Hello friends. I was very touched by this recent newsletter written by the daughter of Ruth Bell Graham. Since I’m reading Ruth Bell Graham’s biography, her daughter’s tribute to her mother for Mother’s Day was more impactful to me. It also reminded me that what I am doing is really important for the legacy that I am building in my family. I hope you’ll read this tribute and ponder what was shared by Anne Graham Lotz about her mother. And after reading, if necessary pivot your mind, heart and direction.
Speaking of Anne Graham Lotz, tonight, on May 8th at 6:30pm EST, she is speaking at Times Square Church. They are hosting a break through service every Friday night in the month of May! Wow. You can see all their services live online, or later on their website.
If you have time, please check out this powerful testimony by one of the top highest earners in OnlyFans site. I didn’t know what OnlyFans was about but now I know after hearing her story. Nala Ray grew up in a pastor’s home but had a ton of bad issues that were hiding within her home and by her parents. The hypocrisy of her parents had a huge effect on her. She became very rebellious during her teen years. One step onto the next, somehow led her to become a very prosperous porn star on OnlyFans. Her conversion story back to God was incredible. Her stories of Christians who bad-mouthed her when she came back to Jesus were very eye opening too. I learned a lot from hearing her stories. I admire her courage and vulnerability in sharing her experiences publicly. I will be praying for her new life in Jesus Christ. 🙏 I am glad I heard her long interview because many young women are selling themselves online, even if they don’t need to. As representatives for Jesus Christ and the Church, we need to understand their whys so that we know how to respond when they share their stories with us.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heaven-meets-earth/id1806665471?i=1000763746847
I was curious to see what she looked like and found this news article about her.
As I was looking up about OnlyFans, I discovered that the owner of OnlyFans recently died from cancer at age 43. I hope he made peace with Jesus Christ and his loved ones before he died.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c33le6yv7pno
It’s been reported that many young people are going back to the church. I usually share from evangelical church news since that is the group that I belong to. Here is a Wall Street Journal article reporting about the many young people in NYC who are going to Sunday masses which are in the Catholic Church. Praise God!
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/young-new-yorkers-have-a-new-hot-spot-sunday-mass-b96e1449
In the past 15 years being in the evangelical church community, I was very surprised to learn that many young people who grew up in a Christian household would fall away from their faith while in college. According to previous studies, 70 percent of Christians ages 18 to 23 fall away from their faith. This Christian gap year program is to reduce this statistic. I’ve seen many more gap year Christian programs starting up and being advertised these days. Praise God!
https://cbn.com/news/us/year-grow-inside-christian-gap-year-mountains
Yesterday I finished a powerful interview withGerard Long. This couple experienced a parent’s worst nightmare which is to lose their children, not once but twice. They lost two children out of three – one to a suicide and the other to an accident. I learned a lot from their experiences and how they overcame their tragedies through the power and grace of Jesus Christ.
In the world, a Mother’s Day celebration is all about what others (your children or your husband) can do for you as mothers. However, I am always discovering that in God’s world, it’s the opposite. It’s about our services to others, and then waiting on God to pour Himself into us so that we can continue to serve others. So if Mother’s Day triggers despair or sadness, please consider pouring yourself out for others and see what happens next – just like this couple is doing.
Here’s a longer interview that I heard:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heaven-meets-earth/id1806665471?i=1000765969859
That’s about it for this week’s newsletter. With much prayer and in the love of Jesus Christ 🙏❤️
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
– Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV)
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%2012&version=NKJV
Journal of Faith 