Greetings in the Name of Christ!

  May the joy of the Lord be upon you and your household. Fortunately for us, we have been adopted into a home where joy and peace is abundant. Our heavenly Father and His son, our Savior, overflow with happiness and pleasure.  We are told in Hebrews chapter one that Jesus has been anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows. That means he is the happiest of all of us!  What do happy people do?  They sing.  Jesus sings a lot. In chapter 2 of Hebrews we read that he sings the praises of his Father. We also learn that Jesus is not ashamed to be called our brother!  We are one big happy family.  Psalm 16 tell us that there are pleasures at God's right hand forever more.

I realize we have challenges and disappointments. We experience circumstances that do not exactly make us want to jump for joy.  These are the moments, however, when the pleasures of Yaweh's love are the most powerful for us.  This is when we begin to sing with our elder brother Jesus..Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised!...

Through our tears of pain and hurt the sacrafice of praise carries the sweetest aroma to our Heavenly Father. He will be swift to respond to our worship.  It is comforting to know that such a powerful being has a heart that is for us and not against us. It is comforting to know that His anger has been detoured away from us because of the cross of Jesus. While it is true He will find it necessary to disipline us from time to time, we have this confidence that it is truly from a heart of love and will be followed by a big hug.

So then, live every day with this truth. Our God is a joyful God. He is mostly glad, not mad or sad. And you are the one who makes Him smile!

It has been wonderful to receive articles from several of our readers. We are happy to share them in the newsletter. We would also like to thank Sis. DeWitt for her gift which will help toward the newsletter. You can read your newsletter online by going to www.windsofchangeintl.com and click on fgcc. We also have pictures of those who write.  You can send us a picture of yourself and your article by e-mail or by regular mail. Any news is good news

 A few months ago the Lord told me to start a women's ministry and call it 'Sisters'.  I did and it is going very well.  It's about God first, then loving each other.  This sharing group of women have become very close sisters in Christ. No matter whether you are rich or poor, big, skinny,black or white or different denomination, we are all sisters in the Lord.

  The ministry has branched off into four other ministries. Spiritual interpretive dance, praise and worship leading, intercessory prayer and health and exercise.  People are breaking out of their comfort zones into unity and peace.  For several years the Lord has spoken to me about unity and love but I did not understand what He wanted. Now I understand.  How can we say we love the Lord and do not take the time to love our brothers and sisters. How can we say we love our neighbor but don't know who our neighbor really is?  The Lord reminds me that it is not about me but about Him.  This is why He took me out of my comfort zone, encouraged me to begin a womens ministry and emphasize Love and Unity. It was difficult to grasp why the Lord wanted to use me (a nobody) with no experience, and no college degree.  I am a people person,  I love people and like to be loved and isn't that what most of us want?  If you want to take back your joy which the devil tries to steal. then go to church, get involved with a group, love your brothers and sisters and be a family, the Lord's family.  He will take care of you in all things. He will not let you down.  He will pick you up to the highest high for He loves you more than you can imagine.

                                               Love to all who reads this

                                                 Pastor Deloris Strahler

       IT IS ALL ABOUT CHANGE!

 I would like to share some highlights in my life that I feel were important in bringing change. God has worked many times in my life yet I couldn't see it.

 How many of us,once we are saved,truly change in our hearts and souls from our old lives and habits? Our old ways of thinking, doing things our own way thinking we know it all.We leave God and His holy spirit out of the process. We can have a difficult time breaking away from bad things because of our fleshly way of life we are so accustomed to living. We have a foot in the world and a foot with God and yet we know He is calling us to change from our ways to His will.

 Our lives are like the seasons. As we grow older we experience the different changes. Just look back at your childhood to where you stand now.  See how The Father has changed you. Of course we make the ultimate decision in our life. Then God, like a doting father watches us. He picks us up when we fall down and cleans up after us.  He helps us through the seasons in our lives because He loves us. Proving His love by giving Jesus to die for us.

 As a young child I had a difficult time with my school work. Math and english did not come easy and I was poor at reading. My parents were always on me to do better.  Mom and dad were wonderful christian parents and were only trying to help. At the age of thirteen my schooling had not improved. However, summer break was great. I got a job working on a vegetable farm. A job I worked for five years. Over the course of these years I worked with men who gave me a different type of education. This education I had no problems learning.I picked up bad habits such as cussing. I did not realize till later the hold Satan had on me from these experiences. I had great respect for my parents and always wanted to be like my dad. Now my spirit grieved because I knew how disappointed he would be with the bad habits I had acquired during this early season of my life.

 A new season began for me when I entered a catholic high school.

There were nuns there who took the time to tutor me every evening after school hours.They had a very positive influence which I now see was the hand of God.This season flowed into another as I found myself traveling the country as a laborer and bricklayer building industrial silos. Living in hotels, I would be the designated driver as I took my five working companions, all alcoholics, out drinking and back to the hotels. Working as high as 300 feet, I had several close calls with death but God got me through. Even while being with these worldly men I knew God was in me. I knew Jesus but obviously something was missing. I had a car, a motorcycle and a girlfriend. I found it difficult to give up this compromised lifestyle.

 At twenty one I decided to get off the road so I left Birmingham Ala. and went home to Marietta, Ohio.  I joined the police force. After dealing with the public and a police chief harassing me for three years, I quit the force on Oct.2 and was hired at the local B.F. Goodrich factory Oct.3 where I worked for38 years. This was in 1966. I also married the girl I had dated since I was sixteen. We had two beautiful daughters whom we raised in the Catholic faith. I was still living a worldly lifestyle but a new season was beginning.

 My brother had a son graduating so we went to Houston, Texas to visit them. The graduation was part of a Baptist church so we attended church every night that week.  These baptists had something I didn't have but I desired. Their relationship with God was so alive and real. As a catholic man I did not feel like I could go forward during the alter calls. On Friday night the pastor asked if anyone else wanted to be saved to just raise their hand so I did. After service he came to me and asked if I wanted to be saved. I told him yes and explained my catholic background. We went to a back room where I knelt down to pray and wow! The holy Spirit came into my heart and my spirit. I wept for the first time in over 34 years. I was so happy.  I knew in my heart, mind and soul that Jesus died for me in my place at calvary and my name was in the lambs book of life.  As wonderful as all this was, I still needed more changes. I still had lingering habits in my life. A new season was coming.

 In 1986 an accident at work resulted in my back being broke. I was bedfast and lived on pain pills for a long time. Then my wife came home after work one day and told me she wanted a divorce. For the next year I was in pain and depression not wanting to live. I was tempted to take my life but God had other plans for me. I was His child.I went through drug rehab to break my addiction to the pain killers and physical therapy and rehabilitation for my back injury. I was finally able to return to work. I am so thankful that my heavenly Father walked me through this long dark and difficult season of my life.

 The next season brought joy as I met the love of my life, Delores. Our marriage brought happiness but not without challenges. Delores had three sons from a previous marriage, two whom lived with us and I learned to love as my own. Delores ex-husband was a quadrapelegic, injured in Viet Nam. He was a friend of mine and I liked him very much. Delores and I cared for him the last seven years of his life. We both loved him and miss him still today.

 After 12 years had past, Delores' middle son,who was still quite young, had a daughter. We adopted her and raised her as our own. Alexis is now 11. Delores and I have learned through these seasons that we must completely give our lives over to God. He is constantly changing us in preparation for the next season.

  We attended a church with a pastor who was a wonderful teacher. The church was great, the people were great.We learned more and more about what God had to offer us. We then helped plant a new church with three ministers. This process taught us more. We began learning about pastoring and ministering. After two years we began attending the Marietta Celebration Center. It was nearer our home and was also a great local church with friendly people and great pastor. We also began bible schooling in preperation for the ministry. This was made available thru the Full Gospel Church of Christ which we learned about from two friends, Mitch and Lena. We met these two ministers through our previous pastor whom we helped with the church plant, Jennifer Morris, who is also licensed by FGCC. The Lord had a plan during each season.

 The seasons brought winds of change to our lives, changes that brought the ability to minister to others. My wife Delores started a womens group at our church which has been well accepted. She loves giving her life to God and to the women with the desire to bring unity to all.

 As for me, I did not think I was worthy enough or smart enough to amount to much. I was a poor school student but great at worldly ways. Not the ingredients for a good minister. Yet God had a plan for me. I couldn't see it but my Heavenly Father was inching me along toward the goal. He loves all of us and will help you if you ask Him and believe He will help.

 I would get up early and work on our ministry schooling books with Delores at my side. She and God are my big motivators. School work is still not easy for me.  My wonderful wife and pastors Jennifer, Lena and Mitch all encouraged me that God had a place for me, a ministry out there some where. Through bible academics and working with our Pastor, Gordie Deere at the Celebration Center, as well as other acts of accountability, my wife and I received our ministers license and ordinations from FGCC.

 THE CURRENT SEASON

 I have volunteered as a chaplain at the Hospital. I know this is where God wants me. It is also challenging. I am able to comfort the sick and the dying by the power of the Holy Spirit. I also received more training by the head chaplain who showed great paitence with me. Many people I can pray with just like I am at a full gospel church. Other times people need special prayers. I meet many Catholics who are comforted by the Catholic prayers. Well, after 44 years of Catholic background and being tutored by nuns I do just that for them. They are so happy and pleased,and to hear it from a chaplain! It is not just the sick who need attention but also their families. The Holy Spirit directs my steps. All my seasons have prepared me for dealing with people, saved,unsaved,worldly,dying, laying in pain, even family members.

 Yes, I have had many seasons in my life but the best change I made was giving my life truly to God and doing what he wants me to do. I learned so much about the bible taking the schooling to be a pastor. I am so happy for the loving people that has taught me and our church family. What a change in Delores and my life this has all made. What more could a person want than to have the Lord walking with you every day and guiding you in everything you do.

 Look at your life. Look at the changing seasons. Can you guess what God is preparing you for? Have you changed from your old habits and worldly ways? Are you still in process? Winds of change are still blowing! 

                                                   Rev.Bob Strahler

                                                   Volunteer Chaplain

Follow His Lead

Genesis 19 teaches us how Lot had an opportunity to lead his family out of destruction by the pleading that Abraham did to the Lord. Sodom and Gomorrah would be destroyed and all who remained would perish. As a result God had allowed two of His angels to be sent as their deliverers. Their mission was to warn Lot to take his family out of the city and go to a place where God would send them.

As Lot tells his family his son-in-laws make light of the situation and believe he is joking and refuse to go with them as they leave.

I often think about if Lot had son-in-laws then he would have daughters that were married and more-than-most-likely he would also have grandchildren. How sad to know that they would be left behind and be destroyed. This might have been part of Lot's reason for his own hesitation of leaving or even part of Mrs. Lot's turning back to look when told not to. These are my thoughts not - the Word of God.

The episode goes on....

Genesis tells us he has a wife and two virgin daughters. If you've read these passages, then you know that there was great evil being entertained in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, hence the reason for their destruction.

When the angels came to Lot's house the men of Sodom wanted to do evil things to them thinking they were human men visiting.

Lot tells them not to touch his visitors but instead he offered his
virgin daughters to the men of the city to have their way with them. Lot knew his company was sent from the LORD, but to offer his daughters!!!! (HELLO????)

Did he not think that if the LORD whom saw fit to send deliverers to rescue him and his family, would He not also save the angels also if need be?

Many times I think we today are just like this. God makes ways for us when we find ourselves in situations needing to be delivered out of and not only for sin reasons. Maybe its time to move on because He has another direction for us.

We may think this sounds good, but did He really mean He would handle the details or should I look for another way to stall while I figure this all out. I might have a better way of making things work..hmm!

Well back to the story .. The time comes for them to get out of Sodom before the great destruction is to takes place and Lot lingers. Lot is tied to his possessions and the comfort of Sodom. The angels grab his hand and the hands of his wife and their two virgin daughters and lead them out of the city.

The LORD says to hurry, escape for your life and neither look back nor stay anywhere in the surrounding plains but go up to the mountains.

When Lot hears these words he begins to barter with the angels wanting to go to a small city called Zoar and finally sets his own destination.

As they ran to Zoar fire and brimstone fall upon the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and Lot's wife looks back and becomes a pillar of salt.

It is hard to go into the unknown not knowing what lies ahead. I'm sure she was thinking about all she had to leave behind, family, friends, possessions and the comfort of their home. Moving in another direction is not always easy. God many times closes doors to what we know but He is always faithful to open new doors.

I am in such a place at this time.

Oh, did I say that the second door He opens doesn't always open right away? God has his own time clock, so we may find ourselves waiting.

I always say it is like being in a long hallway, at times it seems as
though we will never find a way out. It is sometimes hard to wait on God's timing.

But God is faithful and He is not a man and He cannot lie. His promises are forever.

He is just working some things out of us that we cannot carry into the next level of our walk.

In this time of what seems like an eternity of waiting and trying to be patient, questioning ourselves on, did I really hear from God? Did He really say go?

We may be with our family, but what about our church family? Will we see them again?

It is important to stay focused on God and not to look back at where we came from because we may be tempted to go back to what is familiar. It's not easy stepping out into the unknown where we may find ourselves totally out of our comfort zone and feeling totally out of control.

WOW...That's where I have found myself! I have also been warned like the Lot family that it was time to move and in this move I will have to totally trust God. This word was given to me prophetically by several others and also in dreams to my husband and myself. That I would find myself totally feeling out of control and vulnerable.

This place seems to have come full force. YAY! This to me says that the door is ready to open!

(By-the-way, I say "I", because of myself being called to preach. My husband, Jerry is like okay, whatever God wants I will follow along as long as I can follow and I will support my wife all the way. My husband and I are in this together.)

As we go through this walk it is important not to look back, but stay focused. Then follow His lead and save ourselves a lot of headaches.

Remember Lot didn't want to go to the mountains; he wanted to go to Zoar? He thought they would have more safety in the city, not realizing that the LORD would protect them wherever they would be.

Well, later he and his daughters did go to dwell in a cave on the
mountain, not God's timing but Lot's timing. He now finds himself in another mess with his daughters. You can read about it at the end of chapter 19.

If Lot would have trusted the LORD at this time of his life, or anytime of his life, things would have turned out much better for him and his family.

God is a grace-giving God. I know because He has delivered me out of, led me out of, and worked with me in my disobedience and obedience. He still wants to use me no matter what, even though at times I think things should happen in my timing. Praise His Holy Name!

God will never lead us into a place that He has not already equipped us to walk in. Sometimes we may find ourselves in the "Hallway" waiting for the next door to open. Remember, if that is where you are, He is probably working things out of you that cannot be carried through the next phase of your life. Trust that He has a plan and a purpose for each and every one of us. He hasn't forgotten us and He will deliver us on time. He is an on time God!

God bless you on your journey,

Rev. Jennifer Morris
1150 Jonestown Rd.
St. Marys, WV 26170

If you would like to have Jennifer Morris speak at your church or ministry you may contact her through the address above. She may also be reached through, Winds of Change Ministry at, office@windsofchangeintl.com, or bythe_blood@yahoo.com.  

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  WALKING IN THE EXCELLENCE OF LOVE !

What I am hearing from people here lately is where is the love? In this day and time and the condition that the world is in, more than any, the world is in desperate need of love! What I am seeing in the church is a lot of Christians looking down their noses at a lost and dying world.

If we look at 1 Corinthians, the love chapter, we find that it does not matter what kind of gifting we walk in, if we do not walk in love we are nothing. There is so much judgement, unforgiveness, strife, offence, and bitterness in the church today that the world wants nothing to do with it.

1 Corinthians 13 the love chapter :v 1: If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. V 2: And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. V 3: And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

If we look at what love is in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, We see what Christians should be. The ultimate is the manifestation of love, not the speaking in tongues. The word charity or love is agape, that self-giving divine love, which emanates from God and is to be seen, reflected in believers. It is the love which is concerned for others rather than self and which should govern the practice of all the spiritual gifts.

In Philippians 2, We are to be like Christ!

Phil.2: 1-5, If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interest, but also for the interest of others. Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus.

In summary, if we submit ourselves fully and humbly to God, and stepping into the fullness of Christ, and allowing the Holy Spirit to pour out His love through us we will reach a lost and dying world, when the world sees the glory of God in us they will be drawn to His presence. When we put away all selfishness and judgement, and when we have a concern for others and regard others more important than ourselves there is nothing left but love!

Remember, God Loves us so much that He gave us the very Best that He had, He gave us Jesus, and through Jesus we became sons and daughters, according to Ephesians 1: 4-7, He chose us before the foundation of the world, He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, and His grace He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. And in Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His Grace.

Rev. Jackie Schofield

Hello Mitch & Lena,