LEGACY Fall/Winter 2016 Issue

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LEGACY www.CourageousLady.org

FREE Online Publication

WOIA: Women of I Am Ministries Serving with a Mission Ten of My Favorite Quotes

Health Awareness: Cancer & COPD The Greatest Gift of All

EXCLUSIVE

HE GAVE ME BEAUTY FOR MY ASHES: MY TESTIMONY

Fall/Winter 2016 Issue

Fall | Winter 2016 Issue

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! Enjoy this second issue of LEGACY magazine and please share with a friend! There’s more to come in 2017.

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Dear Reader, Thank you for taking the time to review the second issue of LEGACY eMagazine. May the articles, health tips, and many words of wisdom bring encouragement and strength to your heart and give you direction as you move forward in your life. So many of us have testimonies, experiences, and ideas, but we refuse to share them because of fear or the negative perceptions we believe others will have of us after we tell our story. We don’t realize that our testimony is the very thing the Lord uses to help another person. Because of this, I’m so very thankful and proud of my dear cousin Mrs. Ebony E. Regulus. In this season of her life, she decided to step out in faith to share her story with the world. I believe her message demonstrates the epitome of what God’s grace, mercy, and power can do for us in our darkest days. This exclusive story will take you on a journey through some of the toughest times of her life, as you witness in her writing how God turned her ashes into beauty. May God grant you the serenity to persevere and reach your awesome victory!

This issue will also captivate your heart with two amazing women of God who are serving others with passion and purpose through missional work in the United States, Central America, and across the sea in Haiti. In this issue, LEGACY seeks to create a continued awareness of breast cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) beyond the national designated months. As we move forward into the next year, let us remember that healthy living is a must and requires each of us to take the necessary steps to eat, to exercise, and to engage in plenty of joyous days that are stress free and fun filled.

In closing, as you prepare for the holiday season with purchasing gifts, putting up Christmas trees, attending holiday parties, and traveling to visit family and friends, let’s not forget that there are so many men, women, and children who are not so fortunate. Whether you have given or helped someone else before or not, I beseech you to pray and ask the Lord to lead and guide you to someone in need. Let’s impact the world with a heart of giving and make a difference in the life of someone else.

Happy Holidays!

Love, Dr. Christine Courageous Lady Network Founder

Copy Editor

Ashley C. Thomas, M.S.

Contributing Writiers Mrs. Ebony E.Regulus Overseer Debra L Stubbs Ms. Justina Wills

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EXCLUSIVE:

HE GAVE ME BEAUTY FOR MY ASHES: MY TESTIMONY

P. 6

FEATURED STORIES

24 Serving with a Mission 34 Women of I Am Ministries

Mrs. Ebony E. Regulus, Featured Writer

51

The Greatest Gifft of All

HEALTH TIPS

22

Breast Cancer

40

Chronic Pulmonary Obstructive Disorder (COPD)

32

SPECIALS

45

Ministry of Laughter: The Most Ratchetest Time of the Year

Ten of My Favorite Entrepreneurship Quotes

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“I declare in the name of Jesus that I am a pioneer of new territories. I walk in favor with God and man, and I will possess all the land God has given me. There will be no holdups, no holdouts, no setbacks or delays. I will not look back to return to the old. Father, cause me to ascend into new realms of power and authority and access new dimensions of divine revelation. Breathe new life into every dormant dream. In the name of Jesus, amen.�

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HE GAVE ME BEAUTY FOR MY ASHES: MY TESTIMONY Mrs. Ebony Eyvonne Regulus | Chicago, Illinois Through every situation we face, good or bad, we are never alone.

No matter who our opponents are, what tests we’re up against or what stumbling block has impeded our path, God will make a way out for us. It doesn’t matter if the situation we’re in was caused by us alone or someone else, intentionally or by accident, God can fix it. All we have to do is welcome Him into our circumstances, by calling on Him and having unwavering faith that He will make everything right. He’s all seeing and all knowing, so there’s never a moment when we are without Him. Life is like being in a tag team wrestling match.

Our Father stands by observing every fight we are up against, waiting for us to tag Him in. The beauty of having the Most High as our partner is that we don’t have to touch Him to bring Him into the ring. He finds great pleasure in the fact that we seek refuge in Him, so just calling His name activates Him. In Jeremiah 1:5, the Bible tells us that before we were in our mother’s womb, He knew us.

Now that’s awesome! Not after He placed us in the womb He knew us, but EVEN before then.

At that very moment, He knew

everything we’d need, what our lives would be like, and everything we’d face. He went before us and made crooked places straight, placed us in the womb and breathed life into our nostrils. He then proudly stood by as we, His creations, entered the world ready and willing to provide our every need. He knew that we may lose our way or that we’d need Him at some point. His grace, mercy and forgiveness cancels out anything we could ever do wrong. There’s nothing that could keep Him from saving us! Just by calling on His name in the midst of our trials gives us a way of escape.

IN THE BEGINNING… Before I was saved, I had been here so many times in my life, needing a way of escape. Situations had me so beat down to a point where I had given up. I couldn’t see my way out and I was defeated. I didn’t attend church often growing up and hadn’t established a personal relationship with God, so I didn’t really understand just who He was in my life. I went to church with my aunt, grandmother and great grandmother on occasion and for holidays. My aunt taught me how to pray and told me that whenev-

er I’m in trouble to call on Jesus and He would rescue me. I never knew those instructions would save my life so many times. The way my life was set up, I found myself in trouble a lot; therefore I was praying and calling on God often. Back then, I thought I was praying with no response from Him. I wasn’t sure if I was doing it right, if He was unavailable for little ol’ me or if I made a mess far too many times and He was just done saving my behind. Out of desperation, I kept on crying out and calling on Him. I was desperate for God to show up because if what my Gran told me was true, He was the only one mighty enough to slay the evils that were beating me down.

I entered into this world exactly how I’d spend most of my younger years..... crying, with the odds stacked against me and fighting for my life. The devil tried to choke the life out of me before I even learned to breath outside of the womb. I was born prematurely, addicted to drugs, and weighing less than four pounds.

My parents split early on when I was very little, so I don’t fully recall my dad living at home. He did come around to visit, pick me and my sister up, take us shop-

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ping, etc. I remember my stepfather being in the home more.

At some point, all of my parents fought the same battles with drug addiction and so did many other parents in our neighborhood.

I grew up in the worst public housing projects in the country, Cabrini Green projects of Chicago, Illinois. My parents’ problems caused a lot of hard times for me and my siblings.

After losing our apartment because of unpaid rent, we bounced around from home to home a lot, staying with different family members.

I recall my mom, my sister and me also staying with my mom’s close friends and their children because we had nowhere to go.

After a few days, my mom would disappear and not come back.

She would go stay where my stepdad was because he wasn’t allowed to be where we were. Off and on, we’d finally get an apartment for a year or so but end up in the same situation. First, the gas would go and then the lights were next to be disconnected, un-

til we’d eventually lose the apartment totally. Later on, I learned that having utilities in the house was a bonus because I remember too many times of coming home only to find no home. Belongings sitting on the curb from being evicted... Clothes, furniture, and the most embarrassing were books and homework papers flying down the street with me and my sister’s names on them like a bulletin broadcasting our pain.

Can you imagine getting out of school and walking home with your friends to a sight like that?

I didn’t know how much more I could take—how many more times I would walk in on my parents and their friends smoking crack, how many more times I’d watch stepdad hitting my mother, how many more times I’d rock my baby brother to sleep and

whisper in his ear that one day I’d take him away from it all. I was mentally exhausted from wearing a mask of happiness, holding in the secrets of how I was living and not being able to tell anyone about my pain. I wanted my life to be better, but I couldn’t hurt my mom and I didn’t want to get her in trouble. I have always been overprotective of my mom and I still am. I thought that I was becoming numb to my life’s issues but in actuality I was succumbing to them.

I was trying to be strong for everyone, yet holding in so much pain at the very same time. By age 13, I began self-inflicting pain for my mother’s attention, was diagnosed with depression and had already attempted suicide.

SAFE IN HIS ARMS During my freshman year of high school, I remember going home from school on the bus with my classmates. Through a crowd of people, I spotted a face that

looked just like mine. It was my dad! We cried and hugged for what seemed like forever because it had been years since I last saw him. I often wondered why my dad had stopped coming around.

I believed him when he said it was hard to find me because we moved around so much. Although I was scared to leave my mom and hated to leave my baby brother, I eventually moved in with my dad and his girlfriend. It was much better than living in a 3 bedroom apartment with 19 other family members. I was the only kid there so having my own room was great.

Things were so much better with my dad, until I noticed that his girlfriend was fighting the same battle my mother was fighting. I had an inclination just by observing her day to day, but it was evident when drug dealers came to claim money she owed them. It was four of them, but they only had one gun. That was enough to make my soul leave my body. I had never been so scared in my life. My instinct to close the door while they were still talking to me

bought me a little time to think.

I thought I’d escape through the back door, but the gate was locked and I had no keys. On top of that, our home phone wasn’t working at the time. My last resort was to fall to my knees and pray. I needed God right then. I imagined him swooping down and lifting me up out of the situation.

I thought I was done for sure when they started breaking down the door. If He wasn’t going to rescue me the way I had envisioned, how else could He? After breaking in, telling me why they came and what they were going to do to me, the boys eventually left peacefully without raping or harming me. Out of the

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group, there was a guy who for some reason didn’t want to hurt me. He started telling his friends to leave me alone, since I had done no wrong and was only a little girl. He persuaded his friends and they left without incidence.

If I didn’t know any better I’d say the world was out to get me.... but because I do know better, I’ll just say that Satan’s plan to destroy me was real. Too many times throughout my life the enemy has tried to take me out physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Although I had finally moved away from the projects, I’d still go over to my aunt’s after school everyday and spend my weekends there as well. That’s where my family was, my closest friends and everything I knew. My dad understood I missed everyone, but spent a lot of nights praying over me. There were good times, bad times and terrible times. Terrible was when I witnessed the murder of a close friend. It wasn’t the first time my eyes had seen a life being taken, but it was the first time I had been only a few feet away. I was so close that I could see the sparks from the gun. I remember

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hearing the loud gunshots and suddenly hearing nothing at all like I had gone deaf. Running over to the person laying on the ground and seeing his eyes crying tears of blood was a sight that I wasn’t prepared for. It was more painful when I got closer and looked into his eyes, recognizing he was a friend. I used to wonder why God had spared my life and none of the bullets took me as well. I was grateful to be alive, but I was hurt to have lost a friend. I felt tortured by that night playing over and over in my mind for years. I was traumatized and I felt guilty for being a live when he wasn’t.

A WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING In the past, I never understand how a person so full of love for people could feel so much pain. I loved everyone in spite of the hurt my heart felt. I had so much love to give and I longed for someone to reciprocate it. I began dating one of my closest high school friends whom I had a crush on. He graduated before me, but we met back up around the time I graduated from high school. He was one of the smartest, coolest, and most respectful guys I knew and I trusted him, so when he asked if I’d be his girlfriend I thought that he’d be the perfect person for me. Our relationship seemed great and our mutual friends were happy for us. The first two years of our life together were something out of a love story and the latter two mirrored a horror movie. Deal-

ing with the pressures of life and things not going well for him, he changed.

became punches and then turned into full fledged drag out matches.

I was suddenly in a life or death situation. We’d been in fights so The more I tried to be there for intense that I had to scream for him, the more he turned into help and police came to save me someone I didn’t recognize. I with guns drawn. I can recall a can’t recall the first time he hit day when he snatched me in his me. I just remember being in too car and drove around beating me. deep. Looking back now, I realize Every time he’d stop at a light, that seeing my mom being hit had I’d try to jump out but he’d take numbed me so much that I didn’t off so I couldn’t. I took so many see the red flag. I didn’t react as blows to my legs and arms that if I was in a state of emergency I just stopped trying altogether like I should have. The abuse was and looked desperately at people familiar to me, except now I was while trying to signal for help. on the receiving end. I thought if I loved him more that he’d I began distancing myself from recognize it and change back to him and told him that I no longer the way he was before. The slaps wanted to be with him. That’s

when the stalking and pop-up visits began. He’d pop up at my job, family members’ houses and so many places I frequented. I began dating someone else, but he wasn’t having it. I then found myself caught in the middle of a love triangle. I ended up going back, not because I loved him, but because I wanted to live. I figured that if I gave him what he wanted, it wouldn’t be as bad. I had very much wanted to be with the person I moved on with, but he moved away and I was vulnerable and unsafe without him.

One day he took my cell phone and discovered that I had been in contact with the person I had fell in love with. He called the number back, put the phone on speaker so I could be heard screaming, and beat me with an umbrella until it fell apart. He announced to us both that if he couldn’t have me no one could. That’s when I knew that if I stayed, he would definitely kill me. I woke up the next morning lying beside a real life monster. He was crying and saying how sorry he was. I was swollen with a variation of blues, purples and greens all over my body. I had multiple abrasions, contusions and some broken blood vessels in my legs that I still feel pain from today. I couldn’t walk for a few days. I had never felt so much physical pain in my life.

I knew it was a matter of life and death for me and if I had stayed I would only be a memory to my family. He was asleep in bed one morning with his shirt off and

the devil was telling me to kill him. All I kept hearing was “get a knife and stab him right in the chest. He deserves it. You’ll get away with it. He has beat you for the last time.” I was scared of the thoughts in my own head. I did not want to murder him although I felt like he deserved it. I knew that I would still be a prisoner to him for the rest of my life because I’d never get over it. I sat in the bathroom, crying and praying to God because yet again, I was in trouble.

One day while he was gone, I packed a backpack with as many outfits as possible and said goodbye to my first beautiful apartment I’d worked so hard for. I went to work but planned to go to my dad’s house afterwards to wash clothes and say goodbye. When I got off work, lo and behold, there was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde waiting for me.

He mentioned that when he got home and noticed a few of my favorite outfits missing, he decided to come to my job to see what was going on. The fact that he zeroed in on something like that was crazy to me because I had tons of clothes. I told him I was going to wash at my dad’s and spend a few days there to clear my mind.

After begging and pleading with him for about an hour on the bus stop, he finally let me go.

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That next morning I was on a greyhound bus to Florida with nothing but a backpack on my back. Fear of my abuser was embedded so deep that I felt like he was following the bus. My heart was still beating when I crossed state lines. I believe I cried the whole way down South. I had accomplished so much on my own, but more than anything, I wanted to live. I was saying goodbye to a love that had gone bad and ready to finally welcome in a new love that I couldn’t, because of fear. I was happy, but also sad that I had to leave behind my family and everything I owned. I ran to save what was most precious: my life.

HEARTBREAK, AGAIN….

The very next month, at age 22, I became a military wife. I was going through some issues but I was safe and happy. Married life was great. Me and my husband were so in love. We had given our life to Christ and attended church every Sunday. I sung in the choir and he played the drums.

He

was

deployed and went underway very often but when he was home,

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we spent a lot of time together.

During a deployment where he was gone for six to eight months, my mother became homeless yet again. I headed to Chicago to sign paperwork to assume guardianship and custody of my little brother. We became the parents of an 11-year-old boy before we had our own child. We were so relieved to have him with us and proud to be able to give him a better life than we had.

God eventually answered our prayers and blessed us with a beautiful baby girl. I later found out that the husband, to whom I had been faithful and committed, hadn’t been so faithful to me. As my water broke, a nurse explained to me that I had an STD. Utilizing my learned behavior to hold things in and look unbothered, I didn’t allow the news to ruin the best day of my life, but I was crushed and embarrassed deep inside. I didn’t know if I should stay or leave. This was the beginning of a very rocky road.

My marriage went through some serious trials, and there was a lot of hurt and resentment for various reasons on both ends. Even while we were going through, life didn’t get any easier. We received military orders to move to Virginia, so that’s where we ended up.

Still dealing with our issues, we tried to hold it together for our family, but it was barely working. I just kept praying that God would show me the way. I asked Him to reveal if my husband was really for me and if I was to stay or go.

in nursing school, juggled my In the midst of trying to figure kids, and worked a part-time job things out, he was ordered to go with everything else that was on on another six-month deploymy plate. Depression had me in ment. I was about six months a fog. My cousin and dad came into an accelerated nursing school to visit with me to help out for a program when I received an email few weeks. My new friend and I from him telling me he wanted became like sisters and we were out of the marriage. He told me each other’s support system. She that he was in love with someand my other classmates were one else and he wasn’t coming so supportive, encouraging and home. I was in a new state with understanding. They motivated no family and only one new me so much, but I was still going girlfriend. I was trying to juggle through the motions. motherhood with my one-yearold baby girl and my little brother As if I needed anything else to and this knocked the wind out of go wrong, I got a call that my me. I felt like I was in a dream. I mother had a stroke back home remember begging and pleading in Chicago. An elevated blood for him to change his mind. I re- pressure caused a blood vessel call feeling angry and furious with to burst in her brain. That sent him. I began hating him deep me into a panic because I almost inside and then the depression lost her once before. In 1991, my kicked in again. I could barely mother was hit by a drunk driver eat or sleep and to be honest, I and left for dead. She was in a couldn’t bring myself to pray. I coma for three months after brain thank God for praying friends surgery. While my stepfather was and family members because I telling me over the phone what was living life in a daze. It’s like was going on, my right side went I was gasping for air and fighting numb. I immediately drove home to stay alive with every minute to check on my mother and when that passed. I literally had to tell I arrived she was fighting to live. myself to breathe. I thought there She was unable to speak but she was no life outside of him. recognized my voice and knew it was me by her side. She is one My little brother became my best of the strongest women I know. friend. He sat with me everyday Although now paralyzed on the while I cried and reminded me right side, and diagnosed with everyday that I was going to be vascular Dementia, my mother is okay. It was like I was on autostill here. pilot because I was still doing things I had to do, but I don’t After three years of separation, remember doing them. God was my marriage of seven years had carrying me because I don’t know finally dissolved. Instead of how I managed an A/B average dropping out of nursing school (with the exception of a few C’s) abruptly to move back home like

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And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28, (KJV)

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I planned, I decided to finish nursing school to ensure stability for my daughter and brother. I eventually graduated nursing school and my little brother graduated from high school shortly thereafter.

GONE TOO SOON Life began to look promising for us again until we got another dreadful phone call.

Our brother was murdered back in Chicago and it changed our lives forever. We were absolutely devastated. I had just driven him back there after he lived with us for nearly a year in Virginia. Here I was again, at the mercy of the Lord, trying to understand my life. My big brother had become my biggest support system and his presence in our lives gave me peace. I felt safe again. The loss we endured was unbearable and unbelievable.

Life hasn’t been the same without

him. Even today, I still cry thinking of him. Nothing but God keeps me together when I go to court and face the man who took my brother’s life. What’s even more painful is that the person who murdered him was someone he called his best friend.

Looking back on my life at all of the trials I have been through, I give God all praises. There is absolutely no way I would have

made it through any of it (including the other things I left out...) without Him. I would have lost my sanity and my life. Every chance he got, the devil told me to give up and to lay down and die, but God’s voice was louder. I never stopped fighting and believing that God would help me.

HE GAVE ME BEAUTY FOR MY ASHES Three months after my brother’s murder, I moved back to Chicago and began the restoration phase of my life. I packed up everything I owned, with my daughter and brother in tow, strapped my car on the back of a U-Haul truck and said goodbye to the east coast. My daughter was back in school and I began working a new nursing job. I was closer to my parents again and had become reacquainted with a childhood, high school friend named Richard. We quickly became inseparable and things took off with me and him. We

began a committed relationship and were expecting our now four-year-old son shortly thereafter.

Certain that God had placed us in each others lives again for a reason, we began going to church and making plans for forever, God’s way.

Because we had done things backwards in the beginning, we repented, began living for Christ and became celibate after being together for over two years. We started setting the groundwork for a godly marriage and attended counseling. With both of us coming from a dysfunctional upbringing, we knew that a life without God was no way for us to live. Today, I must tell the world that God is an awesome God. I am happily married to an amazing man who loves the Lord. I have two beautiful children, a boy and a girl. Christ is the head of our lives and this joy that I have is unreal. We may face trials and nothing is perfect, but nothing is too hard for God. My past has definitely shown me that I am capable and strong, with God fighting battles for me.

FOR HIS GLORY In the past, I questioned God’s presence in my life, and He was there the entire time. We look for Him to respond how we want Him to and only anticipate answers we want to hear. He was answering my prayers, shielding me and trying to show me signs that I wasn’t alone. We often expect this big spectacle or dramatic save when He comes for us and it causes us to lose sight of him quietly standing by shielding us and/or abruptly moving things out of our way that mean us no good. God knows exactly what we need, who we need and when we need it. He doesn’t need our help with any of it.

He knows when we can endure another round. He knows when to pull us out of the fight and when enough has been enough. He knows when to sit us in the corner and when to put on the gloves for us.

He will never leave us or forsake and His word will NOT come back void.

Our lives are bigger than us and God doesn’t send us through trials because He doesn’t love us or because He hates us. With Him by our side and as

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long we have faith, His grace and protection is sufficient to keep us. No matter how hard my life was I thank God for it. I see my life as a gift because He gave it to me. Although my past was ugly.... I still see the beauty behind every scar. The Bible says He will not suffer thy foot to be moved and I know that to be true. My life was not to hurt or to kill me, but to be a true and living testament of His love and protection. I’ve honestly grown enough to feel grateful to Him for allowing me such a task, not only to endure this life, but also to overcome and share it with His people.

God can trust me with this testimony He has given to me.

Even when writing this article, the devil tried to make me shy away with shame and embarrassment.

After words of encouragement from my husband, I prayed about it and opened my Bible. God gave me 2 Timothy 1:8, “Be not ashamed therefore of the testimony of our Lord....”. I’ve learned that my life is so much bigger than me. I give all praises to God for my life and quoting Galatians 6:14 (NLT) “as for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ...” God has proven himself to be faithful to me, and I will be faithful to Him. MY LEGACY The legacy passed on to me had me defeated way before I even existed. I inherited my parents’ sins and the sins of the people I let into my life. I also battled with my own. Keeping faith in God throughout my life and never giving up has given me everything I need to pass along to my children.

A legacy of courage and strength, stories of trials and triumph and most importantly, God’s power and love for us is what I pass on to my children…. and all of God’s children with whom I’m blessed to come in contact.

Peace and Blessings!

Mrs. Ebony Eyvonne Regulus

Fall | Winter 2016 Issue

Mrs. Ebony Eyvonne Regulus Chicago, Illinois

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Christian | Mom | Nurse | Blogger | Entrepreneur | Jewelry Designer Ebony is a 35-year-old, born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She’s lived in Jacksonville, Florida and Norfolk, Virginia for seven years collectively, but she returned home in 2010. She’s married to Richard Regulus and has two children: a 10-year-old daughter Taniyah and a four-yearold son Richard III (Trey). Her brother Rockeem, who she raised like her own son since he was eleven years old, is 24 years old. Although Ebony’s mom birthed him, he’s like her first child. She has two stepsons she loves like her own: eight-year-old Julius and 13-year-old Servario. She also has two siblings from her mother, one sibling from her dad, four siblings from her stepdad and three from her stepmother. Ebony is a nurse by trade, but naturally a great cook. She is an entrepreneur and is always coming up with new business ideas. You can find her online jewelry store at www.handmadejewelsbyebony.madefreshly.com. She has an online blog website (www.sheismeiamher.com) and plans to launch an online clothing store this October. Ebony does very well in the arts and loves singing, listening, and writing all kinds of music, drawing, painting, writing, photography and creating things. She also enjoys watching home improvement or remodeling shows and helping people in need. Ebony loves people and takes joy in making them smile, and she adores babies and people in the elderly community.

Scripture Meditation There are a few scriptures that Ebony meditates on daily. One comes from Isaiah 45:2 and it reads “I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: and I will give thee the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places that thou mayest know that I the Lord which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.”

Blog The name of Ebony’s blog is She Is Me, I Am Her at www.sheismeiamher.com with an accompanying FB page at www.facebook.com/sheismeisamher. Her target audience is women of all socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. She created the blog to inform, speak for, encourage, motivate, and inspire women. It focuses on various topics concerning women, including but not limited to health, relationships, motherhood, marriage and a relationship with God. Whether you’re a career woman,

stay at home mom, wife, grandmother or aunt with no children, there’s something on her blog that you’ll find interesting.

Ebony envisions women reading her entries and having what they’ve read resonate with them so much that they’ll say to themselves, “Oh wow. She gets it!” or “She gets me!” She feels that so many women go through things silently, unable to speak to people about issues, or they feel so misunderstood by people in their circle.

Ebony hopes that woman are able to learn something helpful from the topics listed on her blog, whether it’s knowledge, a second opinion, or inspiration that they gain. All women want to feel appreciated and understood. Women want to know that they aren’t alone when it pertains to matters of the heart and issues that they may have experienced or are currently experiencing. Ebony understands this 100% because she is the same way… SHE IS ME, I AM HER! Golden Nugget – Wisdom Ebony advises us to pay attention to the people in our circle and know what their motives are regarding us. Be sure to remain prayerful and have faith in God in every situation. As you pray, look for the Lord in every situation, because He will show up.

Thanksgiving Ebony gives honor and thanks to God first and foremost for creating her. She also gives thanks to her parents for their love and everything they did and did not give her. She has learned so much from them, some lessons of what to do and what not to do. Ebony believes that the trials and tribulations in her life have molded her into who she is today; without either of them, there would be no Ebony. She gives a huge thanks to her biggest supporter and best friend, her husband Richard, who always pushes and encourages her. No one believes in her like he does. Her babies, Taniyah and Trey, give her the drive and reason to give her best in everything she does. For all these things, Ebony is truly thankful.

Ebony would like for women to know the following: “We as women are made up of many different layers and fibers. No matter what we are faced with in any area of our lives, though delicate, we are strong, resilient and can overcome anything.”

Fall | Winter 2016 Issue

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The Grass Withers The Flowers Fades but the Word of our God Will Stand Forever Isaiah 40:8

The Word of the Lord will sustain you, protect you, guide you, and keep you, when all else may fell you or even fade away.

Fall | Winter 2016 Issue

do not fear...Only Tr

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequat beyond measure. It is our light, not our dar selves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, not to be? You are a child of God. Your play is nothing enlightened about shrinking so th you. We are all meant to shine, as children d ry of God that is within us. It’s not just in s our own light shine, we unconsciously give As we are liberated from our own fear, ou

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ust and Believe God

te. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful rkness that most frightens us. We ask ourtalented, fabulous? Actually, who are you ying small does not serve the world. There hat other people won’t feel insecure around do. We were born to make manifest the glosome of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let e other people permission to do the same. ur presence automatically liberates others. https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/17297.Marianne_Williamson

Fall | Winter 2016 Issue

think pink.

Beyond the Month of October

Learn more by visiting the following website:

http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-facts

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Facts About Breast Cancer In The United States

• One in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.

• Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women.

• Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women.

• Each year it is estimated that over 246,660 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000 will die.

• Although breast cancer in men is rare, an estimated 2,600 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and approximately 440 will die each year.

• On average, every 2 minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer and 1 woman will die of breast cancer every 13 minutes.

• Over 2.8 million breast cancer survivors are alive in the United States today.

Remember to examine your breasts monthly and/or get your annual mammogram!

IT CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE IN SAVING YOUR LIFE.

Fall | Winter 2016 Issue

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Serving With A Mission Justina M. Wills | Demopolis , Alabama

Four years ago, I was desperately seeking God for my purpose.

I had a great new job, multiple degrees, and a great support system of family and friends; yet I still often felt unfulfilled. One day, I was asked to support a fellow teacher who was active in missions by purchasing a bracelet to support one of her mission trips. In the process of selecting a bracelet, she and I begin a conversation about her mission trip experiences. At the time, she was preparing to move to Haiti to begin a full-time role as a missionary. Little did I know that six months later I would be flying out to experience my first mission trip with her.

Mission trips were something I never considered or was exposed to for most of my life.

Between my extreme fear of flying and sometimes high maintenance personality, I never imagined

God would call me to the world of foreign missions. However, after some persuading from my missionary friend, and much prayer with God, I decided to book my first flight to Haiti.

I arrived in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti with much fear and anxiety. I honestly did not know what I should expect. Were the living conditions as poor as they were described on television? Would I be safe?

Would my trip even make a difference?

During the morning of my first visit to Haiti, I remember getting up, dressing, and going to the mission house kitchen for breakfast. I piled my plate with pancakes, eggs, and fruit. Because of my excitement for the day to begin, I hurriedly ate a few bites and tossed the remainder of my breakfast into the trash. Later that morning, we went into the city to serve in the baby feeding program. Each child got one piece of bread, a half of a boiled egg, and one spoon of peanut butter as their meal for the entire day. I remember standing in tears as I recalled my thoughtlessly throwing away my breakfast earlier that morning. What I threw away as trash could have been an entire meal for a baby!

One of the wonderful things about mission work is that it doesn’t just change the lives of those you impact; it changes your heart towards them! It makes you appreciate the smallest of blessings, and

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Caring...Sharing...L

The Christian who is pure and with from God the Father’s point of view who takes care of orphans and wido remains true to the Lord--not soiled by his contacts with the world (Ja

Loving

hout fault, w, is the one ows, and who d and dirtied ames 1:27).

LEGACY eMagazine | 27 it teaches you the true definition of gratitude and servitude.

I had the privilege to travel to various parts of Haiti and Nicaragua. I have worked in multiple capacities, such as teaching English and serving in orphanage care, children’s Christian education, clothing distribution, and food/water relief. It has amazed me to be connected with all of the wonderful missionaries who I encounter while doing God’s work. They are establishing schools, medical clinics, and orphanages. Even more amazing is the spirit of faith and gratitude that I have experienced while in these underprivileged countries.

One of my most touching mission encounters was in my most recent trip to Nicaragua. I was responsible for shoe distribution that particular day as we serviced a very small community outside of Matagalpa, Nicaragua. People walked miles and waited hours to be assisted by one of our team members. As we began to finish up for the day, I was asked to assist an elderly gentleman with shoe fitting. As he sat down, I noticed that he had particularly large feet, and began to panic because our supply was so limited. I remember thinking “Oh God, we will not have a shoe that will fit him!” I pulled off his shoes and saw that this kind man’s shoes were half filled with balled up newspaper. His feet were not nearly as large as the shoes, but he was wearing what must have previously been handed down to him from someone. Tears filled my eyes as I imagined this man, who was in poor health, having to walk miles a day on the rocky terrain in the awful discomfort.

I was blessed to be able to tie shoes on his feet that actually fit him and see the smile of appreciation and comfort on his face.

That is the joy of missions: being a totally ordinary person who finds gladness in serving others.

Many people discourage foreign mission work under the guise that there is enough work to be done at home, and there is indeed plenty of work to be done at home. However, mission work stirs a passion and boldness for Christ in people that makes them courageous witnesses and dedicated servants abroad and at home. If one can gather the faith to pray with Voodoo priests in another country, he or she will without hesitation witness in the streets of America!

Fall | Winter 2016 Issue

In my mission journey, I am often reminded of Psalm 37:23— “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.” I did not believe mission work was my “thing.” I did not think I could survive the long walks, lack of amenities, and heartbreaking circumstances. I am so glad that my good Father knew otherwise. In His perfect steps I have found peace, contentment, and joy.

Justina Wills is a native of Demopolis, Alabama.

She works as a school counselor and earned a B.S. degree in English Education from Alabama State University and an

LEGACY eMagazine | 29 M.Ed. degree in School Counseling from the University of West Alabama. She also plans to pursue a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from Auburn University. Justina has participated in four mission trips: three in Haiti (summer and Christmas of 2014 and 2015) and one in NiDemcaragua (summer of 2015). She is scheduled to return to Haiti during the Christmas of 2016 and travel on her first Guatemala mission trip in 2017. Justina says her favorite Bible verse is Luke 1:45— “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of God’s promises to her.”

Fall | Winter 2016 Issue

LIVING A LIFE OF

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hea body. And be thankful. Let the word of Chr ishing one another in all wisdom, singing p thankfulness in your hearts to God. And w thing in the name of the Lord Jesus, givin

Grace

THANKFULNESS...

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arts, to which indeed you were called in one rist dwell in you richly, teaching and admonpsalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with whatever you do, in word or deed, do everyng thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:15-17

Fall | Winter 2016 Issue

Ten of My Favorite Entrepreneurship Quotes – Christine C. Thomas

3.

Always deliver more than expected. – Larry Page, co-founder of Google.

1.

To any entrepreneur: if you want to do it, do it now. If you don’t, you’re going to regret it. - Catherine Cook, co-founder of MyYearbook.

2.

Ideas are easy.

Implementation is hard. – Guy Kawasaki, founder of AllTop.

4.

Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover. – Mark Twain, author.

5.

You shouldn’t focus on why you can’t do some-

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thing, which is what most people do. You should focus on why perhaps you can on why perhaps you can, and be one of the exceptions. – Steve Case, co-founder of AOL.

6.

I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.”- Steve Jobs, co-founder and CEO of Apple.

7.

8.

If you don’t know what to do with your life, do something that saves lives.

The world is full of of people in need, be the part of their life that fills that need.”

- Sanjeev Saxena.

9.

Entrepreneurship is neither a science nor an art. It is a practice. – Peter Drucker, management consultant, educator, and author.

10.

If you’re not emBe undeniably barrassed by the first good. No marketing efversion of your product, fort or social media buzz- you’ve launched too late.” – word can be a substitute for Reid Hoffman, co-founder that.” - Anthony Volodkin, of LinkedIn. founder of HypeMachine.

Fall | Winter 2016 Issue

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WOMEN OF I AM MINISTRIES Overseer Debra L. Stubbs | Columbia, Missouri

Women of I Am (W.O.I.A.) is a ministry that will encourage, edify, and empower women to know and become who God has called them to be. It was created for Christian women to achieve understanding, experience total healing and claim their worth in God, so that they will ultimately walk out of fear, doubt, and hurt into wholeness and spiritual excellence. Women of I Am is a God-birthed, spirit-filled and set apart ministry for women to provide spiritual encouragement and teaching. The ministry is commissioned to operate according to Matthew 28:19-20 (“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”), teaching God’s will and His way for women’s lives. The ministry is designed to respond to the broken and hurting women in order to change their spirit, body, mind, and soul. Women of I Am will always strive for new ideas that have spiritual value and skills that are need for foundation building, and will continuously encourage all women of God to know who they are…Daughters of the King!

Women of I Am Ministries also seeks to serve women who do not have a relationship with God or know their worth, purpose or call that God has on their life. What makes this ministry different is that we build relationships with those that we minister to and they are given contact information to reach out to us. We teach them

how to pray, study, and live according to the Word of God. We are also available to train and help set up women’s ministries, if a church does not have one. We stand with them until they are able and comfortable to walk in the purpose God has for their life.

W.O.I.A. is a movement for all generations of today’s women. This ministry is in its fifth year and the ministry team has been working to reach women of all ages, backgrounds, and creeds. This has led to the establishment of our new program called Chapters. What are chapters? Chapters are for those 17 and older and serve as a way to encourage high school, collegiate, and young professionals to come and be a part of the kingdom work that God has for his daughters. The program also aids churches, ministries, and organizations by establishing a women’s group within that church. Taking the lead from many sororities, the group would provide a church with instant community service agendas, networking opportunities, and connections with regional conferences and of course with other Chapters of W.O.I.A. Every year the ministry hosts a conference with speakers from around the United States to come encourage, enlighten and empower those in attendance. The 2016 conference was held in Tupelo, Mississippi and the theme was “Steppin Out of Flesh, Steppin into God’s Purpose.” WOIA provides this platform to help women identify with WHO THEY ARE as women. We cordially invite you to join us in 2017 as we continue to provide women and girls with an opportunity to connect and care for one another.

Fall | Winter 2016 Issue For more information about W.O.I.A. or to learn about upcoming events and conferences look for us on Facebook or Twitter or visit our webpage at www.womenofiamministries.org.

Email: womanofIam1@gmail.com Twitter: WOMANOFIAM@_womanOFIAM Address: Women of I Am Ministries, 618 Woodland Park Drive, Boonville, Missouri 65233

thing in my life that was hard for me was having a father who didn’t claim me, want me, or love me. I didn’t understand why and through out my life, the question that I always ask myself was why. I wasn’t a bad person, yet my father wouldn’t be apart of my life. I grew up with some hurt, anger and bitterness toward the situation in my life. But once I begin to grow into a relationship with God and He began to change my heart and my mindset, I was able to forgive him. Now, I need you to Meet the Founder: understand we never had a father-daughter relationship.

Debra L. Stubbs is an entrepreneur, intercessor, prayer However, I had two brothers on my father’s side and warrior, and inspirational speaker—one called and chosen he had no problem with them being apart of my life

by God to do a great work. God has given her a heart and and our relationship as brother and sister. So, when my passion for His people and a focus on edifying, encourag- father died and the hurt and pain showed up again in ing, and enlightening women, regardless of their culture, my life, I learned that forgiveness wasn’t complete, I religion, or ethnic background. God has given her the was still holding onto wondering why he didn’t want me wisdom, power, and authority to help women who have and why I’m not good enough, along with the hurt and been called to come forth and step into the purpose that insecurities. My pastor began to pray for me and tell me God has on their life. it wasn’t my fault and that I need to not only forgive my father but forgive also myself for how I allowed this to Through prayer, the power of God, and the anointing affect who I was. Once I was able to forgive myself and of the Holy Ghost, she is a powerhouse preacher and my father, God opened my heart and removed all the teacher. She strives to reach and uplift those who have hurt, pain, and bitterness. So remember, forgiveness is lost their way, those who don’t know God, and those who not just for the other person, it’s for you because withknow and have a relationship with God. Overseer Stubbs out forgiveness, you live a life in bondage. has experienced much in life that she shares with others as the Spirit gives utterance. Her willingness to share life Overseer Stubbs Legacy for Future Generations: experiences causes others to see and know that God is When I look over my life and I think about the mistakes able to change them from the inside out, because in Him and choices I made, as well as the issues I caused in my there is no failure. life, I realize I was a woman that didn’t know my worth and the value of who I was or what I possess. I went Debra’s formal education includes an Associate of Arts to church, and I knew of God, but I didn’t know God. in Data Processing from Itawamba Jr College in Fulton, I had no relationship with Him. I looked at myself as MS and a Master’s in Biblical Theology from Brewster being whole and complete, but I just was a shell with Clinic and School of Religion in Memphis, TN. She’s also nothing on the inside. For every situation, hurt, and a licensed real estate agent in the state of Missouri. She pain that caused the shell to break into pieces, I needed recently retired and is moving into evangelism that entails to recognize the value of that broken piece. The broken tent revivals and street ministry. pieces in my life represent God pulling me through, growing me up, making me better and doing a new Debra is the mother of five children: four beautiful thing. Therefore, the legacy of my life is, I have taken daughters, Brettina Fair, LaShandra Fair, LaTunga Mcthe fragment and broken pieces and recognized their Comb and Love Gorrer, and one handsome son, Larry value and worth to be used for the up-building of the Stubbs. She has 11 grandchildren and four great-grandKingdom of God. If He can use me in all my brokenchildren. ness, He can also use you because our broken pieces and fragments represent the miracles that God has Word of wisdom from Overseer Debra Stubbs: brought us through. Start looking at what the Lord has Forgiveness is so crucial, because if you don’t forgive oth- done and know your value and worth. ers as well yourself, life will keep you in bondage. The one

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Fall | Winter 2016 Issue

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Ladies, Remember to Dream Big...Work Hard...

Stay Focused and Surround Yourself with Good People.

It’s Possible and For Your Good!

Fall | Winter 2016 Issue

COPD Health Awareness Tip Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the 3rd leading cause of death in the United States. The disease kills more than 120,000 Americans each year—that’s 1 death every 4 minutes—and causes serious, longterm disability. The number of people with COPD is increasing. More than 12 million people are diagnosed with COPD and an additional 12 million likely have the disease and don’t even know it.

COPD is a progressive disease that makes it hard to breathe. A progressive disease is one that gets worse over time. It can cause coughing that produces large amounts of mucus (a slimy substance), wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and other symptoms.

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of COPD. Most people who have COPD smoke or used to smoke.

Long-term exposure to other lung irritants, such as air pollution, chemical fumes, or dust, may also contribute to COPD. Here are 4 things YOU or YOUR family member can do to live a longer, more active life.

• Be aware of the risk factors.

• Recognize the symptoms.

• Ask your doctor or health care provider about a simple breathing test.

• Follow treatment advice.

4 KEY RISK FACTORS FOR COPD, If you …

• have shortness of breath, chronic cough, or trouble performing simple daily tasks like climbing stairs, grocery shopping, or doing laundry; • are over age 40 and currently smoke or used to smoke; • have worked or lived around chemicals or fumes; • have certain genetic conditions …you could be at risk for COPD. 4 THINGS YOU CAN DO IF YOU ARE AT RISK FOR COPD: • Talk with your healthcare provider about shortness of breath, chronic cough, or decline in activity level.

• Get a simple breathing test, also known as spirometry.

• Quit smoking. Need help? Talk to your doctor or health care provider.

• Avoid pollutants or fumes that can irritate your lungs.

4 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP MANAGE COPD: • Take medication as directed by your doctor or health care provider.

• Enroll in a pulmonary rehabilitation program.

• Avoid pollutants or fumes that can irritate your lungs.

• Get flu and pneumonia shots as directed by your doctor or health care provider.

FOR TOOLS TO HELP START THE CONVERSATION, VISIT COPD.NHLBI.NIH.GOV

• 3rd Leading Cause of Death • Millions are walking around with the disease and have not been diagnosed

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• 9.79% of Adults in Alabama Have COPD • Check the Statistics in Your State

CSource: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/copd http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/copd/event-listing/awareness-month/

Fall | Winter 2016 Issue

You’re a Real Star!

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Courageous Lady Network would like to Wish you a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Have a safe and joyous time with family and friends and, remember Jesus is the REASON for the SEASON! Love and Peace, Dr. Christine

Merry C

Fall | Winter 2016 Issue

Well… ‘Tis the Season!

For love, for laughter, and for joy. So o the end of the year brings with it fin cial burdens, loss, and feelings of lon ness and depression. Ministry of Lau ter wants to encourage you to remem that you are loved. While we celebr Jesus’ birth, we know that He is our en Savior and Lord who cares deeply us! Let’s make this a Christmas and N Year filled with love, kindness, grace, mercy, as we keep Christ in the cente everything we do…And we don’t hav wait until the clock strikes midnight New Year’s to walk into the new sea God has for each of us. God bless you With a Cheerful Heart, Ashley C. Thomas Ministry of Laughter Founder

Christmas

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Click to watch video

often nanneliughmber rate r risy for New and er of ve to t on ason u all!

Follow me on Social Media: Facebook.com/ashleycthomas89 Instagram: @aye_see_tee

Fall | Winter 2016 Issue

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...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. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

New International Version

Fall | Winter 2016 Issue

Jesus Christ is the Greatest Gift We Can Ever Receive

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For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16, NIV

Fall | Winter 2016 Issue

The Greatest Gift of All By: Christine C. Thomas Christmas time is one of the most exciting holidays of the year for children and even adults. Year after year, many parents live vicariously through their children. Thanksgiving Day begins the excitement of individuals racing to “Black Friday” sales and doorbusters at retailers like Walmart, Target, JCPenney, and Best Buy to purchase toys, televisions, household items, clothes, and jewelry. Not to mention Cyber Monday: a day created by marketing companies to encourage consumers to shop online at deeply discounted prices and promotions. Lights, wreaths, and decorations of all sorts will typically fill the homes of many around the city. Under Christmas trees we will find an abundance of gifts for family and friends. Santa Claus will take plenty of pictures with babies and young children in the

mall for annual keepsakes that all can enjoy, and people will flood social media timelines with selfies and group pictures to share their excitement with the world.

HELPING OTHERS IN NEED For some families, Christmas does not look like this, and the experience is not the same.

So many men, women, and children in the United States will go hungry and won’t receive Christmas toys, the latest designer shoes, clothes, or cell phones under a lit tree. For them, it may be a day of despair and disappointment. Children will be heartbroken that Santa Claus failed to drop by their home to deliver gifts. Thank God that He has a special place in His heart for those in need during this Christmas season, and as

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local foodbank, church, co-workers, family and friends, or not-for-profit organizations and make plans to give.

Christians, let us think of others during our giving. Deuteronomy 15:7-8, 10-11 says, “if there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs…You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand. For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.” I would like to suggest that you connect with your

Helping individuals and families with their basic needs is the first step to opening their hearts to receive the greatest gift of all: Jesus Christ. The Bible records in John 3:16-18 (NIV), “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not

believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” As we meet the natural needs of others, let us be mindful of the Gift of Salvation that God gives willingly without payment. He loves us so much that he does not want us to be separated from God because of sin. Jesus died for us and now others can receive Jesus and know what God’s love is for themselves.

My life is not perfect and I don’t have everything I want, but the Gift of Salvation has allowed me to experience peace, love, daily forgiveness, and grace to live each and every day. It all began some 18 years

Fall | Winter 2016 Issue

ago when my life was spiraling out of control and I didn’t know where I was headed.

Deep within my heart, I wanted to quit and give up, just like the many families who are hurting during this holiday season because they are not able to meet their basic needs to survive. I learned that I was more than a conqueror, not because of what I had but because of who had me. Eve as we get all that we want and need this holiday season, let’s yearn for others to receive this great gift we know as Jesus Christ.

ARE YOU SEEKING THE GIFT? Why wait any longer to receive the free gift of salvation, if you have not already accepted

the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior? There is no layaway payment plan or any need for coupon codes. Open your heart and enjoy God’s ultimate gift-giving all year life long. Receive eternal life and the promises of God. Let God remove all your yokes and burdens and release His everlasting love, faithfulness, patience, peace, and joy in your life. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9). Let the Lord come into your heart. Christ will save you now... “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised

Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart man believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation” (Romans 10:9-10). The Lord is willing and just to forgive you of all your sins. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

YOU MAY ACCEPT THE GIFT By saying this simple prayer, you can receive eternal life instead of the wage of our sin, which is death (Romans 6:23): “Heavenly Father, I know that I am a sinner. I believe in my heart that you sent your son Jesus Christ to die on the cross at Calvary for my sin and in my place. I believe that He was buried, and He rose on the third day with all power.

I repent of my sins and open my heart to let Jesus in. I accept your forgiveness and thank you for the blood Jesus shed for my sins.

Come into my heart and rule over my life. I pray that you will guide me and lead me in

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my daily walk. Fill me with your Holy Spirit.

In the name of Jesus, I thank you for saving me and being the greatest gift I will ever receive. I bless your holy name. In Jesus name, Amen.”

PRAYER Father, I pray that the readers of LEGACY magazine will love one another. They will be hospitable to others without complaining.

They will serve by the strength you supply so that in all things you may be glorified. I pray that they encourage one another, as well as comfort, edify, and build up others. I pray that they will stand in agreement with your Word, let the joy of the Lord be their strength, and let their light shine with the peace of God ruling in their hearts. Father, I thank you that You are perfecting them and you are leading and guiding them to serve others with purpose, passion, praise, and power. In Jesus name, let your will be done.

Thank you for being the greatest gift of all.

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Fall | Winter 2016 Issue

Celebrate your new beginnings in 2017 as you commit to embracing your dreams, edifying yourself and others, and encouraging, empowering and equipping yourself to be the very best in WHATEVER God has ordained for your life.

Somebody’s waiting on you...it’s time to begin your LEGACY!!!