Pursuing God's Purpose and Promises For Women
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Greetings!
Welcome to Promise Helpers' August 2020 newsletter. Make sure you register for our fall retreat, Pursuit 10.20: Dancing In the Rain! This month's newsletter theme is Standing Strong.
Here we are over halfway through 2020, the Year of Vision... wow! We did NOT see all this chaos coming. It looks as if our Year of Vision has been lost and desecrated beyond recognition by the enemy. But God.... God knew what 2020 would look like, and we can hold on to His promises that He will see us through when we trust Him. We do not know how 2020 The Year of Vision will end, but we can be assured God is still on His throne, and we know the ultimate outcome as well-- He wins, which means His faithful servants win!
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f at any time you need prayer, please contact Promise Helpers by clicking the "Prayer" button below or visiting our Facebook page to leave a message. We have mighty Prayer Warriors ready to stand in the gap on your behalf.
Overview for our August newsletter:
- Registration for Pursuit 10.20: Dancing In the Rain
- Info for Prayer Group Starting in Fort Worth
- Article, "How Long Can You Stand?" by Karla Maxwell
- Awesome Lyric Video "Crushing Snakes" by Crowder
- How To Stay Motivated To Exercise
- Promise Center's News
- What's Happening in Your Area?
- Our Contact Information
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Well, howdy-do! Registration is NOW OPEN for our fall retreat, Pursuit 10.20: Dancing In the Rain!!
Are you planning on joining us? We look forward to seeing each of you at a new location, Glen Lake Camp and Retreat Center, in Glen Rose, TX. Be rest-assured we will be taking all necessary precautions against this 2020 vision-robber, COVID-19, so please do not let fear stop you. We understand completely if you choose not to join us and realize each person must decide for themselves what is best. We expect the Lord to do great and mighty things over that weekend; He knows our storms and can guide us through.
Promise Helpers' retreats always start with a fast and are bathed in prayer starting 40 days before the retreat. This retreat's fast will begin on Sunday, August 23rd. You are invited to participate by praying and fasting for the retreat; just ask the Lord what He would like you to fast from-- eating sugar, drinking coffee, watching television, etc. It does not have to be food-related.
You can also be a blessing to Promise Helpers and other ladies who cannot financially afford to attend but would like to. Promise Helpers has many opportunities for you to be blessed and be a blessing by providing full or partial scholarships. Promise Helpers is a 501c non-profit organization, so all donations are tax deductible. If you would like to be a part in changing the lives of ladies, click the "Donation" link and you will be directed to Promise Helpers' PayPal page. Select "Retreats" for scholarship donations.
We pray you can join us. It is always a huge blessing to see you!!
October 2nd-4th, 2020
Glen Lake Camp and Retreat Center
1102 NE Barnard St.
Glen Rose, TX 76043
$135 includes all meals and lodging
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Information For Prayer Group in Fort Worth, TX
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We are living in a tough time. So many negative, awful, scary things are happening all around us and it just does not seem to end. The only answer we have is to cry out in prayer to the Lord, asking Him to intervene, to show us what our part is, and plead forgiveness repentance and restoration for our nation.
Jim & Debbie Barber are hosting a prayer meeting every Thursday evening at their home in west Fort Worth – near intersection of I-30 and 820. The focus is simply praying for our nation in this troubled time. They are keeping the group small for social distancing but anyone is welcome. The group meets at 6:30 and ends by 8-8:30. If you are interested in joining them, email Debbie at
jubileedebbie@gmail.com
for further information.
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How Long Can You Stand?
by Karla Maxwell
With things changing ever so quickly in our society-- government mandates, distance learning for schools and colleges, shutdowns and lockdowns, protests and rioting-- our country is being shaped into something our Founding Fathers never dreamed of happening; our rights as citizens and followers of Christ are laying in the balance in a very unstable scale.
I had never thought of persecution of the church being a real live issue in America, but sadly and alarmingly, it is becoming more real every week. We do not hear about it in the news. Church buildings all across the nation are being vandalized and broken into, politicians stating, if elected, will force churches to accept liberal lifestyles or be deemed a terrorist threat, and we are on the expressway of what was once considered good is now evil and what was once evil is now good.
With the way things are going in America, I have often paused to think if I were confronted by a persecutor of some kind, how would I react? Have you ever envisioned yourself being held at gunpoint and someone tell you to renounce your faith in Christ or die? I have, many times. And the answer I always envision giving is always, "No, I will not renounce my faith in Jesus Christ." That is an easy situation because if I die, I know what happens next. I would have no more worries of any kind and would be in the presence of the Lord.
But what if the persecution is not at gun point? I am not a confrontational person. I am very diplomatic and want all sides to be happy. But with persecution, one cannot be diplomatic. How would I handle persecution? It is inevitable we will have to endure it in the coming years. Countries all over the world burn churches down, bibles are confiscated and burned, citizens are arrested for their profession of faith in Christ, neighbors turn in their neighbors to the authorities if they see any signs of Christian activity.
How would I react if someone made a snide remark about my yellow T-shirt that says, "Be the Light"? Would I pretend I did not hear them, or just run, or would I stand and respond? Would I be able to endure repeated physical torture day in and day out? How would I react if someone hurt my child because I am a follower of Christ?
Those are tough questions most of us do not know how we would respond until we are in that situation. How do you think you would handle persecution brought on by your being a Christ-follower? Perhaps you have been in a situation of persecution because of your belief. How did you handle it?
The only way to truly stand for Christ is to stand on His Word, and to stand on His Word, we must be IN His Word. Persecution of Christians goes all the way back to Jesus' time on earth. Stephen was stoned to death for boldly preaching the Gospel. John was beheaded for Christ. Peter was asked if he was a follower of Christ but denied Him three times. The good news is, Peter got his act together and became a powerhouse for Christ, and based on John 21:18-19, Peter was crucified for following Christ.
Are you ready to stand for Christ when persecution comes?
To God be the Glory!
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Lyric Video "Crushing Snakes"
by Crowder
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How To Stay Motivated To Exercise
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The "E" word-- Exercise. Yuck! An eight-letter word; double the amount of letters of a four-letter word, so it must be twice as bad (LOL!). If you are like most people, you probably do not get enough exercise to maintain your endurance and strength. But God did not create us to be idle; He created us to be strong and able to endure hardships and battles we face. He fights the spiritual battles with us and for us, but we have to stay strong in the physical realm in order to fight the battles as well.
Here are some suggestions to stay motivated in our quest to be physically strong.
- Set Goals- realistic goals with clear milestones
- Have a Plan
- Schedule a regular workout time
- Set specific days for specific exercises such as walk 30 minutes a day, strength training Mon/Wed/Fri, stretching exercises Tue/Thur/Sat
- Remember Why You Started Exercising
- Write down the reasons and place them where you will see them often
- Record your accomplishments to reflect back on to remind you of the positive results from your efforts
- Create a Reward System
- When you reach a milestone such as walking 50 miles over time, or staying with your plan for X number of weeks, give yourself a treat- a chocolate bar, pedicure, a new article of clothing...
- Keep Yourself Accountable
- Have an exercise partner, that's always fun
- Have someone you trust check on your progress
Life is hard and extremely busy. But physical exercise is just as important as our spiritual exercise of staying strong in the Lord. Feel free to share how you enjoy staying physically and spiritually strong by sending us a message on FaceBook or email. We truly LOVE hearing from you!
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Promise Helpers' outreach center, Promise Center in Clyde, TX, is open and is currently receiving online applications for needed assistance and conducting phone interviews for those who qualify for assistance. The grocery donors for Promise Center's food bank do not currently have supplies to donate, but Promise Center is trusting God and His provision. There has been an increase in calls and messages at the center for ministry. The Lord is moving mightily amidst these prophesied times. Please pray for Promise Center as they continue to navigate through this difficult time of much needed service and outreach.
And be sure to checkout Promise Center's Facebook page, and "Like" them on Facebook while you are at it! Click the "Visit Promise Center's FB Page" below.
Your continued prayers and much needed financial support are appreciated as Promise Center reaches the lost, hurting, those in need physically and spiritually.
You can contact Promise Center at
(325) 893-3777 or Facebook
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What's Happening In Your Area
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Clyde
Promise Center
Phone Number (325) 893-3777
Cross Plains
Tuesday 2nd and 4th evenings Bible study 6:30
Conducted outside on Connie's patio
Contact Connie Kirkham
Hamilton
No activities at this time
Contact Alicia Saldaña
Parker/ Wise /Tarrant Counties
Thursday evenings prayer time 6:30-8:30
At the home of Debbie and Jim Barber
Fort Worth
Contact Debbie Barber
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Our mailing and physical addresses:
PO Box 1104
222 Archer St.
Clyde, TX 79510
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Promise Helpers is a non-profit Christian ministry for women that seeks to help women experience the fullness of God’s purpose and promises for them. Our desire is to bring women to a place of personal wholeness so they can bring wholeness to their marriages, homes, families and communities. Promise Helpers is women ministering to women, reminding one another of the promises of God and encouraging one another to implement those promises into their daily lives. The foundation of Promise Helpers is prayer, for apart from Jesus Christ we can do nothing.
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