Joy F. Strang
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Rest in the Storm
My husband, Steve, and I once owned property that had an eagle’s nest on it. One day after a spring storm we went out to check on the property and found that a third of the nest had been blown down.As I looked at the fallen pieces, it occurred to me that often when we…
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Rely on God
During the holidays one year my family traveled to London, England, for a vacation. After we returned, I realized that the trip was an analogy of a much more important journey each of us is on — fulfilling God’s plan for his or her life.
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Eternal Significance
Have you ever felt that everyone other than you was doing something significant? That feeling can come even after reading something meant to be uplifting—such as an article in SpiritLed Woman! But who sets the standard for what is significant? Often we assess significance using the world's standards—public visibility, wealth, power, influence. However, in God's…
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Be Strong and Courageous
At one of our Charisma Women’s Conferences, God spoke a powerful word to the nearly 8,000 women who attended. He said that it was time for us as women to step forward and accept the authority He has given us. He reminded us that we are empowered and authorized by His Word to do whatever
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Has Your Heart Wandered?
The prodigal son didn’t end up among the pigs the day he left his father’s house; he went through a gradual process of decline (see Luke 15:11-15). So it is with us. If the enemy presented the end with the first temptation, it would be easy to resist! But usually the departure from grace is
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Contend for Your Promise
Do you ever feel as if you are in a season of perpetual winter, when everything in your life seems cold and dreary and there is no sign of spring in view? Perhaps you are experiencing health, relational or financial problems, and the promises of God appear to be lying dormant rather than coming to…
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Calling All Intercessors
The local weathermen warned us regularly in spring 2006 about the dreadful hurricane season Florida residents were facing. The two previous years had been record-breaking in our state and across the Gulf region for damage due to hurricanes. In Orlando, where I live, three storms hit within six weeks. At a conference I attended in…
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Answering the Call to Be a Spiritual Parent
I never wanted to be a spiritual mother—except to my two sons. But it shouldn’t have been a surprise that God placed me in this role. I regularly asked Him to use me for His purposes, and He desires to grow the body of Christ to maturity. Simply following His lead brought me to a
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Leave a Lasting Legacy
The phone call jarred me. A friend in her mid-40s, who had survived a bout with breast cancer and been cancer-free for three years, had just passed away. Suddenly, only a few weeks after learning that the cancer had returned, she was in eternity. What if you knew you had only a short time to…
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Take a Stand for Righteousness
When Katherine Harris became secretary of state in Florida in 1998, she had no idea she would play a significant role in the history of our country. But when her position required her to certify the outcome of the 2000 presidential election in her state, she took a stand based on what she believed was…
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Take Your Authority Over the Enemy
Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed by the difficulties that confront you in your life? Our enemy, Satan, wants us to feel powerless in the face of the problems we encounter, but we don’t have to be defeated by them. God has given us the authority we need to overcome the things that rise up to
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Living Supernaturally
A few months ago I spent time with Heidi Baker, a missionary who has a large ministry based in Mozambique, Africa. She and her husband have founded many orphanages and planted thousands of churches.She described the miracles she has witnessed of provision of food for the orphanages and of God's intervention on her behalf with…
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Hold On To Your Faith
Last fall, in spite of our prayers, Central Florida residents faced the possibility of going through a second hurricane. Every weather report we saw indicated that one was heading our way. My husband and I had already been through a first round and experienced some damage to our home. Surely, it couldn't happen again! When…
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Salt of the Earth
During the time preceding the recent election many Christians realized just how far away from its Christian foundations our culture has strayed. Though we can't single-handedly reverse the ungodly trends, believers can have an impact by living according to God's principles and carrying Christ to a lost world, one person at a time. Jesus said…
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Pray for America
Have you ever noticed how one divine encounter can steer you unexpectedly onto a new path? Recently in the middle of a casual conversation, a prophetic minister from South Africa began to prophesy to me: “American prayer initiative—I’m hearing this loud. You must call the church back to prayer. It will be happening all over
