THE POTTER'S HOUSE FOR WOMEN         MAY 23, 2011

I'd like to share today something that just happened to me.  A few months ago, one of the ladies had me to check my blood pressure.   It was high.  I didn't pay too much attention until recently, when my heart began palpitating all the time and I just didn't feel good.  I started taking my blood pressure and it was like 179/86; 193/98; etc.  I would take it about 3 times a day and it was always high.

Then, one day last week, I was walking outside and I just looked up to heaven, raised my arms up to the Lord, and told Him, "Lord, I don't know if this is just the devil or if it's a legitimate problem.  I know the one thing that causes the devil to flee is praise.  So, I am just going to start praising You and thanking you for this!  I am trusting You to let me know if I need to go to the doctor and get on blood pressure medicine...or if this is just an attack from the enemy to take my time and money.  I know I could have a heart attack or a stroke, but I am going to trust You to take care of me until You speak to me and tell me what to do."

After this, I just put my focus totally on the Lord, not on the problem, and started praising Him with all my heart.  Later, I took my blood pressure and it was 131/63.  I had a book that I read portions of to the girls, but I had not picked it up in a long time.  I noticed it and opened it to the page where I had left off...the page where the marker was.  And this is what the title of the chapter was:  "Your Praise Can Rout the Devil."  Wow...not a coincidence, but the Divine sovereignty of God!

Here are a couple of excerpts from the chapter:  "Praise lifts your eyes from the battle to the victory, for Christ is already Victor and you have the Victor in your heart that you might have His victory in your life and in your prayer."  "Praise pierces the darkness, dynamites long-standing obstructions, and sends the demons of hell fleeing."  "Two wings are necessary for the soul to reach God's throne...prayer and praise."  "Praise gives you a heavenly transfusion."  "When we bless God for mercies, we prolong them, and when we bless Him for miseries, we usually end them." "As you begin to praise the Lord, the focus of your attention is drawn from the complexity of the problem to the adequacy of God's resources, from the urgency of your need to the power of the Lord to meet your need."  Taken from "Touch the World Through Prayer" by Wesley Duewel

POTTER'S HOUSE FOR WOMEN   MAY 12, 2011

WHAT ARE YOU DRINKING?

        Just try it!  Grab a big glass full of sticks and gulp them down the next time you get really thirsty!  Or swallow a big glass full of paper.  See if that will quench your thirst! 

        Obviously, you would never do such a thing!  When you are really thirsty, you reach for a big glass of water!  You know the only thing that will satisfy your deep thirst is water!   Precious water! 

        Well, we understand this physical truth perfectly!  However, we somehow don't realize that the same thing is true spiritually.  Our souls get parched and dry and we start searching for something to satisfy the soul's thirst.  We gulp down a big ole glass of materialism or money or stuff.  Or we swallow a glass full of drugs, alcohol, pills, etc. to quench our thirst.  Sometimes, we take a big swig of relationships, trying to fill that thirst inside. 

        Many times, we try everything we can think of to satisfy us, but nothing works and we keep getting drier and drier, thirstier and thirstier.  Finally, we hear about a drink of "Living Water" and we decide that we've tried everything else and it didn't work, so we might as well try this.  And, of course, we find that Water was what we needed all along!  Living Water is the only thing that will satisfy the soul's thirst!

        How about you, dear one?  Why don't you quit drinking from the world's fountains today.  Quit drinking sticks and paper and junk.  Just bow down at the feet of Jesus!  He is that Living Water that your dry, parched soul has been thirsting after for so long!   And, once you drink of the Living water, you will never thirst again!  Thank God for the Living Water, the Lord Jesus Christ!

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WHAT AN AWESOME RETREAT!

       We had a spiritual retreat last Tuesday through Friday.  This was the retreat of all retreats for me personally.  It turned me upside down!  I can't even begin to explain what the Lord did in my heart!  It's like He gave me His heart for the girls!  I felt like my heart was going to explode with the love He poured out through me. 

        When I first surrendered to the Lord's service in 1975, I prayed over and over for the Lord to give me love and compassion for people.  I didn't love others and I knew I could never love them without Him doing it through me.  I told Him I didn't care if He ever gave me houses or cars or anything else.....all I wanted in this life was to have love and compassion for people. 

        Well, this retreat just reopened those rivers of living water.  Somehow, those rivers had gotten blocked with debris and the Lord sent a flood into my heart and washed all the debris away. 

        Today, I can say without any hesitation that I love these girls with all my heart.  I told them that I have a new addiction:  them!  I know from experience that, when you open your heart up, you will often be hurt, disappointed, broken hearted, etc.  But, I know absolutely, positively, without a doubt today that I had ten thousand times rather have the hurt and all that goes along with God's love for others than I had to ever have the empty feeling of living without it again!

        All I want today is for God's love and compassion to flow through me to touch lives!  I am just a vessel.  I have nothing.  I am nothing.  But, I am willing to be a pipeline from glory for Him to pour out through.  

                              Pictures will be coming this week of the retreat.   

We finally have a new septic system!  Hallelujah!  No one has probably ever been more excited about a septic system than us!  Now, let it rain!  We don't have to shut down the house any more. We will be paying $4000 toward the system when the invoice is received. (This $4000 includes monies that were donated for the project plus some monies that were given as Christmas gifts and not specified for the project.)  Rock Springs is paying the remaining $7000.  Thank all of you who donated money toward this.  And thank you, Rock Springs.  We love all of you who have made this a reality for us!

Report for January: (Will be sending a monthly report at end of each month.)

.....4 ladies saved this month:  Stacy, Lynn, Tiffany, Jodee

.....3 ladies baptized this month:  Stephanie, Bonny, Tuesdi

.....1 graduate, Samantha Brannon

.....3 new ladies:  Linda, Lynn, Jodee

.....Received $6145.00 in donations;  had $7723.54 in expenses.

.....Last Sunday, we counted up all the people in the Sunday morning church

     service at Rock Springs that were there because of the PH. There were 94 

     in attendance on that one day.  

The reason for the deficit this month is due to second phase at the Rebekah House.  We had no furniture for second phase.  I purchased 2 twin beds, a dresser and mirror, a nightstand (all from Badcock's), two comforters, and pillows. This week, I will be purchasing two mattresses and two box springs, a ceiling fan, and paint for the room. (It was a child's room, painted light pink with a small pink, blue, yellow ceiling fan.)

As soon as I get through with this room, I will have to do the same to the other room, as we have 2 girls graduating in February that will be moving to the Rebekah House.  And, after I finish that, I will need to buy 2 more beds, mattresses, etc. to go upstairs, as there are 2 girls graduating in March that will be going to 2nd phase.  At that time, we will have 6 ladies in 2nd phase.

If the Lord lays it on your heart to give towards beds, mattresses, dressers, nightstands, pillows, room decor, etc., it would be greatly appreciated.  We do not want to put our ladies on sleeping bags, but we want to provide them with a comfortable, cozy atmosphere. 

If you are wondering why the expense, imagine feeding 24 ladies 3 meals a day.  That is 72 meals a day...lots of food!  We have 3 houses:  5 heating/air units, water, propane, garbage, phone, etc. for 3 homes.  Just think how much it cost you to run your one home, with not near as many people.  We get by on very little compared to the number of people we are taking care of.  And, we thank all of you with ALL our hearts who give to make these homes possible.  You are making an eternal difference in a lot of lives, not just the ones at the PH, as you can see with 94 people in church due to the PH ministry.

DON'T BE LIKE THE REDBIRD!

        Relentless!  Day in and day out for months now.  Looks like he would have figured it out! But, he just keeps on, regardless of the weather.  Even the snow didn't deter him. 

        It's the pesky redbird that I told you all about a few months ago.  He loves mirrors.  He first discovered another redbird in the reflection in the glass on our double doors.  Well, if that wasn't aggravating enough,  he discovered the redbird in the outside mirrors of any vehicle that pulls up in our driveway. He must be perching on a tree limb, just waiting till an unsuspecting car pulls up.  Then, he begins relentlessly pecking at the image, standing on top of the mirror, and then pecking again...over and over and over.  And, he always leaves plenty of evidence that he's been there, if you know what I mean.

        It reminds me of us!  Always grasping and pecking at stuff that is not the real thing.  Always intrigued by illusions.  Relentlessly going after something that looks good, but is false evidence appearing real.  Sometimes, we spend our entire lives pursuing pipe dreams, tracking after things that will pass away, leaving a mess behind us.

        So, now, I have a choice with the redbird.  Either I have to cover up the mirrors on cars in the driveway...or else I have to kill the redbird.  He's not going to stop unless I stop him!  I can't allow him free reign because his relentless pursuit is damaging the paint and scratching the mirrors.

        We humans often act just like that redbird...we're not going to stop unless God stops us.  We're going to keep causing more damage until God removes the things we are going after or kills us in the process. 

        Dear one, do you have the redbird mentality today?  If what you have been pursuing isn't bringing you joy, peace and happiness, then maybe you're chasing the wrong thing.  If you keep doing the same thing with the same results, don't you think that maybe it's time to wake up and make a change before God has to make it for you? 

        Let's quit pecking at the things of the world, leaving a trail of destruction behind us, and start pursuing the Lord Jesus Christ.  He is the real thing! 

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FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE POTTER'S HOUSE FOR 2010

This newsletter is for those of you who would like to know the financial status of the PH for the year 2010.  We have 3 houses now, with a total of 24 ladies to keep up.  There are 5 heating/air units: 3 at the Potter's House, 1 at the Hannah House, and 1 at the Rebekah House.  With 24 ladies, that means we must have food for 72 meals a day.  (24 ladies x 3 meals= 72)  If you multiply 72 meals a day times 7 days a week, that makes 504 meals in one week.  And, this is not to mention all the other expenses involved.

The Lord has met every need we have through those of you who have been faithful to give to us, whether it be money, food, or other things.  We did very well in the year 2010, thanks to all of the Godly, Christian folks who have made this ministry possible. 

The total expenses for running the PH ministry for 2010 was $104,816.46.  The total amount of money donated was $107,679.64, resulting in $2863.18 in the black. This money will be used toward the septic system, which hopefully will be installed next week and will cost us $11,000.

Of the total amount of monetary donations that we received in 2010, $22,873.03 came from churches, ladies' groups, and businesses and $84,806.61 from Christian individuals.  There are a lot of churches and individuals who love us and want to be a part of God's work in the lives of these ladies.

Also, there are many people who donate food, which helps us tremendously with our food bill.  We couldn't make it without all the food donations and the monetary donations.  Every donation helps change a life!

With all our hearts, we thank all of you who have helped us, some with a small amount, some with a moderate amount, and others with a large amount. Without all of you, however,  there would be no PH.  Without you, there would be lots of ladies still out there on drugs, in the streets, languishing away.  Without you, there would not be all these homes restored, children brought back to their moms again, and family members saved.  Your help is truly making more of an eternal difference than you will ever know on this side of heaven. 

There are some who would love to give, but feel that they can only give $10 or $20 a month and that little bit wouldn't make a difference.  However, if there were 100 people giving $10 a month, that would be an extra $1000 a month.  So don't ever think your small amount isn't needed and appreciated.  And, if you give food, don't ever take forgranted how much your donation is needed and appreciated.  Every thing you donate is one more thing we do not have to buy.

All of us working together as God's workmen are making a tremendous difference in a lot of lives.  Thank all of you again.  I love you all and just cannot tell you what you all mean to us!  We all look forward to 2011 and are expecting God to work in lives in even a greater way than He ever has before!  God bless you all and thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

        The following is a letter from Brandie Durham's 9 year old daughter.  She wrote two letters:  one to her Mom and the other one to God.  She said to her Mom, "Well, I have a letter to God that I want you to read.  First read it, then send it somehow.  I mean I know that you probably can't get a letter to heaven, so find a way to communicate with God, like praying.  Read it to Him.  Send it through your body, I guess."

        Here's the letter:  "Dear God, I love you and I have heard that you make miracles.  Well, please make one for me.  Help my Mom get better every second of the day from now on.  Thank you.  Love you, Hannah Harbuck.  P.S.  I love you."

         This is really neat!  Janna just graduated and started looking for a job.  She applied at Chick-Fil-A in Griffin, but it did not look too promising.  Then, the Lord laid on her heart to tithe.  She had received $140 for Christmas and had only $26 left for gas and for whatever else she might need.  At first, she questioned the Lord, reminding Him that she only had $26 and would only have $12 left after giving $14.  But, she quickly passed off those thoughts and knew that she was going to do what's right based on God's Word, not based on her circumstances. 

        So, at 1:30 Friday afternoon, she gave Brenda $14.  Later that day, she received a call that she had been hired. She was told that the boss had been thinking about what to do and, early that afternoon, had decided to hire her.  We believe that his decision was probably around the same time she decided to be faithful to God.

        This just shows us that it's not what we give up to serve God;  it's what we miss if we don't be faithful.  We believe with all our hearts that Janna would not have gotten that job had she not done what the Lord told her to do...and she would never have known that her unfaithfulness kept her from getting God's blessing!  Let's be faithful, yall.  It pays in heavenly benefits!

Have a wonderful day today!  God bless you all.  We love you and thank God for all your prayers, love, support and encouragement.  Pray with us that this will be the greatest year ever at the PH.  Our heart's desire is to help as many ladies as we can.  There are so, so, so many out there that are desperate!  Pray for God's wisdom for the five-star team this year, as we all pray and seek the face of God together for His direction and guidance for the PH. 

        Ever just get irked with circumstances around you?  (Irk means irritated, annoyed, exasperated)  Well, I have my hand raised!  And, I just got a good, stern rebuke from the Lord about it. 

Just want to tell you all that I love you and I so thank God for all of you who love us, pray for us, encourage us and support us.  Without you, the Potter's House would not be possilbe.  Please know that you are a vital part of what God is doing!  It's His ministry, His people, His work....we are all just individual parts of the big picture!   I thank Him with all my heart that He allows me, a nobody, to be a part of something He is doing!  He is an awesome God! 

        "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."  Perhaps you have quoted this verse dozens of times, but you have tried to make it say what you wish it said, "And we know that all things work together for comfort; for ease; for pleasure; for health; for wealth; for success; for convenience; etc." 

If you will notice, at the top of our emails now are some buttons that you can use to easily put our newsletter on Facebook or other places.  Just click on "FB" and you can add the newsletter to your own Facebook, so all your readers can get it. 

        Discouraged and puzzled, you stand looking out over the barren field.  "Why me?" you ask, as you wonder what went wrong.  There's no corn crop in the field---just an isolated stalk or two here and there.  It just doesn't work for me.  Other people can plant and harvest a bountiful crop, but obviously I'm not one of them.  Therefore, I'll put all my energies and efforts into something else from now on.  That's probably the last crop I'll ever plant.  I'll just leave the planting up to someone else. 

      It's getting close!  The conference is this Saturday.  I believe God is going to show up and show out, because all of us involved have been under severe attack! I am so excited to see what all God is going to do.  The girls have been working diligently on their cardboard testimonies.  They are great! 

        The harder the soil, the sharper must be the plow!  The harder the rock, the harder must be the hammer blows!  Likewise, the harder the spiritual soil of a person's heart, the sharper must be the Word of God in their lives and the harder must the "hammer" of God's Word hit the stony places! 

        On Saturday, 9/11, there will be a conference held at Abundant Life in Jackson.  The Lord laid this conference on Dara's heart last year.  Dara was the housemother at the P.H. for two years.  There will be testimonies, praise  and worship, interpretive dance, etc.  It is going to be an awesome meeting.  We are expecting many to be saved, homes to be restored, and Christians refreshed.  Please make your plans to attend.  I will give more information and directions to the church next week.

        It must be awfully grueling at times. There are long, tiring, hot hours of training and practice.  It takes total dedication and commitment, regardless of the circumstances.  Even in pain, they must go on.  They have to lay aside the desires and pleasures of their flesh, else they wouldn't have a chance. 

.....Brandie's husband, Clay, got saved a couple of Sundays ago.  We are praying that their home will be restored and will become a Godly home from now on.

        Step right up, folks!  I have some great news!  I am part of the IHP Travel Agency and boy do I have an exciting vacation spot to offer you today!  Some of you look like you could use a nice vacation, as I see worry and trouble all over your countenance.  Others appear very discouraged and depressed and weary.  Some of you are even at the point of just plain giving up.  Oh, I have just the perfect spot for you!  The IHP Travel Agency has never let anyone down yet.  We've never had one dissatisfied customer. 

        Some of you are wondering about the Thrift Store.  We still haven't had anyone come along that wants to take this as their ministry and be completely responsible for it.  We have everything necessary to start a thrift store, even the building, but we are waiting on God to send the person to operate it.  If it's God's will, He will send someone...and if not, He won't!  Either way, we are happy, because we only want God's will and that's all!  It must be God's will and God's timing!  Its all up to Him!

• What a tangled web you weave,
• When your own self you deceive.
• You can fool the folks you love,
• But you can't fool the Lord above.
•  
• He sees down deep inside your heart,
• Into the very smallest part.
• He sees not only every deed,
• But to every motive, He takes heed.
•  
• Your every word and every thought
• To God's holy Word is brought.
• His perfect Truth will be the judge
• And, in this Light, you cannot fudge.
•  
• So, why not come to God today,
• And all your pretenses put away?
• Quit playing all your foolish games
• Your lies, deceits, your empty claims.
•  
• God is waiting, child, for you.
• He wants to help you start anew.
• The choice is yours, not His to make,
• If self deception, you'll forsake.
•  
• Lay your life before His Word.
• Let it pierce you like a sword.
• Let it cut away the sin,
• And let it make you whole again.

This is the first poem I have put on the newsletter, so I don't know how it will look when you get it.  I hope the words are not all scrambled on the page.  When you get the newsletter, it does not look the same way as we sent it out.  We have everything lined up, matched up, and looking good.  However, when we send it out and open it up, things aren't lined up on the page any more.  We still haven't figured out why.  Thanks for your patience with us.  We are still learning. 

        "Have money in bank," you say after making a deposit in your local bank.  As you drive off, you leave your money in the hands of the bank.  You never worry a second over it, because you trust the bank to take care of it.  You know the money will be safe and will be there when you need to draw it out, because it is FDIC insured.  All it takes is your signature to withdraw whatever you need from your account.  

        Just want to tell you all that I love you and I thank God for each one of you.  Thank all of you who are making the P.H. possible.  We could not do it without the combined efforts of so many wonderful people!  God bless you all exceedingly abundantly above all that you could ask or even think! 

        Sales!  Bargains!  Buy one; get one free!  Two for one!  Probably everyone likes these terms!  They sound good to the ears!  We always like to think we are getting a good deal on something! 

We have a need! Our house on Rock Springs Road, which we recently purchased, is desperately in need of yard work.  The house sat empty for almost a year and the yard suffered!  We don't know what to do with it!   If the Lord lays it on your heart to help with this, please call Cherrie at 678-409-7213. 

        Wow!  The domino effect is at work!  Missy came to the P.H. a year and a half ago.  Her dad and mom both got saved after seeing what God had done in her life.  Several others have gotten saved since then from their family.  Then, yesterday in church, Danny (who is there because of this family) brought 25 people, 5 generations, to church.  Three or four of them (not sure) got saved yesterday!  We all have a mission field.  Let's get on our field and work to bring them in!

YARD SALE: This Friday and Saturday from 8-4; 178 Liberty Bell Lane in Griffin.  We are praying for about $3000, which will cover the costs of opening the thrift store.   We need tables if anyone has some to donate: card tables, picnic tables, any kind of tables.)  We could use saw horses, as we have 3 doors to put over them as tables. Please put your name on whatever you bring with a magic marker so we will know whose they are.  

        Contrary to popular opinion, you can change horses in the middle of the stream.  You might have been going down the wrong trail for a long time, but you can switch trails at a moment's notice.  You have a choice as to which trail to take. 

        Wow!  You never know what the Lord is going to do next.  For several years now, I have thought about a thrift store, because we get lots of donations, including furniture, that we could sell and help fund the P.H.  I have mentioned it several times to others, but I always told the Lord, "If You want us to have a thrift store, then You bring it to pass.  I don't have time, nor the inclination, to do this.  I want someone else to do it all and just let me continue on with my teaching and leading the girls." 

        There are some exciting changes taking place at the Potter's House.  We have some brand new opportunities which I would like to tell you about. 

        It all started in the Garden of Eden.  Satan, in the form of a serpent, asked Eve a question that has plagued mankind throughout the centuries.  He is still asking the same question today, "Yea, hath God said?" 

        Ordinary.  Worn.  Rough-looking.  Just a rusty old hammer. It probably would not have been picked as "Hammer of the Year," nor would anyone have paid it any special attention.  However, this hammer was, in spite of its looks, very special.  It was the hammer chosen by the Lord Jesus Christ, the hammer with which He did His carpentry work here on earth.  

        One day...two days...three days...four days...and still no word!  It had been four long agonizing days of silence.  At first, they had been filled with anticipation, expecting Jesus to arrive at any time and heal their brother.  But now, all their hopes had  completely vanished.  There wasn't even a shred of expectancy left in them any more.  It was too late. Lazarus had been in the grave for four days.  And, even if Jesus did arrive now, there was absolutely no way possible for Lazarus to be healed.  His body had already started decomposing. 

        Grabbing my umbrella as I walked out the door, I headed for church.  It was absolutely beautiful outside, with no signs of rain anywhere on the horizon.  However, I had listened to the weather forecast before leaving home and saw that severe thunderstorms were headed our way from Alabama.  So, even though it was sunny outside, I believed the meteorologists and wanted to be prepared.  And, just as predicted, the bottom fell out while I was in church.  I sure was glad I had acted upon the word of the experts rather than upon my own sight. 

Hello to you all!  We just wanted to let you know that you will not be receiving a newsletter this week.  Most of us are in Destin for the week.  We are praying for a mighty outpouring of the Spirit of God.  We do not want to come home the same!  Everyone is really excited about this awesome spiritual retreat.  We do this twice a year and the Lord always shows up in powerful, life changing ways. 

        Struggling?  Defeated?  Discouraged?  No matter how hard you try and struggle and make up your mind to do better, you still fail every time?  You just keep suffering defeat after defeat at the hands of satan?  Will this madness ever end?

        Our newest girl, who just came yesterday, got saved.  Jessica was out walking with Miranda, Andrea and Dacia.  She said she couldn't wait to get saved.  Miranda asked her why she hadn't gotten saved and she said, "I don't know how."  So, Miranda led her through the sinner's prayer right there in the road.  They were all so excited when they got back to the house!  Miranda is really coming along.  We are so proud of her!

        It happened in the 1700's and lasted for years.  It was the great revival at Hernnhut.  Twenty-four men and twenty-four women covenanted together to pray hourly, thus forming a 24/7 prayer chain.  This chain continued uninterrupted for 100 years.  By 1776, they had sent out 226 missionaries from their community at Herrnhut in the Czech Republic.  This revival resounded all over the world!

        Most of us are like medicine.  Stamped across our lives should be the words, "Shake well before using."  When times are good and we're enjoying pleasure and ease and prosperity, we tend to put God on the back burner.  Going fishing...going to the lake...going to a ball game...all become more important than going to the house of God.  Spending time in front of a TV set...spending time out shopping...spending time in worldly things...all become more important than spending time alone with God.