how God moves and so much more. I think the two main things that I want people to recognize is how God uses each of us, and the other thing would be the most beautiful and profound ways He speaks to us. He uses you to speak into my life, into my heart, to hear Him. This book is a portion of my life story, (not all of it certainly and there are more books to come). In this non-fiction faith story, you will find pieces of your very own faith story as you turn the pages, you will hear the quiet whispers being spoken lovingly straight into your very own ears. God has a way of speaking; He has a desire to be heard, and to be trusted by us. He has such wonderful and glorious things to reveal to us, not only through His powerful Word, but also through all of His people. I am compelled by God to share the ways in which HE SPEAKS to us, all of the many and wondrous ways… through Dreams, through Wise Counsel, through the Stillness of Meditation Alone in our Closets, through The Whisper of the Wind, through a Bumper Sticker, through Children, through the Clouds, and in so many other ways! None of them are farfetched at all! I want it to be known how the Holy Spirit works, in the holy and mysterious ways. He wants us to hear Him so He uses the multifaceted ways to grab us, ways that He knows we will hear. The Bible reveals to all of us many of the ways He speaks. Through Clouds, through Donkeys, through Burning bushes and the list goes on and on. Our lives are a walk of faith, struggle, joy, and more struggles and more faith, but we are never alone, never without El Roi – Our God who sees us.

How has the book been received so far by those who have read it?

It's been really cool for me. My sister called after she read it and said "Wow, I'm so surprised, pleasantly surprised!" She didn't realize the writing ability that I had; I laughed and said that I had no idea either. My mom and dad love it, and of course they would. My mother-in-law raves about it and says I should be on Oprah, which makes me laugh. Bruce loves it, of course. My kids adore it; my sons-in-law enjoy it and are proud of me, Of course each of my family members would respond that way. What has been wonderful to see though is all the reader responses on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble, all give it 5 Star ratings, even men have made comments on it. The other blessings are the emails and calls and notes that I have received telling me how the book has moved them, how it's spoken to them, increased their faith walk, made sense in areas of their lives where they needed that exact Word from God. Others, tell me that there are so many places that they can relate, and still others tell me that they feel like they know me better, and understand the way that God speaks because of it. This is the essence of the book, and speaks directly to the subtitle "HE SPEAKS CAN YOU HEAR HIM?"

What, in your opinion, will readers find most surprising about the life of a pastor's wife?

That we are just as human as they are, we make mistakes. I will make more mistakes, certainly not intentionally, just because I am human. I am very honest and candid in sharing my truth, my life, and my confessions of when and how I have messed up, done things the wrong way and what I've learned from it. I think that they can have certain expectations of who we are as a pastor's wife, or who we should be, that in reality we just aren't. And yet, they may also find that to be refreshing. I am a leader among women, and enjoy that role, and I am a woman who loves the Lord with every inch of myself and want so badly for the world to love Him as much as I do. I hope that they find me to be normal, very real, and see that I am trying to walk out my faith the best I can. They may be surprised to note that in my daily living I am a bit ditsy, (OK, maybe that won't really be surprising!)

What are your plans for the future in the publishing world? Think you have any more books in you?

Oh yes, there are at least four more to come. I have also written a Bible Study Companion to this book, it’s in the first stages of completion. I have written a guided Biblical Meditation titled "In The Potters Hand" which is derived from Jeremiah 18:1-5, and it is beautiful, and profound and straight from God. It can be found on www.AwakeningsLifeCoaching.com. I am also in the beginning stages of the second book now. This is truly a calling the Lord has placed right in the middle of my heart.

What else does God have you doing these days, Kathryn, and how can our readers connect with you?

I am in the process of writing more books, and just finished the Bible Study Companion to this book. I am a Life Purpose Coach, and I do two day 1-1 individual retreats facilitating Life Plans for women, the part I love―which is an amazing thing to witness― is when a woman discovers her purpose and passion. My husband also does Life Plans for men. We do couples' Life Plans as well. I am an instructor through LPCCI for those who are interested in becoming a Life Coach. I am an international speaker and enjoy traveling to the various parts of the world encouraging and sharing the wonders of God! My websites are www.AwakeningsLifeCoaching.com (based on Isaiah 50:5 “He awakens me morning by morning…) and www.KathrynBonner.com  I am putting together a Writers Retreat in September for Christian Women. They can register for this retreat and find out more about this opportunity by going to my website www.WomenOfPassionatePurpose.com.