Christian Living Archives - Page 13 of 14

Pray for Pastor Saeed Abedini

I recently posted an update on Our Single Purpose regarding a story that I have been following for months about Pastor Saeed Abedini who is currently imprisoned in Iran because of his faith. I thought I would share that post with you as well. Please read and pray!

Back in March, I posted about Pastor Saeed Abedini who is currently imprisoned in one of Iran’s most brutal prisons for sharing his faith in Jesus Christ. Saeed went to Iran on what was supposed to be a short-term trip to help open an orphanage, and while there was arrested because of his Christian faith.

Over the past few months, his wife Naghmeh has been traveling throughout the country as well as internationally, speaking in Geneva to international diplomats on her husband’s behalf. Also, most recently, Idaho Senator James Risch taped a message directly aimed to the people of Iran that aired today on Voice of America before the elections in the Islamic republic.

As I have followed this story and corresponded with Naghmeh, I have been reminded of what it means to be completely surrendered to the Lord. The power and peace of Jesus is so evident in Naghmeh’s life as well as her husband’s. I recently told Naghmeh about our ministry here at OSP, and she gave me some words of wisdom to share with you all. She states, “I have many single friends and I think it is a great ministry. Being single is also a step of faith in trusting God with your future, and knowing that He is in control. I left to Iran in my mid-twenties as a single girl. I had to reach a point of being OK with my singleness and thinking that I might never marry, and just be completely satisfied in following the Lord where He led me. I have so much to share, but I learned that when you let go and follow God with all of your heart, and full of love and passion, He directs your path and writes your story (including your love story) and that is simply amazing.”

Saeed and Naghmeh’s main goal in life is to glorify the Lord and tell others about Him no matter what the cost, which is how Scripture commands us to live. I hope their story will inspire you to evaluate your relationship with the Lord and surrender to Him every area of your life.

Please continue to pray that Saeed’s release will come soon, for his health, and protection. Also, pray for Naghmeh as she travels and speaks for his release, and for their children. For updates and more information on how you can be involved please visit https://savesaeed.org.

Christian Living

Hurricane Sandy

As I am writing this I am currently watching and hearing about the devastation that Hurricane Sandy is currently bringing to many people on the East Coast. Such disasters make people start to think about what is really important in life. Thanks to the women of the Girl Talk blog, I discovered a very insightful quote from Dr. Albert Mohler that I would like to share. He states,

“Perhaps we should pray as Jesus taught us, praying that the Father’s will would be done, that all persons would be spared harm, and that Christians would respond in the aftermath of disaster with a clear Christian witness of care, assistance, and witness. We should pray that any ‘natural’ disaster would be an opportunity for Christian witness to the supernatural Gospel, and for Christian reflection on the beauty of the Savior.”

I could not have said it any better. That is my prayer for today and this week as millions of people try to recover from this tragedy. I hope you will make it your prayer as well and get involved where you can to offer assistance to those who are suffering from this.

Christian Living

Fall Favorites Day 28 – Pumpkin Bread with Salted Caramel Drizzled Pumpkin Buttercream

Hi friends. I apologize for not keeping my 31 days commitment thus far. As you can see it has been a few days since my last post to this one, but I am thankful for grace! 🙂 Below is a fall favorite recipe from my friend Sarah. This looks so yummy and I can’t wait to try it. 🙂

Ingredients

FOR THE BREAD:
1 cup All-purpose Flour
¾ cups White Whole Wheat Flour
1-½ teaspoon Cinnamon
½ teaspoons Nutmeg
½ teaspoons Allspice
⅛ teaspoons Ground Cloves
½ teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
2 Eggs
¾ cups Brown Sugar
¼ cups Granulated Sugar Substitute
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
½ cups Low Fat Plain Yogurt
2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
1-¼ cup Pumpkin Puree
FOR THE FROSTING:
¼ cups Butter, Softened
2 Tablespoons Pumpkin Puree
½ teaspoons Cinnamon
½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1-½ cup Confectioners Sugar (sifted)
2 teaspoons Non-fat Milk
FOR THE CARAMEL DRIZZLE:
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Water
1 Tablespoon Butter
¼ teaspoons Salt

Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat oven 325 F. Grease and flour a 9×5 loaf pan.

2. In a medium-sized bowl whisk together flours, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, salt, baking soda and baking powder until well-combined. Set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, using an electric or stand mixer, beat eggs until creamy. Beat in brown sugar and sugar substitute on medium speed for one minute. Add in vanilla, yogurt and oil. Beat until well-combined. Add flour mixture and pumpkin into the creamed mixture, a little bit of each at a time and beat until just combined. Make sure that you scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

4. Spread batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove bread from the oven. Allow bread to cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan to cool completely on a wire rack.

5. While bread is cooling, begin preparing the frosting. Cream together butter and pumpkin puree in a large bowl. Add in cinnamon and vanilla and beat until creamy. Slowly add confectioner’s sugar and milk. Beat until well-combined and creamy. Spread frosting over the top of the cooled bread.

6. For the drizzle: In a small saucepan, stir together brown sugar and water. Heat over medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved. Continue heating until caramel turns dark brown and starts to boil, making sure to stir constantly to avoid burning. Add butter and salt. Stir to combine and remove from heat. Continue stirring for another 1-2 minutes to cool the caramel somewhat before drizzling over the top of the frosting.

7. Slice bread and serve! Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Recipe From : https://tastykitchen.com/recipes/breads/pumpkin-bread-with-salted-caramel-drizzled-pumpkin-buttercream/

Christian Living

5 Questions With Kerri Pomarolli

Below is a Q&A that I recently did for Our Single Purpose, and I thought I would share it here. Hope you enjoy it. Happy Monday, my friends!

Kerri Pomarolli is one of the top Christian powerhouse and spiritual warriors in Hollywood. Her clean comedy has people rolling in laughter worldwide and her heart keeps her in front of charitable causes with a passion! I am so thankful to have worked with Kerri in the past, and to call her my friend. Kerri resides in Los Angeles with her husband Ron (who is also a comedian), and their two children. However, before marriage, Kerri’s topics for her comedy routines came from her singleness. She has also written two books on the topic, and her ministry has been a great encouragement to me over the years. I think we single ladies can learn a lot from her wisdom, and I am blessed to have her as a guest for my post today.

– What is one piece of advice that no one gave you as a single person that in retrospect would have really helped you?

Marriage is much harder than being single. You will be happy when you’re married but you will never ever get this amount of free time back. It may seem silly, but try to appreciate this time rather than view it as loneliness. Appreciate this time in your life to be selfish, travel, watch what you want on tv, take long showers, have friends over all the time, stay up late, and eat the last piece of cake. It will change quickly. You will have the rest of your life to have people pulling at you every minute and you will miss this time!

– How did you stay focused on God and his standards for relationships as a single person living in LA surrounded by many temptations?

It’s no different in LA than anywhere else. We have the same raging hormones and emotions. If you’re 28 and you think you’re too big a girl not to play by the rules and go over to your boyfriend’s house late at night..you’ll see why the rules are there..for your own good. It’s not about where you live it’s about how you live. I did have a task force of women who were my accountability and that was huge help.

– You have written two books on singleness and dating. Tell us more about them and how you want them to encourage readers?

I was sick of reading books by authors who “were” single then got married at 18 . I read “I Kissed Dating Goodbye,” but wasn’t buying it. I wanted to kiss dating HELLOOO. I didn’t want all dating books to make me feel bad about being single. I wrote my books “Guys Like Girls Named Jennie” and “How to Ruin Your Dating Life” to teach singles some things, and also for them to laugh at my crazy mixed up REAL journey. I did it all wrong and still got it right in the end. God forgives and doesn’t keep score. By the way, I need some love on Amazon. if you like my books please go review them!

– How did you serve Christ and the church as a single lady, and what are some ways you would encourage those who are currently single to serve?

I did some mission trips, the camp counselor thing, and spent a lot of time with the older ladies at prayer group. I invested a lot of time with older ladies because they are wise. My good friend Betty is now 98, and she and I traveled together on a mission trip. I think when you’re single you have time on your side. Spend it wisely.

– You are a light for Christ in Hollywood and I love your boldness for Him. In what ways can we be praying for you as you continue to minister to people through your comedy in LA as well as across the country?

Pray for open doors in Hollywood. Pray for Ron and I to work more in town, on the sets of film and TV shows. Satan doesn’t want us on the sets but we know we can see a difference in people’s lives. I have some projects coming up such as my book becoming a film. I really have a heart to create projects Christians can be a part of and that we’re all proud of. Please keep my whole family in prayer.

To learn more about Kerri and her ministry visit her website here.

Follow her on Twitter here.

“Like” her on Facebook here.

Books, Christian Living, Reading

Top 5 Friday – Favorite Books

Happy Friday all! Today I wanted to share with you the top 5 books that have been on my reading list recently. I have enjoyed reading these books over the past few months, and if you do not have these on your bookshelf you need to add them! 🙂

1. “The Polar Bear” by Will Montgomery

“The Polar Bear” is one of the most refreshing books I have read in a long time. Will does an excellent job in talking about theology and life in a way that all can understand. While being funny and clever, it is also thought-provoking and challenges the reader to live out their faith in Christ boldly. It is a page turner and will keep your attention until the end.This is a must read and one that I would recommend to everyone. You won’t regret it. Will is also releasing his first Christian fiction novel called “Lukewarm” in December so be sure to buy a copy when it comes out. It is amazing! Stay tuned for many great things from this author in the future!

https://www.writerwill.com

2. “No Other Gods” by Kelly Minter

This is a book that I do not know why I waited so long to read. It was thought-provoking and challenging, and at the end of it I felt closer to the Lord. Through her writing, Minter did an excellent job in helping the reader understand what “idols” in their life was hindering their relationship with the Lord. Minter also has a Bible Study that goes along with the book that I am hoping to do soon. To read more about this check out the review I did for Our Single Purpose.

https://www.kellyminter.com

3. “One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp

This is a beautifully written book that reminds the reader to be content right where they are. No matter what you may be going through there are always things to be thankful for. This challenged me to find gratitude even in the mundane and to always be thankful for everything that the Lord has given me.

https://www.aholyexperience.com

4. “The Hiding Place” by Corrie Ten Boom

I love reading Corrie’s writings. She has an amazing story, and her faith amazes me. In this book, she tells about her experience living in a concentration camp and how the Lord sustained her through it. All of her books are well worth the read. They will challenge your faith in great ways and draw you closer to Jesus. Find all of Corrie’s books on Amazon here.

5. “Covenant Child” by Terri Blackstock

I have become a big fan of Terri’s writing over the past few months and I have to say that “Covenant Child” is now one of my favorites. This is a parable about God and his unfailing love and faithfulness to us. This is a beautiful story and one that you must read.

https://www.terriblackstock.com

What books have you been reading lately? Would love to hear about some of your favorites! Happy reading, my friends! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Christian Living, Favorite Blogs

The Guarded Heart

Happy Friday, my friends! I read an encouraging post earlier at one of my favorite blogs “Femina” on guarding your heart. It is based on Philippians 4: 4-7, and exactly what my heart needed today. I pray it blesses you as well. Read it here, and be encouraged. Have a wonderful weekend.

Christian Living

Happy Thursday!

Happy Thursday my friends! I hope this verse brings you some encouragement today. 🙂

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let
the righteous be shaken.” ~Psalm 55:22

Books, Christian Living, Reading

No Other Gods: Confronting Our Modern-Day Idols by Kelly Minter

Below is a book review of “No Other Gods,” by Kelly Minter that I wrote for Our Single Purpose.

When some people think of idols, they may think of the statue gods that are worshipped in the Old Testament. However, “No Other Gods: Confronting Our Modern-Day Idols,” by Kelly Minter gives a fresh perspective to idolatry, and reveals what idols today could be hindering one’s relationship with the Lord. This book is challenging for believers and non-believers alike. For the non-believer, it teaches about the one true God and how how there is no other god but Jesus Christ. For the believer, it helps remind us of what things in our life have been made more important than our relationship with God.

At the beginning of the book, Kelly describes a visit she had to a museum, and how one stone statue caught her eye. She immediately questioned how people could put trust and belief into a stone. That is when the Lord revealed to her that she does it all the time, just with different things. Minter states, “If I could display the images that splashed through my mind, you would have seen that statue turn into familiar faces from my life, career paths, and dreams. Not necessarily bad things, just things that had become detrimental because I had exalted them as gods, things that I believed could bring me life.”

One of my favorite parts in the book was when Kelly told the stories of Leah and Rachel who were two sisters from the Bible. Leah spent her life trying to gain the affections of Jacob because she continually felt unloved and wanted the kind of affection from him that Rachel had. However, Rachel spent her life discontent because she wanted lots of kids like Leah had, and lived her life jealous and unsatisfied because that desire was not fulfilled (To read more of Rachel and Leah’s story go to Genesis 29:31-30:24). The desire to be loved by a husband or a desire for children are not bad desires, and ones that all women can relate to. Although, when such desires are our primary source of satisfaction then they become false gods that never satisfy. Throughout the book, Minter helps readers recognize what these false gods are in their life and then draws them to the ultimate source of satisfaction which is Jesus Christ.

I highly enjoyed reading this book, and was challenged greatly. Kelly wrote in such a way that made me feel I was sitting and having coffee with her discussing God and life. It was hard in parts because it convicted me of things in my life that I had made into idols, but helped grow my relationship with the Lord tremendously. As mentioned earlier, our idols may not be bad in and of themselves, but anything that is elevated and made more important than Christ is considered a false god. Some examples in your life could be relationships, family, financial security, private hopes and dreams, etc; but as John Calvin states, “The evil in our desire typically does not lie in what we want, but that we want it too much.” Take some time today and ask the Lord to show you what things in your life that you are putting before Him and allow your relationship with Him be the most important thing in your life above all else.

For more information on Kelly Minter and to purchase this book, visit her website here.

Christian Living

Be Still

Below is a devotional that I read this morning from Elisabeth Elliot titled “Shut Up and Know.” It brought great encouragement to me and reminded me to be still before the Lord and let Him speak to my soul. All too often we do the speaking instead of listening what God has to say. Wherever you are today, take a moment to “be still and know that He is God” (Psalm 46:10).

“Do thou thyself but hold thy tongue for one day, and on the morrow how much clearer are thy purpose and duties,” wrote Thomas Carlyle. The psalmist wrote (in Psalm 46) of great cataclysms, noise, war, destruction. What is the man of God supposed to do in the middle of all that? One thing above all else: “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps 46:10 AV). Simply shut up for a change. It is amazing what the quiet holding of the soul before the Lord will do to the external and seemingly uncontrollable tumult around us. It is in that stillness that the Voice will be heard, the only voice in all the universe that speaks peace to the deepest part of us.

No other voice than Thine has ever spoken,
O Lord, to me–

No other words but Thine the stillness broken
Of life’s lone sea.

There openeth the spirit’s silent chamber
No other hand–

No other lips can speak the language tender,
Speech of the Fatherland.

(T.S.M., from Hymns of Ter Steegen and Others, Frances Bevan)

Christian Living, Reading

Christy Miller and Friends

If you are a book lover like me, I am sure you have at least one favorite fiction book or series. When I was twelve years old my mom introduced me to some of my favorite books of all time which are the “Christy Miller Series” by Robin Jones Gunn. At the end of each book, I could not wait for the next one to be released and would call my local “Waldenbooks” to have them pre-order each new book in the series. I then made my mom take me to the mall on the day it was released to pick it up. I just could not wait. It was pure delight every time I got to read the latest book and find out what the gang was up to. Well not much has changed since I was twelve because I am now twenty-seven, and still pre-ordering books from this series. The mark of a fantastic writer is when they are able to take a reader through the journey of life and Robin has done this beautifully in her writing.

In these books you meet a young teenager named Christy Miller, and her circle of what become her “forever friends.” The reader is able to follow Christy and her group of friends from the early teenage years, college, and beyond. I have so many memories of these wonderful stories and feel like these “people” have grown up alongside me. How can I forget when Christy accepted Jesus as her Savior, Todd’s VW Van, or all the fun moments Christy shared with her best friend Katie Weldon.

There is not enough clean entertainment in today’s world for young teens. I am so thankful that my mom heard about these books so many years ago from Focus on the Family. Yes, these stories are completely fiction but the life-changing truths in them are very real. They echoed what my parents were teaching me, and most importantly what the Bible taught.

Robin’s series consists of The Christy Miller Series, The Sierra Jensen Series, Christy and Todd: The College Years, and The Katie Weldon Series. Recently, the fourth book in the Katie series was released called “Finally and Forever,” and it does not disappoint. In this, Robin takes the reader on Katie’s adventure of life after college as a missionary in Africa. Katie is presented with many challenges along the way as she is living in a new culture learning about life, love, and the plans God has for her future. I will never get too old to read about my favorite God-Lovers so Robin keep writing! I highly recommend these books to all teenage girls. If you have young teens in your life this series would make a great gift. You can find the books mentioned here.

Pray for Pastor Saeed Abedini

Hurricane Sandy

Fall Favorites Day 28 – Pumpkin Bread with Salted Caramel Drizzled Pumpkin Buttercream

Ingredients

Preparation Instructions

5 Questions With Kerri Pomarolli

Top 5 Friday – Favorite Books

The Guarded Heart

Happy Thursday!

No Other Gods: Confronting Our Modern-Day Idols by Kelly Minter

Be Still

Christy Miller and Friends

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