The time has come, he said. The kingdom of God has come near.

Repent and believe the good news! Mark 1:15

Volume 2 Issue 1

Reporting
for Duty
Do you send the lightning
bolts on their way?
Do they report to you,
Here we are?
JOB 38:35

Inside this issue

Corinthians

6:2
... now is the day of salvation.

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Personal Bible Study

Featured Gal: Carla Pearce
Reporting for Duty
Silver Threads: A Tribute

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Cornerstone

personal

Pour a cup of coffee, hot cocoa or a

glass of lemonade.
Ahhhh.

Clear your mind of clutter and stress.

Bible STUDY

Deep breath. Your only focus, Jesus.

Pray.

Ask that your ears be open to His Word,

that your heart receive His mercy and
find His grace throughout your daily walk
with him. Lets face it, your daily walk
with Jesus should not end once your Bible
study is over.

Often people ask me about my personal Bible study. I have been asked, Is there a certain
way? What is your routine? And I always tell people that everyone has their own recipe
on how a Bible study works best for them, but the most important ingredient is
your very own, personal relationship with Jesus.
Once you have accepted Him into your heart, you begin living a life with His Holy Spirit
inside of you, guiding you, instructing you, teaching you, disciplining you, loving you, correcting you, forgiving you... the list goes on. Acknowledging His sovereignty and fully
opening your mind, heart and soul to what He wants for you to hear and read is the start of
a good study. (Whether yours is early morning, lunch hour or bedtimefind the right time
for you and Jesus. Everyones recipe will be different.)
Bible teacher, Beth Moore says, True intimacy with God always brings humility. Be willing
to humble yourself, be willing to be corrected, be willing to be loved. Let of all of the
walls break down around you, let all of the strongholds that the enemy has held against you
just break away and let Jesus light, His love and His Truth soak into every ounce of you.
Priscilla Shrirer once described her quiet time with Jesus as if she were a little girl with her
chin in both of her hands eagerly listening to what her Heavenly Father was telling
her as He bent over to her level and spoke directly to her. Thats exactly what you are doing
during your daily Bible study. Do it now... place both of your hands under your chin and read
His Word. Its so exciting to see what else we will learn about our Father.
That personal relationship with your very own Creator serves so many purposes
throughout so many seasons of your life. Therefore, your Bible study time may look different than mine because He has placed you on a different path for His Will. Or maybe our
paths look a lot alike, but you can rest assure of this one thingour destination is the same.
One day sister, I will see you in glory. And then, we will all be singing the same songs of
praise and worshipping Jesus together in unity.
Until then, our road maps may look different on this side of Jordan but our goals are the
same. Always seeking His face, desiring for His will to be done and to plant seeds in others
so that we may also see them in Heaven. Destination Known! PTL!
But I would like to share a few things that I do during my own Bible study in case you were
looking for some tips or suggestions to help get started....

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Go to a scripture that the Lord has

laid it upon your heart to begin reading/studying/meditating.

I have the book titled Jesus Calling. It is a

daily devotional with scripture citation, but
it doesnt actually have the scripture written out. I like that, it causes me to actually
open my Bible and find the scripture myself. I usually keep on reading, and I find
Im even more blessed. For me personally,
I like to have a printed Bible. I enjoy finding my way through the pages. You may
prefer a Bible app.

Choose one scripture that really

spoke to your heart today. Write it
down on an index card.

If the scripture has thou or you in

it, dont be afraid to write in your own
name in the place of it. Remember, Jesus
had you on His mind while He hung on
the cross. Give it a try now...

Ephesians 2:10
insert your name is Gods handiwork, created
For ________
in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God
insert your name
prepared in advance for________to
do.
Rewrite that three more times on
more index cards. Hang them with a
little scotch tape all around your daily
routine where you can be reminded.
On the back door on your way out of
the house each morning, on the washing
machine, in your cars sun visor, on the
bathroom mirror. Keep it real! Remember
that your personal relationship with Jesus
is weaved in and out of the daily rhythms
of LIFE. Seek Him in everything you do,
everything you think, everything you say.

Praise God for His blessings! AMEN.

Reporting forDuty
E

By Karen R. Smith

very issue I ask the Lord to give

me guidance as to what to write
about next. He consistently
speaks to my heart in so many ways, about
many thingsI have bookoos of ideas
floating around in my noodle. This particular topic is so plain and simple yet it
is woven in and out using many fibers to
create one big, beautiful, intricate picture.
What it all boils down to is one thing. The
main thing.
Salvation.
Ask yourself this question (and answer
honestly): Who do you report to every-

day? If we were thinking in professional

terms our answer would appropriately be
our boss. Maybe you feel as though you
report to your children (as you try very
hard to accommodate their every need) or
possibly your husband (for the same reason). Maybe you would answer that you
report to yourself. Well, chances are, if you
are receiving this magazine by your own
choosing, then you probably already know
that YOU are not in control of your life.
But do we really live our lives in a way
that we truly demonstrate who is really in
charge?

The health of your own

soul should be your
number one ministry.

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Every summer our little family takes

several trips to my parents beach house
and I get to spend a lot of quality time with
my mom and my sister (whose vacation
spot is just down the street). We enjoy exchanging Bible study book ideas or chatting about things within our spiritual lives.
About two summers ago my sister gave
my mom and I a print out of how to read
the Bible in chronological order. It lists a
few chapters to read each day365 days
worthso you can complete it in a year.
That was a task I never really completed
before. I had studied the Bible and read
it many times in church services and during my own personal studiesbut had I
ever really read it all the way through
in order? Nope! I folded her print out
and shoved it in my Bible with all intentions of starting it that summer (I figured
I wouldnt wait until January 1st. I would
just make my own day #1 and begin!)
The print out remained shoved in the front
of my Bible for a year.
Last summer, again visiting with my
mom at the beach, I was making my cup
of coffee headed out to the dock to do my

Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?

Do they report to you, Here we are?

morning Bible study. I mentioned to her

that I still had that print out my sister had
given us a year sooner. I told her how I
planned to start it... soon. Mama nonchalantly replies, Ive already read my Bible
through using the sheet and now I am doing it a second time. Goodness! Where
have I been? I wondered had I not put forth
the effort as I should have. I mean, here
she has already read it through entirely, in
order, and now she is on round two!
I started evaluating what I have been
doing with my own Bible study time and
truly gaging whether or not I had been
diligent about my intentions. Had I been
diligent about my own personal relationship with Jesus? The quick answer is no. I
had all intentions a year sooner to have the
entire Bible readin chronological order,
mind youlong before.
I decided to not be too hard on myself.
After all, I had been doing extra studies
for the Teen Sunday School class that I
teach, homework for the womens Bible
study meetings and I was doing and extra studies for Gals Set Apart editorial. All
wonderful reasons! And, I can assure you I

learned a lot more about my Creator while

doing so. But where did that leave my own
personal Bible study? You know, the one
just between me and the Lord? I feel kind
of selfish even saying that out loudor
even typing it. Just for me? No, I said just
for me and the Lord. Thats the key. HE is
the key!
Salvation is a personal relationship that
I get to have with Jesus. Just me and Him.
I am extremely thankful for the relationship I have with Him and my Sunday
School class, my womens Bible studies
and with you ladies/readers... but what it
really boils down to is just between Him
and me.
In every kind of ministry, we are to be
diligently seeking Him, His guidance,
His strength and sister, you will find Him.
{James 4:8Come near to God and he
will come near to you} But please dont
forget to feed YOU in the process. I am
not at all saying that you will not be fed
through your studies for your ministries,
but you will be completely filled up when
you sit down with just Him. {Psalm
34:17The righteous cry out, and the

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Lord hears them; he delivers them from all

their troubles.}
The health of your own soul should be
your number one ministry. When it has
been fed properly, you will be able to give
back exactly what is intended.
I finally did it! I finally started reading
the Bible in chronological order.
I have to snicker a little when I tell you
this. I made my chronological way to the
book of Job and I found myself wondering
why the conversation between Job and his
buddies was taking so long. I even found
myself complaining, why in heavens
name are these fellows saying the same
things over and over to poor Job. It is like
an argument over Jobs condition and what
must have caused it. The back and forth
of it all seemed never-ending. Job and his
three friends trying their best to figure it all
out. Doesnt that sound just like us ladies?
God finally interrupts, calling from a
whirlwind and asks Job some pretty intense
questions. {Job 38:1} His questions are intending to show how little Job knows about
creation and how much power God alone
has. God describes many detailed aspects

of his creation through these questions.

This is the part that really woke me up.
I was no longer wanting to quickly get
through the book of Job. Oh girl, the Lord
sat me up right on the edge of my seat when
He began to ask these questions. Read the
38th chapter of Job as if God is asking
YOU those questions... because He is.
Verse 35 He asks, Do you send the
lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, Here we are?
Okay, I dont know about you. But when
I read those words, it was like the divine
highlighter just drew them up off the page
and landed them in my memory forever.
Did I just read God state that the lightening bolts report to Him? They come to him
saying Here we are! Its like, what shall
we do today Creator? They report to their
Creator, waiting for instruction.

Give your hands

to Him for His work,
your feet to walk
His path, and your ears
to hear Him speak.
Priscilla Shirer
If you had asked me did I know who created the lightening bolts before I read the
book of JobyesI knew it was God. But
I had never thought about how they report
to Him. After all, during a storm who casts
the bolts? Of course! Their Creator. Who

calms the storms? Of course, their Creator.

He alone gives the instructions as to what,
how and when they are to act (and react).
Fast forward about 1600+ years. Three
disciples were present at the transfiguration
of Jesus; Peter, James and John. They got
to see Jesus transformed in all His glory. In
that moment, God the Father spoke saying,
This is my Son, whom I love; with him I
am well pleased. Listen to him!
God did not tell the three to talk to Jesus,
He did not tell the them to ask Jesus questions, He did not say to inquire of His beingHe said LISTEN to Him! {Matthew
17:5} Let me type that one more time. God
said to listen to Jesus.
Do we approach our days in ways where
we are ready to report to our Creator and
listen to Him? Do we diligently seek out
His intentions of our day? I personally like

My Story
I grew up attending a Pentecostal Holiness church, so I
always believed in God. As I hear some people put it,
I was churched. Well, it really doesnt matter a hill of
beans that we are present in the pews if our hearts are
not present with Jesus. It really doesnt matter if your
daddy is the preacher of the church, if your mama taught
sunday school, if you organize Vacation Bible School or
even if you sing in the choir. If your heart is not truly right
with Jesus, none of that will matter. Good works are not
required to live an eternity with Jesus. Theres is just one
way to heaven. {John 14:6 } All of these activities are great
andonce savedby default, we want to participate in
these things. But honey, the devil believes in God. There
is a huge difference in believing in Him and knowing Him.
If you are a saved soul, saved by the blood shed of Christ
{Romans 5:9}, then you know what I am talking about. Your
eyes no longer glaze over the hymns when youre singing the
invitational on Sunday morning. Your Bible study just got
real! Priscilla Shirer has said before, It is like the Holy Spirit
is taking out a divine highlighter, and causing it to leap up off
of the page and really matter to me right now. The entire dynamics of your life have changed in ways that are indescribable.
No, none of this happens overnight after being saved, but
it does happen. Being a babe in Christ is only for a season.
You will grow spiritually. You will actually battle more temptations beacuse now the enemy has lost and he tries harder to
snatch you back. You may even fall offbut remember being
in a back-sliden condition can be overcome and you can turn
that baby back around again with the help of the Holy Spirit.
In my college years my church attendance had slowed down
and eventually came to a stop. My sister kept inviting me to
her church, but I would turn her down. One day she called

me to explain that the next

Sunday was Friend Day
at church and everyone had
been challenged to bring a
friend. She chose me as her
friend. I went on Friend Day.
I felt His Spirit calling me to
the alter. I resisted. I went
again the next Sunday. Again, I quenched His Spirit. During
the next few days, I was eagerly awaiting Sunday. I could
almost taste the alter I wanted to be on my knees so bad!
I had been praying at nights, and crying over scripture. He
was calling me and it was high time I answered.
It was Sunday, Feb. 22nd 1998. I was one of the first ones
to the alter that day. I felt the preachers hand on my shoulder. I was crying like a baby. I was ready to surrender all. I will
never forget his question to me. He asked, If your soul were
to leave this earth today, do you know where it would go?
I knew my answer was no. But I also knew this was the very
moment that answer would change. I told him I wanted to
give my life to Jesus and he recited the sinners prayer and I
followed. A burdened was lifted that day.
The enemy has tried harder since that day, too. And I have
fallen short many times. But I am more confident and bolder
than ever knowing I have His Holy Spirit living in meand
with His guidance I can resist the enemy.
I got up from the alter, turned around and I will never forget a sweet, little ol lady came right toward me with her
arms open wide. She hugged my neck and whispered, Welcome to the Kingdom of God. {Mark 1:15}
I am not worthy of such a Kingdombut Jesus paved the
way for me. He paved the way for you, too.

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to ask Him daily, Lord, how can I better

glorify you today?
Who do you report to everyday? As a
believer in the one and only God, we are
to report directly to Him for our duties
of the day.
Do not be afraid to ask Him to show
you His will for your day. Remember,
sisters, you are reporting to the ONE
TRUE GOD of the universe. He will instruct you throughout your day, all you
have to do is listen and obey.
Go out and be a lightening bolt for
God. When you are on fire for God, nothing can stop you, sister. Continue to feed
your soul, daily. Be in His Word, daily.
Be intentional about your personal relationship with Him.
Job acknowledged God has unlimited power and admitted the limitations
of his human knowledge. This response
pleased God, He returned Jobs health,
providing him with twice as much as before. {Job 42:10}
Dont try to figure it all out yourself.
Remember to report to your Creator each
morning when you wake and seek His
guidance only.
And, like in my situation, maybe you
find yourself submerged in His Word for
various ministries putting less emphasis
on your own personal relationship. Set
aside time for just Jesus and you.
Like my friend, LeAnn says all the
time... you know, that you know, that you
know that you are a saved soul. To hear
the voice of God you have to be one of
His sheep. {John 10:27}
Heres the deal, sister. As much as I
hate to tell you this, it is truth. If you are
not a true follower of Christ, He will not
hear your prayers or cries. You cannot
report for duty if you are not one of His
children. {Proverbs 15:29; John 9:31}
Today is the day! {2 Corinthians 6:2}
I have been there, unsure of my salvation and it is a sick feeling in the pit
of your stomach. I quenched the Spirits
calling long enough and I finally gave
my soul over to Him. (See My Story
sidebar on page 6.)
You have the steps to salvation here on
this page. I invite you to finally find an
eternal peace with Jesus.
If you werent already, make today the
first day that you report to Jesus.
GSA

plan of salvation
God loves you and has a plan for you!
The Bible says, God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, [Jesus Christ],
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life
John 3:16
Jesus said, I came that they may have life and
have it abundantly a complete life full of purpose
John 10:10
Man is sinful and separated from God.
We have all done, thought or said bad things, which the Bible calls sin.
The Bible says, All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 3:23
The result of sin is death, spiritual separation from God
Romans 6:23
The good news?
God sent His Son to die for your sins!
Jesus died in our place so we could live with Him in eternity.
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us
Romans 5:8
But it didnt end with His death on the cross.
He rose again and still lives!
Would you like to receive Gods forgiveness?
We cant earn salvation; we are saved by Gods grace when we have faith in His Son, Jesus
Christ. All you have to do is believe you are a sinner, that Christ died for your sins, and ask
His forgiveness. Then turn from your sinsthats called repentance. Jesus Christ knows you
and loves you. What matters to Him is the attitude of your heart, your honesty. [And a personal
relationship with Him!]We suggest praying the following prayer to accept Christ as your Savior.

sinners prayer
Dear Lord Jesus,
I know I am a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness.
I believe you died for my sins and rose from the dead.
I trust and follow you as my Lord and Savior.
Guide my life and help me to do your will.
In your name, Amen.

Source for Plan of Salvation: peacewithgod.net

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This Life Is
Not About Me
I

accepted Jesus Christ at the age of twenty-two while attending Temple

Baptist Church for a few months. I remember thinking through the preaching of the Word, that I felt the presence of God, and had never experienced that
before. Now I know it was the Holy Spirit, and that is what draws men, women, and
children to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. I debated in my mind that particular
morning sitting on the pew, of how I was a good moral person. I did not have any
addiction issues, and I thought I was good enough to get into Heaven. The message that
morning was so powerful and it penetrated my heart. I felt a tugging in my soul , that I
was not fine. I realized that there was nothing good enough I could do to earn my way
to Heaven. I wanted to feel close to God like the feelings I was experiencing in the
services. I desired a relationship with the very One who created me. Our pastor gave an
invitation to pray at the alter or to make a decision for Jesus Christ. I remember being
in tears and walking forward wanting everyone to know, that I was not ashamed and
made a profession of faith, the best decision of my life to this date.

An Interview With

Carla Pearce
GSA: What do you think is the no. 1 reason
women today arent rooted in the faith as
believers? If you had a non-believer come
to you with questions or debate concerning
their lack of faith, how would you react or
encourage them?
Carla: I would start by asking them in depth
why they felt the way they did about their lack
of faith. I have seen in many cases past experiences have caused lack of faith in a nonbeliever. Maybe it was their parents who did
not set a good example, someone who was a
stumbling block that made them not want to
go to church or make it a priority in their lives.
There are many excuses and in their mind justified answers as to why they do not have a
strong faith. When folks have been hurt I think
it is a ploy of Satan, to try and make them think
they are okay without God. They can live a decent life and never have to go to church. As a
believer I know that love covers a multitude
of sins. I think it is important when witnessing
to a non- believer that it is going to take more

than one conversation. I am a true believer that

relationship evangelism is the best witnessing
tool. Sometimes I will write the person a card
or send them a religious book like ( Purpose
Driven Life) to get them thinking and praying in the mean time they will come back to
ask more questions. If faith comes by hearing
the word of God, going to church is a must to
hear the word. The Holy Sprits job is to work
through someones life, but God will use you to
accomplish whatever he chooses in a persons
life. Dont give up on folks, their very souls
hang in the balance and we as believers need to
strive to be the light the Bible talks about.
I can tell you what will repel a non-believer
is a judgemental , condemnatory, or negative
attitude. One of the approaches I like to take
by the end of a conversation is ask them if they
would like me to pray with them. I have never
had a person say no. I will pray out loud over
their circumstances, their lives, and encourage
them through the words God gives me. We cannot sit back and justify it is not our job. The

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Bible says go out into the world and compel

them. Compelling other people to come to
church will require and act of compassion. That
is what gets the ear of God is our intentions towards others and he in return will bless our efforts. The Bible says his Word will never return
void. The Bible says to always be willing to
give an answer for the hope that lies within you.
If you dont know a lot of scripture simply talk
about your own testimony and what God has
done in your life for the better.
What do you feel is the main thing in todays
culture that is so impactful in a negative way
that may keep people from drawing closer
to God?
The main thing that keeps people for God
is, the fact that current believers arent living
out their faith. This may stem from a lack of
Bible knowledge, because theyre not making
an effort to read the Bible, or a blatant refusal
to obey what they know, which is called Hypocrisy. If believers would live out their faith

every day, the world would not be so repulsed

by Jesus Christ, rather, they would be attracted
to him. People are watching us regardless if we
think they are or not. They are watching to see
if we are slow to anger, how we treat others, and
how we react in the face of adversity. I think of
the commandment to love others as ourselves
was so very important for a reason. That one
commandment if we all followed would prevent any murder, or random act of violence in
our society. There would be no need for prisons
if we loved others like ourselves. I think we
have to become innately aware of our actions
in our daily routines as believers and followers
of Jesus Christ. I love what I once heard that
we will never be sinless , but thru our spiritual
maturity we will sin less and less. Our LOVE
for the LORD will and should change us to the
core of our being. I want to love him , I want
to live never wanting to disappoint my Father
in Heaven. No matter what day I am having
there is a sense of joy with a smile. That is a
comfort to me knowing, that no one or nothing
can take away or steal joy from that beautiful
place where I strive to abide in the Lord.
What do you feel is the main thing that helps
a person maintain their faith? And keep active in their faith?
I have learned for myself and as a pastors
wife that we all have gifts and talents. We must
utilize that gift in order to feel involved, fulfilled, and follow the example of Jesus, through
servant hood. One service on Sunday morning, is not enough in my opinion. We must go
deeper, dig deeper, and the word of God says:
Draw close to me and I will Draw close to you.
To avoid hitting a dry spell in our faith we must
keep the well filled with fresh and living water.
Jesus is that fresh and living water we need daily to survive spiritually. As our spiritual walk
continues we have the propensity to fall away,
and to lose the fire we once had. I have been involved in a ladies Bible study that has kept me
in his word, desiring to know more, and keep
my faith activated. I can never exhaust it . I love
what an old preacher quoted one time, Carry
this book when you are young, and when you
get older it will carry you. I am believing that
statement full- heartily. A three chord is not
easily broken. I need more than myself along
this spiritual journey. I need fellowship, communion, accountability, and studies with my
sisters in Christ to keep my faith burning.
Tell us about a significant time/situation that
had the biggest impact on your relationship
with God?
I have three beautiful children, and a God

daughter that came to live with us when she

was seventeen. It was during the delivery of
my third child a son that I came to know about
true surrender and felt his presence more profound than I ever had before. It was as if Jesus
Christ, was standing by my bedside in the hospital comforting me and I could feel his presence there with me. I heard his voice being
impressed in my heart and mind, because they
were not my thoughts. I was in labor for over
twenty-four hours on the brink of total collapsing and exhaustion. I felt inside that something
was not quite right, as I have experienced two
labors before. The nurse told me to rest and
left my room once again to continue laboring.
This time was different and I prayed, by going
boldly before the throne of Grace. I remember
saying, Lord, I need you right now , and you
are the only one that can help me and I need my
baby to come within the next thirty minutes. I
knew this baby needed to come into the world,
and if I continued to lay there I might lose him.
I summoned the nurse back in the room. The
doctor closely followed within a few minutes,
he said he could not explain why I was making
progress this time, but long story short I had a
baby within those twenty-five minutes. It was
a specific desperate prayer, and God heard my
prayers and he answered them. There was a
mild problem but not a major one. We did not
find this out until a couple of hours later and all
of my family left, even my husband to take our
other two children home. My nurse stated our
baby had to be placed on a little oxygen. Later,
He was transported to Wake Med from Johnston Memorial . I begged God to sustain his life
and that I would give him back to him. I would
love him and I would surrender all of my life
and my beautiful sons life. I had a peace and
comfort sitting alone that only my heavenly Father could have given. He is love and truth, his
word is living, and when we his children call to
our Father he answers. Im a true believer now,
that he will never leave me nor forsake me. My
Love for my heavenly Father surpassed my

thoughts and feelings, and he is truly ABBA

Father , Daddy to me. Lawsons condition
ended up with more answered prayers of total
healing and we were able to bring our perfect
healthy boy home.
If a young girl came to you who had just accepted Jesus as savior what is the advice you
would give her?
If I was giving advice to a young girl that
was brand new in her faith it would be realistic
and genuine. Your problems are not going to
magically go away, your situations may even
stay the same, but what will change is how
you react to all of them. The newness of your
faith is going to wear off and you will need an
older spiritual person to mentor you. Someone
that can field questions you are going to have.
In a few weeks the adversary is going to tell
you it is Ok not to come to church anymore.
There is only one voice that we should listen
to and that is the Voice of God. He wants you
to have purpose in your life, he loves you so
very much and he sees down the corridors of
your life, and he wants you to choose to make
the right decisions through his will and guidance. You will change, the Bible says youre a
new creation old things pass away, and behold
things are made new. Choices are going to have
to be made even with friends relationships are
going to change, because you will be different
in a great way. I can promise you that whatever
you lose for his namesake he is going to replace
it with something so much infinitely better. You
are going to experience a peace in your heart
and a new found life. You are going to slowly
one day at a time, one thing at a time see things
differently. I would encourage her to get involved in a youth program or college and career to be around other young women and men
her age. Most importantly to come to church
because she is a babe in Christ and just like a
baby they need to grow and the only way her
faith will be increased is hearing the word of
God. Church will be a lifeline to her and vitally

I can promise you that whatever you lose for His

namesake, He is going to replace it with something
so much infinitely better.

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important to Gods heart for her to be there and

to grow.
What do you feel is the most challenging part
about being a Christian mom in todays culture?
The most challenging thing in todays culture
is everything we as parents have to compete
with and balance. We have to compete with
a world telling our children, that its ok to talk
about others on social media, gossip, and that
everything is a competition whether its physical
appearance or performance in a sport, that is
what is important in our society to fit into the
culture. I work at my childrens school which is
the smallest one in the county. It is a good one in
my opinion, but even still the world is there with
its empty promises and it enticements before
them. I am constantly trying to keep the lines of
communication open telling them that its ok to
tell me anything that is bothering them or they
may be feeling insecure about. Personally the
most challenging thing for me with three active
kids one in high school. middle, and elementary
is lifes balance. I want to have a healthy balance even down to what they are involved and
participate with extracurricular. For example,
they are only allowed to participate in one activity per season. Just one that is it and they get
to choose. Church is non-negotiable and they
absolutely love going, never do I want them
to get burned out in that area. I myself try not
get burned out taking my own advice. I have
learned to say no to things I get invited to like
birthday parties, in home parties, etc. I cannot
be all things to all people, nor do I try. I give of
myself each day being a school social worker
emotionally, then I shut that job off at four, and
go to my most important job of wife and Mom.
If I let the burdens of my day affect me then it
will have a domino effect. I listen to Christian
music throughout the day in my office. I read
a devotional and I constantly talk to myself
positively to help this little brain stay in a good
frame of mind. The balance is difficult, but it is
necessary to reduce stress, keep that joy that I
do not want to lose, and have it left over to give.
This is my time, God has chosen me and my
husband to be parents to our children, I know
that I will fail at times, but with God guiding me
I hope to live with few regrets.
How do you feel your faith sets you apart
from the world?
To make something different and specialI
feel that to be set apart closely knits to the foundation of Christianity. We cant be a religious
version of the world. We must stand out from
the world. They must see there is something different about her. When I think of feeling special
to my Heavenly Father it makes me feel loved,
adored, and special. I know the sacrifice that

has been made for me and I know I must live

in this world. He told us that we would be persecuted for his namesake. That can be a scary
thought but its true. I think we want all of the
benefits of Christianity, but the truth is a storm
has been, its here, or its coming. When we are
set apart we see things differently, we handle
things differently, we choose to react to things
differently. I take it literally that Apostle Paul
said that we should not want to be a stumbling
block. Never do I want someone tripping over
me to try and get to God. I want to be a stepping
stone, and not a stumbling block. I have to be
set apart each day at a level of accountability to
my creator and to myself. I must make amends
extend grace and forgiveness toward others if
I need to do so. To me it is the application of
Gods word that makes us different. We must
humble ourselves in situations and let the light
of Christ shine through us. I have failed and I
will fail with the sin nature that still indwells in
me. Christ has overcome the world, and I must
be set apart for him to be used in a mighty way. I
want that hedge of protection the Bible declares,
I want his mercy and grace. That came with a
price it was not free. I must in return practice
what I learn from him and his word to be set
apart. I desire for someone to say, what is up
with that woman she is always smiling and has
so much joy. We are suppose to be ambassadors
for Jesus Christ. Our mission focus statement at
Temple is to represent Christ well in the 21st
century. It is my desire to represent him well
in the restaurantin front of folks with what
comes out of my mouthwhen my food comes
out all wrong. With my actions, in the places I
go, behind closed doors with my family...I want
to represent Him well. There is no bondage in
Christ I have been set free. I am more joyful
without things, than I ever have been with what
the culture or world had to offer. The best way I
know to convey my heart is that I LOVE GOD
MORE THAN I DO ANY SIN I HAVE! The
closer I get to him the more set apart I feel!
How do you feel about social media?
I believe that what God means for Good,
Satan means for evil. I have enjoyed facebook
to stay in touch with family, friends, and my
church family. Our church has a prayer page
and I can know specific needs in a click and be
able to specifically pray for folks. I do realize
with anything we can spend too much time on
social media. I really try hard to wait until the
kids are in bed late at night to look through my
page, comment, and respond. I limit myself to
the amount of time. I am careful to try not to
get caught up on issues that may bother me and
try to be slow to respond and speak. I want to
be positive on facebook and hope that some of
my post may inspire others and be a word of
encouragement. On the flip side, I monitor my

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children check behind them on the computer

and am not nave as to Satans plan to want to
bring harm and suddenly take them to websites
or places they do not need to go. Things are way
to accessible and you are only a click away to
both good and evil.
How do you describe true contentment in the
Lord?
True contentment with the Lord is when you
get to a place that you feel like you have much
more stability in your life. Contentment is defined as a state of happiness and satisfaction.
Things that use to bother you no longer shake
your core. You can stand in the face of adversity
and not give into anger, frustration, and disappointments. You will have trials until the day
the Lord calls you home, but there is peace and
control over your own life. I think of the fruits
of the spirit. Joy, peace, forbearance, kindness,
gentleness, faithfulness, and self- control. (Gal
5:22-23) These things take many years to attain
in increments at times. It is Gods desire for me
to live abundantly sometimes unfortunately, I
am the only thing holding myself back from all
of the blessings he wants to give me. I feel that I
am a contented person. Each day with my work
I am faced with negative situations, and even
heart-breaking days in social work, yet I remain
joyful, desiring to continue to help others, and
positive even in the midst of the circumstance.
We find stability in our faith and with our Creator. Abiding in him is the only place we will
find contentment and it is up to us individually
to nurture, cultivate, and most importantly apply biblical principles to experience contentment in our lives.
Many women seem to struggle with depression and/or anxiety. What is your faith-based
advice to them?
My advice is to talk to someone who has been
thru the same struggle. Pray with that person let
them know they are not alone in their struggle.
Maybe its an encouraging phone call, note, or
invitation to lunch that could mean the world to
someone in their struggle. I felt anxious when
I would return to work after having my babies.
A guilt would overcome me, and the separation
anxiety would try to settle in my life. We must
not give in to the voices that are in our head trying to convince us at times we are not being a
good wife, Mom , or whatever the case may
be. We can be our own worst enemy when it
comes to the thoughts and feeling that flood
our hearts and very soul. Women are not looking for mere words of I will pray for you, they
need the words I will come over and pray over
you. They need a hug and for the person ministering to them be transparent about their own
past struggles or current struggle. Only then can
healing start to come thru bearing one anothers

burdens. I heard this and it has stuck with me

to be joyful with someone increases two times,
to be empathetic and share anothers burden divides in half. We as women and only women
know our own struggles better than anyone and
we need to rise up and when we feel that nudging to talk to our sisters we need to follow that
small still voice. Depression and Anxiety are
real they are not made up, nor do they need to
be dismissed. The struggle can be temporary
for some and ongoing for years for others. I
encourage folks to get out of their mundane
routines staying at home or in the bed is a reality, but we must empower and not enable others with anxiety and depression. It may be as
simple as a listening ear without advice. God
gives us discernment and guidance according
to each situation. I would also advise to look
up scripture write it down, and text it to them.
There is a lot of controversy within our
country today between believers and nonbelievers, what is your advice to Christians
who feels overwhelmed by it all?
My advice to Christians who are discouraged and disappointed would be to get highly
involved in a Bible-believing church so they
can flourish in their faith. God has designed the
church to encourage believer in their walk of
faith, and not discourage them. Common people, a common goal, worshipping, and fellowshipping our Creator together. We were created
to live in a community so that we can survive
and thrive in this world. Church is a place where
a believer can get refocused weekly, learn more
about God and the ways of this world, worship
Him and feel His presence, and also be reenergized to take on this world with a renewed
sense and purpose. We need to stand united and
firm on biblical principles for the future of this
country. God said if we would turn to him and
turn from our wicked ways, he will exalt a nation that is righteous. We must be a voice that is
heard standing firm on the foundations that this
great nation was built on Godly principles. We
can not lose our first love, and leave God out of
anything . We have free will to make choices,
but we are not free of the consequences of our
choice.
What are your favorite scriptures?
Joshua 1:9Have not I commanded thee?
Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid;
neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD they
God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Psalms 34:8Taste and see the LORD is
good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in
him
Proverbs 3:5-6Trust in The Lord with all
your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding, in all your ways submit to him, and he
will make your paths straight.

a little about Carla ...

My name is Carla Stevens Pearce. I have

lived in Johnston County, N.C. my entire life.
I currently reside in Princeton. I got married
to Rodney Pearce in April of 2000. Our first
friend date was to Temple Baptist our church,
which now ironically he pastors. He has been
a full-time pastor for 10 years at Temple. We
have seen many souls saved, baptized and
lives changed. We started our journey with
only 40 folks and today we have two church
services. Rodney and I have three biological
children and one God Daughter who came
to live with us when she was 17. Rachel is
now twenty-two years old and works fulltime for Liberty University, and entering her
senior year as well. Langley our first biological daughter is fourteen and is a
ninth grader at Princeton High School, and she loves cheerleading. We have
a middle son Leyton, who is twelve and active in all sports, and our youngest
son Lawson is six years old in first grade, and is the apple of our eye. God has
blessed us so much with ministry and our children as we embark on sixteen
years of marriage in April. Being a wife and Mom is my most important and
rewarding role even though I wear many hats.
At Temple I have had the privilege to work in our youth group with senior
high girls for two years. I have a heart for teenage girls and I havent always
known that, but this is one of my callings to ministry. Most recently I have been
a small group leader in our womens Bible studies. I love me career in Social
Work, which gives me an opportunity to do ministry each day and it is truly
not just a job to me , but a mission field . I do home visits, transportations, and
assist many families with social, economic, and financial issues. I have been a
School Social Worker for eighteen years with Johnston County Schools. My
job also allows me summers off to be spent with my family and time off with the
kids when they are off from school. I try not to over extend my schedules or
my time. It is precious and I want to devote time on the weekends with my family. I have learned to say no to many things and events without feeling guilty.
I am one person and keeping myself not stressed and to be my personal best,
therefore I will and cannot allow myself to be all things to all people. I am still
trying to find the balance in life like so many other working busy Moms. I love
being a pastors wife and dont want any recognition for that, I am simply a
sinner saved by grace. Each week in the midst of a congregation I am there to
worship and learn like everyone else.
Ive been a Christian for over twenty years and I am constantly learning
new things and continuing my spiritual journey on this earth. I have learned,
that we must love others like Jesus Christ. My desire is for my heart to break
for what breaks his. Only then will I see with a clarification in this hard, dark
world of tribulations. May my eyes and ears be open each day to what He would
have me to do both in word and deed. I truly love people, all people, and especially have a place for women and teenage girls. I pray till the day I leave this
place that I will be helping someone else. This life is not about me, may I remove myself out of each situation and allow Christ to work in and through me.

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Silver Threads

By Lida M. Rogers
March 1999

The Race

LIDA M. ROGERS
This piece is a reprint from Silver
Threads, a home-missions newsletter
originally published in February 1999,
written by the late Lida M. Rogers. She
began her newsletter in the 1990s. Issues included encouragement, prayers,
Bible studies, a collection of her poems
and, of course, loaded with scripture
references.
FUN FACT: Lida Rogers was my grandmother. Born in 1925, she lived her entire life dedicated to the Lord and gaining souls for Him. She was a licensed
minister in the Pentecostal Holiness
denomination and preached more than
half her life. She entered the gates of
Glory in 2005. I pray that this section
of GSA will be a tribute to and a revival
of her home-missions newsletter.
*I have made only a few punctuation
corrections, but have left everything
the way she had originally worded it.
To find out more about the author or to
receive a copy of the original newsletter, please visit our website at
galssetapartmag.com/weebly.
The website offers contact information.

Greetings in Jesus Name: Let us this day be assembled in the presence of the Holy Spirit together. Because its in Him we live, move and have our
being. Acts 17:28. I trust Silver Threads for this
issue will bring you satisfaction in knowing Jesus
Christ as your Saviour.
We are in a race and this gives us a challenge as
found in the book of Philippians 3:13-14. We think
of the words run and walk as action words,
and when we consider this as the subject to be discussed, we need to remind ourselves that at times
it will be essential to press our way forward in order to win. The word walk is found in the Old Testament 297 times and 108 times in the New Testament. This should tell us something! It reveals that
we are not to stop in this race for Christ.
I believe you will agree with me that at times
we may not feel like pressing our way and this is
when the Holy Spirit will come to our rescue. Even
though the plan of salvation was a gift and its
free to whosoever will partake of its benefits, we
still have a cost of pay in order to keep it. Because
the adversary [satan] is out there to take it from
us if we get too adjusted to a comfortable lifestyle
in this world and what it has to offer.
Now to the race before us: In order to be able
to run in this Christian race for Jesus, there will
have to be some preparations made for our
own good. Because without this we are not eligible to walk or run on this racetrack that our
God has laid out for us. In the book of Amos 4:12
we are given the first instruction as how to get
started in the race before us. Its going to take
faith and perseverance in order to win. The Holy
Scriptures known as the Bible is the road map
for preparation.
As with King David in 1st Samuel 17:38-39 we
can not trust this worlds armour to get us the
victory. In order to run successfully, we will first
have to walk circumspectly and cautiously as
found in Eph. 5:15-16. We are to lay aside every
weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us,
and run with patience the race that is before us.
Because there are many witnesses in this worlds
arena who are watching us run this race to the
finish line. Hebrews 12:1-4

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In replacement of this worlds armour, there

has been a far greater type of armour provided to
us assist us in this race. Eph. 6:10-17. The Word of
God sets the rules in order for us to be a participate. John 3:1-7. We are on a racetrack for Jesus
that is straight, narrow and few there be that find
it. Matthew 7:13-14.
Once we make a commitment to the Lord, there
will still be times when we get tired, hurt and will
even need a spiritual lift to help us keep going
until the race is finished. Thank God for the pit
stops along the way! Its here that we get reinforcement. Deut. 4:30-31. Also, we can encourage
ourselves in the Lord, by not being weary and well
doing. 2nd. Thess 3:13 and Gal. 6:9-10.
Run the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal
life. Wherein thou art called professing a testimony before many witnesses. 1st Tim. 6:12. You
have finished the race begun many years ago, yesterday, today or do you have plans for tomorrow?
Proverbs 27:1.
What is to be accomplished must be done in a
hurry, for Jesus said, Behold I come quickly.
Rev. 3:11. If you are without Christ while reading
Silver Threads, please dont let the enemy meet
you with these words, Youth is for pleasure, middle age is for business and old age is for religion.
Putting off a relationship with Christ until tomorrow might be one day too late. Matthew 25:1-13.
To each of you who read Silver Threads, there
is some good news! God gives to you a faith to live
by, a work to live for, a self to live with, someone
to love [Jesus] and to be loved by someone [Jesus].
We are on the last lap in this race for Christ
and once we cross the finish line there will be a
voice heard saying, My reward is with me to give
to each one according as their works shall be.
Rev. 22:12.
Let us run and walk with patience, the race before us because we are on our final journey home.
Praise the Lord! As you continue your race for
Christ, remember this from Silver Threads:
My walk talks and my talk walks.
But my walk talks better and farther
than my talk walks.