Widow Strong Newsletter: How Many Fingers? From Crisis to Compassion, Farm-to-Table Food Distribution this Wednesday, and More!

Posted August 16, 2020

Dear Brave Ones,

In times like these, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. My apologies that our newsletter has been delayed a few weeks. My heart needed time to craft an authentic message…and the courage to share it.

Today’s newsletter includes inspiring video clips, part 1 of my very personal story from crisis to compassion, and some helpful, hands-on resources.

Challenging times offer us transformational beauty: Shalom. This beauty is forged in us through difficulties. The journey can be hot and harrowing…Hold on! These are the conditions needed to become stronger together!

Onward, Friends ~ Mishael

1. How many fingers do you see?

When dealing with problems, where is your focus? My daughters and I recently watched the movie Patch Adams starring Robin Williams. One scene is a game-changer. Will you take a moment to watch? It’s just at bit over two minutes. Go ahead and watch the clip. I’ll wait. 🙂

I love how this clip illustrates that when life gets tough, renewing our minds involves shifting our focus from our problems to our solution. A passage in Philippians 4:6-7 shares practical steps in that process.

I’m quoting from the Tree of Life translation of the Bible. This version uses original Hebrew terminology which allows deeper complexity to the passage.

⁶Do not be anxious about anything—but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the shalom of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Messiah Yeshua.^[a]
^{(Yeshua is Jesus’ Hebrew name)}

From this passage we glean Three Simply Profound Steps from Stress to Shalom.

(1) Take time for prayer (an honest conversation with God)
(2) Journal your prayer requests and vision (petition)
(3) Worship God

The Bible promises that this process leads us to shalom.
What is shalom? Wikipedia defines shalom as “a Hebrew word meaning peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare and tranquility and can be used idiomatically to mean both hello and goodbye.”

Shalom, therefore, can mean both “hello” to our wholeness and peace while simultaneously saying “goodbye” to fear and stress. That’s a great trade-off in 3 simple steps!

2. Blog Post: Raw Miracles in Real Time: Part 1 Our Recent Family Journey from Almost-Homeless Crisis to Compassion.

How practical is God when times get really tough? I am not gonna lie, this blog post is a hard one for me to share. I have wrestled with whether to voice this portion of our family journey at all. Ultimately, 2 Corinthians 12:9 encouraged me to face my fear and share our story in hopes that it will encourage you with God’s faithfulness.

“⁹But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Messiah may dwell in me.”

CLICK HERE to read our story.

3. Watch The War Room: Practical Prayer Strategy

Want to dig a little deeper? I LOVE to watch the movie, The War Room, starring Priscilla Shirer. This movie puts the practical steps of Philippians 4:6-7 into practice in an engaging story the whole family can enjoy! My favorite quote from this movie is “I let God do the heavy lifting.”

Watch the movie trailer above. CLICK HERE to watch the full-length movie on Amazon. (Amazon rental rates apply).

4. Join the Widow Strong Prayer Circle as we study “Awaken” written by Priscilla Shirer, author, speaker, and star of the War Room. Open to All.

Click on the link below to join our FB prayer group and meet with us live for prayer online. You don’t have to be a widow to join. Dates and details on our FB page.

www.facebook.com/groups/widowstrongprayercircle/

5. We have farm-to-table food packages to share with 54 families! Volunteer, Pick up, or Do Both this Wed. Aug 19th!

We are distributing 54 farm-to-table family food boxes that can feed a family of four with up to 7 meals! Join us this Wed, August 18th from 3:30-4:30 for food distribution!

Our food distribution program has become a vital opportunity where widows and our supportive community (non-widows) learn to lead together in times of crisis by helping widowed families and those that are food-insecure.

One of the ways we shift our focus from stress to shalom is by helping others. I’m amazed at the joy we all experience as we volunteer together!

James 2:15-17

¹⁵If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, ¹⁶and one of you says to them, “Go in shalom, keep warm and well fed,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is that? ¹⁷So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.”

Volunteer Sign Up to Help with Food Distribution

Will You Partner With Widow Strong?

Empower Widows by Partnering with Widow Strong Programs (4 mins).

Your financial partnership makes our programs for widows and their children free and available. COVID-19 challenges changed a significant portion of our financial support which can affect our programs by this August 31st.

Will you consider becoming a monthly partner with your tax-deductible gift of $10, $20, $50, or $100?

To support our current Widow Strong programs we are asking for your partnership by August 31st:
10 donors at $100 per month
30 donors at $50 per month
50 donors at $20 per month
100 donors at $10 per month

Every bit helps and we can all do this together! Will you join us TODAY? Thank you for your consideration and may God bless you as you bless the widow and fatherless!

18 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you from that place. Therefore I am commanding you to do this. 19 If you are harvesting in your field and forget a sheaf there, do not go back to get it. It is to be left for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.…
Deut 24:18-19

Click Here to Give

Whether you are a widow, supporter, or new to our community, thank you for being part of our tribe! Your love and support really makes a difference to widows and their children for generations to come! Let’s do this!#StrongerTogether!

Mishael Porembski
Founder, Widow Strong
WidowStrong.com

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” – Proverbs 13:12 NIV

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