Guest Editorial by Helen Sullivan: Enchanted

On March 8^th, the Phoenix International Christian Church held its second annual Women’s Day event. It was an inspiring day filled with incredible preaching by Cathi Martinez, from the City of Angels International Christian Church, and testimonies by our own Therese Belt, Ashley Godwin and Teresa Hamblin. The entertainment, which included a dance by Kelsey Campbell, Cherise Schneider and Ashley Godwin, two songs by Grace Droblas and Sharil Piercey and a poem written and read by Brandyn Speckman, moved everyone’s hearts.

The day was most amazing because the twenty-five sisters in the church agreed to pray for Women’s Day everyday starting two months prior to the event and ask God to allow each of us to bring one friend with us. Because we focused on prayer, there was no stress or anxiety! And as God promises in Ephesians 3:20-21 “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen”, God was glorified through the event as He more than answered our prayers by bringing out fifty-five women to hear His Word preached.

The theme of the day came from the new Disney movie “Enchanted”. We changed the tag line of the movie as we added it to our invitation. It read “Enchanted – The real world and the spiritual world collide”. That is what happened as Cathi Martinez preached about the despair in her life before her life collided with God. She shared the hope, the healing and the great change that having a right relationship with God produces. She showed how we can have that “fairy tale” life back, the life with “the happy ending” when we get our lives right with God.

Perhaps the poem Brandyn wrote best expresses the heart of the day.

Enchanted by the world

Deceived by it’s shine

Walking along each day thinking,

“I am doing just fine.”

Didn’t understand…

Didn’t care to know…

Thought I was okay

Really just putting on a show!

Times got real hard…

The hardest I ever had to endure

Thought I couldn’t go on

Not with all the pain… heartache… pressure

In my dark closet

I saw a tiny beam of Light

Enchanted by the Hope

I didn’t dare look left or right

My gaze held firm

But my legs start to give in

Is this walk too hard? Can I make it?

I feel myself slipping…

Help me God…

Help me break free from my fears

Help me get rid of this dark weight

That has captured me for 18 years

I open my eyes

Now I can see

Enchanted by the beautiful Light

“God heard me!!!”

He listened to my every word

And He held my hand tight

Just when I thought

I had no more fight

I can’t even begin to explain

This amazing peace I now have inside

And I know it all began

Around the time I allowed Jesus to lead my life

Now I am enchanted by my God’s Love

I must say ladies, is unfailing and true

I am now a new woman

I am able to stand here with you

The women who attended the event had much to say about the day. “This was the best Women’s Day I have ever been to.” “Great experience! Wonderful service. Thank you!” “This celebration really inspired me to repair some areas of my life.” “Very inspiring.” “I truly enjoyed this. It reminded me of Gods love.” “I truly have faith and believe in God. Women’s Day was awesome!”

Psalm 42:1-2 says, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” Sisters, as we saw at Women’s Day, we must realize that women all over the world long to know God. Many women sit in their rooms late at night crying out to God, asking to be saved from the life they are living. We need to give our hearts to finding these women, to teaching them the scriptures, to giving back the hope they lost and to helping them live the life that God calls all of us to live.

Helen Sullivan