Praise Him by Mayada Naami
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his, we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name (Psalm 100:1-4 NIV). With the Thanksgiving holiday behind us, I am writing this blog and wondering if people really understand the true meaning of Thanksgiving. Many Americans gather with friends and family, eat turkey and all the trimming, and then go back to their busy lives once…
Thankful—No Matter What by Lisa Burkhardt Worley
Thanksgiving is a day we set aside to be thankful for the many blessings we’ve received. We might even overlook the hardships we could be going through for at least this day. However what do we do the rest of the year? Are we thankful for everything, whether good or bad, in every way? The Apostle Paul said, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18). The Apostle Paul is exhorting us to give thanks—no matter what. It’s not always easy to be thankful when we are: Sick Penniless…
The Beauty of Giving Thanks by Lane Jordan Burday
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). The first Thanksgiving happened long ago and it’s easy to forget how it began. It began when a group of committed Christians who were facing persecution in Europe for their faith decided to sail across dangerous waters to a new land. The first winter there, 44 of the original 102 colonists died. Fortunately, the next summer’s crop brought hope and Governor William Bradford decreed that December 13, 1621 be set aside as a day of feasting…
Bad for Good by Lisa Burkhardt Worley
It had been a lovely day. My friend and I attended a luncheon that featured a social media expert and we were blessed by the information. I provided the giveaway basket for the event, filled with gifts that people could use for the holidays. So my friend did not have to drive and spend money on gas, I offered to take her to the event. It is one way I like to help out. She needed to run an errand afterwards and asked if I could drive her to the location. It was not that far out of our way,…
Spiritual Bankruptcy by Mayada Naami
What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? (Matthew 16:26, NIV) In 2011, after my second divorce, I was homeless and financially bankrupt. Until that moment I had been turning to someone or something to fill me up, which ultimately led to my spiritual bankruptcy. “Spiritual bankruptcy” is a term used in the 12-step program to describe addicts who have lost their connection to a higher power. The more I had tried to gain the whole world, the more I had forfeited…
Diffusing Childhood Wounds by Lisa Burkhardt Worley
“Lisa, you did not turn in your report card.” “Yes, I did.” “No you did not.” This was a conversation between my fourth grade teacher and myself in front of the entire class, one of several embarrassing moments created by that particular teacher. However, she eventually found my report card that she had misplaced—but made no apology for the false accusation. This week, one of my professors could not find a paper I had submitted and asked, “I can’t find your paper. Did you turn it in?” I sent him proof that I had submitted it and he found it…
A Difficult Season by Lane Jordan Burday
He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away…”Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:4-5). When I am in a difficult season, I try to focus on the eternal things of God rather than whatever circumstance I am in at the moment. For I know the future with God will be perfect! But what about now? When we are in the middle of a hurricane bringing disaster to our lives, answers that don’t make sense and…
Tikkun Olam by Lisa Burkhardt Worley
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair (Isaiah 61:1–3, NIV). It is still difficult to shake the heaviness that has hovered over…
Suffering How Do We Respond? By Lane Jordan Burday
Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble (Job 14:1). I know this is not a happy verse to start this article! But the book of Job is full of the everyday pain and suffering you may have had to endure. So, the main question is, why is there suffering? You might ask that question when you hear of hurricanes, mudslides, earthquakes, and other disasters taking people’s lives. Or recently, the horrific invasion of Israel. Consider some of these reasons. We can’t escape the laws that govern our universe. We need such things as…
The Harvest by Mayada Naami
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest.if we do not give up (Jeremiah 1:4-8, NIV). Have you ever grown weary of doing good? Do you get impatient with God, sometimes asking Him when will you see the fruit of all your labor? I have, multiple times. The good news is, if we do not give up, the Bible tells us, at the proper time, we will reap a harvest. The key phrase is, “at the proper time.” You have prepared the ground and have planted the seed—now what? What happens…
The Characteristics of Confidence (Part Two) by Lisa Burkhardt Worley
This is a photo on a very confident day, from the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. I knew sports commentator Verne Lundquist, but I did not know figure skater Scottie Hamilton, yet I seized the opportunity to jump into the broadcast booth to take a photo with the two of them. You can see by Scottie’s face, he wasn’t too sure about me. But it is important to note that I had grown up to be a more confident woman despite a childhood filled with insecurity. I did not have confidence as a little girl because I did not…
The Characteristics of Confidence (Part One) by Lisa Burkhardt Worley
What is your level of confidence? Are you very confident? Moderately confident? Or not confident at all? As a child I had very little confidence because of a dysfunctional environment. I had no confidence in relationships, my abilities or school, but what I have determined over the years is that everyone lacks confidence. When someone over-speaks about their accomplishments, it’s because they do not have confidence and they are trying to impress someone. Instead of monopolizing a conversation, it’s important to ask questions about others. Find out who they are. Determine what their hopes and dreams are. They will often…
God is in Control by Lane Jordan Burday
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). With the sudden infiltration of Hamas into Israel this past week, one would think that it took God unaware. Where was He during this invasion? He was right there. Yes, we might feel on edge, worried, or anxious about these shocking and horrendous actions. Uncertainty quickly leads to fear, and fear erodes away at our faith. Fear can be so…
Heart Check by Lisa Burkhardt Worley
I have an extra beat in my heart. The fancy name is “pre-ventricular contraction.” So every year I have to go to the cardiologist to get my heart checked to make sure everything is working properly. So far, so good. In the same way, I think it is good to do an occasional spiritual heart check on ourselves. Using our upcoming Level-Up Women’s Conference as an example, I ask myself every year, Are we doing this for the right reasons? Is this about drawing women closer to God and not about Pearls of Promise—or myself? I believe my heart is…
Prayer for Israel by Lisa Burkhardt Worley
Hello Faithful POP Blog followers. Today, Israel is heavy on my heart, so instead of a blog, I thought I would share a prayer for Israel as they face one of the most difficult challenges in their modern history. I just heard an update from a former Brigadier General in the IDF who is still connected to intelligence. She says the borders are secure, but there is now concern that there may be undercover terrorist cells within Israel that could cause more problems. The residents in Israel need us now more than ever so I first want to pray Psalm…
Perfect Peace by Lisa Burkhardt Worley
We are two weeks out from our annual Level-Up Women’s Conference and worries are trying to overwhelm me. Worries about the preps. Worries about the messages. Worries about the count. Worries about everything else I have to do. It is around this time every year that I announce to my husband: “I don’t think I am going to do this again!” He laughs and says, “We’ll see.” Do you let worries wear you down? That is when it’s time to surrender to God whatever is weighing on you and pray for His perfect peace. Isaiah 26:3 says, You will keep him in…
We Have the Power! By Lane Jordan Burday
The Lord your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, just as a man carries his son, in all the way which you have walked, until you came to this place (Deuteronomy 1:30-31). The book of Deuteronomy means “second law.” In other words, Moses brought the people together again to teach them all about the Ten Commandments and to prepare them for (finally) going into the promised land. Forty years had…
For Such a Time as This by Lisa Burkhardt Worley
The story of Esther has been a repeat message spoken over me lately—the fact that I have been created “for such a time as this.” They are referring to the documentary work we are doing to fight antisemitism. As antisemitism is escalating again worldwide, this work is important at this time in history. In the biblical book of Esther, Esther was a Jewish orphan, raised by her cousin Mordecai, who won a beauty pageant to become Queen of Persia. When a wicked man named Haman put together a plan to annihilate the Jews, Mordecai sought Esther’s help. Esther had not…
Answering the Call by Mayada Naami
The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 1:4-8, NIV) Jeremiah, also known as the “weeping prophet” was called by God to be a…
Sisterhood by Lisa Burkhardt Worley
From about eight years of age into adulthood, I lived with my mom who didn’t converse much, so I was left alone with my thoughts a lot. I always wondered what it would be like to live in a household with a large family. You would have built-in playmates, and a sister or two with whom you could share your deepest secrets. But God supplies all our needs (Phil 4:19), and I’ve watched Him place “sister-like friends” in my life over the years. Some for a season. Others ‘til death do us part. Last night we held a Pearls of…