2010 NEW

       HAPPY NEW YEAR    SEEK SPIRITUAL GROWTH

It is a new year, yes 2011 is gone, so what does that mean to the spiritual (Christian & Believer) human kind?

Let’s look back to the year of 2011.  In our individual lives did that 365 days of the year have any one day where or when there was a Spiritual Event or Happening that you remember and cherish with a new feeling (emotion) with regard to our thoughts of Jesus Christ?

For me, Mitch, yes!  I was serving in a church where the leadership seemed  very harsh and direct.  In fact in my opinion, the leadership led by occult style, but they did not know.  It seems that their desire and motivation to CONTROL became so intense that they stopped Spiritual Leading and became administrative directors.

My life changed by going through a four by-pass open heart.  It was a very serious situation, and I did not expect to wake up.  However, God was not ready to take me home.  When I  awakened form the antithesis, the bright lights were confusing, but I knew I was still on earth.  I was disappointed,  and just went back to the darkness of sleep.  Only to wake up shortly and realize that I was still alive for God’s purpose.  Then the healing began, where the first battle was that the spiritual peace of going to the over side ( dying) was gone, and emotions of concern for life became very overwhelming.  In fact a battle started, with whom I though was Satan.

The battle was ferrous, and I was not winning.  The more I asked God to bind Satan out of my life, the worse the battle became.  Eventually, I feared sleep.  The dreams were so horrific, because I could not understand.  My question to God became, “God you did not take me home with you, and now you will not bind Satan out of my life!

I tried to serve God in that church, but seemed to me that the leadership turned, and was condemning me on every front.  In fact I believed they were trying to force me out of the church.  I did not have the physical nor the spiritual strength to overcome the situation.  In desperation, I cried  to God, “Why”, “What”, “did you desert me.  On my knees one more time, I begged God to remove Satan, and “PLEASE”  God, let me know what to do?

Finally God did answer my prayer.  It was in a peaceful sleep that I had a dream.  All I have ever been able to remember was the voice of God saying to me “Mitch, I want you to leave this church, I have something else for you”.  The next morning, I realized that I had not been in battle with Satan, but that I was fighting with God.  Oh yes, Satan did have his share of involvement.

Leaving that church was a heart breaking experience.  I became so very angry, so very angry with the spiritual leaders, so angry at giving up on God, and trying to heal from the surgery.  The most difficult part of the healing has been mental.  One artery that feeds the brain was 100 percent blocked, and when the brain started getting new blood, it to had to rebuild and heal from it’s damage.

Back to thinking of 2011, a year of healing physically, mentally,  emotionally, and most of all spiritually. You see, my first instinct was never become involved or join any organized religion (church).  I had given so much to that church, and in the end forced to leave it all behind.  Leave a group of people that I loved and cared about.  However, seems that God was not about to let Jan and me just retire from serving.

Under the leadership of God, Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit I was lead to build this En Rich With Mitch & Reuben web site, (blog).  God has blessed this ministry very much.  Along with my healing, that is healing from the hurt of retiring and closing my photography studio, leaving a church, and gaining physiology strength, this ministry is growing.  We are reaching more and more from all over the world.   Reuben and I are blessed to receive reports of encouragement and appreciation from everywhere.

Also, God led me to start a  Bible Group  where we meet once a week.  We first share fellowship and food, then we have open discussion bible study.  Small in number, but major Spiritual growth for all of us.  God blesses…

Well Jan and I did join another church, where the poster about my age, connected with me by seeing the love of Jesus Christ in my face and life and befriended me as a fellow servant of God.  In fact this pastor joined in our study group and the members love him so very much.

Am I healed, no, I am not.  However, I gain both physical and spiritual strength every day.  Also, God puts people in front of me (several) each week that also see Jesus Christ in me, and they seek my consul.  I never know when or where someone will grab my attention and spend several moments sharing their spiritual and life pains, and receive my encouragements.  It is in those moments, that I fully feel the Spirit of God  (Holy Spirit) flowing through me.  Praise God!

So today starts a New Year. The events and stories are unwritten, we have a good starting point to seek the presence of God in our lives, and they follow his command. To know the command, read the last chapter of Matthew.  Then Go, which also means do.  Do allow yourselves to allow yourself to gain the understanding of being a Spiritual Human Being.

God Bless you though out the new year.  I am sure this has been written, but understand, that often we cannot until we do.  Mitch

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PLAN EVERY DAY = SPIRITUAL MOMENTS WITH GOD

Approaching the New Year of 2012. What a wonderful feeling, like slipping into bed on fresh new clean sheets, so wonderful.  You can relax and slip into that wonderful thing we call sleep and dream land.  Happy New Year!

   Genesis 1

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 3 And God said , Let there be light: and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.  KJV www.biblestudytools.com

Since we as believers believe in the truth and validity of the Holy Bible as the Word of God, “In the beginning God created… The beginning was just that the beginning, new, fresh, “without form, and void”.  “Darkness was upon the face of the deep”.  However, notice that the “Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” God through His Spirit simply spoke, “Let there be light: and there was light”.

This was new, a fresh clean new beginning.  Man did not yet exist, however God was preparing mans world, home, place to live. New, clean, fresh, with every need that man could want. Since this environment was created by the “Spirit of God”, it makes sense to me that man was to know that the Spiritual Leadership of God would be man kinds leader.  Never the less God created us humans with a free spirit. The freedom to choose or to reject.  Therefore before the “sin” God walked and had Spiritual Relationships with man.  But man chose to disobey God and was cast out of the new clean sheets, the garden.

MY WISH FOR YOUR NEW YEAR:  SLEEP IN CLEAN SPIRITUAL SHEETS OF GOD’S SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDINGS WITH YOU.  STUDY SPIRITUAL THINGS OF GOD FROM YOUR BIBLE, AND BE INVOLVED WITH GOD, JESUS CHRIST AND THE HOLY SPIRIT!

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SPIRITUALITY IN CHRISTMAS – THE REASON FOR THE SEASON

By Mitch DeCanter – Guntown  Mississippi >   MERRY CHRISTMAS AND MAY YOU FIND THE REAL MEANING OF THE CELEBRATION!

Here it is, Christmas Eve! For me this year I have chosen to step back from the rat race of trying to cover the bases of making all the Christmas Parties, Gift Giving, traffic jams, shoulder to shoulder rushing in and out of shopping places. Rushing to cover all the social demands of the season has caused me to feel rejection of the season.  That means, it seems that I do not have any Spiritual Filling of the Season.  Thus, I am sitting down to review the Reason For The Season.

Searching on the internet, I found this web site { http://www.christiananswers.net } that seems to be dealing with the same questions I am always trying to answer for people. The very basic answer is that December 25 is set aside to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. With that the celebration has evolved to gatherings, eating, giving toys to children and the creation of Santa Clause, etc.  Thus the loss of the real  Spiritual Meaning of the Season.

On (www.christiananswers.net) I like the simple explanation of the Reason For The Season, which is LOVE. Note, I do not worry about  bible version, or origination as long as the Scripture is correct.

To ChristianAnswers.Net HOMETo ChristianAnswers.Net DIRECTORY
What is the real meaning of Christmas? Copyright 2005, Films for Christ.

See this page in: Bahasa Indonesia, Dutch,Spanish (Español)Christmas ball. Photo copyrighted.The historic record of the birth of Christ can be found in Matthew 1:18-25

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary wasespoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

and Luke 2:1-20.

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying (Spoken of God to “shew forth his praise”)  and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Unlike any other baby, the one born that night in Bethlehem was unique in all of history. He was not created by a human father and mother. (Really? Where have you been for the past 21 years? Ever since in vitro fertilization and embryonic transfer came on the scene in 1978 (not to mention artificial insemination), it is quite possible for a woman who has never experienced sexual intercourse to give birth.Of course, the Bible makes it clear that it was Almighty God, not some high-paid gynecologist, who worked the details of Jesus’ Divine-Human conception, i.e. “And the angel answered and said unto [Mary], The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”
—Luke 1:35, KJV.) Sound miraculous? Of course. But these days, who would deny that miracles occur? And such a ‘small’ one for the God who created the entire universe!

He had a heavenly pre-existence (John 1:1-3, 14). He is God, the Son—Creator of the universe (Philippians 2:5-11). This is why Christmas is called the incarnation, a word which means “in the flesh.” In the birth of Jesus, the eternal, all-powerful and all-knowing Creator came to earth in the flesh.Why would God do such a thing? Why would he come as a baby, instead of appearing in power and majesty? Why make himself a true man and live among us, when he knew full well how terribly he would be treated?

It was LOVE! It was necessary, if you are to be saved!

Spiritual and Incarnation are two very important key words:  Spirituality from Wikipedia Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality;[1] an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.”[2] Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop an individual’s inner life; spiritual experience includes that of connectedness with a larger reality, yielding a more comprehensive self; with other individuals or the human community; with nature or the cosmos; or with the divine realm.[3] Spirituality is often experienced as a source of inspiration or orientation in life.[4] It can encompass belief in immaterial realities or experiences of the immanent or transcendent nature of the world.

Incarnation, from Wikipedia The Incarnation in traditional Christianity is the belief that Jesus Christ the second person of the Trinity, also known as God the Son or the Logos(Word), “became flesh” by being conceived in the womb of a woman, the Virgin Mary, also known as the Theotokos (God-bearer).

The Incarnation is a fundamental theological teaching of orthodox (Nicene) Christianity, based on its understanding of the New Testament. The Incarnation represents the belief that Jesus, who is the non-created second hypostasis of the triune God, took on a human body and nature and became both man and God. In the Bible its clearest teaching is in John 1:14   : “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.”[1] 

In the Incarnation, as traditionally defined, the divine nature of the Son was joined but not mixed with human nature[2] in one divine Person, JesusChrist, who was both “truly God and truly man”. The Incarnation is commemorated and celebrated each year at Christmas, and also reference can be made to the Feast of the Annunciation; “different aspects of the mystery of the Incarnation” are celebrated at Christmas and the Annunciation.[3]

This is central to the traditional faith held by most Christians. Alternative views on the subject (See Ebionites and the Gospel according to the Hebrews) have been proposed throughout the centuries (see below), but all were rejected by mainstream Christian bodies.

Therefore: This thing called the birth of Jesus Christ was the greatest event for man kind.  Reading from the Book of John, we find that LOVE is the key to understanding all these things that make the Birth of Jesus Christ a continuous event of forever Love, a Spiritual Love.

Please note I would love to see your comments and your understanding of Christmas in the comments. Please share.

Your Spiritual Friend Mitch DeCanter

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Christmas in Vietnam

This will be my first Christmas in Vietnam, and my first Christmas away from my Children and family.

Since this is a socialist country I didn’t know what to expect this holiday season.  Would I hear ‘Merry Christmas’ from stores?  Would there be Christmas carols?

I began to see the typical Christmas decorations displayed…Christmas trees, snowmen, Santa and reindeer.  So, you can imagine my surprise when I woke early one morning to the the sound of  ’O Holy Night’  being played at the coffee shop next door.  My eyes filled with tears as the music continued to the sounds of Silent Night and Joy to the World.  Everywhere you go there is the laughter and joy of the season and I have even seen a few nativity scenes on display at some of the churches.

I think deep down inside,  in everyone’s heart there is the longing for peace and happiness.

I took part in a Christmas program last night with a group from the Emmanuel English-Vietnamese Club.  There was about 200 university students attending.  We sang Christmas carols in English and then Vietnamese and shared in the fun and laughter.   Afterward, a young man gave his testimony of how Jesus delivered him from a life of drugs, sex, and alcohol.  There was an invitation given for students to come and trust Christ as Lord and Saviour.  Twenty seven young people came forward.

I desire your prayers that I would be sensitive to the leadership of the Holy Spirit every day.  There are many poor and hungry people here and I have started a personal project to try and buy one meal a day for someone I meet on the street.   I usually go for coffee every morning close to the hospital.  You can see people sleeping on cardboard boxes and in doorways and hallways.  They have family in the hospital and the don’t have enough money for a hotel room, and often no money for food.

I can buy them a good meal for $1.00 and it gives me an opportunity to give them a gospel tract and share the love of Jesus with them.

I do hope you have a wonderful Christmas Season and that you will share the true meaning of Christmas with others.

Now…if it would only snow!

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Christmas and Holiday Spiritual Wishes

Author:  Mitch DeCanter

Wow! where has the year of 2011 gone?  It seems that time fly’s so rapidly that we just start to get used to the winter months, and the calendar of time is about to flip to 2012.  It is my hope that we can look back on the year of 2011 and find something that has been a blessing and spiritual uplifting.  I think I could say here that there have been some moments that I would like to have frozen into a forever time.  I say that realizing that when we are resting with Jesus Christ in the forever time of being in peace and giving no thoughts to the challenges and fun of changing life adventures.  We will be in a constant forever “time standing still” where we will have the attention and blessing of love from Jesus Christ forever.  What a hope.  No fear of dying, no fear of being entombed in the dark ground, no fear of leaving our loved ones, and on and on. I Can Only Imagine the peace and love that never waverers.

Speaking of “I Can Only Imagine”  a very special friend and I have been producing a slide show presentation to the song of I can only imagine.  It is truly a beautiful work of art.  The spiritual blessing for me is that I remember in the year of 2005, Jan and I were traveling to Wyoming to visit Jan’s home state and town.  In Iowa across the river from Omaha Ne. in the sky was a beautiful cloud formation.  I had the inspiration to produce a presentation to cause anyone to imagine seeing the hand of Jesus Christ coming out of the clouds and they then taking the hand of Jesus Christ receiving His love and peace.  Here it is, six years later I am completing that spiritual blessing of producing that work of art, and presentation.  I will be Spiritually blessed to be on stage singing with a very special friend of about 20 years.

You are welcome to view the production on youtube.com, just follow this link http://www.youtube.com/user/photoar22?feature=mhee.

Oh yes, the title of this post is Christmas and Holiday Spiritual Wishes:  Indeed it is our wish that as those of us that celebrate Christmas with the understanding that we are celebrating the Birth of our Savior Jesus Christ that we can truly accept the spiritual meaning of Jesus Christ coming to earth to humanity incarnate for our salvation.  Jesus Christ the perfect gift as part of the Trinity.  I will talk more about the Trinity with scriptural verses in another writing.

Thus may it be that you are at SPIRITUAL PEACE this season of  Celebration >>>>>>

The King is coming. That’s the message of Advent. Are you ready?

     One day during a Christmas season when our children were small we were praying together. In that prayer I thanked the Lord for His presence with us and said “amen.”
A split second after my “amen” our five-year-old daughter cried out, “Presents? Where are the presents?”
The prospects of His presence – Emmanuel, God with you – should excite us. We ought to be even more thrilled than my daughter was when she thought some gift-wrapped packages had arrived. This is the coming of our Redeemer, of our Savior, of our Passover Lamb. Are you excited? Are you getting ready?
There’s a century-old invitation gospel song that goes: “There’s a great day coming . . . Are you ready for that day to come?” [ audio file ]
That Wil Thompson song from the late 1800′s grabbed at people s hearts. Thousands (and perhaps millions) have come to Christ as Thompson’s lyrics were being sung. Admittedly, the words weren’t about Advent. They asked about being ready for the Judgment Day. Still, the song’s question is a good one to ponder at Advent time: Are you ready? Am I ready?
The King is coming. Let’s get ready.

Originally written for an Advent devotional booklet produced by Warr Acres Christ’s Community Church of the Nazarene

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Pleasing Pictures by Mitch – Holiday Wish

Nov 24

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#5

This gallery contains 5 photos.

Greetings and a Special Holiday Wish For Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year.  Remember Keep Spiritual Love Going Out or your being!    

Posted in God Holy Spirit Jesus Jesus Christ Lord Mitch's Thoughts North Vietnam Praise and Worship Religion and Spirituality Reuben's Mission Trip suffer little children Vietnam.

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Finding Spiritual Peace

Spiritual Peace sometimes does not come easy. Satan can get into your life, dog one, insult one, make you ill and down right angry. How do you get Satan off your back, which will give you Spiritual Peace. I have found that reading, studying. and falling on your face in honest prayer before God. Then you must stop trying to take the load alone, and allow God have that load. In other words, one must surrender listening for Gods voice. Yes, God does communicate with us, but we have to listen, and be a receiver.

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Missionary In Mexico

Tony Crumbley

  • Hey brother,

    Thanks for your message. I would love to share more of our work in Mexico with you. We have two very unique missions and both are dedicated to reaching Mexican families for Jesus.

    Church and preschool – In Matamoros, Mexico we have a new church which we had the privilege of helping plant two years ago with the most dedicated Christian family you will ever meet, Martin and Carolina Medina. They teach the Word of God and live it out daily. They pastor the church and work a great deal with teens and kids. The youth ministry there is growing each week, with over 35 teens now.

    The also run a free preschool for families in the area and have 3 teachers that work in it. Education is very poor in the area so this preschool offers a headstart to kids and creates a desire to learn in these little ones. It is an incredible way to also meet and reach new families for the church work.

    They also offer a food ministry twice a week giving away bags of food to well over 30 families on Wed and Sat. This is a godsend since so many struggle to feed their kids because of the drug war there.

    Our new work is planting home churches or home bible studies. Due to the violence and also apathy towards Christianity many do not go to church, so we go to them like Jesus said. We have seen the Lord start up over a dozen or so home churches in two areas so far and are now working in Juarez, El Paso, Reynosa, Brownsville and looking to start in Tijuana and Mexicali soon next year.

    Brother, we simply must get the Word of God into the hands of the Mexican people, they are dying without Christ daily. Thanks for asking, please pray with us as we seek to reach one more life each day for Jesus and then another.

    peace, Tony Crumbley

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Discover What Drives You!

Driven by feelings

branding yourselfHave you ever asked yourself why you feel the way you feel?

I sure have! I even catch myself asking “Why do I feel this way, even when I know that my feelings are misguided?” Sometimes, I can even get to the point where I can argue with myself about it! Now – that’s sad, isn’t it?

But , yes, there is hope.

When our thoughts begin to argue with our feelings, then usually what we really believe, deep down, doesn’t line up with the conclusions we have made that are based upon our life experiences.  Here is what I mean. If I believe that God heals, but I have ailments, I could easily draw the conclusion that God heals randomly, or God doesn’t love me, or I’m not worth the effort… you get the picture. My faith and my life experiences, in this example, don’t jive. So when I think about God healing – It could conjure up some negative feelings for me.

Here’s the critical thing. Our mind can’t receive two contradictory conclusions as fact. It can only accept one as truth. Our feelings are attached to that. Furthermore, experience is the greater teacher when it comes to our beliefs. So, the renewing of our minds must involve the acceptance of a greater truth than our personal experiences will allow.

Discover how to train your feelings!

http://mindsetdaily.com/  The above was taken from Mindset Daily, written by Ernie Pinard.   Follow the link http://mindsetdaily.com/ to read the full article.  Indeed we are driven by our feelings.  Sometimes we allow our feelings influence our decisions in our daily lives, whereas the facts are not necessary what we feel, but rather should be a balance.  Mitch DeCanter.  Bless you.

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The End Times? Heaven or Hell

Oct 3

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The End Times?

October 3, 2011 By

http://www.achristianspeaks.com/tag/christian/

As a Christian we often become side tracked and miss the simple truth.  As you read this, I suggest that we take a moment and accept the facts.  There is a heaven, there is a hell, and as a human being God has given us a way to spend forever in the place of our choice.  I see it as so very simple, just choose – well choose Jesus Christ.  You say I don’t understand everything that the churches and Christians are teaching.  I say, the most important thing is to CHOOSE, seek disciplining, where you will get all the answers.  Most of all keep it simple! It is not important to comprehend everything before you choose, it is important to choose either HEAVEN or Hell!    Mitch DeCanter, A disciple of Jesus Christ through Men and Women Filled with the Holy Spirit.

The following is copied:

“Hi, I pray everyone has had a blessed week. This article is not going to be about what you may be thinking.

These days with all that’s going on people Christian and non Christian believe we are the last generation and if you are familiar with what Jesus said about the signs just before the tribulation period leading to his second coming these people could be right. See (Matthew Chapter 24 verses 3-13)

A Christian woman that comes into one of the offices I work at was quite disappointed with the fact that the Sunday after a hurricane we had here on the east coast recently that many of the churches were closed. She said she had heard that a young man that is not a saved Christian wanted to go to church that day because we recently had an earthquake and a few days later a hurricane.

She felt that someone should be able to get to the churches and open them. I disagreed with her advising her that it is for reasons of safety the churches were closed, plus we were in a state of emergency. She still disagreed with me and went on her way.

People are so caught up these days that we are in the end times they are missing out on the obvious and the obvious is if you are not saved, the day you die is the end of time for you. We rather think about the world ending rather than realize it does not matter because our life here is short (James Chapter 4 verses 13-17.)

Life as in the scripture above is not promised to us, we can die at any time, so I don’t worry about this being the last generation, or whoever the beast may be, or if he is alive and in the world now. I know that my time here is up when I die, that is the true realization and is one of the reasons I got saved.

I say to all of the people reading this and are not saved, to get saved, accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, admit that he died on the cross for all of us, and was resurrected on the 3rd day and give your life to him, do it now, you may not get another chance, because if you don’t and you die you go to hell and it does exist, there are people who know the word that dispute this but there are to many mentions of it in the Bible to deny it. Read (Luke Chapter 16 verses 19-31) thats just one reference there are others, those people say our God is to loving to send anyone to hell, God does not send anyone there we do by making the decision not to accept his son. He gives us freedom of choice. So again if you are not saved get saved.

Have a blessed week and if the Lord willing I will speak with you soon and always remember if you are in a place where you are Loved, Honored and Respected could be a job, a friendship, a marriage, a church, whatever it may be stay there, do not be tempted away for this is a gift from God.”

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