Ethan Powell is a beautiful 16 month old boy who has been battling leukemia for 14 months now. Last week, the doctors gave a glorious report. Then the enemy came back like a wave. Ethan and his family are in need of intercessors to beat back the wave and defeat the enemy at the gates.
He has developed a lung problem that has put him at high risk. The doctor has said a miraculous turnaround is needed.
I'm asking you to pray for:
1. A miraculous healing.
2. For Ben and Becky's faith to stand firm despite what they see through a window.
3. For the warriors' faith to stand no matter what they read.
4. For the leukemia to be removed from Ethan's body completely never to return by way of God's healing on this side of Heaven.
5. That no one settle for losing this baby to this evil disease but that warriors would rise up to intercede on behalf of this family.
6. If need be, for your own faith to see this child healed.
Thank you for your prayers.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Scavenger Hunt on Bold and Free
This post will remain at the top of the page until the scavenger hunt is over on March 30th. For recent posts, please scroll down.
The Rules are:
- Visit each blog (on Jan's site) and hunt for answers to their questions.
- Write down the answers and email to the address in my profile.
- Leave a comment on this post.Those who have followed directions and correctly answered all the questions will be entered into the drawing for 1st and 2nd prize. As you can see, we have many great prizes! Look at all the Starbucks Gift Cards!Participating blog’s are not eligible to win prizes but are free to play.
I am not familiar with all of the participants, but I am excited to get to know them. The ones I do know are excellent! You will be blessed!
The questions I submitted are actually for the Ponderings from the Path site, so if you are new and found yourself here, you need to follow the link over there to play the game, but come back here and visit for updated posts.
So, jaunt on over to Jan's, get blessed by some great writers, and pick up some great gifts.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Magnificent Madness
For those who do not know, basketball has been my favorite sport since I found out about that magnificent sphere back in junior high. While I have not played in many, many years, I still love it, and this is my favorite time of year for it. March Madness is a basketball lovers nirvana, especially when some little unknown decides they can run with the big boys...and they do.
This year, Davidson has captured the hearts of the fans at our house and many others. A school with 1,700 students, Davidson has lived up to its name and taken down giants. It has been thrilling.
However, the amazing story on the court is only part of the amazing story. The winning attitude of this school goes all the way up to the top.
In a world gone mad with self-serving greed, Davidson's magnificent madness shows the power of doing the right thing. God bless their magnificent madness.
Please take time to read more.
This year, Davidson has captured the hearts of the fans at our house and many others. A school with 1,700 students, Davidson has lived up to its name and taken down giants. It has been thrilling.
However, the amazing story on the court is only part of the amazing story. The winning attitude of this school goes all the way up to the top.
In a world gone mad with self-serving greed, Davidson's magnificent madness shows the power of doing the right thing. God bless their magnificent madness.
Please take time to read more.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Beautiful Woman Part 5--Priceless
Priceless
Robin's comment on Beautiful Women Part 4 was where I was going next, and she is already there.
Too often we think value is what we do. We have to perform well. Right now, I am in bed with a stomach virus. I have spent much of the last 48 hours in a flat position. My husband has had to do the dishes. We've eaten out two nights in a row. My son's birthday was yesterday and instead of taking him out to the egg hunt (a touchy topic but not the focus here), to dinner for a fancy dessert, or out for a picnic, I spent the day lying down, trying to keep water down.
My performance stunk. Does that mean I have no value? Sounds stupid, BUT how many of you reading this look at your house and think about how dirty it is? How many of you look at your children and the ways you were a bad mom yesterday? How many look at the way you've not been the wife you want to be? How many of you look in the mirror and see a woman who has not worked out well, made the right menus, or kept to a diet? If any of those fit you, you are focusing on performance.
Now, don't get me wrong. I believe in being a good steward, and the Holy Spirit may be convicting you in those areas, but more often than not, the voice we hear is not about the Spirit. The voice we hear sounds like this:
"You need to get your act together and keep this house clean. So-and-so always has a clean house. You need to get your temper under control. You need to be more patient. If you hadn't gotten pregnant without being married or if you hadn't married such a jerk, your children would be so much better off. You created this huge mess, and your children are doomed with all kinds of curses all because you sinned. You better do something about your love life or your husband is going to want another woman. You need to do this for him or that for him. You need to be more understanding and less demanding. If you were self-controlled you wouldn't be fat (how many women look in the mirror and call themselves "overweight"? Most women use that word for others but throw the word "fat" at themselves)."
The enemy uses this stuff so he can show you all the things you aren't. Let's throw it all in the pot and boil it down to the bare facts: You aren't perfect.
Wow.
Did you know that already? So this isn't new for you, right? Just checking.
The Bible says while we were sinners God sent His Son to die for us. Because of our imperfection, Christ died for us. So, our perfection isn't what makes us valuable.
So what does?
Dictionary.com defines value as:
Robin's comment on Beautiful Women Part 4 was where I was going next, and she is already there.
Too often we think value is what we do. We have to perform well. Right now, I am in bed with a stomach virus. I have spent much of the last 48 hours in a flat position. My husband has had to do the dishes. We've eaten out two nights in a row. My son's birthday was yesterday and instead of taking him out to the egg hunt (a touchy topic but not the focus here), to dinner for a fancy dessert, or out for a picnic, I spent the day lying down, trying to keep water down.
My performance stunk. Does that mean I have no value? Sounds stupid, BUT how many of you reading this look at your house and think about how dirty it is? How many of you look at your children and the ways you were a bad mom yesterday? How many look at the way you've not been the wife you want to be? How many of you look in the mirror and see a woman who has not worked out well, made the right menus, or kept to a diet? If any of those fit you, you are focusing on performance.
Now, don't get me wrong. I believe in being a good steward, and the Holy Spirit may be convicting you in those areas, but more often than not, the voice we hear is not about the Spirit. The voice we hear sounds like this:
"You need to get your act together and keep this house clean. So-and-so always has a clean house. You need to get your temper under control. You need to be more patient. If you hadn't gotten pregnant without being married or if you hadn't married such a jerk, your children would be so much better off. You created this huge mess, and your children are doomed with all kinds of curses all because you sinned. You better do something about your love life or your husband is going to want another woman. You need to do this for him or that for him. You need to be more understanding and less demanding. If you were self-controlled you wouldn't be fat (how many women look in the mirror and call themselves "overweight"? Most women use that word for others but throw the word "fat" at themselves)."
The enemy uses this stuff so he can show you all the things you aren't. Let's throw it all in the pot and boil it down to the bare facts: You aren't perfect.
Wow.
Did you know that already? So this isn't new for you, right? Just checking.
The Bible says while we were sinners God sent His Son to die for us. Because of our imperfection, Christ died for us. So, our perfection isn't what makes us valuable.
So what does?
Dictionary.com defines value as:
1. relative worth, merit, or importance: the value of a college education; the value of a queen in chess.
2. the worth of something in terms of the amount of other things for which it can be exchanged or in terms of
some medium of exchange.
3. to consider with respect to worth, excellence, usefulness, or importance.
Get this. I mean, really get it. "The worth of something in terms of amount of other things for which it can be exchanged or in terms of medium of exchange."
A perfect Son was exchanged for you. That should not make you ashamed. It should scream of your value.
Do not allow the enemy to tell you that you were not worth it.
God says you were.
Do not allow the enemy to tell you to be ashamed.
God says to rejoice.
Do not allow the enemy to tell you to hide in the shadows for your imperfections.
God says to shine like a light on the hill and show off His.
Your value is not in your performance. You do not have value because you contribute. You contribute because you have value, and your value is not based on what you've done. It's based on what God was willing to do for you.
And you know what? It doesn't matter how you feel. Your emotions have nothing to do with the Truth.
The Truth says, "You are so priceless I died for you. I'd rather die than live without you."
That isn't worldly manipulation.
That is divine love, and it is priceless...
...just like you.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Beautiful Woman Part 4-- Contributing Beautifully
Contributing Beautifully
One of my concerns with having you look at Proverbs 31 and studying the contributions of this woman and others like her is the lie the enemy tells us which says we have value because of what we do. He tells us we have value because we contribute.
Let me give you a simple thought to meditate on and allow the Spirit to work into your spirit, mind, and heart.
You do not have value because you contribute.
You contribute because you have something of value to give.
Copyright Jerri Phillips 2008
One of my concerns with having you look at Proverbs 31 and studying the contributions of this woman and others like her is the lie the enemy tells us which says we have value because of what we do. He tells us we have value because we contribute.
Let me give you a simple thought to meditate on and allow the Spirit to work into your spirit, mind, and heart.
You do not have value because you contribute.
You contribute because you have something of value to give.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Scavenger Hunt
For those who are visiting from the Bold and Free scavenger hunt, feel free to look around, scavenge for answers, read all you want, and when you are done, come on over to my new blog--Jerri Phillips for the latest posts. Right now, we are in a series of posts on beauty and value. I hope to see you there!!!
Monday, March 10, 2008
Beautiful Women Part 3-The Beautiful Truth
The Beautiful Truth
I realize most women hate the Proverbs 31 Woman. However, I love her. She embodies everything I want to be. She is organized, giving, wise, well-dressed, happy, secure, selfless, and beautiful.
If you take time to read through the many things that endears this woman to members of her home and those in the community, you will not hear mention of her height, weight, coloring. You will not hear the length of her hair or fingernails. What you will read is the power of her contributions to the lives of those around her.
Do another exercise.
Go to Bible Gateway, look up Proverbs 31, copy it to a Word document, and print it out.
Now, highlight all the places and ways this woman contributes to those around her.
Go ahead. Do it right now. It’ll take less than 5 minutes. You’ll spend longer reading forwarded jokes in your email today, and they won’t bless you nearly as much. I’ll meet you back here (hopefully) tomorrow.
Copyright Jerri Phillips 2008
I realize most women hate the Proverbs 31 Woman. However, I love her. She embodies everything I want to be. She is organized, giving, wise, well-dressed, happy, secure, selfless, and beautiful.
If you take time to read through the many things that endears this woman to members of her home and those in the community, you will not hear mention of her height, weight, coloring. You will not hear the length of her hair or fingernails. What you will read is the power of her contributions to the lives of those around her.
Do another exercise.
Go to Bible Gateway, look up Proverbs 31, copy it to a Word document, and print it out.
Now, highlight all the places and ways this woman contributes to those around her.
Go ahead. Do it right now. It’ll take less than 5 minutes. You’ll spend longer reading forwarded jokes in your email today, and they won’t bless you nearly as much. I’ll meet you back here (hopefully) tomorrow.
Copyright Jerri Phillips 2008
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