Note: the views expressed in the letters are not
necessarily those of anyone associated with the Web Site or its backers.
We provide a place for the writers to sound off.
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Chilly, at the far right, is the first soldier God gave me in Dijubiti, Africa in 2005. He is now in the Middle East. |
I was "called" into the Gospel Ministry in 1979. Following the example set by my parents, I live and "walk" what I believe. I thank God because my son and daughter serve Jesus Christ as well as my five grandchildren, Michael, Anthony James, Krissy and Lauren. The youngest, my little Joshua, is still an infant. My son Michael is a Deacon and his wife Marybeth a Deaconess in the Church where I grew up, and my daughter, Eboni, co-writes music with me for our troops and others.
I "step out in faith" on the Promises of God daily. I gave this blog the title "Steppin' out with Florence" because this is what exercising our faith requires. No, I didn't misspell the word by leaving the "g" off of "steppin"; it is slang and we said it that way "back in the day." (I know I just dated myself....:) We must "step out" in faith in order to appropriate the Promises of God into our lives. Faith is an "action" word, and as God's Word teaches us,
"...faith without works is dead..." AND "...we walk by faith not by sight...." I desire to encourage some and teach others how to exercise their faith and dare to believe God for all that they can ask. Our desires must always be in line with God's Will for our lives, without exception!
We are living in some of the most trying times known to mankind and must remember that "...faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God...." There are no shortcuts for fulfilling our purpose, and we must spend quality time with God. Throughout the years, I have been involved in various ministries, such as Prison and Nursing Home. The Street Ministry afforded me an opportunity to minister to the Homeless. These experiences tested my faith because they allowed me to see, first hand, "man's inhumanity to man," and to conclude that we truly do live in a selfish world where some of us put ourselves before others. This is contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ! At any rate, it is about spiritual growth and each one of us is in a different place. I am not where I was nor am I where I am going to be. None of us were born mature!
In 2004, God blessed me with a "personalized" tape ministry for our troops. This has been one of the most gratifying experiences of my life! To hear about the sacrifices our Soldiers are willing to make in order to honor an oath they made before God and man blows my mind! To see how their faith is tested has helped me grow in mine. I am more convinced now than ever that there is no such thing as an atheist, particularly in light of some of the war stories some of my Soldiers have shared with me. My inspirational stories are not just from the battlefield, but from every day people like you and me who are "tried by fire" in our daily lives. This blog is not just for Soldiers who are serving our Great Nation, but for those who are or want to be Soldiers for Christ!
We are all in this together and should not be afraid to be transparent. God requires that "...the strong bear the infirmities of the weak...." Together we can dig deeply for the TRUTH as we share how God is blessing us through it all. God's Word teaches us that the Holy Spirit "...will lead us to ALL truth...." I believe this -- how about you? At every opportunity I will say"...with God ALL things are possible...."
So, come get close to the fire where we can laugh and cry together! By the way, the dress code is casual, and casual is relative.....:)
Yours in Christ,
Florence
"BE" Blessed, because you are!
I am writing to you tonight with a very heavy heart.
Saturday evening our dear friend, Kat Fialkowski suffered a massive heart attack. She is in intensive care at Temple University Hospital, hanging on to life. The next few days are the most crucial.
Kat is one of the most wonderful women I know; full of character, conviction and most of all Love. Love for God, her country and most of all her husband, Tony and her family. Her passion is her support of our Military.
Kat has always given 110% to everyone, now, I am asking you to give just a moment out of your day to pray for her recovery.
Positive thoughts can move mountains. If anyone can pull through this, Kat can. I believe that with every part of my being.
The link below is to a thread started by Wayne Lutz, founder of the Warriors’ Watch Riders, about Kat and T.
Please feel free to visit both sites to keep updated on Kat’s progress and post your own thoughts and well wishes.
Thank you,
Maria Hyland